FORMULAE SHEET

CONVECTION
All symbols have their usual meaning.
Constants
Gravitational acceleration: g = 9.81 m/s2
Specific gas constant for air: R = 287 J/kgK
Definitions

Kinetic viscosity,
/
Thermal diffusivity, k / c p
Volumetric thermal expansion coefficien t,
General

Newton's Law of Cooling, q hTs T

Ideal gas law : pv RT
M ass flow rate, m AcV
Thermal energy flux at a section m c pT
Dimensionless Groups
Reynolds Number, Re L VL / VL /
Prandtl Number, Pr /
Nusselt Number, NuL hL / k
Grashof Number, GrL

g Ts T L3

Rayleigh Number, Ra L GrL Pr

Stanton Number, St x

Nu x
hx

Re x Pr c p u

1
1

for an ideal gas.

T p T

2D Continuity Equation:

u v

0
x y

2D x-Momentum Equation:

2D Energy Equation:

2u 2u
u
u
p
v
2 2 X
y
x
y
x
x

T
T

c p u
v
y
x

2T 2T
k 2 2 q
y
x

2
2
u v 2

u v

2
x
y
y x

where viscous heat dissipation,

2D Boundary Layer Equations:

x-Momentum Equation:

u
u
2u
u
v
2
x
y
y

Energy Equation:

Integral Momentum Equation:

Integral Energy Equation:

T
T
2T
v
2
x
y
y

d
u
u (u u )dy

dx 0
y
d t
T
u T T dy

dx 0
y

y 0

y 0

Forced Convection Over External Surfaces

Generally, Nu C Re m Pr n
Unless otherwise stated, fluid properties are to be evaluated at the film temperature.

Forced Convection Over a Flat Plate:

For constant

Constant Surface Temperature:

L

1
1
Mean heat transfer coefficien t, h hx dA hx dx for a rectangula r plate.
AA
L0
For laminar flow ( Re x 5 105 ):

5x Re x1 2 ;
C f ,x

s ,x

0.664 Re x 2 ;

C f ,L 1.328 Re x 2

u / 2
2

t Pr 1 3

Nu x 0.332 Re x

Pr 3 ;

NuL

1
1
hL
0.664 Re L 2 Pr 3
k

For turbulent flow ( Re x 5 105 ):

turb 0.37 x Re x ;
1

C f , x 0.0592 Re x1 5 ;

Nux 0.0296 Re x4 5 Pr

For mixed boundary layer conditions ( Re L 5 105 ):

C f ,L 0.074 Re L1 5 1742 Re L1 ;

NuL

1
hL
Pr 3 (0.037 Re L0.8 871)
k

Constant Surface Heat Flux:

For laminar flow ( Re x 5 105 ):

Nu x 0.453 Re x

For turbulent flow ( Re x 5 105 ):

Nux 0.0308 Re x4 5 Pr

For Unheated Starting Length, xo :

Pr

Nu x 0.332 Pr

34

xo

2
Re x 1

1 3

Forced Convection Across Long Cylinders:

Nu D

hD
C Re Dm Pr 1 3
k

where C and m are given by

ReD
0.4-4
4-40
40-4000
4000-40,000
40,000-400,000

C
0.989
0.911
0.683
0.193
0.027

m
0.330
0.385
0.466
0.618
0.805

Forced Convection Across Spheres:

14

hD
NuD
2 0.4 Re1D2 0.06 ReD2 3 Pr 0.4
k
s

where all properties are evaluated at the free-stream temperature, except s , which is evaluated
at the surface temperature of the sphere.

Forced Convection Across Non-Circular Cylinders

Nu D

hD
C Re Dm Pr 1 3
k

where C and m are given by

Forced Convection Across Tube Banks

14

NuD C1 Re

m
D ,max

Pr

0.36

Pr

Prs

where all properties, except Prs, are evaluated at the mean of the fluid inlet and outlet
temperatures, ReD,max is based on the maximum fluid velocity, and C1 and m are given in the
table below for number of tube rows
for various alined and staggered arrangement of
tubes.

(a) Aligned tube rows

For

where C2 for various

Nu
D

N L 20

(b) Staggered tube rows

C2 NuD

N L 20

is given in the table below:

Forced Convection in Tubes and Ducts

Unless otherwise stated, fluid properties should be evaluated at the mean or bulk temperature.
Forced Convection in Tubes

dp / dx D
um2 / 2

Friction factor,

Mean temperature, Tm

Hydraulic Diameter, Dh

Ac

c p uT dAc
m c p

4 Cross - sectional Area

Wetted Perimeter

For thermally fully developed condition:

Log Mean Temperature Difference, Tlm

Ts ( x ) T ( r , x )
0
x Ts ( x ) Tm ( x )
To Ti
ln To / Ti

Laminar Flow (ReD 2300):

Fully developed velocity profile:

where mean fluid velocity, um

Friction factor,

f = 64/ReD

r2
u (r )
21 2
um
r0
r02 dp
m

r02
8 dx

Turbulent Flow (ReD > 2300):

For smooth tubes and ducts, the Dittus-Boelter equation: NuDh 0.023ReD4 h5 Pr n
with n = 0.4 for heating of fluid, and n = 0.3 for cooling of fluid
Friction factor for smooth tubes: f 0.790 ln Re D 1.64

Friction factor for rough tubes of roughness e : f 1.325 ln e / 3.7 D 5.74 / Re D0.9

Reynolds-Colburn Analogy
For flow over a flat plate:
For flow in a tube or duct:

St x . Pr 2 3 C f , x / 2 ;

St . Pr 2 3 f / 8

St L . Pr 2 3 C f ,L / 2

Free Convection
Generally,
NuL C GrL Pr C Ra L with m 1 4 for laminar flow, and m 1 3 for turbulent flow.
m

Unless otherwise stated, fluid properties are to be evaluated at the film temperature.
LaminarFree Convection on an Isothermal Vertical Plate:
Boundary layer momentum equation:

u
u
2u
v
g T T 2
x
y
y

Integral Momentum Equation for Free Convection BL:

d 2
u
g T T dy
0 u dy

dx
y s 0

3.93x Pr 1 2 0.952 Pr 1 4 Grx 1 4

Boundary layer thickness,

Critical Ra = 109 .

Free Convection from an Isothermal Sphere

NuD

hD
1/ 4
2 0.43GrD Pr
for 1 GrD 105
k

Free Convection from Isothermal Planes and Cylinders

NuL C GrL Pr C Ra L
m

where C and m are given in the table below:

Constants for Use with Isothermal Surfaces

Geometry
Vertical plane and cylinder

Horizontal cylinder

Hot surface facing up or

cold surface facing down
Hot surface facing down or
cold surface facing up

GrL Pr

104 109
109 1013
10-10 10-2
10-2 102
102 104
104 109
109 1012
104 107
107 1011

0.59
0.10
0.68
1.02
0.85
0.53
0.13
0.54
0.15

1/4
1/3
0.058
0.148
0.188
1/4
1/3
1/4
1/3

105 1011

0.27

1/4

Characteristic
Length
Height

Diameter

Area/Perimeter
Area/Perimeter

Free Convection from a Vertical Plate with Constant Surface Heat Flux
Laminar :

Nu x

1
hx x
0.60Grx*.Pr 5
k

Turbulent : Nu x 0.17Grx*Pr

where

Grx* Grx .Nux

for 105 Grx*Pr 1011

for 2 1013 Grx*Pr 1016

gqsx 4
k 2