MEC 2920

Thermo-fluid Engineering

CHAPTER 17

HEAT TRANSFER BY
CONVECTION

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Convection Heat Transfer

Heat transfer between a surface and an adjacent fluid when they are at
different temperatures.
The mechanism of convection is mainly due to the bulk motion of the
fluid.
According to the cause of fluid motion, convection is classified as forced
convection or free convection.
The rate of heat transfer by convection is determined from Newtons law
of cooling, in which the convection heat transfer coefficient is depends
on fluid properties, surface geometry, as well as flow conditions.

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Convection Heat Transfer

To study the effects of surface geometry and flow conditions on

convection coefficient, consider the forced convection flow of a fluid with
a free stream velocity u and temperature T in parallel, steady,
incompressible flow over a flat plate with a uniform temperature Ts (Ts >
T)

 Hydrodynamic Boundary
Layer Heat Transfer
Convection
thin region next to the surface in which the velocity of the fluid
changes gradually from zero (no-slip condition) at the surface to the
free stream velocity u at some distance from the surface.
The boundary layer thickness, is typically defined as the distance
above the surface to the point where u = 0.99 u
Thermal Boundary Layer
The thin region in which the temperature of the fluid changes
gradually from Ts at the surface to the free stream temperature T at
some distance from the surface.
The thermal boundary layer thickness, t is typically defined as the
distance above the surface to the point where Ts T = 0.99 (Ts T)

MEC 2920

Thermo-fluid Engineering

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Thermal Boundary layer

As the thermal boundary layer increases with x, the magnitude of

temperature gradients decrease, hence convective flux and convection
coefficient.
As the flow advances with x over the surface, the boundary layer will
transit from laminar to turbulent flow at some distance xc from leading
edge, at which Re = Rex,c the critical Reynolds number
On a flat plat, we can take
A turbulent boundary layer is characterized by greater thickness t and
flatter temperature profiles with steeper gradients at surface, which
implies larger local convection coefficients.

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Convection Coefficient

At the surface, the fluid velocity is zero and, hence, energy transfers by
conduction.
The local heat flux at any distance x from the leading edge can be
obtained from Fourier's law as

local convection coefficient

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Average Convection Coefficient

For a surface with arbitrary shape, we may write

average convection coefficient is obtained from

total heat transfer rate can be obtained by integrating the local heat flux
over the entire surface As

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Correlations: Estimating Convection Coefficients

The problem of convection is to determine the convection coefficient for

different flow conditions and geometries with different fluids.
Since there are numerous variables associated with any flow situation,
we identify universal functions in terms of dimensionless parameters
which have physical significance for convective flow situations.
Nusselt number which represents the dimensionless temperature
gradient at the surface

Based on analytical solutions and experiments, the local and average

convection coefficients for forced convection can be correlated,
respectively, using the functions

The Reynolds number, the ratio of the inertia to viscous forces.

Characterizes forced convection flows

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Correlations: Estimating Convection Coefficients

The Prandtl number, Pr, is a transport property of the fluid which provides
a measure of the relative effectiveness of momentum and energy transport
in the hydrodynamic and thermal boundary layers, respectively

The Prandtl number for gases is near unity, whereas for oils and some
liquids, Pr >> 1.
Pr strongly influences the relative growth of the velocity and thermal
boundary layers
Relationships among Nu, Pr, and Re are most commonly determined from
experiments performed on specific surface geometries and types of flows,
hence, termed empirical correlations
The most general correlation for forced convection external flow over flat
plates and other immersed geometries has the form
where C, m and n are independent of the fluid, but dependent upon the
surface geometry and flow condition (laminar vs. turbulent).

10

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Correlations: Estimating Convection Coefficients

In free convection, the boundary layer flow is induced by thermally

driven buoyancy forces arising from a difference between the surface
temperature Ts and the adjoining fluid temperature T.
The flow is characterized by the Grashof number, which is the ratio of
the buoyancy to viscous forces

g gravitational acceleration
expansion coefficient

volumetric thermal

Since the product of the Grashof and Prandtl number appears frequently
in free convection correlations, it is convenient to designate the product
as a number termed the Rayleigh number

11

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Correlations: Estimating Convection Coefficients

Important Dimensionless Groups in Convection Heat Transfer

12

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Correlation Selection Rules

Identify the flow surface geometry.

Flow over a flat plate, a cylinder, or a sphere? Or flow through a tube of
circular or non-circular cross-sectional area?
Specify the appropriate reference temperature and evaluate fluid
properties at that temperature.
For moderate boundary layer temperature differences, the film
temperature, Tf defined as Tf = (Ts T)/2 may be used for this purpose.
However, some correlations require property evaluation at the free
stream temperature T
Calculate the Reynolds number (forced) or Grashof number

(free)
Using the appropriate characteristic length, calculate the Reynolds
number to determine the boundary layer flow conditions.
Determine whether the flow is laminar, turbulent, or mixed.

local or average convection coefficient ?

The local coefficient is used to determine the heat flux at a point on the
surface; the average coefficient is used to determine the heat transfer
rate for the entire surface.
Select the appropriate correlation.
13

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

FORCED CONVECTION

14

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Flat Plate in Parallel Flow

In the absence of upstream disturbances, laminar boundary layer development

begins at the leading edge (x = 0), and transition to turbulence may occur at a
downstream location (xc) for which the critical Reynolds number is Rex,c = 5105
Laminar Flow
The hydrodynamic boundary layer thickness is defined as that value of (x) for
which u/u = 0.99, and from Eq 14.19 can be expressed as

local Nusselt number

average convection coefficient x <xc

properties are evaluated at the film temperature, T f = (Ts T)/2

15

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Flat Plate in Parallel Flow

Turbulent Flow
hydrodynamic boundary layer thickness

local Nusselt number

properties are evaluated at the film temperature, T f = (Ts T )/2

Mixed Boundary Layer Conditions
To calculate average Nusselt number over flat plate, where part is
laminar and the other is turbulent.
If we assume a representing critical Reynolds number Rex,c = 5105,
the average convective coefficient can be expressed as

properties are evaluated at the film temperature, T f = (Ts T )/2

16

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Cylinder in Cross Flow

Consider the long cylinder of diameter D with a uniform surface

temperature Ts experiencing cross flow by a free stream fluid of
temperature T with a uniform upstream velocity u
The nature of the hydrodynamic boundary layer strongly influences the
formation of the thermal boundary layer, and hence the variation of the
local convection coefficient over the cylinder.
The effects of transition, separation, and the formation of the wake
control the temperature profile in a complicated manner, and the
convection coefficient shows marked changes over the cylinder surface.
The average convection coefficient and Nusselt number are given as
functions of the Reynolds and Prandtl numbers
The Hilpert correlation is one of the most widely used correlations

The Churchill-Bernstein correlation is a single comprehensive

equation that covers wide range of Reynolds and Prandtl numbers

19

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Cylinder in Cross Flow

Constants for the Hilpert Correlation for Circular (Pr 0.7)

and Noncircular (Gases only) Cylinders in Cross Flow

20

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

The Sphere

Whitaker Correlation

21

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

External Flow Relations

Summary of Convection Heat Transfer Correlations for

External Flow

22

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Convection Heat Transfer

23

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Convection Heat Transfer

24

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

25

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

26

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

FREE CONVECTION

41

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Free convection

In free convection, the hydrodynamic and thermal boundary layer flows are coupled:
thermal effects induce flow, which in turn affects the temperature distribution
For vertical plates, the critical Rayleigh number

42

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

volumetric thermal expansion coefficient

For an ideal gas, p = RT, and it follows that =p/(RT)
d/dT=-p/(RT2)

For liquids and nonideal gases, must be obtained from appropriate tables
(Appendixes HT-4 and HT-5).

n =1/4 and 1/3 for laminar and turbulent flows, respectively

all properties are evaluated at the film temperature, Tf = (Ts + T)2

43

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Correlations: The Vertical Plate

Churchill-Chu correlation

for laminar flow

for laminar flow of gases (Pr = 0.7), the boundary layer thickness (=t) can be
estimated from

44

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Correlations: The Horizontal Plate

hot surface facing downward (Case A)

Or cold surface facing upward (Case B)
hot surface facing upward (Case C)
Or cold surface facing downward (Case D)

As and P are the plate surface area and perimeter

45

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

Correlations: The Horizontal Cylinder and Sphere

Morgan for the long, horizontal cylinder

Churchill-Chu correlation

for the isothermal sphere, Churchill correlation

46

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

47

MEC 2920
Thermo-fluid Engineering

48

MEC 2920

Assignment

Thermo-fluid Engineering

Chapter
104 107

17:

19

34

63

85

56