SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCES

IIT BHUBANESWAR
HEAT TRANSFER (ME3L001)
Tutorial Sheet – 6
Topic : Free Convection Heat Transfer

[1] Vertical door of a hot oven is 0.5 m high and is maintained at 2000C. it is exposed to atmospheric air
at 20 0C. Find (a) local heat transfer coefficient half way up the door, (b) average heat transfer
coefficient for the entire door, (c) thickness of free convection boundary layer at the top of the door.
[2] A hot plate 30 cm high and 1.1 m wide at 120 0C is exposed to an ambient of still air at 20 0C. Using
the approximate solution, calculate the followings, (a) maximum velocity at 15 cm from the leading
edge of the plate, (b) boundary layer thickness at 15 cm from the leading edge of the plate, (c) local
heat transfer coefficient at 15 cm from the leading edge of the plate, (d) average heat transfer
coefficient over the surface of the plate, (e) total mass flow through the boundary, (f) heat loss from
the plate, (g) temperature rise of air.
[3] A vertical plate 15 cm X 15 cm at 40 0C is exposed to an ambient of still air at 20 0C. Compare the free
convection heat transfer from this plate that would result due to forced convection over the plate at
a velocity equal to twice the maximum velocity that occurs in free convection.
[4] Two vertical plates each 80 mm high and 85 0C are placed in a tank of water at 15 0C. Calculate the
minimum spacing which will prevent interference of free convection boundary layer.
[5] Consider a rectangular plate 0.2 m X 0.4 m is maintained at a uniform temperature of 80 0C. It is
placed in atmospheric air at 24 0C. Compare the heat transfer rates from the plate for the cases when
the vertical height is (a) 0.2 m and (b) 0.4 m.
[6] Consider an electrical heated square plate (60 cm X 60 cm) with one of its surface thermally insulated
and the other surface dissipating heat by free convection into atmospheric air at 30 0C. The heat flux
over the surface of the plate is uniform and results in a mean temperature of 50 0C. The plate is
inclined at an angle of 50 0C from vertical. Determine the heat loss from the plate for the following
cases : (a) Heated surface facing up; (b) Heated surface facing down.
[7] A hot plate 1m X 0.5 m at 180 0C is kept in still air at 20 0C. Find (a) The Heat transfer coefficient,
(b) Initial rate of cooling of the plate in 0C/min, (c) Time required to cool the plate from 180 0C to
80 0C, if the heat transfer is due to convection only. Mass of the plate is 20 kg and specific heat is
400 J/kg-K. Assume that 0.5 m side is vertical.
[8] A block 10 cm X 10 cm X 10 cm in size is suspended in still air at 100C with one of its surface in
horizontal position. All surfaces of the block are maintained at 150 0C. determine the total heat
transfer rate from the block.