HEAT TRANSFER

CHAPTER 7
External flow

Heat Transfer #1
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 External Flow: Flat Plate

Topic of the Day

Heat Transfer #2
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 External Flow: Flat Plate
Where weve been
General overview of the convection transfer
equations.
Developed the key non-dimensional parameters
used to characterize the boundary layer flow and
convective heat and mass transfer.
hL
Nu
kf

Where were going:

Applications to external flow
Flat plate Today
Other shapes Next time

Then onto internal flow

Heat Transfer #3
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Differences between external and internal flow

External flow:
Boundary layer develops freely, without
constraints

Internal flow:
Boundary layer is constrained and eventually
merges

Heat Transfer #4
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 How this impacts convective heat transfer

Recall the boundary layer convection equations:

Ts T

wall
T temperature
fluid thermal qs k f gradient
conductivity y y 0

As you go further from the leading edge, the

boundary layer continues to grow. Assuming
the surface and freestream T do not change:
with increasing distance x:
Boundary layer thickness, ,
T
so
y y 0

and qs Also

Heat Transfer #5
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Methods to evaluate convection heat transfer

Empirical (experimental) analysis

Use experimental measurements in a
controlled lab setting to correlate heat
and/or mass transfer in terms of the
appropriate non-dimensional parameters
Theoretical or Analytical approach
Solving of the boundary layer equations for
a particular geometry.
Example:
Solve for T*
Use evaluate the local Nusselt number, Nux
Compute local convection coefficient, hx
Use these (integrate) to determine the
average convection coefficient over the
entire surface

Exact solutions possible for simple cases.

Approximate solutions also possible using
an integral method

Heat Transfer #6
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Empirical method to obtain heat transfer
coefficient
How to set up an experimental test?
Lets say you want to know the heat transfer rate
of an airplane wing (with fuel inside) flying at
steady conditions.
T , U

Twing surface

What are the parameters involved?

Velocity, U wing length, L
Prandtl number, Pr viscosity,
Nusselt number, Nu
Which of these can we control easily?
Looking for the relation:

Experience has shown the following relation

works well:
Nu C Re mL Pr n

Heat Transfer #7
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Empirical method to obtain heat transfer
coefficient
Experimental test setup
Power input
T , U

L
insulation

Measure current (hence heat transfer) with

various fluids and test conditions for T , U
Fluid properties are typically evaluated at the
mean film temperature T T
Tf s
2

Heat Transfer #8
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Analytical Solution Laminar Flow
Assume:
Steady, incompressible, laminar flow
Constant fluid properties
For flat plate,
T , U y

Ts

Boundary layer equations

u v
0
Continuity x y
u u 2u
Momentum u v 2
x y y

Energy T T 2T
u v 2
x y y

Blasius developed a similarity solution to the

hydrodynamic equations in 1908 based on the
stream function, (x,y)

Heat Transfer #9
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Analytical Solution Laminar Flow (Contd)

u and v
y x
Define new dependent and independent
variables,

f ( )
u x / u
y u / x

The momentum equation can be rewritten as

d3 f d2 f
2 3f 0
d d 2

And the boundary conditions are

df df
f (0) 0 and 1
d 0 d

Heat Transfer # 10
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Analytical Solution Laminar Flow (Contd)

Blasius solution summary:

5 u x 5x
but, since Re x
u Re x
x
Conclusions from the Blasius solution:
1
x and and
u
Solution for the thermal boundary layer:
2T * Pr T *
f 0
2 2

T * 1
For Pr 0.6 0.332 Pr 3
0
Expressing the local convection coefficient
*
as: u T
hx k
x 0
Then the Local Nusselt number is:
Eq. hx x
7.21 Nu x 0.332 Re1x/ 2 Pr1/ 3 For 0.6 Pr 50
k

Heat Transfer # 11
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Analytical Solution Laminar Flow (Contd)

The Average Nusselt number over the whole

plate found by integrating:
hx x x 1x
Nu x h dx
x
k k x 0
Eq.
7.25 Nu x 0.664 Re1x/ 2 Pr1/ 3

Ratio of velocity to thermal boundary layer

thickness:

For large Pr (oils): For small Pr (liquid metals):

y y th
th
x x

Pr > 1000 Pr < 0.1

Fluid viscosity greater Fluid viscosity less than
than thermal diffusivity thermal diffusivity

Heat Transfer # 12
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Analytical Solution Laminar Flow (Contd)

Solution for friction factor

u
s , x 0.332u
x
s,x
C f ,x 2 0.664 Re x1/ 2
u / 2
s,x 1 x
C f ,x 2 s,x s , x dx
u / 2 x 0

C f , x 1.328 Re x 1/ 2

Textbook contains Nusselt number correlations

for low Pr (liquid metals) and large Pr (oils)

Heat Transfer # 13
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Analytical Solution Turbulent Flow

For flat plate in turbulent flow (more common)

C f , x 0.0592 Re x1/ 5 Re x 107

0.37 x Re -1x 5
Nu x StRe x Pr 0.0296 Re 4x 5 Pr1 3 0.6 Pr 60

Important point:
Typically a
turbulent boundary
layer is preceded by
a laminar boundary
layer first upstream
need to
consider case with
mixed boundary
layer conditions!

1 xc L
hx hlam dx hturb dx
L 0 xc

Heat Transfer # 14
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Analytical Solution Mixed Boundary Layer

Integrating

Nu L (0.037 Re 4L/ 5 - 871)Pr1/3

0.6 Pr 60
5 105 Re L 108 Re x,c 5 105
0.074 1742
Cf,L 1/5 -
Re L Re L
5 105 Re L 108 Re x,c 5 105
Equations 7.33 and 7.34

Heat Transfer # 15
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Analytical Solution Special Cases

The existence of unheated starting length.

When the boundary condition is a uniform

surface heat flux.
For laminar flow,
Nu x 0.453 Re1x 2 Pr1 3 Pr 0.6

For turbulent flow,

Nu x 0.0308 Re 4x 5 Pr1 3 0.6 Pr 60
qs
Ts ( x) T
hx
Heat Transfer # 16
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Methodology for a Convection Calculation

Become immediately cognizant of the flow

geometry.

Specify the appropriate reference temperature

and evaluate the fluid properties.

Calculate the Reynolds number

Decide whether a local or surface average

coefficient is required.

Select the appropriate correlation.

Heat Transfer # 17
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Example Cooling of automobile crankcase
Given:
Automobile crankcase with approximate
dimensions of 0.6 m long, 0.2 m wide and
0.1 m deep.
Surface temperature of 350 K
Ambient temperature of 300 K
Vehicle velocity of 30 m/s
Find:
Heat loss from bottom surface exposed to
air stream

What other information or assumptions

needed?

Heat Transfer # 18
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Example Cooling of automobile crankcase
(Contd)
1. Determine air properties at an average film
temperature T Ts T 325 K
f
2
kg N s

m3 m2
W
Pr k
mK
2. Calculate Reynolds #

3. Calculate average Nusselt number (mixed b.l.)

4. Average convection coefficient is

5. BOTTOM SURFACE HEAT LOSS:

Heat Transfer # 19
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Example Cooling of automobile crankcase
(Contd)

How to determine the heat loss from the

other surfaces?
Assumptions ..

Analysis procedure

Heat Transfer # 20
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Example: Cooling air over electronic chips

Given:
Cooling air drawn over electronic devices
mounted on board.
T = 27 C Q = 40 mW each device
V = 10 m/s

turbulator

15 mm CL

Devices are 4 x 4 mm in size, spacing = 0.25 mm

Find the surface temperature of the fourth device,
assumed uniform surface T.

Assumptions?

Solution Method?

Heat Transfer # 21
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Example: Consider atmospheric air at 25 and a
velocity of 25 m/s flowing over both surfaces of a 1-m
long flat plate that is maintained at 125 . Determine
the rate of heat transfer per unit width from the plate
for values of the critical Reynolds number
5 5 6
corresponding to 10 , 5 10 , and 10 .

Heat Transfer # 22
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
Heat Transfer # 23
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 External Flow: Flat Plate

KEY POINTS THIS SECTION

What key characteristic of external flow
compared to internal flow?
Heat transfer rate generally decreases with
increasing distance from leading edge.
Turbulent convective heat transfer generally
higher than laminar due to mixing effect within
boundary layer.
Experimental tests indicate that heat transfer
coefficient will generally vary like:
hL
Nu L C Re mL Pr n
kf

Concept of transition Re number.

Difference in boundary layer growth for high
and low Pr number fluids.
General correlation for Nusselt number for flow
over flat plate in laminar, turbulent and mixed
flows.

Heat Transfer # 24
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical
 Have a good time!

Go back and review lecture notes!

Heat Transfer # 25
Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical