FREE CONVECTION

P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department
IIT Delhi
Its free, No operating cost!..
Its Natural ..
Natural Convection
Where weve been
Up to now, have considered forced convection, that is
an external driving force causes the flow.
Where were going:
Consider the case where fluid movement is by
buoyancy effects caused by temperature differential

Events due to natural convection
Weather events such as a thunderstorm
Glider planes
Radiator heaters
Hot air balloon

Heat flow through and on outside of a double pane
window
Oceanic and atmospheric motions
Coffee cup example .
Small velocity
Natural Convection
New terms
Volumetric thermal expansion coefficient
Grashof number
Rayleigh number
Buoyancy is the driving force
Stable versus unstable conditions
Nusselt number relationship for laminar free
convection on hot or cold surface
Boundary layer impacts: laminar turbulent
Buoyancy is the driving force in Natural Convection
Buoyancy is due to combination of
Differences in fluid density
Body force proportional to density
Body forces namely, gravity, also Coriolis force in
atmosphere and oceans
Convection flow is driven by buoyancy in unstable conditions
Fluid motion may be
(no constraining surface) or along a surface
Buoyancy is the driving force
Free boundary layer flow
Heated wire or hot pipe
A heated vertical plate
We focus on free convection flows bounded by a surface.
The classic example is

> T T
s
u(x,y)
y
g
s
T

T
x
v
u
Extensive, quiescent
fluid
Natural Convection Boundary Layer : Governing
Equations
The difference between the two flows (forced flow and free
flow) is that, in free convection, a major role is played by
buoyancy forces.
g X =
Very important
2
2
g
1

y
u
x
P
y
u
v
x
u
u
c
c
+
c
c
=
c
c
+
c
c
v

Consider the x-momentum equation.

As we know, , hence the x-pressure gradient in the
boundary layer must equal that in the quiescent region outside the
boundary layer.
0 / = c c y p
g -
x
P

=
c
c

2
2
g
y
u
y
u
v
x
u
u
c
c
+
|
|
.
|

\
| A
=
c
c
+
c
c
v

= A

Buoyancy force
( )
2
2
g
1

y
u
g
y
u
v
x
u
u
c
c
+ =
c
c
+
c
c

Pascal Law :
Governing Equations
Define |, the volumetric thermal expansion coefficient.

1

P
T
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
=

|
For all liquids and gases
T T T

=
A
A
~

|
1 1
) (

~ T T |
Density gradient is due to the temperature gradient
T
Thus
RT
P RT
P
1
:
: gas ideal an For
=
= =
|

Governing Equations
Buoyancy effects replace pressure gradient in the momentum
equation.
2
2
) (
y
u
v T T g
y
u
v
x
u
u
c
c
+ =
c
c
+
c
c

|
0 =
c
c
+
c
c
y
v
x
u
2
2
2

|
|
.
|

\
|
c
c
+
c
c
=
c
c
+
c
c
y
u
c y
T
y
T
v
x
T
u
p
v
o
Strongly coupled and must be solved simultaneously
The buoyancy effects are confined to the momentum equation, so
the mass and energy equations are the same.
Dimensionless Similarity Parameter
The x-momentum and energy equations are
velocity reference arbitrary an is u
and length, stic characteri a is L where
T
T T


0
*
0 0

- -
- -

=

s
T
T
u
v
v and
u
u
u
L
y
y and
L
x
x
2
*
* 2
*
2
0
*
*
*
*
*
*
Re
1
T
) (

y
u
u
L T T g
y
u
v
x
u
u
L
s
c
c
+

=
c
c
+
c
c

|

Pr Re
1

2
*
* 2
*
*
*
*
*
*
y
T
y
T
v
x
T
u
L
c
c
=
c
c
+
c
c
Dimensionless Similarity Parameter
Define new dimensionless parameter,
1
Re
2
<<
L
L
Gr
1
Re
2
>>
L
L
Gr
2
3
2
0
2
0
) ( ) (

v
|
v
| L T T g L u
u
L T T g
Gr
s s
L


=
|
.
|

\
|

=
forced
natural
Grashof number in natural convection is analogous to the Reynolds
number in forced convection.
Grashof number indicates the ratio of the buoyancy force to the
viscous force.
Higher Gr number means increased natural convection flow

> T T
s
u(x,y)
y
g
s
T

T
x
v
u
Laminar Free Convection on Vertical Surface
As y : u = 0, T = T

As y 0 : u = 0, T = T
s


With little or no external driving flow,
Re ~ 0 and forced convection effects
can be safely neglects

Pr) , (
L L
Gr f Nu =
1
Re
2
>>
L
L
Gr
Analytical similarity solution for the local Nusselt number in
laminar free convection
(Pr)
4
4 / 1
f
Gr
k
hx
Nu
L
x

|
.
|

\
|
= =
( )
( )
4 / 1
Pr 238 . 1 Pr 1.221 0.609
Pr 75 . 0
Pr
+ +
= f
(Pr)
4 3
4

4 / 1
f
Gr
k
L h
Nu
L
L

|
.
|

\
|
= =
Average Nusselt # =
Where
Effects of Turbulence
Just like in forced convection flow, hydrodynamic instabilities may
result in the flow.
For example, illustrated for a heated vertical surface:
Define the Rayleigh number for relativemagnitude of buoyancy
and viscous forces

> T T
s
vo
|
3
, ,
) (

Pr
x T T g
Gr Ra
s
c x c x

=
=
Empirical Correlations
Typical correlations for heat transfer coefficient developed from
experimental data are expressed as:
( )
vo
|
3

Pr
L T T g
Gr Ra
s
L L

= =
n
L L
CRa
k
L h
Nu = =

=
=
3 / 1
4 / 1
n
n
For Turbulent
For Laminar
Vertical Plate at constant Ts
L
Nu Log
10
L
Ra Log
10
Alternative applicable to entire Rayleigh number range (for constant Ts)
| |
2
27 / 8
16 / 9
6 / 1
Pr) / 492 . 0 ( 1
387 . 0
825 . 0

+
+ =
L
L
Ra
Nu
Vertical Cylinders
4 / 1
35

~
L
Gr
L
D
>
D
L
D
Use same correlations for vertical flat plate if:
Free Convection : Vertical Plate
Cold plate or Hot fluid
Hot plate or Cold fluid
Free Convection from Inclined Plate
Cold plate or Hot fluid
Hot plate or Cold fluid
Horizontal Plate
Cold Plate (Ts < T

)
Hot Plate (Ts > T

)
Active Upper Surface
Active Lower Surface
Empirical Correlations : Horizontal Plate
Define the characteristic length, L as
P
A
L
s

Upper surface of heated plate, or Lower surface of cooled plate :

( )
( )
11 7 3 / 1
7 4 4 / 1
10 10 15 . 0
10 10 54 . 0
s s =
s s =
L L L
L L L
Ra Ra Nu
Ra Ra Nu
Lower surface of heated plate, or Upper surface of cooled plate :
( )
10 5 4 / 1
10 10 27 . 0 s s =
L L L
Ra Ra Nu
Note: Use fluid properties at the film temperature
2

+
=
T T
T
s
f
Empirical Correlations : Long Horizontal Cylinder
Very common geometry (pipes, wires)
For isothermal cylinder surface, use general form equation
for computing Nusselt #
n
D D
CRa
k
D h
Nu = =
Ra
D
C n
0.333 0.125 10 - 10
0.250 0.480 10 - 10
0.188 0.850 10 - 10
0.148 1.02 10 - 10
0.058 0.675 10 - 10
12 7
7 4
4 2
2 2
2 10
+

Constants for general Nusselt number Equation
Natural Convection in A Pool of Saturated Liquid
T
fluid

Onset of Convection
T
surface

) (
fluid s s
T T h q
=
' '
critical fluid surface
T T T A >
Further Behavior of A Pool of Liquid
I
n
c
r
e
a
s
i
n
g

A
T

Natural Convection
Onset of Boiling
Isolated Bubble Regime
High Overshoots !!!
Wall Superheat (AT=T
s
T
sat
)
Heat Flux
Overshoot
A
B
A: Onset of Natural
convection
B: Onset of Nucleate
Boiling
BOILING HEAT TRANSFER
P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department
IIT Delhi
A Basic means of Power Generation
A science which made Einstein Very Happy!!!
Boiling
In a steam power plant convective heat transfer is used to remove
heat from a heat transfer surface.
The liquid used for cooling is usually in a compressed state,
(that is, a subcooled fluid) at pressures higher than the normal
saturation pressure for the given temperature.
Under certain conditions some type of boiling can take place.
It is an important process in nuclear field when discussing
convection heat transfer.
More than one type of boiling can take place within a
nuclear facility.
Nuclear Power Plant
Steam Boiler
Classification of Boiling
Microscopic classification or Boiling Science basis:
Nucleated Boiling
Bulk Boiling
Film Boiling
Macroscopic Classification or Boiling Technology basis:
Flow Boiling
Pool Boiling
Boiling Curve