Chapter 3

Fundamentals of
convection heat transfer

1
 Chapter 5: Fundamentals of convection
heat transfer
5.1 PHYSICAL MECHANISM OF CONVECTION
Heat transfer through a solid is by conduction.

Heat transfer through a liquid or gas can be by:

1) Conduction → no fluid motion

2) Convection → with fluid motion

The fluid motion enhances heat transfer.

Heat transfer by convection > heat transfer by

conduction
Figure Heat transfer from a hot surface
to the surrounding fluid by convection
and conduction.
The temperatures of the fluid and the plate will be the same at the points of contact.

If there is no fluid motion → heat transfer between the plates will be by conduction.
Consider the cooling of a hot block.

The block will cool faster if:

a) the fan blows at a higher speed
b) air is replaced by water
Convection heat transfer depends on:

- Fluid properties (μ, k, ρ, Cp)

- Fluid velocity

- Geometry of the surface

- Roughness of the surface

- Type of the fluid flow (laminar or turbulent)

Convection heat transfer is expressed in terms of Newton’s law of cooling as:

qconvection  hTs  T  (W/m2) (5-1)

or

Q convection  hATs  T 
(W) (5-2)

where

h = convection heat transfer coefficient, W/m2.0C

A = heat transfer surface area, m2

Ts = temperature of the surface,0C

T∞ = temperature of the fluid sufficiently far from the surface, 0C

When a fluid flows over a surface, the fluid layer in contact with the surface “sticks” to
the surface.

→ This thin layer of fluid has zero velocity. (no slip-condition)

→ Heat transfer in this thin layer is by conduction.

Figure : A fluid flowing over a stationary surface comes to a complete stop at the surface
because of the no-slip condition.
At the fluid layer sticking to the surface

T
qconv  qcond  k fluid (W/m2) (5-3)
y y 0

T
hTs  T   k fluid
y y 0

 k fluid T y y 0
h (W/m2. 0C) (5-4)

Ts  T
h varies along the flow direction → h = h(x)
Define Nu, Nusselt number:

hLc
Nu  (5-5)

k
Nu is the non-dimensional heat transfer coefficient, h.

Lc = a characteristic length.
Consider a fluid layer of ΔT=T2-T1

qconv  hT (with fluid motion)

and

T
qcond k (no fluid motion)
L
Taking their ratio gives

qconv hT hL
   Nu
qcond k T L k
Nu =1 → represents heat transfer by pure conduction.
Figure : We resort to forced convection whenever we need to increase rate of heat
transfer.
 5.2 CLASSIFICATION OF FLUID FLOWS

1) Viscous versus Inviscid Flow

Flows in which the effects of viscosity are significant are called viscous flows.
Idealized flows of zero-viscosity fluids are called frictionless or inviscid flows.
There is no fluid of zero viscosity.
2) Internal versus External Flow

Figure : Internal flow of water in a pipe and the external flow of air over the same
pipe.
3) Compressible versus Incompressible Flow

During flow:

If the density of the fluid changes → compressible

If not → incompressible flow.
The flow of liquids are typically incompressible.
Gas flows can be treated as incompressible if the density changes are less than about 5%.
This is the case when V is less than 0.3 × V of sound in that gas.
For air: if V < 100 m/s → incompressible flow.

4) Laminar versus Turbulent Flow

The highly ordered fluid motion characterized by smooth streamlines is called laminar.
The highly disordered fluid motion characterized by velocity fluctuations is called
turbulent.
 5) Natural (or Unforced) versus Forced Flow

Forced flow → the fluid is forced to flow by

a pump or fan etc.
Natural flow → fluid motion is due to a
natural means, such as the buoyancy effect.

Fig.:Natural circulation of water in a solar water heater by thermosiphoning.

6) Steady versus Unsteady (Transient) Flow
Steady → no change with time
Unsteady → change with time.
Uniform → no change with location.

7) One-, Two, and Three-Dimensional Flows

1-D flow → V varies in one dimension only.
2-D flow → V varies in two dimensions.
3-D flow → V varies in three dimensions.
Generally, the flows are three dimensional.

One-dimensional flow in a circular pipe.

 5.3 VELOCITY BOUNDARY LAYER

δv

Figure : The development of the boundary layer for flow over

a flat plate, and the different flow regimes.
δv= boundary layer thickness (for velocity)

at y = δv → u = 0.99u∞

Boundary layer region: y <δv→ viscous effects are significant.

Inviscid flow region: y > δv → viscous effects are negligible.

Figure -The development of a boundary layer on a surface is due to the no-slip condition.
Faster moving fluid layer drags the slower layer due to fluid friction.

→ it exerts a drag force (or friction force).

τ = shear stress (drag force per unit area)

Shear stress at the wall surface is:

u
s   (N/m2) (5-6)

y y 0

μ = dynamic viscosity of the fluid (N.s/m2)

(kg/m.s)

μ → represents a resistance to flow.

Figure-The viscosity of liquids
decreases and the viscosity of gases
increases with temperature.
Table: The dynamic viscosities of some
liquids and air at 200C.
 FD
s 
A
FD = drag force (Friction force, Ff)

This is also related to upstream velocity V∞ by

V 2
 C
s f

(N/m2) (5-7)
2
Cf = friction coefficient (determined experimentally)

or drag coefficient

Cf varies along flow direction.

If average Cf value over a surface is determined then FD can be found from

V2
FD  C f A (N) (5-8)

2
 5.4 THERMAL BOUNDARY LAYER
Temperature of the fluid at the plate surface is equal to plate temperature Ts

Figure - Thermal boundary layer on a flat plate (the fluid

is hotter than the plate surface).
Thermal Boundary Layer: The layer in which T changes
δt = thermal boundary layer thickness

at y = δt → (T-Ts) = 0.99(T∞-Ts)
Velocity boundary layer influences thermal boundary layer.

 k fluid T y y 0
h
Ts  T

T
h
y y 0

→ The shape of the thermal boundary layer dictates h.

Prandtl Number (Dimensionless)

Molecular diffusivit y of momentum  C p

Pr    (5-12)
Molecular diffusivit y of heat  k

v n
1
 Pr n
for most cases

t 3
Pr ≈ 0.01 for liquid metal

Pr ≈ 100 000 for heavy oils

δt is large for liquid metals

δt is small for oils

Table : Typical ranges of Prandtl numbers for common fluids.
Laminar and Turbulent Flows

Figure - Laminar and turbulent flow regimes of cigarette smoke.

Figure- The behavior of colored fluid injected into the
flow in laminar and turbulent flows in a tube.
Laminar Flow: is characterized by

- Smooth streamlines and

- Highly ordered motion

Turbulent flow: is characterized by

- Velocity fluctuations, and

- Highly disordered motion

Turbulent boundary layer consists of 3 layers

1- laminar sublayer

2- buffer layer

3- turbulent layer
Reynolds Number (Re)

Inertia forces VLc

Re   (5-9)

where
Viscous forces 
V = upstream velocity, m/s

Lc = characteristic length of the geometry, m

ν = μ/ρ = kinematic viscosity of the fluid, m2/s

Re is dimensionless.
Figure - The Reynolds number can be viewed as the ratio of the inertia forces to viscous forces
acting on a fluid volume element.