EXPT NO:

NAME:

DATE:

ROLL NO:

DETERMINATION OF HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT BY NATURAL

CONVECTION
AIM:
1. To determine the average surface heat transfer coefficient for a vertical tube losing
heat by natural convection.
2. To compare it with the value obtained from empirical relations.
THEORY:
Convection is a mode of heat transfer, generally takes place in liquid and gases. Consider a
fluid over a heated surface, the molecules of fluid adjacent to the surface, absorb heat and
become hot. On heating, the molecules become lighter due to decrease in density, they rise up
and the cold molecules of higher density
come down in contact of heated surface. In this
way, a motion of molecules set up in fluid due to density gradient.
Natural convection heat transfer is extensively used in the following areas of engineering
1. Cooling of transformers, transmission lines and rectifiers.
2. Heating of houses by stream or electrical radiations.
3. Heat loss from steam pipe lines in power plants and heat gain in refrigerant pipe
lines in air conditioning applications.
4. Cooling of reactor core in nuclear power plants.
5. Cooling of electronic devices (chips, transistors) by finned heat sinks.
APPARATUS:
The apparatus consists of a vertical stainless steel tube enclosed in a rectangular
duct. Front side of the duct is made of transparent section to facilitate visual
observation. An electrical heating element embedded in a copper tube act as the
heat source. The
surface temperature is measured at different heights using
thermocouples. The surface of the tube is polished to minimize the radiation
losses. A voltmeter and an ammeter enable the determination of wattage
dissipated by the heater. The chamber temperature also can be measured.

500 mm

THEORY
Experimental heat transfer coefficient hexpt = Q/ A(Ts- Ta) W/m2K.
Where Q = heat input in Watts
A = surface area in m2
Ts = surface temperature in 0C
Ta = ambient temperature in 0C
Theoretical value of heat transfer coefficient

ht = Nu k/ L

Where, Nu = Nusselts number

k = thermal conductivity in W/m0 C
L = length of pipe in m.
Nusselts number can be calculated by using free convection correlations for vertical
cylinders.
Nusselts Number, Nu = ht L/K = 0.53 [GrPr]1/4 for Gr.Pr< 105,
Nu = ht L/K = 0.56 [GrPr]1/4 for 105<Gr.Pr< 108,
Nu = ht L/K = 0.13 [GrPr]1/3 for 108 <Gr.Pr< 1012
Grashof Number, Gr =L3g (Ts Ta) / 2
- Volumetric coefficient of thermal expansion K-1.
For ideal gas,= 1/Tf
where Tf - absolute film temperature at which properties are taken from the data
book.
Tf= (Ts+Ta)/2 + 273 K
g = acceleration due to gravity in m/s2
Ts = surface temperature in 0K
Ta = ambient temperature in0K
L = length of cylinder in m
= kinematic viscosity
Prandtl number, Pr = Cp/ K
Where, = dynamic viscosity of air in kg/m-s
Cp = specific heat of fluid in kJ/kg0C
K = thermal conductivity of air in W/m0 C
PROCEDURE:
1
2
3
4

Connect the equipment to power supply. Set the voltmeter readings to some value
say 50V.
Allow the system to stabilize and reach a steady state.
Note down all the temperatures T1 to T8, voltmeter and ammeter readings.
Repeat the experiment for different heat inputs.

OBSERVATIONS:
SI
No

Heat Input Q in W Thermocouple Readings in C

V I
(v) (A)

Q=VI
(W)

T1

T2

T3

T4

T5

T6

T7

Ambient
Temperature
T8(Ta)

hexpt

ht

W/m2K

W/m2K

SAMPLE CALCULATION FOR SET NO:

1. To find out the average heat transfer coefficient
hexpt = Q/ A(Ts- Ta) W/m2K
Where
V=

I=

Q= heat input, VI =

m2

d = outer diameter of cylinder = 0.044 m

L = length of cylinder = 0.5 m
A = surface area in m2= dL=
Ts = surface temperature in 0C
TS = (Tl + T2 + T3 + T4 + T5 + T6 + T7) /7
Ta = ambient temperature in0C= T8

hexpt =

W/m2 K

2. To find out the theoretical heat transfer coefficient

Grashof Number, Gr = L3g (Ts T8) /2
Where - Volumetric coefficient of thermal expansion K-1
For ideal gas, = 1/Tf
where Tf - absolute film temperature at which properties are taken from data book.
g = acceleration due to gravity in m/s2
Ts = surface temperature=

Ta = ambient temperature=

Tf= (Ts+Ta)/2 + 273 K=

L = length of cylinder =

= kinematic viscosity=

m2/s

Grashof Number, Gr =
Prandtl number, Pr = Cp/ K
Where, = dynamic viscosity of air =

kg/m-s

Cp = specific heat of fluid =

kJ/kg0C

K = thermal conductivity of air =

W/m0C

Rayleigh Number, Ra = Gr Pr =

Nusselt Number, Nu =

(use the co-relation)

Theoretical heat transfer coefficient, ht = Nu k/ L

=

RESULT:
Experimental heat transfer coefficient, hexpt =
Theoretical heat transfer coefficient, ht=

W/m2K

INFERENCE:

PRECAUTION:
1. Keep the dimmer stat to zero position before start.
2. Increase the voltage slowly.
3. Do not increase power input above 150V.