Free Convection:

Cylinders, Spheres, and Enclosures

Chapter 9
Section 9.6.3 through 9.8
Cylinders
The Long Horizontal Cylinder
Boundary Layer Development and Variation of the Local Nusselt Number
for a Heated Cylinder:
The Average Nusselt Number:
( )
2
1/ 6
12
8/ 27
9/16
0.387
0.60 10
1 0.559/ Pr
D
D
D
Ra
Nu Ra


= + <
`
(
+
)
How do conditions change for a cooled cylinder?
Spheres
Spheres
The Average Nusselt Number:
( )
1/ 4
4 / 9
9 /16
0.589
2
1 0.469/ Pr
D
D
Ra
Nu = +
(
+

In the limit as how may conditions be characterized? 0,
D
Ra
Enclosures
Enclosures
Rectangular Cavities
Characterized by opposing walls of different temperatures, with the
remaining walls well insulated.
( )
3
1 2
L
g T T L
Ra
|
ov

( )
1 2
q h T T '' =
Horizontal Cavity 0, 180deg t =
Vertical Cavity 90 deg t =
Enclosures (cont)
Horizontal Cavities
Heating from Below ( ) 0 t =

,
1708:
L L c
Ra Ra < =
Fluid layer is thermally stable.
1
L
hL
Nu
k
= =

4
1708 5 10 :
L
Ra < <
Thermal instability yields a regular convection pattern in the form of roll cells.

5 9
3 10 7 10 :
L
Ra < <
Buoyancy drive flow is turbulent
1/ 3 0.074
0.069 Pr
L
L
Nu Ra =
Enclosures (cont)
Heating from Above ( ) 180 deg t =
Fluid layer is unconditionally stable.
1
L
Nu =
Vertical Cavities

3
10 :
L
Ra <

3
10 :
L
Ra >
A primary cellular flow is established, as the core
becomes progressively more quiescent, and
secondary (corner) cells develop with increasing
.
L
Ra

Correlations for Eqs. (9.50) - (9.53).
L
Nu
1
L
Nu =
Enclosures (cont)
Inclined Cavities
Relevant to flat plate solar collectors.
Heat transfer depends on the magnitude of relative to a critical angle ,
whose value depends on H/L (Table 9.4).
t
*
t
Heat transfer also depends on the magnitude of relative to a critical
Rayleigh number of
L
Ra
,
1708/ cos .
L c
Ra t =
Heat transfer correlations Eqs. (9.54) (9.57).
Enclosures (cont)

Annular Cavities
Concentric Cylinders

( )
( )
2
1n
eff
i o
o i
k
q T T
D D
t
' =


eff
effective thermal conducti k vity
Critical Rayleigh Number:
( )
( )
4
*
5
3 3/ 5 3/ 5
1n /
o i
c L
i o
D D
Ra Ra
L D D

(

=
+
( ) / 2
o i
L D D
Enclosures (cont)


*
100 :
/ 1
c
eff
Ra
k k
<
=

( )
( )
* 7
1/ 4
1/ 4
*
100 10 :
Pr
0.386
0.861
c
eff
c
Ra
k
Ra
k Pr
< <
=
+
Concentric Spheres
( )
i o
eff i o
DD
q k T T
L
t
| |
=
|
\ .
Critical Rayleigh Number:
( )
( )
*
4 5
7 / 5 7 / 5
/
L
s
o i
i o
Ra
L
Ra
D D
D D

(
(
=
(
+


*
100: / 1
s eff
Ra k k < =

( )
( )
* 4
1/ 4
1/ 4
*
100 10 :
Pr
0.74
0.861 Pr
s
eff
s
Ra
k
Ra
k
< <
=
+
Problem: Batch Reactor
Problem 9.74: Use of saturated steam to heat a pharmaceutical in a batch reactor.
KNOWN: Volume, thermophysical properties, and initial and final temperatures of a
pharmaceutical. Diameter and length of submerged tubing. Pressure of saturated steam
flowing through the tubing.
FIND: (a) Initial rate of heat transfer to the pharmaceutical, (b) Time required to heat the
pharmaceutical to 70C and the amount of steam condensed during the process.

Problem: Batch Reactor (cont)
SCHEMATIC:

Pharmaceutical
= 1100 kg/m
3
c = 2000 J/kg-K
= 4.0x10 /s
Pr = 10, = 0.002 K
-1
v
|
k

= 0.250 W/m-K
-6
m
2
D = 15 mm, L = 15 m
Tubing
T(t)
T C
s
o
= 127
p
sat
= 2.455 bars
T C,
V = 200 L
i
o
= 25 T = 70 C

f
o
Saturated steam

ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Pharmaceutical may be approximated as an infinite, quiescent fluid of
uniform, but time-varying temperature, (2) Free convection heat transfer from the coil may be
approximated as that from a heated, horizontal cylinder, (3) Negligible thermal resistance of
condensing steam and tube wall, (4) Negligible heat transfer from tank to surroundings, (5)
Constant properties.
PROPERTIES: Table A-4, Saturated water (2.455 bars): T
sat
= 400K = 127C, h
fg
= 2.183
10
6
J/kg. Pharmaceutical: See schematic.
ANALYSIS: (a) The initial rate of heat transfer is ( )
s s i
q hA T T , = where A
s
= tDL = 0.707
m
2
and h is obtained from Eq. 9.34.
Problem: Batch Reactor (cont)
With o = v/Pr = 4.0 10
-7
m
2
/s and Ra
D
= g| (T
s
T
i
) D
3
/ov = 9.8 m/s
2
(0.002 K
-1
) (102K)
(0.015m)
3
/16 10
-13
m
4
/s
2
= 4.22 10
6
,
( )
( )
( )
D
2 2
1/ 6
6
1/ 6
D
8/ 27 8/ 27
9/16 9/16
0.387 4.22 10
0.387Ra
Nu 0.60 0.60 27.7
1 0.559/ Pr 1 0.559/10



= + = + =
` `
( (
+ +
( (

) )
Hence,
2
D
h Nu k/ D 27.7 0.250W/ m K/ 0.015m 462W/ m K = = =

and ( ) ( )
2 2
s s i
q hA T T 462W/ m K 0.707m 102 C 33, 300W = = = <
(b) Performing an energy balance at an instant of time for a control surface about the liquid,


( )
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
s s
d cT
q t h t A T T t
dt

= =

where the Rayleigh number, and hence h, changes with time due to the change in the
temperature of the liquid.
Problem: Batch Reactor (cont)
Integrating the foregoing equation numerically, the following results are obtained for the
variation of T and h with t.
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
Time, t(s)
25
35
45
55
65
75
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e
,

(
C
)
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
Time, t(s)
370
390
410
430
450
470
C
o
n
v
e
c
t
i
o
n

c
o
e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
t
,

h
b
a
r

(
W
/
m
^
2
.
K
)
The time at which the liquid reaches 70C is


f
t 855s ~ <
The rate at which T increases decreases with increasing time due to the corresponding
reduction in (T
s
T), and hence reductions in
D
Ra , h and q.
The Rayleigh number decreases from 4.22 10
6
to 2.16 10
6
, while the heat rate decreases
from 33,300 to 14,000 W.
The convection coefficient decreases approximately as (T
s
T)
1/3
, while q ~ (T
s
T)
4/3
.
Problem: Batch Reactor (cont)
The latent energy released by the condensed steam corresponds to the increase in thermal
energy of the pharmaceutical. Hence,
c fg
m h = ( )
f i
c T T ,
and


( )
3 3
f i
c
6
fg
c T T
1100kg / m 0.2m 2000J / kg K 45 C
m 9.07kg
h
2.183 10 J / kg


= = =

<
COMMENTS: (1) Over such a large temperature range, the fluid properties are likely to
vary significantly, particularly v and Pr. A more accurate solution could therefore be
performed if the temperature dependence of the properties were known. (2) Condensation of
the steam is a significant process expense, which is linked to the equipment (capital) and
energy (operating) costs associated with steam production.