PARALLEL FLOW OVER FLAT PLATES

A generally
accepted value
for the Critical
Reynold number

1
Heat Transfer Coefficient
The local Nusselt number at a location x for laminar flow over a flat
plate may be obtained by solving the differential energy equation to be

These relations are for

isothermal and smooth surfaces

The local friction and heat transfer

coefficients are higher in turbulent
flow than they are in laminar flow.
Also, hx reaches its highest values
when the flow becomes fully
turbulent, and then decreases by a
factor of x0.2 in the flow direction.
2
Nusselt numbers for average heat transfer coefficients

Laminar + turbulent

3
Uniform Heat Flux

For a flat plate subjected to uniform heat flux

When heat flux is prescribed, the rate of heat transfer to or

from the plate and the surface temperature at a distance x
are determined from

4
Flat Plate with Unheated Starting Length
Local Nusselt numbers

Average heat transfer coefficients

Flow over a flat plate

with an unheated
starting length. 5
FLOW OVER CYLINDERS AND
SPHERES

FLOW ACROSS TUBE BANKS

FLOW OVER CYLINDERS AND SPHERES
Heat Transfer Coefficient

Flows across cylinders and

spheres, in general, involve flow
separation, which is difficult to
handle analytically.
Flow across cylinders and
spheres has been studied
experimentally by numerous
investigators, and several
empirical correlations have been
developed for the heat transfer
coefficient.

Variation of the local heat

transfer coefficient along the
circumference of a circular
cylinder in cross flow of air.
For flow over a cylinder

The fluid properties are evaluated at the film temperature

For flow over a sphere

The fluid properties are evaluated at the free-stream temperature T,

except for s, which is evaluated at the surface temperature Ts.

Constants C and m are

given in the table.
The relations for cylinders above are for single cylinders or
cylinders oriented such that the flow over them is not affected by
the presence of others. They are applicable to smooth surfaces. 9
10
11
 7-77
7-81 A 10-m tall exhaust stack discharging exhaust gases at a rate of 1.2 kg/s is subjected to solar radiation and convection at
the outer surface. The outer surface temperature of the exhaust stack is to be determined.
Assumptions 1 Steady operating conditions exist. 2 Properties
are constant. 3 The surface temperature is constant.
Properties The properties of air at 80C are k = 0.02953
W/mK, = 2.097 105 m2/s, Pr = 0.7154 (from Table A-15).
Analysis The Reynolds number for the air flowing across the
exhaust stack is
VD (10 m/s)(1 m)
Re D 4.769 10 5
2.097 10 5 m 2 /s
Using the Churchill and Bernstein relation for Nusselt number,
the convection heat transfer coefficient is
4/5
hD 0.62 Re1 / 2 Pr1 / 3 Re 5 / 8
Nu cyl 0.3 1
k [1 (0.4 / Pr) 2 / 3 ]1 / 4 282000

476900 5 / 8
4/5
0.02953 W/m K 0.62(476900)1 / 2 (0.7154)1 / 3
h 0.3 1
1m [1 (0.4 / 0.7154) 2 / 3 ]1 / 4 282000

19.95 W/m2 K
The outer surface area of the exhaust stack is

As DL (1 m)(10 m) 31.42 m 2

The rate of heat loss from the exhaust gases in the exhaust stack can be determined from

Q loss m
c p (Tin Tout ) (1.2 kg/s)(1600 J/kg C)(30) C 57600 W

The heat loss on the outer surface of the exhaust stack by radiation and convection can be expressed as

Q loss
h [Ts T ] [Ts4 Tsurr
4
] s q solar
As

Copy the following lines and paste on a blank EES screen to solve the above equation:
A_s=31.42
h=19.95
q_incindent=1400
Q_loss=57600
T_inf=27+273
T_surr=27+273
alpha=0.9
epsilon=0.9
sigma=5.670e-8
Q_loss/A_s=h*(T_s-T_inf)+epsilon*sigma*(T_s^4-T_surr^4)-alpha*q_incindent
Solving by EES software, the surface temperature of exhaust stack is
Ts 406 K 133C

Discussion Since the value of the (force) convection heat transfer coefficient is relatively small, this indicates that natural
convection may play an important role.

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