Introduction to Convection

Dr. Gulshan Sachdeva

Assistant Professor, MED

National Institute of Technology Kurukshetra

Kurukshetra, Haryana, INDIA

1
 Introduction
 Convection describe the energy transfer between a surface
and a fluid moving over the surface.
 It includes energy transfer by the bulk motion of fluid
(Advection) and the random motion of fluid particles
(Conduction or in general Diffusion).
 The concept of boundary layer is central to the
understanding of convection heat transfer between a
surface and a fluid flowing past it.
 When fluid particles make contact with the surface, their
velocity is reduced significantly and as per the no slip
boundary condition, the fluid velocity is zero at the wall.
 These particles retard the motion of the particles in the
adjoining fluid layer, which further act to retard the
motion of the particles in the next layer and so on. 2
 Velocity Boundary Layer
 At a distance y = δ from the surface, the effect becomes
negligible and δ is called boundary layer thickness.
 The retardation of fluid motion is associated with the
shear stress τ acting in planes parallel to fluid velocity.
 With increasing distance y from the surface, x velocity
component of velocity u must then increase until it
approaches the free stream value u∞ and δ is defined as
the value of y for which u = u∞.
 Boundary layer velocity profile refers to the manner in
which u varies with y through the boundary layer.

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 The fluid flow is characterized by two distinct regions- a
thin fluid layer in which the velocity gradient and shear
stresses are large and a region outside the boundary layer
in which the velocity gradient and shear stresses are
negligible.
 With increasing distance from the leading edge, the
effects of viscosity penetrate farther into the free stream
and the boundary layer grows with x.
 In fluid mechanics its significance is determining the
local friction coefficient
s
Cf 
u2 2
 For Newtonian fluid
u
s  
y y 0
4
 Thermal Boundary Layer
 When there is fluid flow over a surface, a thermal
boundary must develop if the fluid free stream and
surface temperatures differ.
 At the leading edge temperature profile is uniform
T(y)=T∞, however the fluid particles in contact with the
plate achieve thermal equilibrium at the plate temperature
and then exchange energy with the adjoining layers and
temperature gradient develops in the fluid.
 With increasing distance y from the surface, temperature
of the fluid approaches the free stream temperature T∞
and δt is defined as the value of y for which Ts  T   0.99
Ts  T
 Non dimensional temperature ratio is required to define the mean
temperature (discussed later) and secondly like velocity, temperature is not
zero at the surface. 5
 With increasing distance from the leading edge, the effects
of heat transfer penetrate farther into the free stream and the
thermal boundary layer grows with x.
 Local surface heat flux may be obtained using Fourier’s
Law to the fluid at y = 0 as at the surface no fluid motion
and energy transfer by conduction only. T
qs   k f
''

 By Newton’s law of cooling qs  hTs  T 

'' y y 0
 Hence
 k f T y y 0
h
Ts  T

 It is T y y 0which determine the rate of heat transfer across

the boundary layer. With increasing distance from the
leading edge, the effect of heat transfer penetrates farther
into the free stream and thermal boundary layer grows.
Accordingly T y y 0 decreases with x and so q ''
s and h. 6
 Local and Average Convection Coefficient
 Fluid of velocity V and temperature T∞ flows over a
surface of arbitrary shape of area As
 Assuming local convective coefficient h the total heat
transfer rate may be obtained by integrating q
q   q '' dAs q ''  hTs  T 
As

q  Ts  T   hdAs
As

 Defining an average convection coefficient h for the

entire surface, total heat transfer can be expressed as
q  h As Ts  T  and so 1
h
As  hdA
As
s

 For a flat plate, 1

L
h   hdx
L0 7
 Laminar and Turbulent Flow
 Problem of convection is the determination of h, but the
problem is not a simple one. It depends on the fluid
properties such as density, viscosity, thermal conductivity,
specific heat as well on surface geometry and the flow
conditions.
 Flow conditions may be laminar or turbulent but in most
cases both occur.
 In laminar boundary layer, the fluid flow is highly ordered
and we know that boundary layer thickness grows as
u y  y 0 decreases with x and so the shear stress  u y  y 0
 The highly ordered behavior continues until a transition
zone is reached, where flow exhibit sometimes the laminar
and sometimes turbulent behavior.
 Fully turbulent boundary layer is highly irregular. 8
 It is characterized by random three dimensional motion of
relatively large parcels of fluid.
 Mixing within the boundary layer carries high speed fluid
toward the solid surface and transfers slower moving fluid
farther into the free stream.
 Three different regions may exists within the turbulent
boundary layer as a function of distance from the surface.
 Viscous sub layer: Transport is dominated by diffusion and the
velocity profile is nearly linear.
 Buffer layer: diffusion and turbulent mixing is comparable.
 Turbulent zone: Transport is dominated by turbulent mixing.

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 Turbulent velocity profile is relatively flat due to the
mixing that occurs within the buffer layer and turbulent
region, giving rise to large velocity gradients with in the
viscous sub layer.
 Shear stress is larger as compared to laminar flow.
 The transition from laminar to turbulent is due to the
triggering mechanism such as small disturbances which
may originate from fluctuations in the free stream or
induced due to surface roughness or minute surface
vibrations.
 The onset of turbulence depends
on whether the triggering
mechanism is amplified or
attenuated in the direction of
fluid flow. 10
 Temperature gradients in the fluid at y = 0 decrease in the
direction of flow.
 Large velocity gradients at y = 0 in turbulent flow
promotes large temperature gradients adjacent to the solid
surface as well as increase in the heat transfer coefficient
across the transition region.
 Turbulence induces mixing, which is turn reduces the
importance of conduction in determining the thermal
boundary layer thickness.
 Differences in thicknesses of the
velocity and thermal boundary
layers tend to be much smaller
in turbulent than in laminar flow.
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 Convection Transfer Equations

 Differential equations that govern the velocity and

temperature fields that are applicable to boundary layer
flow with heat transfer.
 At each point in the fluid, conservation of mass and energy
as well as Newton’s law of motion must be satisfied.
 For the steady, two dimensional flow of an incompressible
fluid with constant properties.
 Conservation of mass equation represents the net outflow
(outflow minus inflow) of mass in x and y directions is zero
for steady flow
u v
 0
x y
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 Momentum equations in x and y directions results form the
application of Newton’s second law of motion.
 First and second term on the left hand side represent the net
rate at which x momentum leaves the control volume due to
fluid motion across surfaces normal to the x and y
directions respectively.
 This net outflow of momentum is balanced by the sum of
the x components of forces acting on fluid in the control
volume. First term on RHS represents the net pressure force
and the second term represents the net effect the net effect
of viscous normal and shear stresses.
 Last term on RHS provides the body force acting on the
fluid per unit volume.
 u u  p   2u  2u 
  u  v       2  2   X
 x y  x  x y  13
 Terms on the LHS represents the net rate at which thermal
energy leaves the control volume due to bulk motion of
fluid (advection) while terms on the RHS account for net
inflow due to conduction, viscous dissipation and heat
generation.
 Viscous dissipation represents the net rate at which
mechanical work is irreversibly converted to thermal
energy due to viscous effects in the fluid.
 T T    2T  2T 
c p  u v   k  2  2     q
 x y   x y 

 u v  2  u  2  v  2  
       2      
 y x   x   y   
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 Boundary Layer Equations
 Boundary layer thicknesses are typically very small and the
x direction velocity and temperature must change from their
surface to their free stream values over these very small
distances, therefore gradients normal to the object’s surface
are much larger than along the surface.
 2 u  2u  2T  2T
 2 and  2
x 2
y x 2
y
 Boundary layer is so thin, the x direction pressure gradient
within the boundary layer can be approximated as the free
stream pressure gradient. p  dp
x dx
 The form of p∞(x) depends on the surface geometry and may
be obtained from separate consideration of flow conditions
in the free stream where shear stresses are negligible. 15
 Assuming body forces are negligible and no thermal energy
generation in the fluid.
 No change in continuity equation.
 Momentum equation
 u u  p   2u  2u 
  u  v       2  2   X
 x y  x  x y 
reduces to
u u 1 dp  2u
u v   2
x y  dx y
Left hand side represents the net rate at which x momentum
leaves the control volume due to the fluid motion across its
boundaries and first term on RHS is the net pressure force
and the second term represents the net force due to viscous
shear stresses.
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 Energy Equation
 T T    2T  2T 
c p  u v   k  2  2     q
 x y   x y 
 u v  2  u  2  v  2  
       2      
 y x   x   y   
reduces to
2
T T  T   u 
2
u v   2   
x y y c p  y 

Terms on LHS account net rate at which thermal energy

leaves the control volume due to bulk motion of fluid
(Advection). First term on RHS represents the net inflow of
thermal energy due to y direction conduction and last term
is what remains of viscous dissipation. 17
 For incompressible, constant property flow, continuity and
momentum equations are uncoupled from the energy
equation i.e. velocity field may be obtained without
considering the energy equation.
 Once velocity field is known, velocity gradient u y y 0 and
wall shear stress τs and thus the friction coefficient Cf can
be obtained.
 Temperature distribution now can be obtained by using the
velocity field determined form the energy equation and thus
convective heat transfer coefficient h is obtained.
 It follows that h depends strongly on the velocity field.

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 Normalized Boundary Layer Equations

 Neglecting pressure gradient and viscous dissipation term

are neglected form the momentum and energy equations,
these equations will be of same form.
u u 1 dp  2u
u v   2
x y  dx y
2
T T  T   u 
2
u v   2   
x y y c p  y 
 Both equations are characterized by the advection terms on
LHS and a diffusion term on RHS.
 This situation describes low speed forced convection flows
found in many engineering applications.
 Implications of this similarity will be developed by first
19
non dimensionalizing the governing equations.
 Boundary Layer Similarity Parameters

 Boundary layer equations are normalized by defining

dimensionless variables
 x  y  u  v T  Ts p
x  y  u  v  T 
*
p 
*

L L V V T  Ts V 2
where L is the characteristic length and V is the velocity
upstream of the surface.
 The dimensional variables in momentum and energy
equations may be written in terms of these dimensionless
expressions for x, y, u, v, p∞
 u *
u *
dp *
1  2 *
u
u *
v *
 * 
x *
y *
dx Re L y *2
 T *
 T *
1  2 *
T
u *
v *

x *
y *
Re L Pr y *2 20
 Similarity parameters are Reynolds and Prandtl numbers.
 These parameters are important as they allow to apply
results obtained for a surface experiencing one set of
convective conditions to geometrically similar surfaces
experiencing entirely different conditions.
 As long as the similarity parameters and dimensionless
boundary conditions are same for two sets of conditions,
solution for the non dimensional velocity and temperature
will be identical.
 Non dimensional boundary conditions
*
 
u x ,0  0 and
*
   
u x , 
* u x *
*

V
T T ,0  0
* *
and T x ,   1
* *

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 Functional Form of the Solution
 Momentum equation suggests that the solution of the
momentum equation will be of the functional form
 dp *
 u *
 dp *

u  f  x , y , Re L , *  and
* * *
 f  x , Re L , * 
*

 dx  y y* 0
*
 dx 
 Pressure distribution depends on the surface geometry and
may be obtained independently by considering the flow
conditions in the free stream.
 Shear stress    u   V  u
*
  *
y  L  y
s
y 0 y* 0
 Coefficient of friction
s 2  V  u * 2 u *
Cf   2   * 
V 2 V  L  y y* 0 Re L y * y* 0
2

f x* , Re L  For a prescribed geometry

2
Cf 
Re L 22
 Similarly for heat transfer coefficient, solution of the
energy equation will be of the functional form
 dp *
 T *
 dp *

T  f  x , y , Re L , Pr, *  and
* * *
 f  x , Re L , Pr, * 
*

 dx  y y* 0
*
 dx 
 Heat transfer coefficient
 k f T y y 0
h T  Ts
Ts  T T* 
T  Ts
 k f T  Ts  T *
h T T  Ts  T *
Ts  T L y * 
y L y *
k f T * hL T *
h   Nu  *
L y *
kf y y* 0

 
Nu  f x* , Re L , Pr For a prescribed geometry

 f Re L , Pr  Average Nusselt Number

hL
Nu  23
kf
 Reynolds Analogy
 Expression that relates Cf and Nu is a useful tool in
convection analysis.
 If two or more processes are governed by dimensionless
equations of the same form, the processes are analogous.
 If dp* dx*  0 & Pr =1, the momentum and energy equations
are of precisely the same form.
Since u∞=V if
* u * u 1 u
* * * 2 *
dp
u  v    pressure gradient
x* y * dx* Re L y *2 is zero, boundary
 T *
T *
1  2 *
T conditions are also
u *
v *

x *
y *
Re L Pr y *2 equivalent.

 It follows that the dimensionless relations must be same

and boundary layer velocity and temperature profile must
be of the same functional form. 24
 The functional form of the momentum equation is same as
that of energy equation, Pr =1
Cf 
2
Re L
 
f x* , Re L and Nu  f  x* , Re L , Pr 
Re L Cf
Cf  Nu and  St
2 2
h Nu
where Stanton No St  
Vc p Re Pr
 Valid for Pr = 1 and dp* dx*  0 Modified Reynolds or
Chilton-Colburn Analogy has the form
Cf
 St Pr 2 3  J H 0.6  Pr  60
2
where JH is the Colburn j factor for heat transfer.
25