ConvectionHeatTransfer

ForcedConvection(FlowWithinCircularTubes)
ForcedConvection(PerpendicularFlowAbout
CircularTubes)
ForcedConvection(FlowAlongFlatWall/Plate)
Free/NaturalConvection

PhysicalMechanismofConvection
Conduction andconvection aresimilarinthatboth
mechanismsrequirethepresence ofamaterial
medium.
Buttheyaredifferentinthatconvection requires
thepresenceoffluidmotion.
Heattransferthroughaliquidorgascanbeby
conductionorconvection,dependingonthe
presenceofanybulkfluidmotion.
Thefluidmotionenhancesheattransfer,sinceit
bringswarmerandcoolerchunksoffluidinto
contact,initiatinghigherratesofconductionata
greaternumberofsitesinafluid.

ConvectionHeatTransfer
Convectionisanimportantfactorinheat
transferwheninvolvingfluid eitheraliquidor
gas.
Theamountofheattransferreddependson
thenatureofthesurface,itsgeometry,the
natureofthefluid,itsvelocityoverthe
surface,temperaturedifferences.
Simplifiedbyassumingthatastagnantfilmof
thefluidisinimmediatecontactwiththe
surface,andthatheattransferredthroughthis
filmbyconduction.

 Thisassumptiongivesapproximateresultsthat
aresatisfactoryformanyengineeringpurposes.

T
Q . A.
x

Q h. A.(Ts T )

h =thermalconductivityofthefilm
thicknessofthefilm
Heattransfercoefficient,h dependsonfluid
viscosity,fluiddensity,thethermal
conductivityofthefluidK,thespecificheatof
thefluidcp,thetemperaturedifference
betweenthesurfacewallandthefluid(Tw T),
andthefluidvelocityVf.

TheNusseltNumber
Itiscommonpracticetonondimensionalizetheheattransfer
coefficienth withtheNusseltnumber

hLc
Nu
k
Heatfluxthroughthefluidlayerbyconvection andby
conduction canbeexpressedas,respectively:
T
qconv hT
qcond k
L
Takingtheirratiogives
qconv
hT
hL

Nu
qcond k T / L k
TheNusseltnumberrepresentstheenhancementofheat
transferthroughafluidlayerasaresultofconvectionrelative
toconductionacrossthesamefluidlayer.
Nu=1pureconduction.

PrandtlNumber
Therelativethicknessofthevelocityandthe
thermalboundarylayersisbestdescribedbythe
dimensionlessparameterPrandtlnumber,defined
as
Molecular diffusivity of momentum c p
Pr

Molecular diffusivity of heat
k

Heatdiffusesveryquicklyinliquidmetals (Pr1)
andveryslowlyinoils (Pr1)relativetomomentum.
Consequentlythethermalboundarylayerismuch
thickerforliquidmetalsandmuchthinnerforoils
relativetothevelocityboundarylayer.

LaminarandTurbulentFlows
Laminarflow theflowischaracterizedby
smoothstreamlinesandhighlyordered
motion.
Turbulentflow theflowis
characterizedbyvelocity
fluctuationsand
highlydisorderedmotion.
Thetransition fromlaminar
toturbulentflowdoesnot
occursuddenly.

ReynoldsNumber
Thetransition fromlaminartoturbulentflowdepends onthe
surfacegeometry,surfaceroughness,flowvelocity,surface
temperature,andtypeoffluid.
Theflowregime depends mainlyontheratiooftheinertia
forces toviscousforces inthefluid.
ThisratioiscalledtheReynoldsnumber,whichisexpressedfor
externalflowas
Inertia forces VLc VLc

Re

Viscous forces
AtlargeReynoldsnumbers(turbulentflow)theinertiaforcesare
largerelativetotheviscousforces.
AtsmallormoderateReynoldsnumbers(laminarflow),the
viscousforcesarelargeenoughtosuppressthesefluctuations
andtokeepthefluidinline.
CriticalReynoldsnumber theReynoldsnumberatwhichthe
flowbecomesturbulent.

ForcedConvection(FlowWithin
CircularTubes)
Totalheattransferintermsofbulk
temperaturedifference

Q h. A.(Tw T / f )

Q h. A.(Tw Tb )
Ti Te
Tb
2

 Heattransferinfullydevelopedturbulent flow
insmoothtubes:

Nu 0.023 Re Pr
0.8

Where:
n=0.4forheatingofthefluid,
n=0.3forcoolingofthefluid.

V f D
hD Re
cp
Nu
,
Pr

Re

Vf D
v

 Heattransferforlaminar flowintubes:
1/ 3

D
Nu 1.86(Re Pr)
L
1/ 3

0.14

Example4.1(Harimi2008)
Hotammoniaatanaveragetemperatureof
100oCflowsat5m/sthrougha3mlongtube
[Link]
theamountofheattransferredtothewallif
thetemperatureofthetubewalliskeptat
20oC.
AtTb/ammonia =100oC:
=0.559kg/m3, =12.886x106 kg/m.s,
K =0.0327W/[Link],Pr=0.87

ForcedConvection(Perpendicular
FlowAboutCircularTubes)
Ingeneral,heattransfercoefficientwillvary
locallyaroundthecircumferenceofthe
cylinder.
However,theaverageheattransfercoefficient
overtheentirecylindersurfacecanbe
representedby:

Nu C. Re Pr
n

1/ 3

hD

Kf

 WheretheconstantC andn varywith

C
0.989
0.911
0.683
0.193
0.0266

n
0.330
0.385
0.466
0.618
0.805

Example4.2(Harimi2008)
Determinetheheattransfercoefficientforair
flowingacrossasingletube20mmin
diameterifthefluidtemperatureTf =30oC
andthestreamvelocityVf =5m/[Link]
temperatureis60oC,whatwillbetheheat
transferperunitlengthofthetube?
AtTair =30oC:
K =0.026W/m.K, =1.60x105 m2/s
Pr =0.7

ForcedConvection(FlowAlongFlat
Wall/Plate)
Fluidflowsparalleltothesurfaceoftheplate,
velocityisconstanteverywhereexceptinthe
regionnearthesurfaceofplate,wheredueto
frictionaleffects,thevelocityrapidlydecreaseto
zeroatthewall.
(noslip).

 Thicknessoftheboundarylayergradually
increasesinthedirectionofflow.
Flowintheboundarylayermaybelaminaror
turbulent,exceptintheimmediatevicinityof
thewall,wheretheflowisalwayslaminar.
Theconvectionheattransfercoefficient,in
general,variesalongtheflowdirection.

 Forlaminar boundarylayerflowalongflat
plate:
0.25

Pr f

Nu 0.76 Re Pr
Prw
0.5
f

0.4
f

Forturbulent boundarylayerflowalongflat
plate:

Pr f

Nu 0.036 Re Pr
Prw
0.8
f

0.4
f

0.25

Example4.5(Harimi2008)
Airflowsalongasmoothwall1mwideand1.2
mlongatavelocityof9m/[Link]
heattransfercoefficientandthetotalheat
quantitytransferredifTw =80oCandTf =20oC.
AtTair =20oC:Kf =0.0251W/m.K,
f =1.51x105 m2 /s,Prf =0.71
AtTair =80oC:Prw =0.71

Free/NaturalConvection
Aresultofthemotionofthefluidduetodensity
changesarisingfromtheheatingprocess.
Whenaheatedobjectisbroughttoaroomwhich
theairisatconstanttemperature,therewillbean
exchangeofheatbetweentheobjectandthe
room.
Airincontactwiththeobjectbecomeslessdense
Thedensitydifferenceresultsbuoyancyforces
whichcausestheheatedairtorise,replacedby
coldair=>fluidmovement.
Iftheobjectiscolder,fluidmovement=>
downward.

hL
n
Nu
CRa
Km

g m
3
Ra
Prm L Tw T f Grm Prm
2
vm
g m 3
Grm

T
w
f
2
vm
1
Tm Tw T f
2

Tm :meantemperatureatwhichthephysical
propertiesoffluidareevaluated.

Example4.6(Harimi2008)
A2.0cmdiameterhorizontaltubeheateris
maintainedatasurfacetemperatureof38oC
[Link]
freeconvectionheatlossperunitlengthof
theheater.

Example4.7(Harimi2008)
Asquareductof0.3mx0.3mairconditioning
ductcarriesairatatemperaturesuchthatthe
outsidetemperatureoftheductismaintained
at16oCandisexposedtotheroomair
[Link]:
Theconvectionheattransfercoefficient
Theheatgainedbytheductpermeterofits
length.

T (K)

Pr

g./2 (m-3.K-

K (W/m.K)

200
250
300
350
400

0.740
0.724
0.712
0.706
0.703

857 x 106
302 x 106
133 x 106
66 x 106
36.3 x 106

0.0181
0.0223
0.0261
0.0297
0.0331

Ra

<0.001
0.01 500
500 2 x 107
2 x 107 - 1013

Ra
<0.001
0.01 500
500 2 x 107
2 x 107 - 1013

1)

0.50
1.18
0.54
0.135

0.00
1/8
1/4
1/3

C
Upward
Facing
0.65
1.53
0.70
0.176

Downward
Facing
0.35
0.83
0.38
0.095

n
0.00
1/8

1/3