HEAT

TRANSFER

CHAPTER 7

External flow

Heat Transfer

#1

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

External Flow: Flat Plate

Topic of the Day

Heat Transfer

#2

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

External Flow: Flat Plate

Where weve been
General overview of the convection transfer
equations.
Developed the key non-dimensional parameters
used to characterize the boundary layer flow and
convective heat and mass transfer.
Nu

hL
kf

Where were going:

Applications to external flow
Flat plate
Today
Other shapes
Next time
Then onto internal flow

Heat Transfer

#3

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Differences between external and internal flow

External flow:
Boundary layer develops freely, without
constraints

Internal flow:
Boundary layer is constrained and eventually
merges

Heat Transfer

#4

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

How this impacts convective heat transfer

Recall the boundary layer convection equations:

Ts T

qs k f

fluid thermal
conductivity

y 0

As you go further from the leading edge, the

boundary layer continues to grow. Assuming
the surface and freestream T do not change:
with increasing distance x:
Boundary layer thickness, ,

Heat Transfer

T
y

wall
temperature
gradient

so
and

T
y

qs

y 0

Also

#5

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Methods to evaluate convection heat transfer

Empirical (experimental) analysis

Use experimental measurements in a
controlled lab setting to correlate heat
and/or mass transfer in terms of the
appropriate non-dimensional parameters
Theoretical or Analytical approach
Solving of the boundary layer equations for
a particular geometry.
Example:

Solve for T*
Use evaluate the local Nusselt number, Nux
Compute local convection coefficient, hx
Use these (integrate) to determine the
average convection coefficient over the
entire surface

Exact solutions possible for simple cases.

Approximate solutions also possible using
an integral method

Heat Transfer

#6

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Empirical method to obtain heat transfer

coefficient

How to set up an experimental test?

Lets say you want to know the heat transfer rate

of an airplane wing (with fuel inside) flying at
steady conditions.
T , U
Twing surface

What are the parameters involved?

Velocity,

wing length, L

Pr viscosity,
Nusselt number, Nu
Prandtl number,

Which of these can we control easily?

Looking for the relation:

Experience has shown the following relation
works well:

Nu C Re mL Pr n

Heat Transfer

#7

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Empirical method to obtain heat transfer

coefficient

Experimental test setup

Power input

T , U
L

insulation

Measure current (hence heat transfer) with

various fluids and test conditions for T , U

Fluid properties are typically evaluated at the

T T
mean film temperature
Tf s
2

Heat Transfer

#8

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Analytical Solution Laminar Flow

Assume:
Steady, incompressible, laminar flow
Constant fluid properties
For flat plate,
y
T , U
Ts

Boundary layer equations

Continuity
Momentum
Energy

Heat Transfer

u v
0
x y
u
u
2u
u
v
2
x
y
y
T
T
2T
u
v
2
x
y
y

Blasius developed a similarity solution to the

hydrodynamic equations in 1908 based on the
stream function, (x,y)

#9

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Analytical Solution Laminar Flow (Contd)

and

Define new dependent and independent

variables,

f ( )

x / u

y u / x

The momentum equation can be rewritten as

d3 f
d2 f
2 3f
0
2
d
d

And the boundary conditions are

df
f (0) 0
d 0

Heat Transfer

df
1
d

and

# 10

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Analytical Solution Laminar Flow (Contd)

Blasius solution summary:

u x
5
5x

but, since Re x

u

Re x
x
Conclusions from the Blasius solution:
1
x and
and
u

Solution for the thermal boundary layer:

2T * Pr T *

f
0
2
2

For Pr 0.6

T *

0.332 Pr

Expressing the local convection coefficient

*
u

as:
hx k
x 0
Then the Local Nusselt number is:
Eq.
7.21

Heat Transfer

Nu x

hx x
0.332 Re1x/ 2 Pr1/ 3
k

For 0.6 Pr 50

# 11

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Analytical Solution Laminar Flow (Contd)

The Average Nusselt number over the whole

plate found by integrating:
hx x
x 1x

Nu x

h
dx
x
k
k x 0

Eq.
7.25

Nu x 0.664 Re1x/ 2 Pr1/ 3

Ratio of velocity to thermal boundary layer
thickness:

For large Pr (oils):

y

For small Pr (liquid metals):

y

th

Pr > 1000

Pr < 0.1

Fluid viscosity greater

than thermal diffusivity

Fluid viscosity less than

thermal diffusivity

Heat Transfer

th

# 12

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Analytical Solution Laminar Flow (Contd)

Solution for friction factor

s , x 0.332u

u
x

C f ,x

s,x
2
0.664 Re x1/ 2
u / 2

C f ,x

s,x
2
u / 2

s,x

1 x
s , x dx
x 0

C f , x 1.328 Re x 1/ 2

Heat Transfer

Textbook contains Nusselt number correlations

for low Pr (liquid metals) and large Pr (oils)

# 13

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Analytical Solution Turbulent Flow

For flat plate in turbulent flow (more common)

C f , x 0.0592 Re x1/ 5

Re x 107

0.37 x Re -1x 5
Nu x StRe x Pr 0.0296 Re 4x 5 Pr1 3
Important point:
Typically a
turbulent boundary
layer is preceded by
a laminar boundary
layer first upstream
need to
consider case with
mixed boundary
layer conditions!
L
1 xc

hx hlam dx hturb dx
L 0

xc
Heat Transfer

# 14

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

0.6 Pr 60

Analytical Solution Mixed Boundary Layer

Integrating

Nu L (0.037 Re 4L/ 5 - 871)Pr1/3

0.6 Pr 60
5 105 Re L 108
0.074 1742
Cf,L 1/5 Re L Re L

Re

Re

5 105 Re L 108

x,c

x,c

5 105

Equations 7.33 and 7.34

Heat Transfer

5 105

# 15

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Analytical Solution Special Cases

The existence of unheated starting length.

When the boundary condition is a uniform

surface heat flux.
For laminar flow,

Nu x 0.453 Re1x 2 Pr1 3

Pr 0.6

For turbulent flow,

Nu x 0.0308 Re 4x 5 Pr1 3

0.6 Pr 60

qs
Ts ( x) T
hx
Heat Transfer

# 16

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Methodology for a Convection Calculation

Become immediately cognizant of the flow

geometry.

Specify the appropriate reference temperature

and evaluate the fluid properties.

Calculate the Reynolds number

Decide whether a local or surface average

coefficient is required.

Select the appropriate correlation.

Heat Transfer

# 17

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Example Cooling of automobile crankcase

Heat Transfer

Given:
Automobile crankcase with approximate
dimensions of 0.6 m long, 0.2 m wide and
0.1 m deep.
Surface temperature of 350 K
Ambient temperature of 300 K
Vehicle velocity of 30 m/s
Find:
Heat loss from bottom surface exposed to
air stream

What other information or assumptions

needed?

# 18

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Example Cooling of automobile crankcase

(Contd)
1. Determine air properties at an average film
temperature T Ts T 325 K
f
2
kg
N s

m3
m2
W
Pr
k
mK
2. Calculate Reynolds #

3. Calculate average Nusselt number (mixed b.l.)

4. Average convection coefficient is

5. BOTTOM SURFACE HEAT LOSS:

Heat Transfer

# 19

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Example Cooling of automobile crankcase

(Contd)

How to determine the heat loss from the

other surfaces?
Assumptions ..

Heat Transfer

Analysis procedure

# 20

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Example: Cooling air over electronic chips

Given:
Cooling air drawn over electronic devices
mounted on board.
T = 27 C

Q = 40 mW each device

V = 10 m/s

turbulator
15 mm

CL

Devices are 4 x 4 mm in size, spacing = 0.25 mm

Find the surface temperature of the fourth device,
assumed uniform surface T.

Assumptions?

Solution Method?

Heat Transfer

# 21

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Example: Consider atmospheric air at 25 and a

velocity of 25 m/s flowing over both surfaces of a 1-m
long flat plate that is maintained at 125 . Determine
the rate of heat transfer per unit width from the plate
for values of the critical Reynolds number
5
5
6
corresponding to 10 , 5 10 , and 10 .

Heat Transfer

# 22

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Heat Transfer

# 23

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

External Flow: Flat Plate

KEY POINTS THIS SECTION
What key characteristic of external flow
compared to internal flow?
Heat transfer rate generally decreases with
increasing distance from leading edge.
Turbulent convective heat transfer generally
higher than laminar due to mixing effect within
boundary layer.
Experimental tests indicate that heat transfer
coefficient will generally vary like:
Nu L

Heat Transfer

hL
C Re mL Pr n
kf

Concept of transition Re number.

Difference in boundary layer growth for high
and low Pr number fluids.
General correlation for Nusselt number for flow
over flat plate in laminar, turbulent and mixed
flows.

# 24

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical

Have a good time!

Go back and review lecture notes!

Heat Transfer

# 25

Su Yongkang
School of Mechanical