MEC 536 Heat Transfer by

Convection

Dr. Mohamed Salem Elmnefi

Department of Aeronautical Engineering

Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Engineering
University of Turkish Aeronautical
Association (UTAA)

(d) Pohlhausen’s solution: Temperature distribution, thermal

boundary layer thickness, heat transfer coefficient, and Nusselt
number
•Boundary layer energy equation (13) is solved analytically for the
temperature distribution T(x,y).
•The solution was obtained by Pohlhausen using similarity transformation.
Define
(36)

Substituting (36) into (13)

(37)

Boundary conditions (27) become:

(38a)
(38b)
(38c)
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Combine x and y into a single variable η(x, y) given by:

(19)

Assume

Velocity components u and v in (37) are given by Blasius solution

(20)

(21)

(19)-(21) into (37)

(39)

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Using (19), the three boundary conditions (38a-38c) transform to

(40a)
(40b)
(40c)
The temperature solution is

(41)

Surface temperature gradient is

(42)

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 •The integrals in (41) and (42) are evaluated numerically.
•Boundary layer thickness δt is determined from the Figure. The edge of
the thermal layer is defined as the distance y where T ≈ T∞ . This
corresponds to:
(43)

The heat transfer coefficient h is

determined using
equation

Using (19) and (36) into the above

equation
Figure.2
(44)
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Average heat transfer coefficient

(45)

Substituting (44) into (45) and integrating

(46)

The local Nusselt number is obtained by substituting (44) into the

local Nusselt number Nux which defined as:
(32)
Gives:
(47)

The corresponding average Nusselt number is

(48)

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Table 2 gives dθ (0) / dη for various values of Pr.

(49a)

(49b)

(49c)

Table.2

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Laminar Boundary Layer Flow over a Wedge:

Uniform Surface Temperature

Assumptions: Apply the same assumption which were simplified

the governing equations

x-momentum equation:

(7)

Inviscid flow solution for V∞ (x) is

(50)

C is a constant and m is defined as:

(51)
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 Application of (7) to the inviscid flow outside the viscous boundary
layer, gives:

Substituting into (7)

(52)

The boundary conditions are:

(53a)
(53b)
(53c)

Solution to the velocity distribution is obtained by the method of similarity.

Define η as:
(54)

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Assume
(55)

Continuity equation, (54), and (55) give the vertical velocity

component v

(56)

(50) and (54)-(56) into (52)

(57)

This is the transformed momentum equation. Boundary conditions

(53) transform to:
(58a)
(58b)
(58c)
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Solution
Equation (57) is integrated numerically. The solution gives F(η) and dF/dη.
These in turn give the velocity components u and v.
Temperature distribution : Start with the energy equation

(59)

Boundary conditions:
(60a)
(60b)
(60c)
Where θ is defined as:
(36)

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Assume
(61)
η is defined in (54). (54)-(56), (20) into (59) and (60)

(62)

(63a)
(63b)
(63c)
Solution. Separating variables in (62), integrating twice and applying
boundary conditions (63), gives the temperature solution as:

(64)

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 Equation (64) gives the temperature gradient at the surface

(65)

•The integrals in (64) and (65) are evaluated numerically.

Results for dӨ(0)/dη are given in the table:

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Heat transfer coefficient h is given by:

(66)

Nusselt number Nu is given by:

(67)

Using (36), (20) and (54) into (66) gives:

(68)
(68) into (67) gives the Nusselt number

(69)

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 where Rex is the local Reynolds number defined as:
(70)

Example 1 : Insect in Search of Advice

Air at 30oC flows with uniform
velocity V = 4 m/s over a flat plate.
A tiny insect finds itself at location 0
near the surface of the plate.
Air velocity u at this location is too high
for the insect. It wants to take a one
millimeter step to any of the locations 1, 2, 3, or 4.
What will the velocity u be at these locations if the insect starts
at x = 150 mm and y = 2 mm? Is the insect inside the viscous
boundary layer?

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Solution
(1) Observations.
(i) This is an external forced convection boundary layer problem.
(ii) Changes in velocity between locations 1 and 3 should be small compared
to those between 2 and 4.
(iii) Location 4 should have the lowest velocity.
(iv) If the flow is laminar, Blasius solution can be used to determine the
velocity distribution and boundary layer thickness.
(v) The flow is laminar if Reynolds number is less than 500,000.

(2) Problem Definition. Determine the axial velocity at the five given
locations.
(3) Solution Plan. Check the Reynolds number to determine if boundary
layer approximations can be made and if the flow is laminar. If it is, use
Blasius solution, Table 1(Blasius solution) , to determine the axial velocity
at the five locations and boundary layer thickness.

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(4) Plan Execution.

(i) Assumptions. All assumptions leading to Blasius solution are

applicable. These are:
(1) Continuum,
(2) Newtonian fluid,
(3) steady state,
(4) constant properties,
(5) two-dimensional,
(6) laminar flow (Rex < 5x105),
(7) viscous boundary layer flow (Rex > 100),
(8) uniform upstream velocity,
(9) flat plate,
(10) negligible changes in kinetic and potential energy
(11) no buoyancy (β = 0 or g = 0).

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(ii) Analysis. The Reynolds number is computed to establish if the flow is

laminar and if boundary layer approximations can be made. The Reynolds
number is defined as:
(a)
where

To determine if the flow is laminar or turbulent, compare the Reynolds

number with the transition Reynolds number. For flow over a flat plate
the transition Reynolds number
(b)

The flow is laminar if Rex < Rext . Viscous boundary layer approximations
are valid for
(c)
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Evaluating the Reynolds number at x = 151 mm, equation (a) gives

Therefore, boundary layer approximations can be made and the flow is

laminar. Use Blasius solution to determine the velocity component u at any
location and boundary layer thickness δ . At each location, the variable η is
computed and used in Table 1 to determine the corresponding velocity
ratio u/V∞ . This variable is defined as:

(d)
where

y = normal distance from surface, m

η = dimensionless variable

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Blasius solution also gives the boundary layer thickness as:

(24)

(iii) Computations. At each location (x, y), equation (d) is used to

compute η . The computed η is used in Table 1 to determine u/V∞ .
Sample computation is shown for location 0. The results for the five
locations 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 are tabulated below.
At location 0 where x = 150 mm and y = 2 mm. Equation (d) gives

At this value of η , Table gives

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 The boundary layer thickness at the location of the insect is determined
using (24) where x = 0.15m and Rex = 37,726

Thus the insect is within the boundary layer.

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(iv) Checking.
Dimensional check: Computations showed that equations (a) and (d) are
dimensionally correct.
Qualitative check: The velocity at the five locations follows an expected
behavior; minor changes in velocity in the x-direction and significant
changes in the y-direction.
(5) Comments.
(i) The insect should move to location 4 where the axial velocity is lowest.
(ii) Changes in axial velocity with respect to x, at the same distance y from
the plate, are minor.
(iii) Changes in axial velocity with respect to y, at the same distance x, are
significant.
(iv) The tabulated values of u are approximate since they are determined
by interpolations of Table 1
(v) What is important for the insect is the magnitude of the velocity vector
and not the axial component u. However, since v << u
in boundary layer flow, using u as a measure of total velocity is reasonable.
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 Example 2: Laminar Convection over a Flat Plate
Water flows with a velocity of 0.25 m/s over a 75 cm long plate.
Free stream temperature is 35°C and surface temperature is 85°C.
[a] Derive an equation for the thermal boundary layer thickness δt in
terms of the Reynolds number.
[b] Determine the heat transfer coefficient at x = 7.5 cm and 75 cm.
[c] Determine the heat transfer rate for a plate 50 cm wide.
[d] Can Pohlhausen's solution be used to determine the heat flux at
the trailing end of the plate if its length is doubled?

Solution

(1) Observations.
(i) This is an external forced convection over a flat plate.
(ii) The thermal boundary layer thickness increases with distance along the
plate.
(iii)Newton’s law of cooling gives surface heat flux and heat transfer rate
from the plate. MEC 536 Heat Transfer by Convection
Dr. Mohamed Salem Elmnefi 23

(iv) The heat transfer coefficient changes with distance along the plate.
(vi) Doubling the length doubles the Reynolds number
(v) Pohlhausen's solution is applicable only if the flow is laminar and all
other assumptions leading to this solution are valid.

(2) Problem Definition. Determine water temperature distribution.

(3) Solution Plan. Compute the Reynolds and Peclet numbers to establish
if this is a laminar boundary layer problem. If it is, use Pohlhausen's
solution to determine the thermal boundary layer thickness, heat
transfer coefficient, heat transfer rate, and surface heat flux.
(4) Plan Execution.
(i) Assumptions. The assumptions, which lead to Pohlhausen’s
solution, are made:
(1) Continuum,
(2) Newtonian fluid,
(3) two-dimensional process,
(4) negligible changes in kinetic and potential energy,
(5) constant properties,
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(6) boundary layer flow,
(7) steady state,
(8) laminar flow,
(9) no dissipation,
(10) no gravity,
(11) no energy generation,
(12) flat plate,
(13) negligible plate thickness,
(14) Uniform upstream velocity V∞
(15) uniform upstream temperature T∞ ,
(16) uniform surface temperature Ts ,
(17) no radiation.
(ii) Analysis and Computations
Calculate the Reynolds and Peclet numbers to determine if boundary layer
approximations can be made and if the flow is laminar or turbulent.
Boundary layer approximations are valid if the body is streamlined and if
(a)
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where

The transition Reynolds number Ret for flow over a semi-infinite plate is

(b)
Properties of water are evaluated at the film temperature Tf and
given by:
(c)
where
Ts = surface temperature = 85oC
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 T∞ = free stream temperature = 35oC

Substituting into (c) gives

Water properties at this temperature are:

k = thermal conductivity = 0.6507 W/m- oC

Thus at x = 7.5 cm Rex and Pe are

and

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Comparison with equations (a) and (b) shows that boundary layer
approximations can be made and the flow is laminar at x = 7.5 cm.
At the trailing edge, x = L = 75 cm, the Reynolds number ReL = 3.949 x 105
Since this is less than the transition number it follows that the flow is laminar
over the entire plate. Thus, Pohlhausen's solution is applicable.

[a] Determination of δt :
At the edge of the thermal boundary layer y = δt and T ≈T∞
Thus,

From Fig. 2 the value of η t corresponding to θ(η t) =1 and Pr = 3

is approximately 3.2. Therefore

or
(d)
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 [b] Heat transfer coefficient. The local heat transfer coefficient is given in
equation (68)
(68)

(49b)

(49b)

For Pr = 3, this gives

Substituting into (54) for x = 0.075 m

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Similarly, at x = 0.75 m

[c] Heat transfer rate. Equation gives the total heat transfer rate from the plate

(71)

The average heat transfer coefficient is given in (46)

(46)
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 The Reynolds number at the trailing edge is ReL= 3.949 x 105.
Substituting into equation (46).

Substituting into (70)

[d] Doubling the length of plate doubles the corresponding Reynolds

number at the trailing end. There is a possibility that transition to
turbulent flow may take place. For a plate of length 2L, the Reynolds
number is

Since this Reynolds number is greater than Ree = 5 x 105 the flow at the
trailing end is turbulent and consequently Pohlhausen's solution is not
applicable (can not used).
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(iii) Checking. Dimensional check: Computations showed that the

Reynolds number is dimensionless and units of h and are correct.
Qualitative check: As x is increased h decreases. Computation of the local
heat transfer coefficient at x = 0.075 m and x = 0.75 m confirms this.
Quantitative check: The computed values of the heat transfer coefficients
are within the range given in the table for forced convection of liquids.
(5) Comments.
(i) It is important to check the Reynolds number before applying
Pohlhausen's solution.
(ii) The velocity boundary layer thickness δ is given by

(24)

Comparing (d) with equation (24) indicates that the thermal boundary
layer thickness for water is smaller than the velocity boundary layer.

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