Chapter 9: Natural Convection

Yoav Peles
Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.

Objectives
When you finish studying this chapter, you should be able to:
Understand the physical mechanism of natural convection, Derive the governing equations of natural convection, and obtain the dimensionless Grashof number by nondimensionalizing them, Evaluate the Nusselt number for natural convection associated with vertical, horizontal, and inclined plates as well as cylinders and spheres, Examine natural convection from finned surfaces, and determine the optimum fin spacing, Analyze natural convection inside enclosures such as double-pane windows, and Consider combined natural and forced convection, and assess the relative importance of each mode.

 Buoyancy forces are responsible for the fluid motion in natural convection. Viscous forces appose the fluid motion. Buoyancy forces are expressed in terms of fluid temperature differences through the volume expansion coefficient 1 V 1 = (1 K ) (9-3) = V T P T P
Viscous Force Buoyancy Force

volume expansion coefficient ()

The volume expansion coefficient can be expressed approximately by replacing differential quantities by differences as

1 1 = ( ) T T T

( at constant P )

(9-4)

or

= (T T )
1 = T

( at constant P )

(9-5)

For ideal gas (Pv = RT)

ideal gas

(1/K )

(9-6)

Equation of Motion and the Grashof Number

Consider a vertical hot flat plate immersed in a quiescent fluid body. Assumptions:
steady, laminar, two-dimensional, Newtonian fluid, and constant properties, except the density difference - (Boussinesq approximation).

 Consider a differential volume element. Newtons second law of motion m ax = Fx (9-7)

m = ( dx dy 1)

The acceleration in the x-direction is obtained by taking the total differential of u(x, y)

du u dx u dy ax = = + dt x dt y dt u u ax =u +v x y
(9-8)

m in Zoo

 The net surface force acting in the x-direction

Net viscous force Net pressure force Gravitational force

P Fx = dy ( dx 1) dx ( dy 1) g ( dx dy 1) x y 2u P = 2 g ( dx dy 1) (9-9) x y
Substituting Eqs. 98 and 99 into Eq. 97 and dividing by dxdy1 gives the conservation of momentum in the x-direction

u u 2u P u + v = 2 g y y x x

(9-10)

 The x-momentum equation in the quiescent fluid outside the boundary layer (setting u = 0) P (9-11) = g () x Noting that
v<<u in the boundary layer and thus v/ x v/y 0, and there are no body forces (including gravity) in the ydirection,

the force balance in the y-direction is P P P =0 = = g y x x Substituting into Eq. 910

u u 2u u + v = 2 + ( ) g y y x

(9-12)

 Substituting Eq. 9-5 it into Eq. 9-12 and dividing both sides by gives

u u 2u u +v = 2 + g (T T ) x y y

(9-13)

The momentum equation involves the temperature, and thus the momentum and energy equations must be solved simultaneously. The set of three partial differential equations (the continuity, momentum, and the energy equations) that govern natural convection flow over vertical isothermal plates can be reduced to a set of two ordinary nonlinear differential equations by the introduction of a similarity variable.

The Grashof Number

The governing equations of natural convection and the boundary conditions can be nondimensionalized
T T x y u v * * * * ; y = ; u = ; v = ; T = x = Lc Lc V V Ts T
*

Substituting into the momentum equation and simplifying give

3 u * * u * g (Ts T ) Lc T * 1 2u * (9-14) = u* * + v 2 + * 2 *2 x y Re L Re L y GrL

 The dimensionless parameter in the brackets represents the natural convection effects, and is called the Grashof number GrL

GrL =

g (Ts T ) L3 c

(9-15)
Viscous force

GrL=

Buoyancy force Viscous force

Buoyancy force

The flow regime in natural convection is governed by the Grashof number GrL > 109 flow is turbulent

Natural Convection over Surfaces

Natural convection heat transfer on a surface depends on
geometry, orientation, variation of temperature on the surface, and thermophysical properties of the fluid.

The simple empirical correlations for the average Nusselt number in natural convection are of the form hLc n n (9-16) Nu = C ( GrL Pr ) = C RaL k Where RaL is the Rayleigh number g (Ts T ) L3 c Pr RaL = GrL Pr = 2

(9-17)

 The values of the constants C and n depend on the geometry of the surface and the flow regime (which depend on the Rayleigh number). All fluid properties are to be evaluated at the film temperature Tf = (Ts+T). The Nusselt number relations for the constant surface temperature and constant surface heat flux cases are nearly identical. The relations for uniform heat flux is valid when the plate midpoint temperature TL/2 is used for Ts in the evaluation of the film temperature. Thus for uniform heat flux: qs L hL L qs Nu = = ( )= k k T k TL 2 T

(9-27)

Empirical correlations for Nuavg

1010

Ts = 1000C, T = 300C, g = 9.8 m/s2, Pr = 0.7 Lc = 0.3 m, = 1.93 x 10-5 m2/s 1 / Tavg = 1 / [(373.15+303.15) / 2] = 0.00296 K-1, k = 0.026 W/m-K

RaL = GrL Pr =
= 1.03 x 108 GrL = 1.47 x 108
Lc=0.3 m

g (Ts T ) L3 c

Pr

(laminar flow)

Nu = havgLc/k = 0.59 (RaL)1/4 = 80.3 Hence, havg = 7 (W/m2-K)

Q = havg A (Ts T) = havg (Lc w) (Ts T)

Q/w = 147 (Watts)

Natural Convection from Finned Surfaces

Natural convection flow through a channel formed by two parallel plates is commonly encountered in practice. Long Surface
fully developed channel flow.

Short surface or large spacing

natural convection from two independent plates in a quiescent medium.

 The recommended relation for the average Nusselt number for vertical isothermal parallel plates is
hS 576 2.873 Nu = = + 2 0.5 k ( Ras S L ) ( Ras S L )
0.5

(9-31)

Closely packed fins

greater surface area smaller heat transfer coefficient.

Widely spaced fins

higher heat transfer coefficient smaller surface area.
Ras g (Ts T ) S 3

Pr

RaL

g (Ts T ) L3

L3 Pr = Ra s 3 S

 WL (Ts =constant) :
Sopt S L = 2.714 Ras
3
0.25

0.25

= 2.714

L 0.25 RaL

(9-32)

S opt = 2.714[

S4 S Ras ( ) L

S = 2.714 S [ Ras ( )]0.25 L

S = S opt

S Ra s ( ) = 54.255 L
n =

(9-31) Nu = h Sopt / k = 1.307 (9-33)

= Q = h (2nLH) (Ts T)

(9-34)

Natural Convection Inside Enclosures

In a vertical enclosure, the fluid adjacent to the hotter surface rises and the fluid adjacent to the cooler one falls, setting off a rotationary motion within the enclosure that enhances heat transfer through the enclosure. Heat transfer through a horizontal enclosure
hotter plate is at the top no convection currents (Nu=1). hotter plate is at the bottom
Ra<1708 no convection currents (Nu=1). 3x105>Ra>1708 Bnard Cells. Ra>3x105 turbulent flow.

Nusselt Number Correlations for Enclosures

Simple power-law type relations in the form of

Nu = C Ra where C and n are constants, are sufficiently accurate, but they are usually applicable to a narrow range of Prandtl and Rayleigh numbers and aspect ratios.
n L

Numerous correlations are widely available for

horizontal rectangular enclosures, inclined rectangular enclosures, vertical rectangular enclosures, concentric cylinders, concentric spheres.

Combined Natural and Forced Convection

Heat transfer coefficients in forced convection are typically much higher than in natural convection. The error involved in ignoring natural convection may be considerable at low velocities. Nusselt Number:
Forced convection (flat plate, laminar flow):

Nuforced convection Re1 2

Natural convection (vertical plate, laminar flow):

Nunatural convection Gr1 4

Therefore, the parameter Gr/Re2 represents the importance of natural convection relative to forced convection.

 Gr/Re2 < 0.1 : natural convection is negligible. Gr/Re2 > 10 : forced convection is negligible. 0.1 < Gr/Re2 <10 : forced and natural convection are not negligible.

hot isothermal vertical plate

 Natural convection may help or hurt forced convection heat transfer depending on the relative directions of buoyancy-induced and the forced convection motions.

Nusselt Number for Combined Natural and Forced Convection (Mixed Convection) A review of experimental data suggests a Nusselt number correlation of the form
Nucombined = Nu

n forced

Nu

n natural

1n

(9-66)

Nuforced and Nunatural are determined from the correlations for pure forced and pure natural convection, respectively.