MO102

Transport Phenomena

Lecture-6
Natural Convection
17th October 2022

Dr. Akhilendra Pratap Singh

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology BHU, Varanasi
Email: akhilendra.mec@itbhu.ac.in
 Natural Convection

Hot Air Cold Air

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 Natural Convection

Natural Convection Current

Natural Convection Current

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Physical Mechanism of Natural Convection

Buoyancy Force
The upward force exerted by a fluid on a body completely or partially
immersed in it in a gravitational field.
The magnitude of the buoyancy force is equal to the weight of the fluid
displaced by the body.

Archimedes’ Principle
A body immersed in a fluid will
VBody
experience a “weight loss” in an amount
equal to the weight of the fluid it
displaces. FBuoyancy
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Physical Mechanism of Natural Convection

The “chimney effect” that induces the upward flow of hot combustion gases
through a chimney is due to the buoyancy effect.

Archimedes’ Principle

Weight Loss

The net vertical force acting on a

body

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 Question
In comparison to earth, the buoyancy effect in space will be;
(a) more dominant as compared to earth
(b) less dominant as compared to earth
(c) similar to earth
(d) zero.

The buoyancy force needs the gravity field, thus in space (where no
gravity exists) the buoyancy effects does not exist.

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 Origin of Natural Convection

ρCold ρHot ρCold > ρHot

More Difference in ρ

Higher will be the

bulk motion

More Heat Transfer due to

Free Convection

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Volume Expansion Coefficient
Variation of the density of a fluid with temperature at constant pressure.

where T is the
absolute
ideal gas temperature.
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Significance of Volume Expansion Coefficient

𝑷
𝑷 =𝝆 𝑹𝑻 P= Const. 𝝆=
𝑹𝑻
Using differentiation,
𝒅𝝆 𝑷
=−
𝒅𝑻 𝑹𝑻
𝟐

𝜷=−
𝟏
𝝆
−
𝑷
𝑹𝑻 (
𝟐 )
𝟏
𝜷=
𝑻
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Points related to Volume Expansion Coefficient

The parameter βΔT represents the fraction of volume change of a

fluid that corresponds to a temperature change ΔT at constant
pressure.

∆𝝆
𝜷 ∆𝑻=
𝝆

Generally gases like air have higher β, however, compressible

liquids like water have lower β.
Higher β corresponds to more variation in density with
temperature change.
Higher β corresponds to more tendency of natural convection.
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 General Analysis of Natural Convection

TS

Turbulent
Buoyancy Force ↑
u≠0
Friction ↓
T
Gravity ↓
ρ
x T∞ Transition
ρ∞
Stationary

Laminar
Fluid (u=0)
y

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Equation of Motion
Ts The thickness of the boundary layer
increases in the flow direction.
Unlike forced convection, the fluid
velocity is zero at the outer edge of the
T∞
velocity boundary layer as well as at the surface
u=0

u=0 of the plate.

T At the surface, the fluid temperature is equal
to the plate temperature, and gradually
decreases to the surrounding fluid
temperature at a distance sufficiently far
T∞ from the surface.
In the case of cold surfaces, the shape of the
velocity and temperature profiles remains the
same but their direction is reversed.
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Equation of Motion
Forces acting on a differential volume
element in the natural convection boundary
layer over a vertical flat plate.

Fx= (Shear Stress Component) –

(Pressure Component) –
(Weight)
Balancing the forces by taking dx, dy→ 0

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Equating both expressions of Fx,

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From the expression of volume expansion coefficient,

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 Equation of Motion

 This is the equation that governs the fluid motion in the boundary
layer due to the effect of buoyancy.
 The momentum equation involves the temperature, and thus the
momentum and energy equations must be solved simultaneously.

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 Standard Equations
The complete set of conservation equations, continuity, momentum,
and energy that govern natural convection flow over vertical isothermal
plates are:

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 Standard Equations

 The above set of three partial differential equations can be reduced

to a set of two ordinary nonlinear differential equations by the
introduction of a similarity variable.

 But the resulting equations must still be solved along with their
transferred boundary conditions numerically.

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 Non-Dimensionalization of Momentum Equation
The governing equations of natural convection and the boundary conditions
can be non-dimensionalized by dividing all dependent and independent
variables by suitable constant quantities:

Substituting them into momentum equation and simplifying give,

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 Grashof Number

Grashof number: Represents the

natural convection effects in
momentum equation.

The Grashof number 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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Grashof Number  The Grashof number provides the main criterion in
determining whether the fluid flow is laminar or
turbulent in natural convection.
 For vertical plates, the critical Grashof number is
observed to be about 109.
 When a surface is subjected to external flow, the
problem involves both natural and forced convection.
 The relative importance of each mode of heat transfer
is determined by the value of the coefficient Gr/Re2:
• Natural convection effects are negligible if Gr/Re2 <<
1.
• Natural convection dominates and the forced
convection effects are negligible if Gr/Re2 >> 1.
• Both effects are significant and must be considered if
Gr/Re2  1 (mixed convection).

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Grashof Number

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Natural Convection Over Surfaces Rayleigh number
 Natural convection heat transfer on a surface
depends on the geometry of the surface as
well as its orientation, the variation of
temperature on the surface and the
thermophysical properties of the fluid
involved.
 With the exception of some simple cases, heat Natural convection heat
transfer relations in natural convection are transfer correlations are
usually expressed in terms of
based on experimental studies. the Rayleigh number raised to
a constant n multiplied by
another constant C, both of
which are determined
experimentally.

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Natural Convection Over Surfaces

 The constants C and n depend on the geometry of the surface and the flow
regime, which is characterized by the range of the Rayleigh number.
 The value of n is usually 1/4 for laminar flow and 1/3 for turbulent flow.
 All fluid properties are to be evaluated at the film temperature Tf = (Ts +
T)/2.

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 Vertical Plates (qs = constant)
The relations for isothermal plates in the table can also be used for
plates subjected to uniform heat flux, provided that the plate midpoint
temperature TL /2 is used as Ts in the evaluation of the film
temperature, Rayleigh number, and the Nusselt number.

Characteristic Length

Lc = a/4 for a square surface of length a

Lc = D/4 for a circular surface of diameter D
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Horizontal Plates

Natural convection
flows on the upper and
lower surfaces of a
horizontal hot plate.

 For a hot surface in a cooler environment, the net force acts upward, forcing
the heated fluid to rise.
 If the hot surface is facing upward, the heated fluid rises freely, inducing
strong natural convection currents and thus effective heat transfer.

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Horizontal Plates

Natural convection
flows on the upper and
lower surfaces of a
horizontal hot plate.

 But if the hot surface is facing downward, the plate blocks the heated fluid that
tends to rise, impeding heat transfer.
 The opposite is true for a cold plate in a warmer environment since the net force
(weight minus buoyancy force) in this case acts downward, and the cooled fluid
near the plate tends to descend.
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Horizontal Cylinders and Spheres

ρ∞, T∞
ρ, TS

ρ∞, T∞

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Horizontal Cylinders and Spheres
 The boundary layer over a hot horizontal
cylinder starts to develop at the bottom, increasing
in thickness along the circumference, and forming
a rising plume at the top.
 Therefore, the local Nusselt number is highest at
the bottom, and lowest at the top of the cylinder
when the boundary layer flow remains laminar.
 The opposite is true in the case of a cold
horizontal cylinder in a warmer medium, and the
boundary layer in this case starts to develop at the Natural convection
top of the cylinder and ending with a descending flow over a
plume at the bottom. horizontal hot
cylinder.

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 Objectives and Outcome of This Chapter

 The phenomena of natural convection

 Analysis of Natural Convection
 Practical cases of Natural Convection
 Numerical Problem

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A 6-m-long section of an 8-cm-diameter horizontal hot water pipe
shown in Figure, passes through a large room whose temperature is
20˚C. If the outer surface temperature of the pipe is 70˚C, determine
the rate of heat loss from the pipe by natural convection.
33
The characteristic length in this case is the outer diameter of the
pipe, Lc=D=0.08 m. Then the Rayleigh number becomes;

The natural convection Nusselt number in this case can be

determined from the appropriate equation,
Second Quiz of MO102

1st November 2022

15 Questions, 30 Minutes
(Negative Marking)

Unsteady State Conduction

Forced Convection
Free Convection
Happy Diwali
Thanks

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