Heat transfer / Lab Manual (A60387)

HEAT TRANSFER IN NATURAL CONVECTION

INTRODUCTION :

In contrast to the forced convection, Natural convection phenomena is

due to the temperature the difference between the surface & the fluid & is not
created by any external agency.The present experimental set up is designed &
fabricated to study the natural convection phenomenon from a vertical cylinder in
terms of the variation of local heat transfer coefficient & its compression with the valve
obtain by using an appropriate correlation.
APPARATUS :

The apparatus consists of a brass tube fitted in a duct in vertical fashion.

The duct is open at the top & bottom & forms an enclosure & serves the purpose of
un-distributed surrounding .One side of the duct is made up of Perspex for
visualization. An electric heating element is kept in the vertical tube which intern
heats the surrounding air by natural convection. The temperature of the vertical
tube is measured by seven thermocouples. The heat input to the heater is
measured by a dimmerstat.
SPECIFICATIONS :

1. Dia. of the tube (d) : 38 mm.

2. Length of tube (L) : 500 mm.

3. Duct size 20 mm. x 20 mm. x 0.75 length.

4. No. of thermocouples : 7.
5. Thermocouple No. 8 reads the ambient temperature, & is kept in
the duct.
6. Temperature Indicator : 0 - 300 o C Multi Channel. type Calibrated
for cr/al, thermocouples
7. Ammeter.

8. Voltmeter 0 - 300 V.

9. Dimmerstat 2 Amp. 260 V.

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 Heat transfer / Lab Manual (A60387)

EXPERIMENT :

To determine the surface heat transfer coefficient for a vertical

tube loosing heat by natural convection.

THEORY :

When a hot body is kept in a still atmosphere, heat i transferre to the surroundingfluid
layer in contact with the hot body gets heated.
Rises up due to the decrease in its density & the cold fluid rushes in to take place.
The process is continues & the heat transfer particles. The heat transfer coefficient is
given by :
h = q / AS . (TS - Ta) ......... (1).

Where :

h : Average surface heat transfer coefficient.

(Kcal/hr-m2 - oC)
q : Heat transfer rate (Kcal - hr)
AS : Area of the heat transferring surface coefficient.
ndL.
TS : Average surface temperature ( o C).

(T1 + T2 + T3 + T4 + T5 + T6 + T7)
7

Ta : Ambient temperature in the duct ( o C). T 8.

The surface heat transfer coefficient, of a system transferring heat by

naturalconvection depends on the shape. dimensions & orientation of the
fluid & the temperature difference between heat transferring surface & the
fluid. The dependence of ‘h’ on all the above mentioned parameters is generally
dimensional groups, as follows :

n
3
h.L. g.L  . T . Cp . 

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 Heat transfer / Lab Manual (A60387)

= A ........(2)
K  2
K

Where :

h.L is called the nusselt number.

g.L3 .  . T/2 is called the grashoof Number.

Cp r The Prandtl number.

K
A & n are constants depending on the shape & orientation
of the heat transferring surface.
Where :
L : A characteristics dimension of the
surface.
K : Thermal Conductivity of fluid.
: Kinematics Viscosity of fluid.
Cp: Specific heat of fluid.
X : Dynamic Viscosity for fluid.
 : Coefficient of Volumetric expansion for
fluid.
g : Acceleration due to gravity.

 T : TS - Ta
For Gases:
1 (0k) -1
= Tf + 273

Where :
(TS + Ta)
Tf =
2

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 Heat transfer / Lab Manual (A60387)

For a vertical cylinder losing heat by natural convection, the constants A

& n of equation (2) have been determined & the following empirical
correlations obtained.

h.L = 0.59 ( Gr . pr) 0.25 for 104 < Gr.pr<109 .....(3).

K

h.L = 0.13 ( Gr . pr) 1/3 for 109 < Gr.pr<1012 .....(4).

K

L : Length of the cylinder.

All properties of the fluid are determined at the mean film temperature.
(Tf).

PROCEDURE :
1. Put on the supply & adjust the dimmerstat to obtain the require
heat input.
2. Wait till the steady state is reached. Which is confirmed from
temperature readings
( T1 to T7)
3. Measure surface temperature at the various points T 1 to t T7.

4. Note the ambient temperature T8.

5. Repeat the experiment at different heat inputs. (Do not

exceed 80 W.)
OBSERVATIONS :

O.D. Cylinder D = 38 mm.

Length of Cylinder L = 500 mm.
Input to Heater = VI Watts.
Where:
V = Volts.
I = Amps
TABLE :

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 Heat transfer / Lab Manual (A60387)

Sr. V I T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 Ts T8 q
No Volts Amp
1
2
3
4

PRECAUTIONS:
1. Keep dimmerstat to zero V position & increase it slowly.
2. Operate the change over switch of temperature indicator gently
from one position to other i.e. from 1 to 8 position.
3. Never exceed 80 Watts
RESULTS & DISCUSSION :
The heat transfer coefficient is having a maximum value at the beginning
as excepted because of the just starting of the building of the boundary layer &
it decreases as excepted i the upward direction due to thickening of layer & which
is laminate one. This trend is maintained up to half of the lengths (approx.) &
beyond that there is little variation in the value of local heat transfer
coefficient because of the transition & turbulent boundary layers. The last point
shows some what increase in the value of which is attributed to end loss causing a
temperature drop.
The comparison of average hea transfer coefficient is also made with predicted values are
some what less than experimental values due to the heat loss by reduction.

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 Heat transfer / Lab Manual (A60387)

CHERACTRISTICS OF AIR :

T 0C  Kgm/m3 2 Cp 4 x 10 6 K Pr  x 10 6
Kcal/Kgm- Kgm/ms 4 Kcal/nr-m m2/sec
0 0
C3 C5 7
0 1.293 0.240 17.1675 0.0210 0.707 13.28
10 1.247 0.240 17.658 0.0216 0.705 14.16
20 1.305 0.240 18.1195 0.0223 0.700 15.00
30 1.165 0.240 18.639 0.0230 0.701 16.00
40 1.128 0.240 19.1295 0.0237 0.699 16.96
50 1.093 0.240 19.620 0.0243 0.698 17.95
60 1.060 0.240 20.110 0.0249 0.696 18.97
70 1.029 0.241 20.601 0.0255 0.694 20.02
80 1.000 0.241 21.0915 0.0262 0.692 21.09
90 0.972 0.241 21.483 0.0269 0.690 22.10
100 0.946 0.241 21.876 0.0276 0.688 23.13
120 0.896 0.241 22.857 0.0287 0.686 28.45
140 0.854 0.242 23.740 0.0300 0.684 27.80
160 0.815 0.243 24.525 0.0313 0.682 30.09
180 0.779 0.244 25.310 0.0325 0.681 32.49
200 0.746 0.245 25.966 0.0338 0.680 34.85
250 0.674 0.248 27.370 0.0367 0.677 40.61
300 0.615 0.250 29.724 0.0396 0.674 48.33
350 0.566 0.253 31.392 0.0432 0.676 55.46
400 0.524 0.255 33.060 0.0448 0.678 63.09
500 0.456 0.261 36.199 0.0494 0.687 79.38
600 0.404 0.266 39.142 0.0535 0.699 96.89
700 0.362 0.271 41.790 0.0577 0.706 115.40
800 0.329 0.275 44.341 0.0617 0.713 134.80
900 0.301 0.280 46.695 0.0656 0.717 155.10
1000 0.227 0.283 49.050 0.0694 0.719 177.10

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 Heat transfer / Lab Manual (A60387)

Temp Density Kinematic Prandil Thermal Specific Thermal Coefficien

0
C Kg/m3 Viscosity Number Diffusivity Heat Cp Conducti t of
V x 10 Pr 6
m2/nr J/Kg K vity K x Viscosity
2
m /s 103 x 106
N3/m2 or
Kg/m
-50 1.584 9.23 0.728 45.7 1013 20.35 14.61
-40 1.515 10.04 0.728 49.6 1013 21.17 15.20
-30 1.453 10.80 0.723 53.7 1013 21.98 15.69
-20 1.395 11.61 0.716 68.3 1009 22.79 16.18
-10 1.342 12.43 0.712 52.8 1009 23.61 16.67
0 1.293 13.28 0.707 67.7 1005 24.42 17.16
10 1.247 14.16 0.705 72.2 1005 25.12 17.65
20 1.205 15.06 0.703 77.1 1005 25.93 18.14
30 1.165 16.00 0.701 82.3 1005 26.75 18.63
40 1.128 16.69 0.699 87.5 1005 27.56 19.12
50 1.093 17.95 0.698 92.6 1005 28.26 19.61
60 1.060 18.97 0.696 97.9 1005 28.96 20.10
70 1.029 20.02 0.694 102.8 1009 29.66 20.59
80 1.000 21.09 0.692 108.7 1009 30.47 21.08
90 0.972 22.10 0.690 114.8 1009 31.28 21.48
100 0.946 23.13 0.688 121.1 1009 32.10 21.87
120 0.898 25.45 0.686 132.6 1009 33.38 22.85
140 0.854 27.80 0.684 145.2 1013 34.89 23.73
160 0.815 30.09 0.682 158.0 1017 36.40 24.52
180 0.779 32.49 0.681 171.0 1022 37.80 25.30
200 0.746 34.85 0.680 184.9 1026 39.31 25.99
250 0.674 40.61 0.677 210.6 1038 42.68 27.36
300 0.615 48.20 0.674 257.6 1047 46.05 29.71
350 0.566 55.46 0.676 294.7 1059 49.08 31.38
400 0.524 63.09 0.678 335.2 1067 52.10 33.05
500 0.456 79.38 0.687 415.1 1093 57.45 36.19
600 0.404 96.99 0.699 499.0 1114 62.22 39.13
700 0.362 115.40 0.706 588.2 1135 66.87 41.78
800 0.329 1347.80 0.713 682.0 1156 71.76 44.33

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 Heat transfer / Lab Manual (A60387)

HEAT TRANSFER IN NATURAL CONVECTION

SPECIFICATIONS :

1. Dia. of the tube (d) : 38 mm.

2. Length of tube (L) : 500 mm.

3. Duct size 200 mm. x 200 mm. x 0.75m length.

4. No. of thermocouples : 7.

5. AS = Area of the heat transfer coefficient.

=  dL

=  x 0.038 x 0.5

= 0.0596 m2.

TABLE :

Sr. V I T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8
No Volts Amp =TS
1 65 0.5 79 81 82 90 82 80 74 27
2
3
4

SAMPLE CALCULATIONS :

1. Heat Transfer Rate (q) :

= V x I

= 65 x 0.5

= 32.5 Watts

2. Average surface temperature (TS) :

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 Heat transfer / Lab Manual (A60387)

(T1 + T2 + T3 + T4 + T5 + T6 + T7)
=
7

79 + 81 + 82 + 90 + 82 + 80 + 74
=
7

= 81.14 OC
3. Ambient Temperature In Duct (Ta) :

O
= 27 C

4. Heat Transfer Co-Efficient (h) :

h = q/AS . (TS - Ta)

32.5
=
0.0596 x (81.14 – 27)

= 10.07 watts/m OC

5. Average Temperature Of Fluid (Air) (Tf) :

TS + T a
=
2

81.14 + 27
=
2

= 54.07 = 60OC

6. Properties Of Air At Tf Temperature = 60OC

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 Heat transfer / Lab Manual (A60387)

Thermal Conductivity (K) = 28.96 x 10 –3 W/mK

Gravitational Acceleration (g) = 9.81m/sec2

Kinematic Viscosity () = 18.97 x 10 –5 m2/sec

Prandit Number (Pr) = 0.696

Co-Efficient of Volumetric Expansion = ()

1
=
Tf + 273

= 1/(60 + 273)

= 3.003 x 10-3 K-1

7. Grashoof Number (GR)

g L3   T
=
2 .

9.81 x (0.5)3 x 3.003 x 10-3 x (81.14 – 27)

=
(18.97 x 10 –6 )2

= 55.40 x 10 7

8. GR Pr = 55.40 x 10 7 x 0.696

= 3.85 x 10 9

9. Theoritical Heat Transfer Co-Efficient

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 Heat transfer / Lab Manual (A60387)

1/3
h.L /K = 0.13 ( Gr . pr)

h x 0.5
= 0.13 (3.85 x 10 9 ) 1/3
28.96 x 10 –3

h = 10.96 = 11

10. Nusselt Number (N U) :

h.L
=
K

10.96 x 0.5
=
28.96 x 10-3

= 189.29

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