DimensionlessParametersinFreeandForcedConvective

HeatTransfer
Convection:Convectionisheattransferbymassmotionofafluidsuchasairorwaterwhen
theheatedfluidiscausedtomoveawayfromthesourceofheat,carryingenergywithit.
Convectioncanbequalifiedintermsofbeingnatural,forced,gravitational,granular,or
thermomagnetic.Generally,itoccursbetweenasolidsurfaceandfluidinmotion.
ForcedConvection:Iffluidmotionisimpartedbyexternalmeanslikepump,fan,compressor
etc.,convectioniscalledforcedconvection.
NaturalorFreeConvection:Whenthefluidmovesduetodensitydifferencecausedbythe
heattransferbetweensolidsurfaceandfluid.Itissaidtobenaturalorfreeconvection.
MeanBulkTemperature(t b ):Itdenotestheequilibriumtemperaturethatwouldresultitthe
fluidatacrosssectionwasthoroughlymixedinanadiabaticcontainer.
MeanFilmTemperature(t f):Itisthearithmeticmeanofthesurfacetemperaturet s ofasolid
andtheundisturbedtemperaturet ofthefluidwhichflows.

AverageHeatTransferConvectiveCoefficient:Itisgivenby:

DimensionlessParametersandtheirSignificance
Thefollowingdimensionlessparametersaresignificantinevaluatingtheconvectionheat
transfercoefficient:
NusseltNumber(Nu):ItisadimensionlessquantitydefinedashL/k,whereh=convective
heattransfercoefficient,Listhecharacteristiclengthandkisthethermalconductivityofthe
fluid.

TheNusseltnumbercouldbeinterpretedphysicallyastheratioofthetemperature
gradientinthefluidimmediatelyincontactwiththesurfacetoareferencetemperature
gradient(T s T )/L.
TheconvectiveheattransfercoefficientcaneasilybeobtainediftheNusseltnumber,
thethermalconductivityofthefluidinthattemperaturerangeandthecharacteristic
dimensionoftheobjectisknown.
Letusconsiderahotflatplate(temperatureT w )placedinafreestream(temperature
T <T w ).Thetemperaturedistributionisshowninthefollowingfigure.
Newton'sLawofCoolingsaysthattherateofheattransferperunitareabyconvectionis
givenby

Numeasureenergytransferbyconvectionoccurringatthesurface.LargerthevalueofNu,
largerwillbetherateofheattransferbyconvection.
Temperaturedistributioninaboundarylayer:Nusseltmodulus
Theheattransferbyconvectioninvolvesconductionandmixingmotionoffluidparticles.At
thesolidfluidinterface(y=0),theheatflowsbyconductiononly,andisgivenby

Sincethemagnitudeofthetemperaturegradientinthefluidwillremainthesame,
irrespectiveofthereferencetemperature,wecanwritedT=d(TTw)andbyintroducinga
characteristiclengthdimensionLtoindicatethegeometryoftheobjectfromwhichtheheat
flows,weget
indimensionlessform,

ReynoldNumber(Re):Reynoldnumberisdefinedas:

where,=Densityoffluid,v=Velocityoffluidpassingthroughlength(l),=Kinematic
viscosity,andv=Dynamicviscosity

CriticalReynoldNumber:Itrepresentsthenumberwheretheboundarylayerchangesfrom
laminartoturbineflow.
Forflatplate,
Re<510 5 (laminar)
Re>510 5 (turbulent)
Forcircularpipes,
Re<2300(laminarflow)
2300<Re<4000(transitiontoturbulentflow)
Re>4000(turbulentflow)
StantonNumber(St)
Itisdefinedas

GrashofNumber(Gr):Innaturalorfreeconvectionheattransfer,diemotionoffluidparticles
iscreatedduetobuoyancyeffects.Thedrivingforceforfluidmotionisthebodyforcearising
fromthetemperaturegradient.
IfabodywithaconstantwalltemperatureT w isexposedtoaquiscentambientfluidatT ,
theforceperunitvolumecanbewrittenas:
g(t wt )
where=massdensityofthefluid,=volumecoefficientofexpansionandgisthe
accelerationduetogravity.
Itisusedforfreeconvection.

where,=Coefficientofvolumetricexpansion=1/T
TheratioofinertiaforceBuoyancyforce/(viscousforce)2canbewrittenas

ThemagnitudeofGrashofnumberindicateswhethertheflowislaminarorturbulent.Ifthe
Grashofnumberisgreaterthan10 9 ,theflowisturbulentandforGrashofnumberlessthan
10 8 ,theflowislaminar.For10 8 <Gr<10 9 ,Itisthetransitionrange.
PrandtlNumber(Pr):Itisadimensionlessparameterdefinedas:

whereisthedynamicviscosityofthefluid,v=kinematicviscosityand=thermal
diffusivity.

Forliquidmetal,Pr<0.01
Forairandgases,Pr1
Forwater,Pr10
Forheavyoilandgrease,Pr>10 5
Itprovidesameasureofrelativeeffectiveofmomentumandenergytransportby
diffusioninvelocityandthermalboundarylayersrespectively.HigherPrmeanshigher
Nuanditshowshigherheattransfer.
Thisnumberassumessignificancewhenbothmomentumandenergyarepropagated
throughthesystem.
Itisaphysicalparameterdependinguponthepropertiesofthemedium.
Itisameasureoftherelativemagnitudesofmomentumandthermaldiffusioninthe
fluid:
 ForPr=1,therateofdiffusionofmomentumandenergyareequalwhichmeansthat
thecalculatedtemperatureandvelocityfieldswillbeSimilar,thethicknessofthe
momentumandthermalboundarylayerswillbeequal.
ForPr<<1(incaseofliquidmetals),thethicknessofthethermalboundarylayerwill
bemuchmorethanthethicknessofthemomentumboundarylayerandviceversa.
TheproductofGrashofandPrandtlnumberiscalledRayleighnumber.Or,Ra=Gr
Pr.

RayleighNumber(Ra):ItisproductofGrashofnumberandPrandtlnumber.Itisusedfor
freeconvection.

where,g=Accelerationduetogravity
=Thermalexpansioncoefficient
v=Kinematicviscosity
=Thermaldiffusivity
Pr=Prandtlnumber
Gr=Grashofnumber
Iffreeornaturalconvection
10 4 <Ra<10 9 (laminarflow)
Ra>10 9 (turbulentflow)