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Web Site: www.ijaiem.org Email: editor@ijaiem.org, editorijaiem@gmail.com Volume 3, Issue 2, February 2014 ISSN 2319 - 4847
Undergraduate Student, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering, SRM University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India 2 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering, SRM University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Abstract
The study intends physical insight into heterogeneous heat transfer phenomena of laminar free convection over a flat plate bounded by enclosures. The work aims at understanding the implications of enclosures, with investigation of effects of parameters ambient temperature, surface roughness and flow velocity on heat transfer coefficient at different surface orientations and heat source input (voltage). Experiments were performed on an existing natural convection experimental setup and the heat transfer characteristics were analyzed. Results show that the heat transfer coefficient exhibits a gradual monotonic reducing behavior with increase in surface inclination under different enclosure conditions. The increase in heat source input increases the heat transfer rates which primarily govern the enhanced heat losses. However, the change drops at higher power supply and heat transfer rates converge.
Keywords: Free convection, flat plate, laminar flow, enclosures, heat transfer coefficient.
1. INTRODUCTION
Transfer of heat in our ambiences and in most of engineering expedients is a phenomenon of practical and functional significance. Convection heat transfer theory directs to predict the energy transfer that takes place between hot body and the surrounding fluid as a result of temperature difference. The convection heat transfer is broadly classified as: Free and forced convection. Free convection refers to fluid motion by buoyant forces arising owing to density gradients as a result of temperature gradients. In forced convection, the flow of the fluid is enhanced by external sources. The free mode of convection is prominent in nature with applications ranging from the need of cooling to heating at different under different conditions. The cooling of electronic devices, reactor cores, high voltage power transformers and heating of houses, heat transfer through chimneys, energy storage systems, to the aircrafts coolant flow path uses natural convection to aid direction. Here, in this work, heat transfer characteristics are investigated over a square flat plate in the free convection configuration bounded by enclosures. The interest in this class of problems is primarily driven by the need to have better understanding of convective heat transfer. Following the classical work of [1] over laminar free convection on plates, in the last five decades research works have contributed significantly to the improvement in the understanding of the convective heat transfer. The contributions have been reported in several reviews like [2]-[8].The works provide an excellent review on the developments up to the end of the century. Acharya and Tsang [9] showed that the average heat transfer from the enclosure is relatively insensitive to the inclination angle; however, the local values do exhibit a significant dependence on the inclination of the enclosure. Rasoul and prinos [10] studied the effect of the inclination angle on steady natural convection in a square enclosure. They reported that when the hot wall approach the top position (inclination angles greater than 90), fluid from the hot or cold wall returns back to the same wall and an almost horizontal flow is observed in the central part of the enclosure. Lakhal et al., [11] numerically studied natural convection in an inclined rectangular enclosure with perfectly conducting fins attached to the heated wall. They work stated that the heat losses through the cold wall can be reduced considerably by using fins attached on the heated wall. This phenomenon becomes more pronounced when the enclosure inclination angle from the vertical is increased. Islam et al., [12] investigated natural convection in a tilted square enclosure containing internal energy sources. They noted that the diffusion heat transfer is prominent for the lower value of internal heat generation whereas the convection outweighs the diffusion for the higher value of internal energy. Furthermore, the work stated that the convective currents always prevail at the bottom part of the cavity whatever its magnitude is. AbuNada et al., [13] explored the influence of inclination angle for a square enclosure. Inclination angle of the enclosure was proposed a control parameter for fluid flow and heat transfer. Recently, Tiwari and Malhotra [14] showed that the convective heat transfer rate for laminar flow over a flat plate exhibits a monotonically decreasing behavior with increment in plate orientation for a square plate enclosed from two sides. While, there is abundant literature available, but complexity of the problem had prevented a complete understanding due to interaction between flow, heat and mass transfer. In the light of above mentioned works, the present work focuses on convective heat transfer coefficient for varying plate orientation and heat source input. In most of the convection problems, the heat transfer characteristics are explored on objects (here square plate) open to atmosphere. However, with the presence of an enclosure (i.e. wall), the heat transfer characteristics are expected to be altered with varying orientation and heat source input. This aspect of
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Figure 1 Pictorial view of the apparatus (a) Front view (b) Top view of square plate (c) schematic of square plate with location of embedded equidistant thermocouples (shown by circles). The readings were taken systematically by stepwise increment in plate orientation in proper time interval and repeating the same for varying power input. It must be noted that all the readings presented here represent the repeatability of results obtained. The square plate is enclosed from two sides by glass sheets and opens to atmosphere from top and bottom. The convective heat transfer coefficient is determined as heat power lost due to convection is equated to the electrical power supplied.
h A T V I
Where
V I A T
T (Tav T1 ) T T3 T4 T5 T6 Tav ( 2 ) 5
h V
I = Current intensity (Ampere) A = Area of square plate (m2) Tav = Average thermocouples temperature (K)
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Figure 2 Variation of heat transfer coefficient with ambient temperature for horizontal plate orientation and smooth surface facing upward. Experiments show that the heat transfer rates are higher with plate kept horizontal and exhibits a monotonically reducing behavior with increment in ambient temperature. Small increment in ambient temperature (here in range of 29-32 degrees) is seen to result in drastic decrement in heat transfer rate. The reason for this may be attributed to increased overall linear temperature difference owing to continuous heat power supply resulting in increased average plate temperature which probably is the reason for significantly reduced rate of heat transfer. The result signifies that maximum cooling effect comes when the objects are operated at lower ambient temperature in horizontal orientation whereas, in applications requiring enhanced heating effect, vertical orientation can be more suitable. Next, we look at the effect of surface roughness on heat transfer rate for selected heater input and varying plate orientation. Fig. 3 shows variation of heat transfer coefficient with plate orientation for selected voltages of 75, 100, 125, 150 volts respectively. In these reading the effect of enclosure is accounted with top end closed and smooth surface of plate facing upward (Fig.3) in comparison to rough surface facing upward (Fig.4). Looking at the plots, one can note that for both cases, the rate of heat transfer increases with increase in voltage at all orientations. For input voltage more than 75 volt the heat transfer rates shows a strong increase. It is interesting to note that the magnitudes of heat transfer coefficient are higher for rough surface facing upward. The reason for this may be attributed to the circulation region (strong convection currents coming down) formed by hot gases owing to heat interaction with walls. This results in gases becoming denser and carrying additional heat in absence of an exit at top. Rough surface generates more heat owing to friction among the hot buoyant gases and corroborates in carrying additional heat at higher power input. The above mentioned effect is noted more for plate with low orientation(less than 30o) and recedes with increase in orientation. Moreover, in case of smooth surfaces, the rate of change in magnitudes at higher input is distinct and confines after 100 volt. But, for the rough surfaces the growth in magnitude drops at higher input (here 125 volts) and beyond that critical value, the heat transfer rate confines to a close range. . It indicates that though the heat transfer coefficients are effective and higher with rough surfaces. However, beyond a certain value, the change at higher voltages reduces and it may return with diminishing returns. The results substantiate the fact that, rough surfaces when placed parallel to surface will yield enhanced cooling effects. However, in case the requirement demands increased heating effect, any type of surfaces at orientation normal to the surface is sufficient.
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Figure 3 Variation of heat transfer coefficient with selected heater input and surface orientation for smooth surface facing upward with top end closed.
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60 55
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Figure 4 Variation of heat transfer coefficient with selected heater input and surface orientation for rough surface facing upward with top end closed. Further, we look at the effect of enclosures on the heat transfer coefficient. The comparison is made for three different cases with smooth surface facing upward and varying surface orientation and heat source input viz., (a) Top and bottom ends open (Fig.5) (b) Top end closed (Fig. 3) and (c) bottom end closed (Fig.6). It is worth noting that, the variation of heat transfer coefficient with orientation for all three cases follows similar trend. With both ends open, the heat transfer rate and its variation with surface orientation depict a crossover at higher voltages (above 125 volts) and low orientation (below 30o). With top end closed, the heat transfer rates at higher voltages confine themselves in a closed region and follow a trend gradually reducing with varying plate orientation. While, when the bottom end is closed, highest heat transfer rates are obtained for all the orientations and power inputs. Here, in absence of suction created by earths gravity, the surrounding air carries away more amount of heat than the other two configurations. The results signifies that for enhanced cooling effects, use of a configuration with three sides closed and only top end open may be more beneficial. However, for greater heating requirements, the system is insensitive to the enclosure effects at higher orientations.
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Surface orientation (Degrees) Figure 5 Variation of heat transfer coefficient with selected heater input and surface orientation for smooth surface facing upward with both ends open.
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Bottom closed
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Figure 6 Variation of heat transfer coefficient with selected heater input and surface orientation for smooth surface facing upward with bottom end closed. Next, the effect of parameter induced flow velocity on the heat transfer rates was explored. Table 1 shows the comparison of free convection with variable induced velocity of 0.40 m/s and 0.80 m/s respectively. As expected, the value of heat transfer coefficient is more with assisting flow velocity. Interestingly, though the magnitude of heat transfer coefficient increases with flow velocity, yet it directs to a critical value above which it starts decreasing as heat transfer coefficient values are more for flow velocity of 0.40 m/s than 0.80 m/s. The heat transfer coefficient for forced convection follows a trend similar to free convection with varying plate orientation. However, the change in heat transfer coefficients is more for flow velocity of 0.80 m/s as the plate orientation changes. This particular study also validates some of the benchmark studies on forced and free convection. Form the results obtained, one can note that low forced convection yields better cooling effects when surface is kept horizontal. Besides for enhanced heating effects, it is superior to use surface oriented normal to surface. Table 1 Variation of heat transfer coefficient with induced velocity and plate orientation for smooth surface facing upward.
4. CONCLUSION
An experimental exploration was carried out to understand the implications of parameters, ambient temperature, surface roughness, enclosures effect and flow velocity on heat transfer coefficient at different orientations and heat source input. Based on results obtained following conclusions may be drawn: The convection heat transfer is more effective in horizontal surfaces due to stronger buoyant forces leading to better cooling applications. Increase in ambient temperature drastically reduces the heat losses. The heat transfer coefficient increases with heater input but it results in diminishing returns beyond a critical value and thus indicates that a critical power input is adequate to remove sufficient heat and further increase may be redundant. If application demands enhancing cooling effects, a configuration kept horizontal, at low ambient temperature, with rough surface, with bottom end closed and low forced flow is proposed. Force convection is a faster mode of losing heat however it conveys a range where it will be optimum.
References
[1] S. Ostrich, An analysis of laminar free-convection flow and heat transfer about a flat plate, NACA, TN 2635, 1952.
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AUTHORS
Vinayak Malhotra received the Bachelor of Engineering in Aeronautical Engineering from The Aeronautical Society of India and Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology. During his Master program, he worked on flame spread in microgravity. He now professes in Department of Aerospace Engineering, SRM University Chennai.
Pratik Tiwari is an undergraduate student in Department of Aerospace Engineering, SRM University Chennai. He is interested in broad field of heat transfer and combustion and has worked on convective mode of heat transfer along with exploring physics in impinging jets and smoldering combustion.
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