Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Chuming Wei

James L Urban

A passive vortex formed or induced from a temperature difference across a cavity or void aggregates and supports a horizontal flow over the top of the cavity. A cavity of a suitable depth and width exhibits a small difference in temperature, or heat source, along the sides or bottom of cavity. A resulting convective flow tends to form a rising current along a warmer side, and a complementary downward current on an opposed side of the cavity. The formed vortex tends to draw the cooler downward flow across the warmer, heated surface, enhancing the vortex flow. The vortex aligns with a horizontal flow across the top of the cavity as the upward current complements the downward current on an opposed side of the cavity. A plurality of adjacent cavities tend to align with an aggregate horizontal flow contributed from each cavity.

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Worcester, MA, United States of America

Chuming Wei