MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
CHAPTER 17
HEAT TRANSFER BY
CONVECTION
MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Convection Heat Transfer
Heat transfer between a surface and an adjacent fluid when they are at
different temperatures.
The mechanism of convection is mainly due to the bulk motion of the
fluid.
According to the cause of fluid motion, convection is classified as forced
convection or free convection.
The rate of heat transfer by convection is determined from Newtons law
of cooling, in which the convection heat transfer coefficient is depends
on fluid properties, surface geometry, as well as flow conditions.
MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Convection Heat Transfer
To study the effects of surface geometry and flow conditions on
convection coefficient, consider the forced convection flow of a fluid with
a free stream velocity u and temperature T in parallel, steady,
incompressible flow over a flat plate with a uniform temperature Ts (Ts >
T)
Hydrodynamic Boundary
Layer Heat Transfer
Convection
thin region next to the surface in which the velocity of the fluid
changes gradually from zero (no-slip condition) at the surface to the
free stream velocity u at some distance from the surface.
The boundary layer thickness, is typically defined as the distance
above the surface to the point where u = 0.99 u
Thermal Boundary Layer
The thin region in which the temperature of the fluid changes
gradually from Ts at the surface to the free stream temperature T at
some distance from the surface.
The thermal boundary layer thickness, t is typically defined as the
distance above the surface to the point where Ts T = 0.99 (Ts T)
MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Thermal Boundary layer
As the thermal boundary layer increases with x, the magnitude of
temperature gradients decrease, hence convective flux and convection
coefficient.
As the flow advances with x over the surface, the boundary layer will
transit from laminar to turbulent flow at some distance xc from leading
edge, at which Re = Rex,c the critical Reynolds number
On a flat plat, we can take
A turbulent boundary layer is characterized by greater thickness t and
flatter temperature profiles with steeper gradients at surface, which
implies larger local convection coefficients.
MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Convection Coefficient
At the surface, the fluid velocity is zero and, hence, energy transfers by
conduction.
The local heat flux at any distance x from the leading edge can be
obtained from Fourier's law as
local convection coefficient
MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Average Convection Coefficient
For a surface with arbitrary shape, we may write
average convection coefficient is obtained from
total heat transfer rate can be obtained by integrating the local heat flux
over the entire surface As
MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Correlations: Estimating Convection Coefficients
The problem of convection is to determine the convection coefficient for
different flow conditions and geometries with different fluids.
Since there are numerous variables associated with any flow situation,
we identify universal functions in terms of dimensionless parameters
which have physical significance for convective flow situations.
Nusselt number which represents the dimensionless temperature
gradient at the surface
Based on analytical solutions and experiments, the local and average
convection coefficients for forced convection can be correlated,
respectively, using the functions
The Reynolds number, the ratio of the inertia to viscous forces.
Characterizes forced convection flows
MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Correlations: Estimating Convection Coefficients
The Prandtl number, Pr, is a transport property of the fluid which provides
a measure of the relative effectiveness of momentum and energy transport
in the hydrodynamic and thermal boundary layers, respectively
The Prandtl number for gases is near unity, whereas for oils and some
liquids, Pr >> 1.
Pr strongly influences the relative growth of the velocity and thermal
boundary layers
Relationships among Nu, Pr, and Re are most commonly determined from
experiments performed on specific surface geometries and types of flows,
hence, termed empirical correlations
The most general correlation for forced convection external flow over flat
plates and other immersed geometries has the form
where C, m and n are independent of the fluid, but dependent upon the
surface geometry and flow condition (laminar vs. turbulent).
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MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Correlations: Estimating Convection Coefficients
In free convection, the boundary layer flow is induced by thermally
driven buoyancy forces arising from a difference between the surface
temperature Ts and the adjoining fluid temperature T.
The flow is characterized by the Grashof number, which is the ratio of
the buoyancy to viscous forces
g gravitational acceleration
expansion coefficient
volumetric thermal
Since the product of the Grashof and Prandtl number appears frequently
in free convection correlations, it is convenient to designate the product
as a number termed the Rayleigh number
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MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Correlations: Estimating Convection Coefficients
Important Dimensionless Groups in Convection Heat Transfer
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Thermo-fluid Engineering
Correlation Selection Rules
Identify the flow surface geometry.
Flow over a flat plate, a cylinder, or a sphere? Or flow through a tube of
circular or non-circular cross-sectional area?
Specify the appropriate reference temperature and evaluate fluid
properties at that temperature.
For moderate boundary layer temperature differences, the film
temperature, Tf defined as Tf = (Ts T)/2 may be used for this purpose.
However, some correlations require property evaluation at the free
stream temperature T
Calculate the Reynolds number (forced) or Grashof number
(free)
Using the appropriate characteristic length, calculate the Reynolds
number to determine the boundary layer flow conditions.
Determine whether the flow is laminar, turbulent, or mixed.
local or average convection coefficient ?
The local coefficient is used to determine the heat flux at a point on the
surface; the average coefficient is used to determine the heat transfer
rate for the entire surface.
Select the appropriate correlation.
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Thermo-fluid Engineering
FORCED CONVECTION
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MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Flat Plate in Parallel Flow
In the absence of upstream disturbances, laminar boundary layer development
begins at the leading edge (x = 0), and transition to turbulence may occur at a
downstream location (xc) for which the critical Reynolds number is Rex,c = 5105
Laminar Flow
The hydrodynamic boundary layer thickness is defined as that value of (x) for
which u/u = 0.99, and from Eq 14.19 can be expressed as
local Nusselt number
average convection coefficient x <xc
properties are evaluated at the film temperature, T f = (Ts T)/2
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MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Flat Plate in Parallel Flow
Turbulent Flow
hydrodynamic boundary layer thickness
local Nusselt number
properties are evaluated at the film temperature, T f = (Ts T )/2
Mixed Boundary Layer Conditions
To calculate average Nusselt number over flat plate, where part is
laminar and the other is turbulent.
If we assume a representing critical Reynolds number Rex,c = 5105,
the average convective coefficient can be expressed as
properties are evaluated at the film temperature, T f = (Ts T )/2
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MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Cylinder in Cross Flow
Consider the long cylinder of diameter D with a uniform surface
temperature Ts experiencing cross flow by a free stream fluid of
temperature T with a uniform upstream velocity u
The nature of the hydrodynamic boundary layer strongly influences the
formation of the thermal boundary layer, and hence the variation of the
local convection coefficient over the cylinder.
The effects of transition, separation, and the formation of the wake
control the temperature profile in a complicated manner, and the
convection coefficient shows marked changes over the cylinder surface.
The average convection coefficient and Nusselt number are given as
functions of the Reynolds and Prandtl numbers
The Hilpert correlation is one of the most widely used correlations
The Churchill-Bernstein correlation is a single comprehensive
equation that covers wide range of Reynolds and Prandtl numbers
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MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Cylinder in Cross Flow
Constants for the Hilpert Correlation for Circular (Pr 0.7)
and Noncircular (Gases only) Cylinders in Cross Flow
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MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
The Sphere
Whitaker Correlation
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MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
External Flow Relations
Summary of Convection Heat Transfer Correlations for
External Flow
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Thermo-fluid Engineering
Convection Heat Transfer
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Thermo-fluid Engineering
Convection Heat Transfer
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Thermo-fluid Engineering
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Thermo-fluid Engineering
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Thermo-fluid Engineering
FREE CONVECTION
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MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Free convection
In free convection, the hydrodynamic and thermal boundary layer flows are coupled:
thermal effects induce flow, which in turn affects the temperature distribution
For vertical plates, the critical Rayleigh number
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MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
volumetric thermal expansion coefficient
For an ideal gas, p = RT, and it follows that =p/(RT)
d/dT=-p/(RT2)
For liquids and nonideal gases, must be obtained from appropriate tables
(Appendixes HT-4 and HT-5).
n =1/4 and 1/3 for laminar and turbulent flows, respectively
all properties are evaluated at the film temperature, Tf = (Ts + T)2
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MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Correlations: The Vertical Plate
Churchill-Chu correlation
for laminar flow
for laminar flow of gases (Pr = 0.7), the boundary layer thickness (=t) can be
estimated from
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MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Correlations: The Horizontal Plate
hot surface facing downward (Case A)
Or cold surface facing upward (Case B)
hot surface facing upward (Case C)
Or cold surface facing downward (Case D)
As and P are the plate surface area and perimeter
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MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Correlations: The Horizontal Cylinder and Sphere
Morgan for the long, horizontal cylinder
Churchill-Chu correlation
for the isothermal sphere, Churchill correlation
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Thermo-fluid Engineering
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Thermo-fluid Engineering
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MEC 2920
Assignment
Thermo-fluid Engineering
Chapter
104 107
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