Midterm #2 Review Sheet

Dimensionless Numbers
1. Biot Number

conduction at the surface of body

conduction within body
hLc
Bi=
k
h heat transfer coefficient of the fluid
k thermal conductivity of the solid
Lc Characteristic Length
Volume
Lc =
o
As
Bi=

2. Reynolds Number: used to characterize

whether a flow is laminar or turbulent

inertia for ces

viscous forces
V Lc V Lc Vx
=
=
=

kinematic viscosity of the fluids=

dynamic viscosity of fluid

3. Nusselt Number: dimensionless convection
heat transfer coefficient
Can be derived by taking the ratio of a
heat flux of body in convection to the
body during conduction.

q conv hT
=
q cond kT
L
hx
Nu=
k
k thermal conductivity of fluid
Nu=

4. Prandtl Number: used to find the relative

thickness of the velocity and thermal
boundary layers

Molecular Diffusivity of Momentum

Pr=
Molecular Diffusivity of Heat

Can range from 0.1(liquid metals) to

100,000 (heavy oils). Approx. on the
order of 10 for water. About 1 for gases
The thermal boundary layer is thicker for
low Pr than velocity Boundary Layer

c
Pr= = p

k
thermal diffusivity of fluid

Fluid Equations

Derivations Explained
1. Derivation for Boundary Layer, Coefficient
Friction, Velocity Profile
Introduce Stream function (this satisfies
the continuity equation)
Introduce the similarity variable

= y

V
x

Introduce the dependent variable

Substitute into the momentum equation.

This reduces a system of 2 partial
different equations into single ordinary
differential equation.
Solve using a power series called the
Blasius solution.
RESULTS:

f ()

velocity boundary layer thickness

C f , x Local coefficient of friction

u , v nondimensional velocity profiles

2. Derivation for Temperature Gradient,
convection HT coefficient, Nusselt number,
and Thermal Boundary Layer
Introduce dimensionless temperature

( x , y )=

T ( x , y ) T s
T T s

Substitute into the energy equation

Since you know u and v from previous
derivation substitute into energy

equation to get temperature as a

function of only = ( )
This confirms that velocity and
temperature profiles are similar
Furthermore, for Pr=1, for a steady,
incompressible, laminar flow for an
isolated plate, the non-dimensional
velocity and temperature profiles are
identical.
RESULTS:
Temperature gradient, h x , N ux , t

These relations are valid only for laminar

flow over an isothermal flat plate.
3. Analogy Between Momentum and Heat
Transfer
Momentum (has u) and Energy Equation
(has T) are identical.
Since Boundary Conditions are also
equal. The first derivative is equal as
well.
After substitution. The Reynolds Analogy
is:

C f , x R el
=N u x only when Pr=1
2
Rearrange and take ratios of C f , x and
N u x to get the modified Reynolds or

the Chilton-Colbourn Analogy.

Cf ,x

1
3

1
3

R el
Cf ,x
=N u x Pr
=S t x Pr
2
2

Chapter 7 Equations:

C d=

Fd

1
2
V A
2

Drag Coefficient

T
( s+T )
Film Tem perature This is the
2
T f =

temperature where the fluid properties of

the boundary layer are evaluated.
Friction Coefficient
These values are only for when the entire
plate is either Laminar or Turbulent.
The local boundary layer thickness and
Friction Coefficient.

Heat Transfer Coefficient

For when the plate is either laminar or
turbulent.

For when the plate has both laminar and

turbulent flows.

For all Prandtl Numbers, for isothermal

surfaces and when the free stream is
turbulent free.

Wall Shear Stress

u
y y=0
2
V
w =C f
2
V2
F f =C f A s
2
w =

Chapter 4: Transient Heat Conduction

For lumped systems temperature is a
function of time only. T=T(t)
Relevant Equation:

h A s ( T T ) dt=m c p dT
Substitute m=V dT =( T T )

When the plate is both laminar and

turbulent.

The average values over the entire plate.

Then with boundary conditions

o
T =T i at t=0
o
T ( t )=T at t=t
Solution Equation:

T ( t ) T bt
=e
T iT

where

b=h

As
C pV

Time constant is 1/b.

o The smaller the time constant the
faster the cooling or heating
response.
As the time goes to infinity the solution
reaches a constant value of T .
Most important factor when taking into
account lumped analysis is the Biot Number.

Bi=

h Lc
K

if it is less than 0.1 then the

Lumped Parameter assumption can be used,

otherwise no.

Most Likely to satisfy this criterion: Small

bodies with high thermal conductivities.
When h is high and k is low there is large
differences in the temperature of the body.
The surfaces will cool/heat up much faster
than the cores/insides.
Similarity Variable:

x
4 t

Chapter 6 Notes

Chapter 7 Notes
Boundary Layers are thicker in turbulent
flow. Velocity profiles and temperature
profiles change very slowly in core region,
due to mixing by the eddies. But they

change very rapidly in the thin layer

adjacent to the wall. This is due to much
higher velocity and temperature gradient.
This a lot means that there is a much higher
shear stress and heat flux.
Shear stress is a strong function of viscosity.
In a streamlined body, the drag is mostly
due to friction. In blunt bodies, mostly
pressure drag.
The friction coefficient is almost infinity near
the leading edge, and comes to a peak
when flow becomes fully turbulent.

Nu=CR eml Pr n