EXPERIMENT AIM

This experiment offers the determination of heat transfer coefficient through of the tubes
bank.

EXPERIMENT OBJECTIVE
1.

To determine of heat transfer coefficient for forced convection for tubes bank.

2.

To determine of coefficient of the forced convection system.

EXPERIMENT APPARATUS
6
7
8

1
2
3

9
10
11

TLout

TO

TLin L VL

Figure 1: Free & Forced Convection Unit

No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

Item
Power Indicator
Power Controller
Heater Switch
Fan Controller
Main Switch
Fan/Blower
Temperature Indicator
Temperature Selector
Heated Surface
Temperature Sensor
Thermal Anemometer

Table 1: List of Part in Free & Forced Convection Unit.

THEORY
There are three modes for heat transfer: convection, conduction, and radiation. The
Convection heat transfer plays an important role in many industrial applications. Based on
different criteria, convection can be divided in to different categories from different aspects.
In the most general division, it is subdivided into free and forced convection. In the forced
convection, the fluid to be heated is blown or pumped past the heated surface by employing a
pump or a fan, while in the natural (or free) convection, fluid flow is naturally achieved based
on the density variation in the heated fluid.
Experimental:
The heat transfer rate to the fluid,

Q , can be calculated using the fist law of

thermodynamics for the heated fluid:

Q= h

(1)

where h is the enthalpy variation of the fluid in the duct and is the mass flow rate which
is calculated as:
=vA

here

(2)

is the air density, v is the averaged velocity and A is cross-sectional area of the

duct which is equal to 0.0073164 m2 in this experiment. The air density can be found from
thermodynamics tables. Using perfect gas assumption for the air, Eq. (1) becomes:

Q= C p T

(3)

The temperature difference T is calculated from the difference between the average inlet
and outlet temperatures. The specific heat capacity of the air Cp is also dependant on the air
temperature and should be found from thermodynamics tables. Since the temperature is
varying in the duct length, the value of Cp should be evaluated in the average temperature of
air in the duct, Tb:
Tb=

TinT out
2

(4)

The heat sources on the test stand consist of electrical resistors; thus, the amount of power
that is consumed by the heaters, Pe, can be considered as a measure of the amount of heat
released. The factor for efficiency provides information on the losses which occur
during heat transfer. This factor indicates the portion of the input energy that is transferred to
the fluid. This can be written as follows:
=

Q
Pe

(5)

Another important value introduced in the literature is Log Mean Temperature (LMT). It is
calculated using the following formula:
tm = [ (Ts Te) (Ts Ti)] / ln [(Ts Ti) / (Ts Ti)]

(6)

The average heat transfer coefficient of the system, hexp, can be calculated as,
hexp=

Theoretical:

Q
As tm

(7)

PROCEDURE

DATA AND RESULTS

1) Experimental
Velocity, v (m/s)
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0

Tb (C)
25.75
30.10
26.95
27.40
26.55
25.40

T1
54.8
68.2
53.9
56.6
50.7
46.6

Temperature (C)
T2
T3
53.5
56.0
66.2
67.8
52.3
53.8
54.7
56.8
48.7
51.3
44.8
47.4

(kg/m3)
1.181
1.164
1.176
1.174
1.178
1.182

Cp (J/kg.K)
1007.0
1007.0
1007.0
1007.0
1007.0
1007.0

Tavg ,Ts (C)

Tin,T (C)

Tout,Te (C)

Th
70.3
54.8
25.5
26.0
81.7
67.4
29.6
30.6
69.1
53.3
26.3
27.6
73.8
56.0
26.3
28.5
66.2
50.2
25.6
27.5
63.2
46.3
24.4
26.4
Table 2: Experiment Results for parallel flow

T (C)

Tb (C)

tm

0.5
1.0
1.3
2.2
1.9
2.0

25.8
30.1
27.0
27.4
26.6
25.4

29.0
37.3
26.4
28.6
23.7
20.9

Dynamic Viscosity, (kg/m.s)

Thermal conductivity, k (W/m.K)
0.00001852
0.02557
0.00001872
0.02589
0.00001858
0.02565
0.00001860
0.02569
0.00001856
0.02562
0.00001851
0.02554
Table 3: Properties of air at 1 atm pressure

Prandtl Number, Pr
0.7294
0.7282
0.7291
0.7289
0.7292
0.7295

As (m2)
0.046518

Diameter, (m)
0.0131

Length (m)
0.067

Number of tubes, N
17

A
0.0073164

Pe (Watt)
80

Table 4:

Velocity, v (m/s)
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0

(kg/s)
0.004320
0.008514
0.012908
0.017185
0.021543
0.025953

Q (J/s)
hexp (W/m2.K)

2.1753
1.5993
0.02719
8.5731
4.9035
0.10716
16.8983
13.6665
0.21123
38.0711
28.3787
0.47589
41.2185
37.1482
0.51523
52.2688
53.4783
0.65336
Table 5: Experimental analysis for experimental method

(%)
2.7191
10.7164
21.1229
47.5889
51.5231
65.3360

2) Theoretical
Tb
(C)
25.75
30.10
26.95
27.40
26.55
25.40

Thermal conductivity, k
(W/m.K)
0.0255655
0.0258874
0.0256543
0.0256876
0.0256247
0.0255396

Velocity, v (m/s)
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0

Cp
Dynamic Viscosity,

(J/kg.K)
(kg/m.s)
(kg/m3)
1007
0.00001852
1.1810
1007
0.00001872
1.1636
1007
0.00001858
1.1762
1007
0.00001860
1.1744
1007
0.00001856
1.1778
1007
0.00001851
1.1824
Table 6: Properties of air at 1 atm pressure

Maximum velocity, Vmax

ReD
NuD
0.9703
810.3986
18.0900
1.9407
1579.8793
29.3969
2.9110
2414.1209
37.8933
3.8814
3210.3253
44.9673
4.8517
4033.0021
51.5471
5.8220
4872.3904
57.7344
Table 7: Experimental analysis for theoretical method

Prandtl Number,
Pr
0.7294
0.7282
0.7291
0.7289
0.7292
0.7295

Prandtl Number,
Prs
0.7216
0.7184
0.7219
0.7212
0.7227
0.7238

NuD, NL<16
16.8237
27.3391
35.2408
41.8196
47.9388
53.6929

hth (W/m2.K)
32.8325
54.0258
69.0136
82.0034
93.7723
104.6791

hexp (W/m2.K) and hth (W/m2.K) vs velocity

140
120
100
80
hexp (W/m2.K) and hth (W/m2.K)

hexp (W/m2.K)
hth (W/m2.K)

60
40
20
0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5
Velocity

Figure 2: hexp (W/m2.K) and hth (W/m2.K) vs velocity

Efficiency of the system, vs Velocity (m/s)

0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
Efficiency of the system,

0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5
Velocity

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

Figure 3: Efficiency of the system, vs Velocity (m/s)

SAMPLE CALCULATION

From table A-15 (Properties of air at 1 atm pressure)

Velocity, v = 0.5 m/s

Tb (
)
25
30

At Tb = 25.75 C

k (W/m.K)

Cp
(J/kg.K)

(kg/m.s)

(kg/m3)

Prandtl Number,
Pr

0.02551
k
0.02588

1007
Cp
1007

0.00001849

0.00001872

1.184

1.164

0.7296
Pr
0.7282

= (((25.75 C 25 C) / (30 C 25 C)) (1.164 kg / m 1.184 kg / m)) + 1.184 kg / m

= 1.181 kg / m

Cp = (((25.75 C 25 C) / (30 C 25 C)) (1007 J/kg.K 1007 J/kg.K)) + 1007 J/kg.K

= 1007 J/kg.K

Dynamic Viscosity, = (((25.75 C 25 C) / (30 C 25 C)) (0.00001872 kg/m.s

0.00001849 kg/m.s)) + 0.00001849 kg/m.s
= 0.00001852 kg/m.s

Thermal conductivity, k = (((25.75 C 25 C) / (30 C 25 C)) (0.02588 W/m.K

0.02551 W/m.K)) + 0.02551 W/m.K
= 0.02557 W/m.K

Prandtl Number, Pr = (((25.75 C 25 C) / (30 C 25 C)) (0.7282 0.7296))

+ 0.7296
= 0.7294

1) Experimental
A = (Sn 4) L
= (0.0273m 4) 0.067m
= 0.0073164 m2
Mass flow rate, = vA
= (1.181 kg / m) (0.5 m/s) (0.0073164 m2)
= 0.004320 kg / s

Q = Cp T
= (0.004320 kg / s) (1007 J/kg.K) (0.5)
= 2.1753 J/s

Heat transfer surface area, As = N D L

= 17 (0.0131m) (0.067m)
= 0.046518 m2

Heat transfer coefficient, hexp = Q (As tm)

= (2.1753 J/s) ((0.046518 m2) (29.0))
= 1.5993 W / m2.K

= Q Pe
= (2.1753 J/s) (80)
= 0.02719 100%
= 2.7191

3) Theory

DISCUSSION

1) What will be happened if the tube banks are changed to become in line form
instead of staggered form in term of heat transfer coefficient and efficiency?

2) Comments on the variation heat transfer coefficient by convection with air velocity
and heater power and efficiency of the system with air velocity.

3) List all factors that will be effecting the convection process.

In convective heat exchange, the heat is spatially distributed by the movement of the
fluid medium from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature
and by the thermal motion of microparticles and the exchange of kinetic energy
between them. The factors that affecting the convection process are:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.

The degree of surface roughness

The surface temperature
Viscosity
The temperature of the medium giving up or receiving the heat
Fluid flow rate - Increasing flow rate will increase heat transfer rate
Temperature Difference ( T) between the two fluids - This is the driving
force in heat exchange principles. The greater the. T, the greater the heat

vii.

transfer rate
The nature of the heat conducting materials - Some materials have a high
conductivity while others don't. This factor is 'built-in' in the design of the
Exchanger and choice of materials. It is governed by the design engineers

viii.

before manufacture
Surface area - The larger the surface area of the conducting interfaces, the
greater the heat transfer rate

4) What is condition of this experiment, steady state or unsteady state? Explain.

5) What are the differences between laminar and turbulent flows? Which one has
happened in this experiment? Explain.
6) What is the different in the measured values of heat transfer coefficient if one uses
linear average temperature instead of LMTD?

7) Explain any unusual difficulties or problems which may have led to poor results.
8) In which mode of heat transfer is the convection heat transfer coefficient usually
higher, natural convection or forced convection? Why?
In natural convection, the movement of the fluid is due entirely to density gradients
within the fluid (e.g. hot air rises over cold air). There is no external device or
phenomenon which causes fluid motion. In forced convection, the fluid is forced to
flow by an external factor - e.g. wind in the atmosphere, a fan blowing air, water
being pumped through a pipe. Typically heat transfer under forced convection
conditions is higher than natural convection for the same fluid.

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES