PROBLEM 7.

9
KNOWN: Dimensions and surface temperature of electrically heated strips. Temperature and velocity
of air in parallel flow.
FIND: (a) Rate of convection heat transfer from first, fifth and tenth strips as well as from all the strips,
(b) For air velocities of 2, 5 and 10 m/s, determine the convection heat rates for all the locations of part
(a), and (c) Repeat the calculations of part (b), but under conditions for which the flow is fully turbulent
over the entire array of strips.
SCHEMATIC:

ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Top surface is smooth, (2) Bottom surface is adiabatic, (3) Critical Reynolds
number is 5 × 105, (4) Negligible radiation.
PROPERTIES: Table A.4, Air (Tf = 535 K, 1 atm): ν = 43.54 × 10-6 m2/s, k = 0.0429 W/m⋅K, Pr =
0.683.
ANALYSIS: (a) The location of transition is determined from
ν 43.54 ×10−6 m 2 s
x c = 5 × 105 = 5 × 105 = 10.9 m
u∞ 2m s
Since xc >> L = 0.25 m, the air flow is laminar over the entire heater. For the first strip, q1 = h1 (∆L ×
w)(Ts - T‡ ) where h1 is obtained from
k
h1 = 0.664 Re1/ 2 1/ 3
x Pr
∆L
1/ 2
0.0429 W m ⋅ K  2 m s × 0.01m 
h1 = × 0.664  
 43.54 ×10−6 m 2 s 
(0.683)1/ 3 = 53.8 W m2 ⋅ K
0.01m  
q1 = 53.8 W m 2 ⋅ K ( 0.01m × 0.2 m )(500 − 25 ) C = 51.1W
$
<
For the fifth strip, q5 = q 0 −5 − q 0 − 4 ,
q5 = h 0 −5 (5∆L × w )( Ts − T∞ ) − h 0− 4 ( 4∆L × w )( Ts − T∞ )
q5 = (5h 0−5 − 4h 0− 4 ) ( ∆L × w )( Ts − T∞ )
Hence, with x5 = 5∆L = 0.05 m and x4 = 4∆L = 0.04 m, it follows that h 0 − 5 = 24.1 W/m2⋅K and h 0 − 4 =
26.9 W/m2⋅K and
q5 = (5 × 24.1 − 4 × 26.9 ) W m 2 ⋅ K ( 0.01× 0.2 ) m 2 (500 − 25) K = 12.2 W . <
Similarly, where h 0 −10 = 17.00 W/m2⋅K and h 0 − 9 = 17.92 W/m2⋅K.
q10 = (10h 0 −10 − 9h0 −9 ) ( ∆L × w )( Ts − T∞ )

q10 = (10 × 17.00 − 9 × 17.92 ) W m 2 ⋅ K ( 0.01× 0.2 ) m 2 (500 − 25) K = 8.3 W <
Continued...
 PROBLEM 7.9 (Cont.)
For the entire heater,
1/ 2
k 2 1/ 3 0.0429  
2 × 0.25
h0 − 25 = 0.664 Re1/
L Pr = × 0.664   (0.683)1/ 3 = 10.75 W m2 ⋅ K
L 0.25  43.54 × 10−6 
and the heat rate over all 25 strips is
q 0 − 25 = h0 − 25 ( L × w )( Ts − T∞ ) = 10.75 W m 2 ⋅ K ( 0.25 × 0.2 ) m 2 (500 − 25 ) C = 255.3 W <
$

(b,c) Using the IHT Correlations Tool, External Flow, for Laminar or Mixed Flow Conditions, and
following the same method of solution as above, the heat rates for the first, fifth, tenth and all the strips
were calculated for air velocities of 2, 5 and 10 m/s. To evaluate the heat rates for fully turbulent
conditions, the analysis was performed setting Res,c = 1 × 10-6. The results are tabulated below.

Flow conditions u ‡ (m/s) q1 (W) q5 (W) q10 (W) q0-25 (W)

Laminar 2 51.1 12.1 8.3 256
5 80.9 19.1 13.1 404
10 114 27.0 18.6 572
Fully turbulent 2 17.9 10.6 9.1 235
5 37.3 22.1 19.0 490
10 64.9 38.5 33.1 853

COMMENTS: (1) An alternative approach to evaluating the heat loss from a single strip, for example,
strip 5, would take the form q 5 = h5 ( ∆L × w )( Ts − T∞ ) , where h 5 ≈ h x = 4.5∆L or h5 ≈ ( h x = 5∆L + h x = 4∆L ) 2 .

(2) From the tabulated results, note that for both flow conditions, the heat rate for each strip and the
entire heater, increases with increasing air velocity. For both flow conditions and for any specified
velocity, the strip heat rates decrease with increasing distance from the leading edge.
(3) The effect of flow conditions, laminar vs. fully turbulent flow, on strip heat rates shows some
unexpected behavior. For the u ‡ = 5 m/s condition, the effect of turbulent flow is to increase the heat
rates for the entire heater and the tenth and fifth strips. For the u ‡ = 10 m/s, the effect of turbulent flow
is to increase the heat rates at all locations. This behavior is a consequence of low Reynolds number (Rex
= 2.3 × 104) at x = 0.25 m with u ‡ = 10 m/s.
(4) To more fully appreciate the effects due to laminar vs. turbulent flow conditions and air velocity, it is
useful to examine the local coefficient as a function of distance from the leading edge. How would you
use the results plotted below to explain heat rate behavior evident in the summary table above?

100
Local coefficient, hx (W/m^2.K)

80

60

40

20

0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1

Distance from the leading edge, x (m)

uinf = 2 m/s, laminar flow

uinf = 5 m/s, laminar flow
uinf = 10 m/s, laminar flow
uinf = 10 m/s, fully turbulent flow
 PROBLEM 7.10
KNOWN: Speed and temperature of atmospheric air flowing over a flat plate of prescribed length
and temperature.
5 5 6
FIND: Rate of heat transfer corresponding to Rex,c = 10 , 5 × 10 and 10 .
SCHEMATIC:

ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Flow over top and bottom surfaces.

3 -6 2
PROPERTIES: Table A-4, Air (Tf = 348K, 1 atm): ρ = 1.00 kg/m , ν = 20.72 × 10 m /s, k =
0.0299 W/m⋅K, Pr = 0.700.
ANALYSIS: With
25 m/s × 1m
Re L = ∞ =
u L
= 1.21 ×106
ν -6 2
20.72 ×10 m / s
the flow becomes turbulent for each of the three values of Rex,c. Hence,

(
Nu L = 0.037 Re 4/5
L − A Pr
1/3
)
A = 0.037 Re 4/5 1/2
x,c − 0.664 Re x,c

5 5 6
Rex,c 10 5×10 10
__________________________________________________________________

A 160 871 1671

Nu L 2272 1641 931

(
hL W/m 2 ⋅ K ) 67.9 49.1 27.8

q′ ( W/m ) 13,580 9820 5560

where q′ = 2 h LL ( Ts − T∞ ) is the total heat loss per unit width of plate.

COMMENTS: Note that h L decreases with increasing Rex,c , as more of the surface becomes
covered with a laminar boundary layer.
 PROBLEM 7.11
KNOWN: Velocity and temperature of air in parallel flow over a flat plate of 1-m length.
FIND: (a) Calculate and plot the variation of the local convection coefficient, hx(x), with distance for
flow conditions corresponding to transition Reynolds numbers of 5 × 105, 2.5 × 105 and 0 (fully
turbulent), (b) Plot the variation of the average convection coefficient, h x ( x ) , for the three flow
conditions of part (a), and (c) Determine the average convection coefficients for the entire plate, h L , for
the three flow conditions of part (a).
SCHEMATIC:

ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Steady-state conditions, (2) Constant surface temperature, and (3) Critical
Reynolds depends upon prescribed flow conditions.
PROPERTIES: Table A.4, Air (Tf = 300 K, 1 atm): ν = 15.89 × 10-6 m2/s, k = 0.0263 W/m⋅K, Pr =
0.707.
ANALYSIS: (a) The Reynolds number for the plate (L = 1 m) is
u L 10 m s × 1m
ReL = ∞ = = 6.29 × 105 .
ν −6
15.89 × 10 m s 2

Hence, the boundary layer conditions are mixed with Rex,c = 5 × 105,
5 × 105
(
x c = L Re x,c ReL = 1m
5
= 0.795 m )
6.29 × 10
Using the IHT Correlation Tool, External Flow, Local coefficients for Laminar or Turbulent Flow, hx(x)
was evaluated and plotted with critical Reynolds numbers of 5 × 105, 2.5 × 105 and 0 (fully turbulent).
Note the location of the laminar-turbulent transition for the first two flow conditions.

100
Local coefficient, hx (W/m^2.K)

80

60

40

20

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

Distance from the leading edge, x (m)

Rexc = 5.0e5, Mixed flow

Rexc = 2.5e5, Mixed flow
Rexc = 0, Fully turbulent flow

Continued...