Free Convection

CHAPTER 9

Incropera F. P., DeWitt D. P., Bergman T. L., Lavine A. S. Principles of Heat and Mass Transfer, 7th Ed., Wiley, 2013 1
Introduction
 Introduction

• Free convection refers to fluid motion induced by buoyancy forces.

• Buoyancy forces may arise in a fluid for which there are density gradients and a body force that is also
proportional to density.
• In heat transfer: 1- density gradients are due to temperature gradient,
2- The body force is gravitational.
General consideration
h  f  x , L , u ,  ,  , c p , k 

h  f  x , L,     , g ,  , c p , k 
Vertical Plates

Vertical Plates

• Free Convection Boundary Layer Development on a Hot Plate:

x-component velocity temperature

 Ascending flow with the maximum velocity occurring in the boundary layer
and zero velocity at both the surface and outer edge.
Vertical Plates (cont.)
• 9.3 Similarity Solution (Reading)
• Since the buoyancy effects are confined to the momentum equation, the
mass and energy conservation equations are unchanged from forced
convection.

Net Momentum Fluxes Buoyancy Force Viscous Force

( Inertia Forces)

Energy equation
Similarity considerations:
Let us now consider the dimensionless parameters that govern free
convective flow and heat transfer.

where L is a characteristic length and u0 is a reference velocity,

g  T s T   L3
GrL 
2
Vertical Plates (cont.)

• 9.4 Laminar Free Convection on a Vertical Surface

 Based on existence of a similarity variable, η through which the x-momentum equation may be
transformed from a partial differential equation with two-independent variables (x and y) to an ordinary
differential equation expressed exclusively in terms of η.

g  T s T   L3
1/4
y  Grx 
   GrL 
x  4  2
 Transformed momentum and energy equations:

f   3ff   2  f   T   0
2

T *  3 Pr fT *  0
T T 
f     df  x Grx1/2 u T
d  2 T s T 
dimensionless x-component velocity dimensionless temperature

 Numerical integration of the equations yields the following results for f    and T :


 Velocity boundary layer thickness

     5 for Pr  0.6
1/4
 Gr 
   5x  x 
 4 
• Natural Convection relevant Dimensionless Parameters:
1. Grashof Number: (replace Reynolds number)
g  T s T   L3
Buoyancy Force
GrL  
2 Viscous Force
L  characteristic length of surface
  thermal expansion coefficient (a thermodynamic property of the fluid)
  Liquids:   Tables A.5, A.6
   1   [K-1]
  T  p Ideal Gas:   1/T  K 

2. Rayleigh Number:

It is the product of Gr number and the Pr number and called the Rayleigh number, Ra.

Then the Nu number relation NuL = f(RaL) becomes

g  T s T   L3
RaL  GrL Pr 

 Vertical Plates (cont.)

• 9.6 Empirical Heat Transfer Correlations (Vertical Plate with constant Ts)

 Laminar Flow  Ra L  109  :

0.670 RaL1/4
Nu L  0.68  Ra L  109 (9.27)
9/16 4/9
1   0.492 / Pr  
 
 Transition to turbulence occurs at a critical Rayleigh Number
g  T s T   x 3
Rax ,c   109

 All Conditions:
2
 
 0.387 RaL1/6 
Nu L  0.825   (9.26)
9/16 8/27
 
 1  0.492 / Pr   
  

Ts T  Ts T 
Special case (Inclined plate)
At the top of the cold inclined plates and at the bottom of
hot inclined plates, it is recommended that, for 0 ≤ θ ≤ 60o
g cos   T s T   L3
RaL 

Example 9.2
A glass-door firescreen, used to reduce exfiltration of room air through a chimney, has a
height of 0.71 m and a width of 1.02 m and reaches a temperature of 232C. If the room
temperature is 23oC, estimate the convection heat rate from the fireplace to the room.

First: RaL?
g  T s T   x 3
Rax ,c  Grx ,c Pr   109


Second: which Nusselt number correlation and get

averaged h ? 2
 
 0.387 RaL1/6 
Nu L  0.825  8/27 
 1   0.492 / Pr 9/16  
   

0.670 RaL1/4 •
Nu L  0.68  Radiation effects is considerable with natural
9/16 4/9
1   0.492 / Pr   convection:
 

Third: find q

q  hA s T s T  
Answer: q = 1060 W
 • Buoyancy force is exclusively normal to the surface.
Horizontal Plates
• For horizontal plates of various shapes (squares, rectangles, or circles),
See Example 9.3 (P. 610) A
the characteristic length to be used in the Nusselt and Rayleigh numbers is L  s
P

Case# Description Average Nusselt number correlations Flow patterns

HOT surface facing upward:

The warm fluid rising from a surface
1 is replaced by descending cold fluid
from the ambient. Nu L  0.54RaL1/4 10 4
 RaL  107 ,Pr  0.7 

COLD surface facing downward: Nu L  0.15RaL1/3 10 7

 RaL  1011 
The cold fluid (heavier) descending
2 from a surface is replaced here by
ascending warmer (lighter) fluid.

HOT surface facing downward:

The tendency of the warm fluid to
3 ascend is impeded (blocked) by the
plate, so fluid moves horizontally
before ascending from the plate edges.
Nu L  0.52RaL1/5 10 4
 RaL  109 , Pr  0.7 
COLD surface facing upward:
The tendency of the cold fluid to
4 descend is impeded (blocked) by the
plate, so it moves horizontally before
the descending from the plate edges.
• Long horizontal Cylinder
The B.L. over a hot
develop at the bottom,
the circumference, and
opposite is true in the
warmer medium.
horizontal cylinder start to
increasing in thickness along
forming a rising plume. The
case of a cold cylinder in a

2
 
 0.387RaD1/6 
Nu D  0.60  8/27  RaD  1012
 1   0.559 / Pr 9/16  
   

• Sphere

0.589 RaD1/4
Nu D  2 
9/16 4/9
 Ra D  1011 ,Pr  0.7 
1   0.469 / Pr  
 

g  T s T   D 3
Remember: RaD 

 Problem: Solar Receiver

In the central receiver concept of a solar power plant, many heliostats at ground level are used to direct a concentrated
solar flux to the receiver, which is positioned at the top of a tower. However, even with absorption of all the solar flux
by the outer surface of the receiver, losses due to free convection and radiation reduce the collection efficiency below
the maximum possible value of 100%.
Consider a cylindrical receiver of diameter D = 7 m, length L = 12 m, and emissivity ε = 0.20.

If all of the solar flux is absorbed by the receiver and a surface temperature of
Ts = 800 K is maintained, what is the rate of heat loss from the receiver? The
ambient air is quiescent at a temperature of T∞ = 300 K, and irradiation from
the surroundings may be neglected. If the corresponding value of the solar flux
is q’’ = 105 W/m2, what is the collector efficiency? Assume the top and bottom
surfaces are insulated.

PROPERTIES: Table A-4, air (Tf = 550 K): k = 0.0439 W/mK,  = 45.6  10-6
m2/s,  = 66.7  10-6 m2/s, Pr = 0.683,  = 1.82  10-3 K-1.
ANALYSIS: (a) The total heat loss is
q  q rad  q conv  As T s4  hAs T s T   PS10 and PS20 near Seville, Spain (10 & 20MW)
Problem: Solar Receiver (cont.)

With RaL = g (Ts - T)L3/ = 9.8 m/s2 (1.82  10-3 K-1) 500K (12m)3/(45.6  66.7  10-12 m4/s2) = 5.07  1012
2
 
k 
 0.387 RaL 1/6  0.0439 W/m  K
Eq. 9.26, yields h   0.825 
8/27   0.825  42.4  6.83 W/m 2  K
2
L 1   0.492 / Pr 9/16   12m
   
Hence, with As = DL = 264 m2

q  264 m2  0.2  5.67 108 W/m2  K 4 800 K   264 m2  6.83W/m2  K 500 K   2.13 106 W
4

With As q s  2.64  107 W, the collector efficiency is

 As q s  q 
 

100 

2.64 107  2.13 106 W
100   91.9%
 As qs  2.64 107 W

As shown below, because of its dependence on temperature to the fourth power, qrad increases more significantly
with increasing Ts than does qconv, and the effect on the efficiency is noticeable

COMMENTS: The collector efficiency is also reduced by the inability to have a perfectly absorbing receiver. Partial
reflection of the incident solar flux will reduce the efficiency by at least several percent.
 https://youtu.be/PoT3edeepI4

9.9 Combined Free & Forced Convection

• A condition for which forced and free convection effects are comparable exists if
- Free convection  GrL / Re L2   1  Nu L  f GrL , Pr 
Gr L / Re L2   1
- Forced convection  GrL / Re L2   1  Nu L  f  Re L , Pr 
• Heat Transfer Correlations for Mixed Convection:
NuFC → Nusselt number for forced convection
Nu n  Nu FC
n
 Nu NC
n
NuNC → Nusselt number for natural (free) convection

  assisting and transverse flows

-  opposing flows n 3 n 3 n 4
Problem 9.90
Problem: 9.89
 CH7: Forced convection

CH9: Natural convection

 Laminar Flow  Ra L  10  :
9

0.670 RaL1/4
Nu L  0.68  Ra L  109
Gr / Re L2   1
9/16 4/9
1   0.492 / Pr  
  L

 Transition to turbulence occurs at a critical Rayleigh Number

g  T s T   x 3 Nu n  Nu FC
n
 Nu NC
n

Rax ,c   109

 All Conditions:
2
 
 0.387 RaL1/6 
Nu L  0.825  8/27 
 1   0.492 / Pr 9/16  
   
Old exam problem