An experimental work is conducted to investigate effects of a reciprocating motion on mixed convection of a curved vertical cooling channel with a heat top surface, and numerical work is executed simultaneously to validate the experimental results auxiliarily. The experimental apparatus are composed of three main parts of a cooling channel, reciprocating movement and heating control. The working fluid is air and data runs are performed for Reynolds numbers, frequencies, amplitudes and temperature differences. Heat transfer rates are affected by cooling fluid flowing and reciprocating motion mutually. The enhancement of heat transfer rate is definite and the most achievement is about 50% in this work. Comparisons of both experimental and numerical results have good agreements. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.