Heat Transfer

Experiment No.

Determination of heat transfer

coefficient in forced convection.

Name of the Student:

Roll No:

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Cummins College of Engineering for Women, Pune.
Forced Convection Heat Transfer Page No.

Figure 1: Forced Convection Apparatus Test setup

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Aim: To evaluate the heat transfer coefficient for forced convection turbulent flow in
a pipe with uniform cross-sectional area.

Introduction
The term convection refers to heat transfer that will occur between a surface and a moving
or stationary fluid when they are at different temperatures.
This mode of heat transfer comprises of two mechanisms. In addition to energy transfer
due to random molecular motion (conduction), energy is also transferred by the bulk, or
macroscopic, motion of the fluid. This fluid motion is associated with the fact that, at
any instant, large numbers of molecules are moving collectively or as aggregates. Such
motion, in the presence of a temperature gradient, contributes to heat transfer. Because the
molecules in the aggregate retain their random motion, the total heat transfer is then due
to a superposition of energy transport by the random motion of the molecules and by the
bulk motion of the fluid. It is customary to use the term convection when referring to this
cumulative transport, and the term advection when referring to transport due to bulk fluid
motion.
The convection heat transfer may be classified according to the nature of the flow.
Forced convection and natural convection. When the flow is caused by external means, such
as a fan, a pump, or atmospheric winds. In contrast, for free (or natural) convection, the flow
is induced by buoyancy forces, which arise from density differences caused by temperature
variations in the fluid. External flow is associated with immersed bodies for situations such
as flow over plates, cylinders and foils. In internal flow, the flow is constrained by the tube
or duct surface. The corresponding hydrodynamic boundary layer phenomena are quite
different, so it is reasonable to expect that the convection processes for the two types of flow
are distinctive.
Regardless of the particular nature of the convection heat transfer process, the appro-
priate rate equation, known as Newton‘s law of cooling, is of the form

qs” = h(Ts − T∞ ) (1)

where q , is the convective heat flux (W/m2), is proportional to the difference between the

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surface and fluid temperatures, Ts and T∞ , respectively, and the proportionality constant h
(in W/m2.K) is termed the convection heat transfer coefficient.

Experimental set up
Experimental set up consists of a centrifugal blower forcing air through a circular pipe a
part of which forms test section. Electric heater is used to cover the length of test section
and heat the pipe wall from outside. A part of the heat given to the heater is transferred by
conduction through the pipe wall of the test section and is given to the air flowing through
the pipe by forced convection. Thermocouples T1 to T8 are embedded in the pipe wall to
measure the pipe wall temperature. Thermocouples T1 to T10 are placed in the air stream
before and after the test section to record the air temperature at inlet and exit from the
test section. The flow rate of air is measured by using an orifice meter. A gate valve is
used to control the flow rate of air. The heater is insulated from outside to minimize the
leakage of heat to surroundings. A dimmer stat is used to control the heater input and
a temperature indicator is used to measure the thermocouple output. Figure shows the
schematic arrangement of the set up.

Experimental Procedure
Start the blower. Adjust the mass flow rate of air to a suitable reading in U tube manometer
say (4 cm of water column ) with using gate valve .This is to be decided to ensure fully
developed turbulent flow in the pipe (Reynolds number grater than 10000). Heater input
is adjusted on the dimmer stat position..All the observations are recorded after reaching of
steady state. Record the temperatures at the steady state. After completing one set, the
flow rate is increased to a next suitable valve.

Precautions
ˆ Keep dimmerstat to zero volt position and increase it slowly.

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ˆ Use proper range of Ammeter and Voltmeter.

ˆ Operate the change over switch of temperature indicator gently from one position to
other, i.e. from position 1 to 8 position.

ˆ Never exceed 100 W power.

Specifications

1 Test cylinder dia (D) = 28 mm

2 Test cylinder length (L) = 500 mm
3 Diameter of the orifice (Do ) = 500 mm
4 Heater input (q) = ......W
5 Surface area of the test section = As = π × D × L = . . . . . . m2
6 Cross sectional area of pipe (A1 ) = m2
7 Cross sectional area of orifice (Ao ) = m2

Observations
1. Temperatures at different locations on the test section

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Table 1: Temperatures at different locations on the test section

Temperature Time
T t1 t2 t3 t4 t5 t6 t7 t8
(◦C) (Minutes from start of the experiment)
T1
T2
T3
T4
T5
T6
T7
T8
T9
T10

T1 and T10 are inlet(Ti ) and outlet(To ) temperatures of the fluid respectively
2. Difference in level of fluid in the manometer : · · · · · · mm

Calculations
All the properties are to be evaluated at bulk mean temperature.

1. Mean surface temperature of the cylinder

T + T3 + · · · + T9
Ts = 2 (2)
8

2. Bulk mean temperature

T + T10
Tb = 1 (3)
2

3. Volume flow rate of air

√
2gHa
Qa = Cd A1 A0 q (4)
A21 − A20

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Where Ha is equivalent air column. Which can be calculated from

Hw ρw
Ha = (5)
ρa

4. Mass flow rate of the air (ṁ)

ṁ = Qa × ρa (6)

5. The heat transferred to the fluid can be calculated as

Q = ṁCp (To − Ti ) (7)

6. Convective heat transfer coefficient (experimental) can be calculated as;

Q
h= (8)
As (Ts − Tb )

7. Nusslet number can be calculated as

hD
Nu = (9)
kf

The Convective heat transfer coefficient can also be obtained from Dittus-Boelter cor-
relation

N u = 0.023Re0.8 P r0.4 (10)

Where;
Reynolds Number

VD
Re = (11)
ν

Prandtl Number

µCp
Pr = (12)
k

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Table 2: Results

Re Nu (Experimental) Nu (Correlation)

Result Table

Plots
1. Plot the variation of Nusselt number with respect to the Reynolds number

2. Plot the local Nusselt number as function of distance from the entrance of the test
section.

Conclusion

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