Heat Transfer Processes and Equipment

CC01, CC02, CC03, CC04

CH2043

English Program
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology
Dr Wan Zaireen Nisa Yahya and Dr Shafirah Samsuri 2023
Lesson Outcomes:
At the end of this topic:

1) Describe the heat transfer mechanism by natural

convection.

2) Determine the rate of heat flow by natural convection

on various surfaces.

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Outline

Topic 7: Natural Force Convection

• Fundamental Concepts

• Natural Convection over Surfaces

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 Fundamental Concepts
 Think-Pair-Share

• We know that a hot boiled egg on a plate eventually cools to the

surrounding temperature
• Or the cold soda eventually warms to the room temperature after
certain time
• So, what factors can determine the rate of heat transfer?
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Natural Convection Video

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Fundamental Concepts
 The Buoyancy force
 Buoyancy force is the upward force exerted by any fluid upon a
body placed in it.
FB
g ρliquid • Buoyancy Force
𝐹𝐹𝐵𝐵 = 𝜌𝜌𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙 gV

ρsolid • Weight
𝑊𝑊 = 𝜌𝜌𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 gV
• Net Force
𝑊𝑊 − 𝐹𝐹𝐵𝐵 = 𝜌𝜌𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 − 𝜌𝜌𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 gV
W
 For ρsolid < ρliquid , FB greater, mass float up.
 For ρsolid > ρliquid , W larger, mass sink down.
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Fundamental Concepts
 Natural Convection over surfaces
 Natural convection heat transfer on a surface depends on
• the geometry of the surface and its orientation,
• the variation of temperature on the surface, and
• the thermophysical properties of the fluid involved.
 Nusselt number:

 Grashof number:

 Rayleigh number:

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Fundamental Concepts
 The Grashof number (Gr)
 Gr is a measure of the relative magnitudes of the buoyancy force
and the opposing viscous force acting on the fluid.

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Fundamental Concepts
 The Rayleigh number (Ra)
 Ra describes the relationship between buoyancy and viscosity
within the fluid, and the Prandtl number, which describes the
relationship between momentum diffusivity and thermal
diffusivity.
 Consequently, Ra expresses the ratio of buoyancy forces and
(the products of) thermal and momentum diffusivities.

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Natural Convection Over Surfaces
 Natural convection heat transfer
 Factors affecting the rate of heat transfer in natural convection
on a surface:
• Surface geometry
• Surface orientation
• Variation of temperature on the surface
• Thermophysical properties of the fluid.
o The constants C and n
depend on surface geometry
and fluid properties
(characterized by Ra).
o n ~ 1/4 (laminar flow) and
n ~ 1/3 (turbulent flow).

o Fluid properties evaluated

at Tf = (Ts + T∞)/2.
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Natural Convection Over Surfaces

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Natural Convection Over Surfaces

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Natural Convection Over Surfaces
Example 1:
A 6-m long section of an 8-cm diameter horizontal hot-water pipe
passes through a large room whose temperature is 20ºC, If the
outer surface temperature of the pipe is 70ºC, determine the rate of
heat loss from the pipe by natural convection.

Solutions:
The film temperature, Tf = (20+70)/2 = 45 ºC.
Fluid properties of air surrounding the pipe:
Pr= 0.7241, k = 0.02699W/m∙K,
ν = 1.750 x 10-5 m2/s, β = 1/Tf = 1/(45+273) = 1/318 K-1
Characteristic length = Dpipe = 0.08 m.

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Natural Convection Over Surfaces
Solutions:
Rayleigh number,
gβ (Ts −T ∞) D 3
RaD = 2
Pr
ν
9.81 m/s 2 × (1 / 318 K ) × (70 − 20) K × (0.08m) 3
= −5 2 2
× 0.7241
(1.750 ×10 m / s )
= 1.867 ×106

Nusselt number,

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Natural Convection Over Surfaces
Solutions:

then,

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Natural Convection Over Surfaces
Solutions:
The rate of heat losses by natural convection,

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Natural Convection Over Surfaces
Exercise:
A vertical uninsulated sampling container measuring 80 cm tall and 30
cm diameter is filled with a cryogenic liquid at -125°C. The sampling
container is placed on a bench in a large room whose surrounding air
temperature is at 25°C. If the container is left inside the room for 7
minutes and based on the information below, estimate the amount of
the cryogenic liquid that would have boiled-off due to natural
convection. The heat of vaporization of the cryogenic liquid at 1 atm is
hfg = 0.51 × 106 J/kg.

Solution steps:
The film temperature, Tf = (25 -125)/2 = -50ºC. (223 K)
Fluid properties of air surrounding the container at -50ºC :
β = 1/Tf =
Pr = k=
ν= Characteristic length =
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18
 Natural Convection Over Surfaces
Exercise:
A vertical uninsulated sampling container measuring 80 cm tall, and
30 cm diameter is filled with a cryogenic liquid at -125°C. The
sampling container is placed on a bench in a large room whose
surrounding air temperature is at 25°C. If the container is left inside
the room for 7 minutes and based on the information below, estimate
the amount of the cryogenic liquid that would have boiled-off due to
natural convection. The heat of vaporization of the cryogenic liquid at
1 atm is hfg = 0.51 × 106 J/kg.

Solution steps:
The film temperature, Tf = (25 -125)/2 = -50ºC. (223 K)
Fluid properties of air surrounding the container at -50ºC :
β = 1/Tf = 4.484 x10-3
Pr = 0.7440 k= 0.01979 W/m.K
ν= 9.319 x 10-6 m2/s Characteristic length = Height = 0.8 m
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Natural Convection Over Surfaces
Solutions:
Grashof number, Gr# =

Rayleigh number, Ra# =

Can the vertical cylinder be treated as a vertical plate?

35𝐿𝐿
𝐷𝐷 ≥ 1/4
𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐿𝐿

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Natural Convection Over Surfaces
Solutions:
Determine rate of heat transfer, 𝑄𝑄 = ℎ 𝐴𝐴𝑠𝑠 𝑇𝑇∞ − 𝑇𝑇𝑠𝑠

Determine amount of 𝑄𝑄
liquid boil-off in 7 minutes, 𝑚𝑚 = × 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 hfg = 0.51 × 10^6 J/kg.
ℎ𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓

Over to you…

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 Natural Convection Over Surfaces
Solutions:
Grashof number, Gr# =
1
9.81×223×(25− −125 )×0.83
𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 = =3.89 × 1010
(9.319×10−6 )2

Rayleigh number, Ra# =

𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 = 𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺 × 𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃 = 3.89 × 1010 × 0.7440 = 2.894 × 1010

Can the vertical cylinder be treated as a vertical plate?

35𝐿𝐿
35𝐿𝐿 35×0.8 𝐷𝐷 ≥
1/4 = 0.25 =0.063 m
1/4
𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐿𝐿 (3.89 ×1010) 𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐺𝐿𝐿

𝐷𝐷 = 0.3 𝑚𝑚 ≥ 0.063
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 Natural Convection Over Surfaces
Solutions:
Determine rate of heat transfer, 𝑄𝑄 = ℎ 𝐴𝐴𝑠𝑠 𝑇𝑇∞ − 𝑇𝑇𝑠𝑠
𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅= 2.894 × 1010
𝑁𝑁𝑁𝑁 = 0.1 × 𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅1/3 = 307
h=Nu*k/L=307*0.01979/0.8
h=7.59 W/m2.K
𝑄𝑄 = ℎ 𝐴𝐴𝑠𝑠 𝑇𝑇∞ − 𝑇𝑇𝑠𝑠
= 7.59*π*0.3*0.8*(25-(-125))=859 W

Determine amount of
𝑄𝑄
liquid boil-off in 7 minutes, 𝑚𝑚 = × 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 hfg = 0.51 × 106 J/kg
ℎ𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓

859
𝑚𝑚 = × 7 ×60 =0.71 kg
0.51 × 106
Over to you…

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 Exercise
Consider a 0.6-m × 0.6-m thin square plate in a room at
30°C. One side of the plate is maintained at a
temperature of 90°C, while the other side is insulated, as
shown in Figure. Determine the rate of heat transfer from
the plate by natural convection if the plate is vertical.

[Ans: 115 W]

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 Exercise
In which mode of heat transfer is the convection heat
transfer coefficient usually higher, natural convection or
forced convection?
A. Convection heat transfer coefficient in forced
convection
B. Convection heat transfer coefficient in natural
convection

Why?

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Summary

Topic 7: Natural Force Convection

• Fundamental Concepts
• Buoyancy forces
• Grashof Number
• Rayleigh Number
• Natural Convection over Surfaces

• Plates
• Pipes, circular tubes, spheres

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End of Topic 7

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