Chapter Three

Experimental Work
Chapter Three Experimental Work

Chapter Three

Experimental Work

3-1 Calculation procedure

The system is analyses based on the performance parameters like h

and averaged Nu. The facility helps in measurement of various thermos
physical properties of the system like system dimensions, the velocity and
the temperature at various points. These quantities forms the basis for
calculation of h and Nu in the system. For the current system (Fig. 1a), at
various inlet flow velocities, with known values of temperature at inlet,
outlet and over the fins, the h is calculated from the thermal energy
balance. In ideal scenario, neglecting any heat loss from the back of the
heater and from the duct walls (Fig. 1a), the rate of heat convection from
the surface of the fin will be equal to the rate of heat carried by the
incoming air. Mathematically, it can be expressed as,

( ) ̇

where the Afin is the wetted surface area of the fin, the Tfin is the average
surface temperature and ̇ V) is the mass flow rate inside the
duct. Considering diameter D of the fin as the characteristic length, the
average Nu is calculated using h L / kf .

3-2 Experimental procedure

Experiments are carried out to understand the performance of a set

of aluminum pipe bundle arranged in a staggered manner. The set-up
consists of a vertical square duct with an axial flow fan placed just below
the outlet temperature sensor. Air enters the duct from the bottom and
leaves it from the top. The fins with the base plate are connected with the

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Chapter Three Experimental Work

heater unit to supply heat from the bottom of the plate. The removable
set-up of fins with heating unit is placed inside the duct in the test section.
The placement of the fins in the test section provides normal direction of
flow to the incoming fluid. Fixed temperature sensors are provided at the
inlet and the outlet of the duct to measure the temperatures of incoming
and outgoing air, respectively. A portable thermocouple is also provided
to measure the temperature at different locations of the fins. The display
and control unit helps in controlling the speed of the fan and the amount
of supplied heat to the heating unit. Fig (3-1)

1. Air Duct
2. Centrifugal Ventilator
3. Temperature Sensors.
4. Data logger
5. Digital anemometer.
6. Pip bundle heating elements
7. Heater
8. Thermocouple

Fig (3-1) Test rig

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Chapter Three Experimental Work

1- Air Duct

The vertical air tunnel (duct) of stainless steel of rectangular section (65
x170 mm.) and 1200 mm in length. It is resistant to the corrosion. It is so
constructed that the air temperature and velocity can be readily measured.
This tunnel has a rectangular central opening of 130 x 130 mm., that is
good to insert the different configurations of pin fin arrays (17 pin fin for
each heat sink) of known dimensions. Figure (3-2)

Fig (3-2) Air Duct

2- Centrifugal Ventilator

The air stream passing through the conduct is produced by a centrifugal

ventilator (Power =0.75 kW, Air speed up to 25 m/sec) that draws air
from inside the conduct and expels it outside. The air current through the
ventilator and the conduct is controlled by a speed variator that will let us
control the air volume through the tunnel. Fig (3-3) shows the ventilator
and its support-stands.

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Chapter Three Experimental Work

Fig (3-3) Centrifugal ventilator

3. Temperature Measurement

A paperless temperature recorder, using SD card to save the data

along with time information is used. It is a real time data logger, saving
the 12 channels temperature. Data was measured along the time
information into the SD memory card. SD capacity: 1 to 16 GB,
RS232/USB computer interface, as shown in figure (3.4 a).

In the present work, 12 channels with type K thermocouples

(chromium--aluminum+) were used. Data logger sampling time range: 1 to
3600 seconds. Thermocouple type K: -100 to 1300 °C. Channel one was
used to measure the temperature of heating water. Channels from number
two to eleven were fixed in different position in the rig pipe to measure
the temperatures of air-water flow at different positions.

Microcomputer circuit provides intelligent function and high

accuracy to present the maximum and minimum readings. Figure (3-4b)
which shows the calibration certificate of temperature recorder device.

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Chapter Three Experimental Work

Figure (3-4 a) Temperature recorder device.

Figure (3-4 b) Calibration certificate.

4. Calibration of Temperature Recorder Device:

The thermocouples of the data logger are calibrated against a

mercury thermometer. The calibration is performed only for channels 1
and 12. The recorded values of the two devices are shown in table (3-1)
for channel No.1 and table (3-2) for channel No.12. Figures (3.5) and

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Chapter Three Experimental Work

(3.6) represent the calibration curve of channels No.1 and No.12

respectively.

The other channels from number two to eleven were calibrated by

using the value of accuracy as shown in table (3-1)
for type K thermocouple according to the reading temperature range
to . Then, Appendix (A) shows the values of
instantaneous local temperature calibration for all channels with different
time intervals and distance for two types of flow patterns bubbly and slug
flow.

The local time average temperature is calculated as follow:

∑
………5 (552)
Where (Ti) is the instantaneous local temperature and (n) is the
number of time intervals.

Table (3-1) the temperature values of two devices for channel No.1.

Reads of Data Reads of Thermometer

No.
logger (°C) Device (°C)
1 2.52 22

2 5.5. 5.5.

3 ..52 ..54

4 ..54 .4

5 .55. ..5.

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Chapter Three Experimental Work

Table (3-2) the temperature values of two devices for channel No.12.

Reads of Data Reads of Thermometer

No.
logger (°C) Device (°C)
1 2255 2.5.
2 5252 5.54
3 ..5. .55.
4 .254 ..
5 ..5. .25.

Fig (3-5) Calibration curve for channel No. 1

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Chapter Three Experimental Work

Fig (3-6) Calibration curve for channel No. 12

5. Digital Anemometer

It is used to measure the average air velocity at entry and exit of the test
section.

It is a vane-type (model DA40) probe portable anemometer which

provides fast and accurate readings, with digital readability and the
convenience of a remote sensor separately, as shown in Fig (3-7). The
low friction ball bearing design allows free vane movement, resulting in
accuracy at both high and low velocities. The sensitive balanced vane
wheel rotates freely in response to airflows. The accuracy of the
anemometer is (± 1%).

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Chapter Three Experimental Work

Fig. (3-7) Digital anemometer.

3-3 model

Fig. (3-8), show the lest rig that used in the present work.

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Chapter Three Experimental Work

Fig. (3-9) Schematic diagram of the Experimental Setup

3-4 Nusselt number calculations

Nusselt number is a measure of the ratio between heat transfer by
convection and heat transfer by conduction alone.

Nu=hD/k

h: convection heat transfer coefficient (w/m2.k)

D: hydraulic diameter (m)

K: thermal conductivity of air (w/m.k)

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Chapter Three Experimental Work

Table (3-3) shown value of (K) of air at different temperature values

No Temperature K of air
(C) w/m.k
1 22 0.02522
2 23.5 0.02531
3 24 0.02547
D= A/P

A=L*W

A=0.065*0.17=0.01105 m2

P=2(L*W)

P=2(0.065+0.17)=0.47 m

D=0.01105/0.47=0.02354 m

Table (3-4) shown value of( Nusselt number) of different pin fins
shapes

h Dh K air T air Nu
w/m2.k m w/m.k (c)
30 0.02354 0.02522 22 28
Rectangular 33.8 0.02354 0.02531 23.5 31.43
35.5 0.02354 0.02547 24 32.8
32.34 0.02354 0.02522 22 30.18
Cylindrical 35.16 0.02354 0.02531 23.5 32.7
36.2 0.02354 0.02547 24 33.45
33 0.02354 0.02522 22 30.8
Cone 36.9 0.02354 0.02531 23.5 34.31
37.38 0.02354 0.02547 24 34.54

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