Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

Contents:
1. Physical consideration, governing equation
2. Analysis of vertical, horizontal & inclined plates
3. Analysis of cylinder, sphere & enclosures

1
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

What is 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.

2
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

3
 Thermal expansion coefficient / Volume
expansion coefficient: Variation of the density of
a fluid with temperature at constant pressure.

Ideal gas

The larger the temperature difference

between the fluid adjacent to a hot (or
cold) surface and the fluid away from it,
the larger the buoyancy force and the
stronger the natural convection
The coefficient of volume expansion is a
currents, and thus the higher the heat
measure of the change in volume of a
transfer rate.
substance with temperature at constant
pressure.
4
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

- Ratio of buoyancy forces and thermal and momentum diffusivities.

5
 Rayleigh Number, Ra=Gr.Pr
• In fluid mechanics, the Rayleigh number for a fluid is a  
dimensionless number associated with buoyancy driven flow
(also known as free convection or natural convection).
• When the Rayleigh number is below the critical value for that
fluid, heat transfer is primarily in the form of conduction; when it
exceeds the critical value, heat transfer is primarily in the form of 
convection.
• The Rayleigh number is defined as the product of
the Grashof number, which describes the relationship
between buoyancy and viscosity within a fluid, and
the Prandtl number, which describes the relationship
between momentum diffusivity and thermal diffusivity.
• Hence the Rayleigh number itself may also be viewed as the ratio
of buoyancy and viscosity forces times the ratio of momentum
and thermal diffusivities. 6
 Forced vs Natural Convection
• When analyzing potentially mixed convection, a parameter
called the Archimedes number(Ar) parametrizes the
relative strength of free and forced convection.
• The Archimedes number is the ratio of Grashof number
 and the square of Reynolds number, which represents the
ratio of buoyancy force and inertia force, and which stands
in for the contribution of natural convection.
• When Ar >> 1, natural convection dominates and when Ar
<< 1, forced convection dominates.

7
 Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

Natural convection over surfaces

1) *C & n is depend on the geometry of the

surface and flow regime.
n=1/4  laminar flow
n-=1/3  turbulent flow

2)

 1. What is the difference between ReL and RaL ?

2. What is the transition range in a free convection boundary ?
(Laminar)
(Turbulent)

3)

*All the properties are evaluated at the film temperature, T f=(Ts+T)/2

8
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

Transition in a free convection layer depends on the relative

magnitude of the buoyancy and viscous forces

*The smooth and parallel lines in (a) indicate that the flow is
laminar, whereas the eddies and irregularities in (b) indicate
that the flow is turbulent.
9
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

• General correlations for vertical plate

 Eq. (9.24)

where,
Laminar 104  RaL 109 C = 0.59 n = 1/4
Turbulent 109  RaL 1013 C = 0.10 n = 1/3

• For wide range and more accurate solution, use correlation Churchill and Chu

 Eq. (9.26)

 Eq. (9.27)
10
 Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

• For case of vertical cylinders, the previous Eqs. ( 9.24 to 9.27) are valid if the
condition satisfied where

• For case of inclined plates

 In the case of a hot plate in a cooler environment,
convection currents are weaker on the lower
surface of the hot plate, and the rate of heat Hot plate-cold env.
transfer is lower relative to the vertical plate case.
 On the upper surface of a hot plate, the thickness
of the boundary layer and thus the resistance to
heat transfer decreases, and the rate of heat
transfer increases relative to the vertical
orientation.
 In the case of a cold plate in a warmer
environment, the opposite occurs. 11
cold plate-hot env.
 Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

• at the top and bottom surfaces of cooled and heated inclined plates, respectively,
it is recommended that

Use equation 9.26

but replace g  g cos 

and only valid for 0    60

12
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

Example:

Consider a 0.6m x 0.6m 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.
Determine the rate of heat transfer from the plate by natural convection if the
plate is vertical.

13
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

14
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

15
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

Example:

Consider a 0.6m x 0.6m 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. Determine the rate
of heat transfer from the plate by natural convection if the plate is
i) Vertical
ii) Horizontal with hot surface facing up
iii) Horizontal with hot surface facing down
Which position has the lowest heat transfer rate ? Why ?

16
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

• 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 top of the cylinder and ending with
a descending plume at the bottom.
17
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

• General correlations for an isothermal cylinder

 Eq. (9.33)

where,

• For wide range of Ra, use correlation Churchill and Chu

 Eq. (9.34)

18
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

Spheres
• In case of isothermal sphere, general correlations is proposed by Churchill

 Eq. (9.35)

* Recommended when Pr  0.7 and RaD  1011

• In the limit as RaD → 0, Equation 9.35 reduces to NuD = 2, which corresponds

to heat transfer by conduction between a spherical surface and a stationary
infinite medium, as in Eqs. (7.48 & 7.49) – external convection for spherical
object.

19
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

Problem 9.54:
A horizontal uninsulated steam pipe passes through a large room whose walls and ambient
air are at 300K. The pipe of 150 mm diameter has an emissivity of 0.85 and an outer
surface temperature of 400K. Calculate the heat loss per unit length from the pipe.

1. Schematic
2. Assumptions
3. Fluid properties

4. Analysis of total heat loss per unit length, q/L or q’

- Calculate RaD
- Calculate NuD
- Calculate hD *If use Eq. 9.33, hD = 6.15 W/m2K Within 4%
- finally, calculate total heat loss, q’ *If use Eq. 9.34, hD = 6.38 W/m2K

20
 Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

Enclosures are frequently encountered in practice, and heat transfer through them is of practical interest.

Characteristic length Lc: the distance

between the hot and cold surfaces.
T1 and T2: the temperatures of the hot and
cold surfaces.

Fluid properties at

24
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection
- Flow is characterised by RaD value

25
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

Nu = 1

26
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

 Selection will be determined by the value of RaL, Pr and aspect ratio H/L:

27
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

 For larger aspect ratios, the following correlations have been proposed:

28
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

Example:

The vertical 0.8m high, 2m wide double pane window consists of two
sheet of glass separated by a 2 cm air gap at atmospheric pressure. If
the glass surface temperatures across the air gap are measured to be
12C and 2C, determine the rate of heat transfer through the window.

1. Schematic
2. Assumptions
3. Fluid properties at Tavg
4. Analysis of heat transfer
- Calculate RaD
- Calculate NuD
- Calculate h
- finally, calculate heat transfer

29
Chapter 8 : Natural Convection

FC – forced convection
NC – natural convection

30