1

Module 3:
Convective heat and mass transfer

Lecture 29:
Convective Transport in channels

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

Flow in pipes: cylindrical axis-symmetric (no ) geometry

The assumptions are: constant properties, Newtonian fluid, no viscous dissipation

Four categories
I. Velocity and Temperature profiles both developing. Need to keep inertia terms in N-S
equations.
II. V and T profiles both fully developed: solve for V and insert to find T profile. Analytical
solution possible depending on B.C.
III. Fully developed V, developing T
IV. Fully developed T, developing V (plug flow)
(Fully developed means only profile shape is invariant with z, but absolute value of
dependant variable may change with z)
Two limiting boundary conditions at the pipe wall

T = const. or

T
= const ( constant heat flux )
r
2 R

v T
=
Flow-average or Cup-Mixing temperature z
vz

v ( r ) T ( r ) r dr d
z
0 0
2 R

v ( r ) r dr d

= TM

0 0

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

This is the temperature one would measure if the tube were chopped off at z and if the fluid issuing
forth were collected in a container and thoroughly mixed.
Case (I). This case will not be examined.

Case (II).

T0 T
T0 TM

= f (r ) ;

a function of z;
(asnotratio
is not a function of z )

T0 T

z T0 TM

=0

T T0 T0 T dT0 T0 T dTM
=

+
z Z T0 TM dz T0 TM dz

(1)

Case (II-1): Constant wall heat flux q0;

Examples
1. Electrical heating
2. Heating by radiation
3.

Special kind of heat exchangers

Define heat transfer coefficient by q0 = h (T0 TM ) = Const.

Indeed h = Const. (since fully developed temperature profile, hence no change of slope of
temperature profile at the wall)
Since (T0 TM ) = Const.
NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

dT0 TM
=
Z
dz

T dT0 dTM
=
=
z
dz
dz

Another way of arriving at

C p A vz TM

q0 =

z=z

dTM
= Const. Use overall energy balance
dz

C p A vz TM

z = z +z

+ q0 ( 2 R ) z = 0

vz C p R dTM
2

dz

(2)

dTM
= Const.
dz

Expected T profiles for fully developed V and T

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

In both cases =

T0 T
= f ( r ) only and does not depend on z.
T0 TM

Governing PDE (neglect axial diffusion)

vz T vz TM
=
=
z z

r2
with vz = 2 vz 1 2
R
1 T
r
r r r

Direct integration yields

T = T0

2 vz dTM 3 2
r4
r2
+

dz 16
16 R 2 4

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

TM = T0

q0 = h

11 2 vz dTM 2

R and q0 = h (T0 TM )
96 dz

11 2 vz dTM

96 dz

Thus Nu =

2
R . But we also have eqn. (2)

h ( 2R )
= 4.364 for {( H ) and fully developed T and V profiles} Case (II-2): Constant
K

T0 at the pipe wall

Then from eqn. (1)
T T0 T dTM
and PDE becomes
=
z T0 TM dz

1 T 2 vz r 2 T0 T dTM
1
r
=
r r r
R 2 T0 TM dz
Solve numerically by successive substitution.
The asymptotic Nu = 3.658
Summary of the Results
Asymptotic Nu (Fully developed T)
Parabolic vz, (H)

4.36

Parabolic vz, (T)

3.66

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

Plug flow, (H)

8.0

Plug flow, (T)

5.86

How long does it take for fully developed (Laminar flow)?

Velocity profile:

z
> 0.05 Re
d

Where d is the tube diameter and z is the entrance length

Re is based on the tube diameter

Temperature profile:

z
> 0.05 Re Pr
d

Concentration profile:

z
> 0.05 ReSc
d

Example: assume water Re = 100, Pr = 7, Sc = 1000

Then

z
> 5 for velocity
d
z
> 35 for temperature
d
z
> 5000 for concentration
d

Skelland correlation for fully developed V, but developing T for constant wall temperature
NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

d
0.0668 Re Pr
z
Nu = 3.66 +
23
d

1 + 0.04 Re Pr
z

For

(3)

z
> 0.05 Re Pr ; Nu approaches 3.66
d

For mass transfer replace Nu by Sh and Pr by Sc

Lewis number is given by Le =

Sc
. If Le 1 , temperature and concentration boundary layer are of
Pr

the same thickness.

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering