Influence of interfacial heat exchange on the flow organization in liquid bridge

The appearance and development of thermoconvective oscillatory flows in a cylindrical column with a free lateral surface (so-called liquid bridge) filled with 5 cSt silicone oil are investigated experimentally. The experiments were carried out under terrestrial conditions for a wide range of volumes of liquid bridges. Heat transfer from the interface changed the threshold of socillatory instabilities. The sensitivity of thermo-convective flows to the interfacial heat exchange was found to be strongly depending on the liquid bridge volume. Slender liquid bridges (under filled zone with respect to the straight cylinder) are rather stable to external disturbances. On the contrary, fat liquid bridges are extremely sensitive to the thermal environment in the gas phase.