Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Dimensionless numbers allow for comparisons between very
different systems
Dimensionless numbers tell you how the system will behave
Many useful relationships exist between dimensionless numbers
that tell you how specific things influence the system
Dimensionless numbers allow you to solve a problem more easily

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
 Nomenclature

D = diameter of pipe ρ = density of fluid.

DH = Hydraulic diameter DAB = mass diffusivity
L = Length of the pipe h = heat transfer coefficient.
Lch = characteristic length g = acceleration due to earths gravity.
R = Length through which conduction t = characteristic time
occurs. ν = Kinematic viscosity of fluid.
u = mean characteristic velocity of the α = Thermal diffusivity
object relative to the fluid. β = volumetric thermal expansion
Vch = Characteristic velocity coefficient ( = 1/T for ideal fluids, T =
Cp = specific heat capacity at constant absolute temperature)
pressure. Ts = surface temperature
k = thermal conductivity T∞ = Bulk Temperature
μ = dynamic viscosity of the fluid
Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)
t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
 Reynolds Number
Re

Primarily used to analyze different flow regimes i.e. Laminar, Turbulent, or

Transient Flow.
When Viscous forces are dominant (i.e. low value of Re) it is a laminar flow.
When Inertial forces are dominant (i.e. high value of Re) it is a Turbulent flow.

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Match the following dimensionless numbers with the appropriate ratio of forces
Dimensionless Number Ratio of forces
P. Froude Number 1. Shear force / inertial force
Q. Reynolds Number 2. Convective heat transfer/conductive heat transfer
R. Friction factor 3. Inertial force/viscous force
S. Nusselt Number 4. Inertial force/viscous force
5. Inertial force/gravitational force

(A) P – 1, Q – 2, R – 5, S – 3
(B) P – 5, Q – 4, R – 3, S – 2
(C) P – 5, Q – 4, R – 1, S – 2
(D) P – 3, Q – 4, R – 5, S – 1 GATE 2003

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
 Prandtl Number
Pr

It is also the ratio of velocity boundary layer to thermal boundary layer.

Depends only on fluid & its properties.
Pr = small, implies that rate of thermal diffusion (heat) is more than the rate of
momentum diffusion (velocity). Also the thickness of thermal boundary layer is
much larger than the velocity boundary layer.
Q.10. The hydrodynamic and thermal boundary layers will merge when –
(A) Prandtl number is one
(B) Schmidt number tends to infinity
(C) Nusselt number tends to infinity
(D) Archimedes number is greater than 10000 GATE 1996

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Match the following :
(1) Stanton Number (a) hD / k
(2) Prandtl Number (b) h / (CPρv)
(c) CPk / µ
(d) CP µ/ k GATE 1994

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Prandtl number is the ratio of
(A) Mass diffusivity to thermal diffusivity
(B) Momentum diffusivity to thermal diffusivity
(C) Thermal diffusivity to Mass diffusivity
(D) Thermal diffusivity to momentum diffusivity GATE 1994

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
The Prandtl number of a fluid is the ratio of
(A) Thermal diffusivity to momentum diffusivity
(B) Momentum diffusivity to thermal diffusivity
(C) Conductive resistance to convective resistance
(D) Thermal diffusivity to kinematic diffusivity GATE 2009

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
 Schmidt Number
Sc

Analogous to Prandtl number of Heat Transfer.

Used in fluid flows in which there is simultaneous momentum & mass diffusion.
It is also the ratio of fluid boundary layer to mass transfer boundary layer thickness.
To find mass transfer coefficient using Sherwood number, we need Schmidt number.
Match the following :
(I) Schmidt number (A). Momentum diffusivity/Thermal diffusivity
(II) Lewis number (B). Thermal diffusivity / Mass diffusivity
(C). Momentum diffusivity/Mass diffusivity
(D). Mass diffusivity / Thermal diffusivity

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
At 750 K and 1 atm, the approximate value of the Schmidt number for
air is
(A) 0.01 (B) 0.1 (C) 1 (D) 10

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Match the dimensionless numbers in Group-1 with the ratios in Group-2

(A) P-II, Q-I, R-III

(B) P-I, Q-III, R-II
(C) P-III, Q-I, R-II
(D) P-II, Q-III, R-I GATE 2016

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
The dimensionless group in mass transfer that is equivalent to
Prandtl number in heat transfer is –
(A) Nusselt number
(B) Sherwood number
(C) Schmidt number
(D) Stanton number GATE 2002

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Q.9. If the Prandtl number is greater than the Schmidt number
(A) the thermal boundary layer lies inside the concentration boundary layer
(B) the concentration boundary layer lies inside the thermal boundary layer
(C) the thermal and concentration boundary layers are of equal thickness
(D) the hydrodynamic (i.e., momentum) boundary layer is thicker than the other two

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
 Lewis Number
Le

Ratio of thermal diffusivity to mass diffusivity.

Fluid flow with simultaneous Heat & mass transfer by convection.
It is also ratio of Schmidt number to Prandtl number.

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Match the following :
(I) Schmidt number (A). Momentum diffusivity/Thermal diffusivity
(II) Lewis number (B). Thermal diffusivity / Mass diffusivity
(C). Momentum diffusivity/Mass diffusivity
(D). Mass diffusivity / Thermal diffusivity

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Lewis number = 1 signifies
(A) Pr = Sc
(B) Pr = Re
(C) Sc = Re
(D) Nu = Sh GATE 1990

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
 Peclet Number
Pe

Ratio of Heat transported by convection to Heat transported by conduction.

Product of Re & Pr for Pe(HT) & product of Re & Sc for Pe(MT).

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
 Stanton Number
St

For HT, It is the ratio of heat transferred to the fluid to the heat capacity of the fluid.
For HT, It’s the ratio of Nusselt Number to Peclet Number i.e. St(HT) = Nu/(Re.Pr).
Used to find heat transfer in forced convection flows.
For MT, It’s the ratio of Sherwood Number to Peclet Number i.e. St(MT) = Sh/(Re.Sc).
Match the following :
(1). Stanton Number (a) hD / k
(2). Prandtl Number (b) h / (CPρv)
(c) CPk / µ
(d) CP µ/ k GATE 1994

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
 Nusselt Number Nu

Ratio of convective to conductive heat transfer coefficient across the boundary layer.
Low Nu => conduction is more => Laminar flow
High Nu => convection is more => Turbulent flow.
It can also be viewed as conduction resistance to convection resistance of the material.
Free convection: Nu = f(Ra, Pr)
Forced Convection: Nu = f(Re, Pr)
Match the following :
(I) Nusselt number (A) Convective resistance / Fluid conduction resistance
(II) Biot number (B) Fluid conduction resistance / Convective resistance
(C) Solid conduction resistance / Convective resistance
(D) Convective resistance / Solid conduction resistance
GATE 1994

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Match the following dimensionless numbers with the appropriate ratio of forces
Dimensionless Number Ratio of forces
P. Froude Number 1. Shear force / inertial force
Q. Reynolds Number 2. Convective heat transfer/conductive heat transfer
R. Friction factor 3. Inertial force/viscous force
S. Nusselt Number 4. Inertial force/viscous force
5. Inertial force/gravitational force

(A) P – 1, Q – 2, R – 5, S – 3
(B) P – 5, Q – 4, R – 3, S – 2
(C) P – 5, Q – 4, R – 1, S – 2
(D) P – 3, Q – 4, R – 5, S – 1 GATE 2003

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
 Sherwood Number Sh

Ratio of Convective to diffusive mass transport.

Analogous of Nusselt number in Heat transfer
Or
Sherwood number is Nusselt number for mass transfer.

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Sherwood number for flow in a pipe can be expressed as the ratio of the
concentration gradient at _____________ to the overall concentration
difference.
GATE 1994

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
 Grashof Number Gr

Ratio of Buoyancy force to viscous force in natural convection.

Reynolds number is used in forced convection of fluid flow,
whereas Grashof number is used in natural convection.

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Match the dimensionless numbers in Group-1 with the ratios in Group-2

(A) P-II, Q-I, R-III

(B) P-I, Q-III, R-II
(C) P-III, Q-I, R-II
(D) P-II, Q-III, R-I GATE 2016

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Grashof number is associated with
(A) Buoyancy effects
(B) Free convection
(C) Forced convection
(D) High temperature difference GATE 1990

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
The Grashof Number is
(A) thermal diffusivity / mass diffusivity
(B) inertial force / surface tension force
(C) sensible heat / latent heat
(D) buoyancy force / viscous force GATE 2007

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
The Grashof number is defined as the ratio of
(A) buoyancy to inertial forces
(B) buoyancy to viscous forces
(C) inertial to viscous forces
(D) buoyancy to surface tension forces GATE 2000

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
When the ratio of the Grashof number to the square of the Reynolds number is one,
the dominant mechanism of heat transfer is :
(A) free convection
(B) entry length problem in laminar forced convection (developing thermal boundary layer)
(C) mixed convection (both free and forced)
(D) Forced convection GATE 1996

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
 Biot Number

Bi

Used in unsteady state (transient) heat transfer conditions.

Ratio of heat transfer resistance inside the body to heat transfer resistance at the surface
of the body. OR ratio of internal thermal resistance to external thermal resistance .
Shows the variation of temperature inside the body w.r.t to time.
Bi < 0.1 => heat transfer resistance inside the body is very low => inside the body
conduction takes place faster compared to convection at the surface. => no temperature
gradient inside the body (uniformity in temperature) vice versa implies that Temperature
is not uniform throughout the material volume.
Match the following :
(I) Nusselt number (A) Convective resistance / Fluid conduction resistance
(II) Biot number (B) Fluid conduction resistance / Convective resistance
(C) Solid conduction resistance / Convective resistance
(D) Convective resistance / Solid conduction resistance
GATE 1994

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
The ratio of Nusselt number to Biot number is
(A) conductive resistance of fluid / conductive resistance of solid
(B) conductive resistance of fluid / conductive resistance of fluid
(C) conductive resistance of solid / conductive resistance of fluid
(D) unity GATE 2010

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Match the dimensionless numbers in Group-1 with the ratios in Group-2

(A) P-II, Q-I, R-III

(B) P-I, Q-III, R-II
(C) P-III, Q-I, R-II
(D) P-II, Q-III, R-I GATE 2016

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
 Rayleigh Number
Ra

It shows the presence & strength of convection in a fluid body.

Heat transfer by Conduction within fluid < Critical value for that fluid <
Heat transfer by convection. (consequences of Ra values) Product of Gr.Pr

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Match the following :
(1) Graetz number a. heat transfer in creeping flow,
(2) Rayleigh number b. thermally developing flow,
c. product of Grashof and Prandtl no.
d. product of Reynolds and Prandtl no.
GATE 1996

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
 Graetz Number
Gz

Characterizes laminar flow in a conduit OR transfer of heat by streamline

fluid flow in a pipe.
In case of mass transfer, Pr is replaced by Sc.

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
Match the following :
(1) Graetz number a. heat transfer in creeping flow,
(2) Rayleigh number b. thermally developing flow,
c. product of Grashof and Prandtl no.
d. product of Reynolds and Prandtl no.
GATE 1996

Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)

t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy
 Fourier Number
Fo

Ratio of rate of heat conduction to the rate of heat storage.

Used along with Biot number to solve transient state heat transfer problems.
For mass transfer by diffusion, Fourier number for MT is used.
It can also be understood as current time to the time taken to reach steady state.
Subscribe Telegram Channel For Free Study Material GATE (CH)
t.me/DevendraPooniaUnacademy