ISSN 0040-5795, Theoretical Foundations of Chemical Engineering, 2007, Vol. 41, No. 4, pp. 414–416. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.

, 2007.
Original Russian Text © G.M. Mikhailov, V.G. Mikhailov, L.A. Kondakova, L.S. Reva, 2007, published in Teoreticheskie Osnovy Khimicheskoi Tekhnologii, 2007, Vol. 41, No. 4,
pp. 408–410.

Determination of the Coefficient of Convective Heat Transfer

in a Transient Pipe Flow at High Grashof Numbers
G. M. Mikhailov, V. G. Mikhailov, L. A. Kondakova, and L. S. Reva
Volgograd State Technical University, pr. Lenina 28, Volgograd, 400131 Russia
e-mail: pahp@vstu.ru
Received June 6, 2004

Abstract—An equation for determining the coefficient of convective heat transfer in a pipe with a transient
flow in which the effect of natural convection is taken into account is proposed. It is shown that the upper limit
of applicability of the Nusselt equation (that is, the upper limit at which the flow in a pipe still remains laminar
at high Grashof numbers) is lower than the conventionally accepted value. An equation for determining the crit-
ical Reynolds number as a function of the Grashof number is proposed.

DOI: 10.1134/S0040579507040124

To determine the coefficient of convective heat At the same time, the authors believe that when
transfer in a pipe with a transient flow of Newtonian tw
t (that is, Gr
0), this additional action of lateral
fluid, the authors [1] proposed the equation: natural convection will definitely upset the laminar flow
conditions in a horizontal pipe at values of Recr lower
0.43 ⎛ Pr 0.25
Nu = 3.66 + 0.0855 ( Re – 2320 ) --------⎞ , (1)
2/3
Pr than Re cr0 = 2320.
⎝ Pr w⎠
One can assume that Eq. (3) will also be valid for
which is much more accurate than the commonly
high Gr numbers if it involves Recr instead of Re cr0 :
accepted graphical relation [2]:
Nu 2/3
Re – Re cr ⎞
- = f ( Re ),
--------------------------------- (2) Nu = 3.66 + 33.3 ⎛ -------------------------------
0.43 ⎛ Pr ⎞
0.25 ⎝ 10000 – Re cr⎠
Pr --------
⎝ Pr w⎠ (4)
0.43 ⎛ Pr 0.25
× Pr --------⎞ .
At the same time, when the Grashof numbers are very ⎝ Pr w⎠
high, the results calculated with Eq. (1) can differ con-
siderably from experimental data [3]. The experimental studies conducted by the authors
Equation (1) is identical to the equation: showed that when the natural convection is imposed,
the value of Recr can be determined from the equation:
Re – Re cr0 ⎞ 2/3
Nu = 3.66 + 33.3 ⎛ --------------------------------
- Recr = 2320 – 2.79 × 10–10 Gr2. (5)
⎝ 10000 – Re cr ⎠
0
(3) Substituting (5) into (4) yields
0.43 ⎛ Pr 0.25
× Pr --------⎞ ,
⎝ Pr w⎠ Re – 2320 + 2.79 × 10 Gr ⎞
– 10 2 2/3
Nu = 3.66 + 33.3 ⎛ ---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
⎝ 7680 + 2.79 × 10 –10 Gr 2 ⎠
where Re cr0 = 2320 is the critical number determined (6)
0.43 ⎛ Pr 0.25
by Reynolds for isothermal conditions; that is, when tw = t. × Pr --------⎞ .
Here, it is very important to discuss the following ⎝ Pr w⎠
aspect.
The table lists the values of Re, Pr, Prw, Gr, and Nu
All the literature on heat transfer in pipes, including calculated using the experimental heat transfer data for
classical such as [4], assumes that the laminar flow is the flow of water and benzene in a heated horizontal
also kept for tw
t; that is, for pipe reported by Balaika et al. [3], the value of Nup cal
gd
3 calculated from Eq. (6), and their comparison with the
Gr = -------2-∆tβ ≠ 0. experimental values of the Nu number. The small devi-
ν ation of Eq. (6) from the experimental data can be

414
 DETERMINATION OF THE COEFFICIENT OF CONVECTIVE HEAT TRANSFER 415

Experimental and calculated heat transfer data

Nu cal – Nu
Re Pr Prw Gr × 10–6 Nu Nucal --------------------------- 100
Nu

Water flow in heated pipe

2800 3.147 1.83 1.508 23.2 20.0 –13.8
6740 2.336 1.85 1.475 35.5 40.1 13.1
7230 2.498 1.85 1.600 43.5 44.4 2.15
7870 2.318 1.85 1.455 43.2 45.3 4.7
6250 3.581 1.96 1.117 49.4 47.7 –3.5
6600 3.514 1.88 1.126 51.5 50.0 –3.0
9320 2.520 1.85 1.596 52.2 54.3 3.9
7160 3.684 1.87 1.193 53.6 55.4 3.4
9770 2.465 1.87 1.496 58.6 55.2 –5.8
8100 3.367 1.96 1.328 60.2 57.5 –4.5
Benzene flow in heated pipe
549 5.920 4.786 2.557 6.80 6.04 –12.3
940 5.773 4.899 3.187 21.3 23.7 11.3
1035 5.457 4.634 3.476 26.0 27.5 5.7
1810 6.049 4.612 4.994 36.6 29.7 –19
2720 5.911 4.509 3.692 49.1 42.8 –12
4340 7.00 5.264 1.790 42.3 43.9 3.6
4570 7.118 5.659 3.123 48.2 53.8 14.1
6920 6.303 5.208 1.714 59.5 60.8 2.1
7530 7.209 5.438 1.595 64.4 69.9 8.6

attributed to the fact that the values of Re reported by g—acceleration due to gravity, m/s2;
Balaika et al. [3] are roughly rounded.
t—mean fluid temperature, °ë;
Consequently, the upper limit of applicability of the
Nusselt number tw—wall temperature, °ë;
Nu = 3.66 ∆t—difference between the wall and fluid tempera-
tures, °ë;
is the condition Re < 2320 – 2.79 × 10–10Gr2 rather than
Re < 2320, and the limits of the transient region in w—fluid velocity in the pipe, m/s;
which Eq. (6) is applicable are determined by the con- α—heat transfer coefficient, W/(m2 K);
dition (2320 – 2.79 × 10–10Gr2) < Re < 10000.
β—coefficient of fluid temperature expansion, K–1;
As applied to heat exchangers operated under zero
gravity, such as spaceships with turned-off maneuver- λ—thermal conductivity, W/(m K);
ing engines (that is, when Gr = 0), Eq. (6) reduces to ν—kinematic viscosity, m2/s;
Eq. (1).
3
gd
Gr = -------2-∆tβ —Grashof number;
NOTATION ν
a—thermal diffusivity, m2/s; αd
Nu = ------- —Nusselt number;
d—inner pipe diameter, m; λ

THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Vol. 41 No. 4 2007

416 MIKHAILOV et al.

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THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Vol. 41 No. 4 2007