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Transport Phenomena - Heat Transfer Problem :
Heat conduction from a sphere to a stagnant fluid

Problem.

A heated sphere of diameter D is placed in a large amount of stagnant fluid. Consider the heat
conduction in the fluid surrounding the sphere in the absence of convection. The thermal
conductivity k of the fluid may be considered constant. The temperature at the sphere surface
is T
R
and the temperature far away from the sphere is T
a
.

Figure. Heated sphere in a large
amount of stagnant fluid.

a) Establish an expression for the temperature T in the surrounding fluid as a function of r,
the distance from the center of the sphere.

b) If h is the heat transfer coefficient, then show that the Nusselt number (dimensionless heat
transfer coefficient) is given by
Nu =
hD
k
= 2

Hint: Equate the heat flux at the sphere surface to the heat flux given by Newton's law of
cooling.



Solution.

Click here for stepwise solution

a)

Step. Differential equation from heat balance

From a heat balance over a thin spherical shell in the surrounding fluid,

d
dr
(r
2
q
r
) = S r
2


(1)

where S is the rate of generation of heat per unit volume. In this case, S = 0 in the fluid.

Since the thermal conductivity k for the fluid is constant, on substituting Fourier's law
(q
r
= k
dT
dr
)
we get

d

dr
(r
2

dT
dr
) = 0

(2)

Step. Temperature profile by solving differential equation

On integrating,

r
2

dT
dr
= C
1
or T =
C
1

r
+ C
2


(3)

The integration constants are determined using the boundary conditions:

BC 1: r , T = T
a
or C
2
= T
a
(4)
BC 2: r = R, T = T
R
or C
1
= (T
R
T
a
) R (5)

where R is the radius of the sphere.

On substituting the integration constants, the temperature profile is

T = (T
R
T
a
)
R
r
+ T
a
or
T T
a

T
R
T
a

=
R
r
(6)

b)

Step. Nusselt number from heat flux

Using Fourier's law and differentiating the temperature profile, the heat flux is

q
r
= k
dT
dr
= k(T
R
T
a
)
R
r
2

(7)

Equating the heat flux at the sphere surface (r = R) to the heat flux as per Newton's law of
cooling, we get

k
T
R
T
a

R
= h(T
R
T
a
) or
hR
k
= 1

(8)

The Nusselt number (which is the dimensionless heat transfer coefficient) is

Nu =
hD
k
= 2

(9)

where D is the diameter of the sphere.

Note:
This is a well-known result that is worth remembering. It provides the limiting value
of the Nusselt number for heat transfer from a sphere in the presence of convection at
low Reynolds and Grashof numbers.
The Nusselt number Nu must not be confused with the Biot number Bi. Though the
two dimensionless groups are similar-looking, they differ as given below.
Nu =
hD
k
fluid

or Nu =
convection

conduction in fluid
(10)
Bi =
hD
k
solid

or Bi =
convection

(internal) conduction in solid
(11)



Related Problems in Transport Phenomena :

Transport Phenomena - Heat Transfer Problem : Forced convection heat transfer for plug
flow in circular tube
- Problem of determining Nusselt number for forced convection in cylindrical coordinates


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