Department of Mechanical Systems

Engineering

Heat Transfer
Lecture 8
Internal Forced Convection

Yalın Kaptan 2010

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 INTERNAL FORCED CONVECTION

Flow Conditions

For turbulent flow the velocity profile is flatter in the fully developed region.
To determine the length of the entry region, at the first we need to find that the flow
is laminar or turbulent. ρ um D
Re D = , Re D ,c ≈ 2300
µ
Laminar Flow Turbulent Flow
 x fd ,h 
 x fd , h  10 ≤   ≤ 60
  ≈ 0.05 Re D  D turb
 D  lam
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 The Mean Velocity
The velocity of the fluid varies over the cross section of the tube. Therefore a
reference value is necessary.

1  dp  2   r  
THE VELOCITY 2
R 2  dp 
PROFILE u (r ) = −   R 1 −    um = −  
IS NECESSARY 4 µ  dx    R   8µ  dx 
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 Pressure Gradient and Friction Factor in Fully Developed Flow
The pressure drop may be determined from knowledge of the friction factor f;

For smooth surfaces

Petukov formula

Fully Developed Turbulent Flow

Pressure drop for fully
developed flow from x1 to x2:

power requirement

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 Thermal Boundary Layer

– Thermal boundary layer develops on surface of tube and thickens with

increasing x.
– Isothermal core shrinks as boundary layer grows.
– Subsequent to boundary layer merger, dimensionless forms of the
temperature profile ( for Ts and qs′′ ) become independent of x. Conditions are
then said to be thermally fully developed.
Turbulent Flow
Laminar Flow
 x fd ,t   x fd ,t 
10 ≤   ≤ 60
  ≈ 0.05 Re D Pr D
 D lam  turb 5
 The Mean Temperature

For incompressible, constant-property flow in a circular tube,

Hence, Newton’s Law of Cooling for the Local Heat Flux

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Ex: For a flow through a tube the velocity and temperature profiles at particular axial
location are given as below. Determine the Nusselt number.

u (r ) = C1 , [
T (r ) − Ts = C2 1 − (r / R ) 2 ]

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 Fully Developed Conditions
If the convective heat transfer exists the mean fluid temperature should be increased
in the axial direction of the pipe.
How can we decide that the thermally fully developed flow?

Requirement for fully developed thermal conditions;

Dimensionless temperature profile

The temperature profile T(r) is still changing in axial direction however the relative
shape of the dimensionless profile remains constant.

By using this approach it can also be

shown that the heat transfer coefficient
is also constant for the thermally fully
developed flow.

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 ENERGY BALANCE

The heat transfer to a fluid flowing in a tube is

equal to the increase in the energy of the fluid.

Constant Surface Heat Flux

Exit and surface temperatures;

Differential of the last equation gives;

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Also, the requirement that the dimensionless temperature profile remains
unchanged in the fully developed region gives;

Then we conclude that in fully developed flow in a tube subjected to constant

surface heat flux, the temperature gradient is independent of x and thus the
shape of the temperature profile does not change along the tube

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Constant Surface Temperature

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Ex: A system for heating water from 20°C to 60°C involves passing the water through
a thick walled tube having inner and outer diameters of 20 and 40 mm. The outer
surface of the tube is well insulated and an electrical heater is placed inside the wall
which generates q=106 W/m³ heat.

a) Determine the tube length for the

outlet temperature (m=0.1 kg/s)
b) If the inner surface temperature is
70°C, find the local heat transfer
coefficient of the outlet.

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Ex: Steam condensing on the outer surface of a thin walled cylinder of diameter D=50
mm and length L=6 m maintains an uniform temperature of 100°C. If the flow rate is
0.25 kg/s and the inlet and outlet mean temperatures are 15°C and 57°C find the
average heat transfer coefficient.

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Ex: Water enters a 2.5-cm-internal-diameter thin copper tube of a heat exchanger at
15°C at a rate of 0.3 kg/s, and is heated by steam condensing outside at 120°C. If the
average heat transfer coefficient is 800 W/m2 C, determine the length of the tube
required in order to heat the water to 115°C.

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 The Thermal Analysis of Fully Developed Flow in Circular Tubes

Laminar Flow in a Circular Tube: The local Nusselt number is a constant throughout
the fully developed region, but its value depends on the surface thermal condition.
Uniform Surface Temperature Uniform Surface Heat Flux

Ex: One concept used for solar energy collection involves placing a tube at the focal
point of a parabolic reflector and passing fluid through the tube. This phenomenon
can be approximated as uniform heat flux of 2000 W/m². If the tube diameter is 60
mm, the mass flow rate is 0.01 kg/s the inlet temperature is 20°C, determine a) the
length of the tube to obtain the outlet temperature of 80°C.
b) The surface temperature of the outlet where the fully
Developed conditions exist.

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 The Entry Region
The manner in which the Nusselt decays from inlet to fully developed conditions for
laminar flow depends on the nature of thermal and velocity boundary layer
development in the entry region, as well as the surface thermal condition.

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Combined Entry Length: Thermal and velocity boundary layers develop concurrently
from uniform profiles at the inlet.

Average Nusselt Number for Laminar Flow in a Circular

Tube with Uniform Surface Temperature
Combined Entry Length (Sieder and Tate)

0.6 ≤ Pr ≤ 5
µ
0.0044 ≤ ≤ 9.75
µs

Thermal Entry Length: Velocity profile is fully developed at the inlet, and boundary
layer development in the entry region is restricted to thermal effects. Such a
condition may also be assumed to be a good approximation for a uniform inlet
velocity profile if Pr >>1. (Hausen)

If Pr>5 this equation can be used

for combined entry length
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Ex: Consider the flow of oil at 20°C in a 30-cm-diameter pipeline at an average
velocity of 2 m/s. A 200-m-long section of the pipeline passes through icy waters of a
lake at 0°C. Measurements indicate that the surface temperature of the pipe is very
nearly 0°C. Disregarding the thermal resistance of the pipe material, determine (a)
the temperature of the oil when the pipe leaves the lake, (b) the rate of heat transfer
from the oil, and (c) the pumping power required to overcome the pressure losses
and to maintain the flow of the oil in the pipe.

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 Turbulent Flow in a Circular Tube: For a smooth surface and fully turbulent conditions
(ReD>10000), the Dittus – Boelter equation may be used as a first approximation
(small temperature differences):
0.7 ≤ Pr ≤ 160
Re D ≥ 10000
L / D ≥ 10

If the temperature differences are high; (Sieder and Tate)

0.14 0.7 ≤ Pr ≤ 16700

µ 
Nu D = 0.027 Re 4/5
Pr  
1/ 3 Re D ≥ 10000
 µs 
D
L / D ≥ 10

The effects of wall roughness and transitional flow conditions (ReD>3000) may be
considered by using the Gnielinski correlation:
Smooth surface:

Surface of roughness e > 0 : f in Moody

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Diagram
Water is to be heated from 15°C to 65°C as it flows through a 3-cm-internal diameter
5-m-long tube. The tube is equipped with an electric resistance heater that provides
uniform heating throughout the surface of the tube. The outer surface of the heater is
well insulated, so that in steady operation all the heat generated in the heater is
transferred to the water in the tube. If the system is to provide hot water at a rate of 10
L/min, determine the power rating of the resistance heater. Also, estimate the inner
surface temperature of the pipe at the exit.

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 4 Ac
Noncircular Tubes Dh =
P

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