INTRODUCTION

Heat transfer by simultaneous conduction and convection, whether free or forced, forms
the basis of most industrial heat exchaners and related e!ui"ment# The measurement and
"rediction of heat transfer coefficients for such circumstances is achieved in the $rmfield
a""aratus by studyin the tem"erature "rofiles and heat flux in an air duct with associated
flat and extended transfer surfaces# The vertical duct is so constructed that the air
tem"erature and velocity can be readily measured, and a variety of "lu%in modules of
heated solid surfaces of &nown dimensions can be "resented to the air stream for detailed
study# $ fan situated at the to" of the duct "rovides the air stream for forced convection
ex"eriments#
$n inde"endent bench mounted console contains tem"erature measurement, "ower
control, and fan s"eed control circuits with a""ro"riate instrumentation# Tem"erature
measurement, to a resolution of '#( de C is effected usin thermistor sensors with direct
diital read%out in de C#
$ir velocity is measured with a "ortable anemometer mounted on the duct#
The "ower control circuit "rovides a continuously variable, electrical out"ut of '%(''
watts with a direct read%out in watts#
Usin the instrumentation "rovided, free and forced convective heat transfer
characteristics may be determined for)
(# $ flat surface
*# $n array of cylinders
+# $n array of fins
,ach module may be used inde"endently on the bench, to demonstrate free convection in
a hori-ontal mode#
The a""aratus is fully self%contained
.or more information on convection visit)
.ree Convection)
htt")//www#efunda#com/formulae/heat0transfer/convection0free/overview0free#cfm
.orced Convection
htt")//www#efunda#com/formulae/heat0transfer/convection0forced/overview0forced#cfm
Notes)
(# Don1t let the tem"erature of the heatin "late exceed ('' derees C# The heater
will automatically shut off if this ha""ens and you won1t be able to restart the
ex"eriment until it has cooled down sufficiently#
*# 2ee" hands, "a"ers, ect away from and off of the to" of the duct# There are live
ex"osed electrical wires and this is also the exit for the air from the fan#
+# The wattmeter is calibrated to read in the rane ' to 33#3 watts# De"endin on the
su""ly voltae it may be "ossible to exceed the maximum readin on the
wattmeter if the "ower control &nob is turned fully cloc&wise# This will not cause
damae to the wattmeter but readins in excess of 33#3 watts will commence
aain at ' watts# $s the suested ex"eriments do not exceed 4' watts this
characteristic will not affect the o"eration of the e!ui"ment#
5# If the 67attery 8ow9 liht is on when the anemometer is set to 6:elocity9, as& the
"erson on duty in the chec&out office to chane the batteries ;needs 5 $$ al&aline
batteries<#
=# If the anemometer doesn1t a""ear to be wor&in "ro"erly, ensure that the arrow on
the ti" of the "robe is alined with the direction of the airflow ;u"wards< when
insertin the "robe throuh the wall of the duct#
># To set the anemometer to the -ero "osition, slide the "rotective cover forward
over the "robe head to isolate it from any air movement# ?et the switch to
@:elocity@ and adAust the &nurled wheel mar&ed @Bero@ until the "ointer is alined
with the -ero on the scale#
IND,C O. ,CD,RIE,NT?
,CD,RIE,NT $
To demonstrate the relationshi" between "ower in"ut and surface tem"erature in free
convection#
,CD,RIE,NT 7
To demonstrate the relationshi" between "ower in"ut and surface tem"erature in forced
convection#
,CD,RIE,NT C
To demonstrate the use of extended surfaces to im"rove heat transfer from the surface#
,CD,RIE,NT D
To determine the tem"erature distribution alon an extended surface#
,CD,RI,ENT ,
Com"arison of a hori-ontal and vertical flat "late in free convection#
EXPERIMENT A
OBJECT OF EXPERIMENT:
To demonstrate the relationshi" between "ower in"ut and surface tem"erature in
free convection#
EQUIPMENT SET-UP:
SUMMARY OF THEORY:
$ heated surface dissi"ates heat "rimarily throuh a "rocess called convection# Heat is
also dissi"ated by conduction and radiation, however these effects are not considered in
this ex"eriment# $ir in contact with the hot surface is heated by the surface and rises due
to a reduction in density# The heated air is re"laced by cooler air which is in turn heated
by the surface and rises# This "rocess is called free convection#
The hotter the tem"erature of the surface, the reater the convective currents and the
more heat ;"ower< will be dissi"ated#
If more "ower is su""lied to a surface, the tem"erature of the surface must rise to
dissi"ate this "ower#
READINGS TO BE TAKEN:
Dlace the finned heat exchaner into the test duct# Record the ambient air tem"erature
;t$<# ?et the heater "ower control to *' Fatts# $llow sufficient time to achieve steady
state conditions before notin the heated "late tem"erature ;tH<# Re"eat this "rocedure at
5', >' and 4' Fatts#
RESULTS:
$mbient air tem"erature ;t$< G de C
Dlot a ra"h of "ower aainst surface tem"erature ;tH % t$<#
In"ut "ower ;F< Heater Tem"erature ;tH de C< tH%t$ de C
*'
5'
>'
4'
EXPERIMENT B
OBJECT OF EXPERIMENT:
To demonstrate the relationshi" between "ower in"ut and surface tem"erature
in forced convection#
EQUIPMENT SET-UP:
SUMMARY OF THEORY:
In free convection the heat transfer rate from the surface is limited by the small
movements of air enerated by this heat# Eore heat is transferred if the air velocity is
increased over the heated surface# This "rocess of assistin the movement of air over the
heated surface is called .orced Convection# Therefore a heated surface ex"eriencin
forced convection will have a lower surface tem"erature than that of the same surface in
free convection, for the same "ower in"ut#
READINGS TO BE TAKEN:
Dlace the finned heat exchaner into the duct# Note the ambient ;tH<# ?et the heater "ower
control to =' Fatts# $llow sufficient time to achieve steady state conditions before notin
the heated "late tem"erature ;tH<# ?et the fan s"eed control to ive a readin of '#=m/s on
the thermal anemometer, allow sufficient time to achieve steady state conditions# Record
heated "late tem"erature# Re"eat this "rocedure at (#'m/s and (#=m/s#
RESULTS:
$mbient air tem"erature ;tH< de C
Dower in"ut Fatts
$ir :elocity m/s Heater Tem"erature ;tH de C< tH%t$ de C
'
(
*
+
Dlot a ra"h of air velocity aainst tem"erature#
EXPERIMENT C
OBJECT OF EXPERIMENT:
To demonstrate the use of extended surfaces to im"rove heat transfer from the
surface#
EQUIPMENT SET-UP:
SUMMARY OF THEORY:
Heat transfer from an obAect can be im"roved by increasin the surface area in contact
with the air# In "ractice it may be difficult to increase the si-e of the body to suit# In these
circumstances the surface area in contact with the air may be increased by addin fins or
"ins normal to the surface# These features are called extended surfaces# $ ty"ical exam"le
is the use of fins on the cylinder and head of an air%cooled "etrol enine# The effect of
extended surfaces can be demonstrated by com"arin finned and "inned surfaces with a
flat "late under the same conditions of "ower in"ut and airflow#
READINGS TO BE TAKEN:
Dlace the flat "late heat exchaner into the duct# Record the ambient air tem"erature ;tH<#
?et the heater "ower control to H= Fatts# $llow the tem"erature to rise to 4' de C, then
adAust the heater "ower control to *'
Fatts until a steady readin is obtained# Record heated "late tem"erature ;tH<# ?et the fan
s"eed control to ive (m/s usin the thermal anemometer# Re"eat this "rocedure at (#=
and *#'m/s for the flat "late# Re"lace the flat "late with the finned "late and re"eat
ex"eriment# Re"lace the finned "late with the "inned "late and re"eat ex"eriment#
RESULTS:
$mbient air tem"erature G de C
In"ut "ower G *' Fatts
$ir :elocity m/s Heater Tem"erature ;tH de C< tH%t$ de C
'
(
*
+
Dlot ra"hs of velocity aainst tem"erature for each of the "lates#
Comment on the correlation between total surface area of the heat exchaner and the
tem"erature achieved#
FURTHER EXPERIMENTS:
Increase "ower in"ut and re"eat ex"eriments#
EXPERIMENT D
OBJECT OF EXPEPIMENT:
To determine the tem"erature distribution alon an extended surface
EQUIPMENT SET-UP:
SUMMARY OF THEORY:
.or a heat exchaner to be (''I efficient the com"lete extended surface tem"erature
must be the same as the bac& "late# In "ractice however this does not occur because heat
must flow alon a "in or fin by conduction, which causes a tem"erature radient to occur#
The stee"er the radient the less efficient the heat exchaner# The efficiency however
must not be confused with surface area e## com"arin "inned and finned# In reality the
"in is more efficient, but in this "articular case the fin is marinally more efficient
because of its surface area#
READINGS TO BE TAKEN:
Eeasure from the bac& "late the distances of the three access holes on the "inned and
finned heat exchaners# Dlace the "inned heat exchaner into the duct# Note the ambient
air tem"erature ;t$<# ?et the heater "ower control to >' Fatts# $llow sufficient time to
achieve steady state conditions before notin the heated "late tem"erature ;tH<# Insert the
anemometer "robe into the duct throuh the hole nearest the heated "late ensurin that
the ti" of the "robe is in contact with the "in# $ small amount of heat conductin
com"ound on the ti" will ensure a ood thermal contact# Note this tem"erature ;tl<#
Record the "in tem"eratures ;t* and t+< usin the remainin two holes# Re"eat this
"rocedure at (#' m/s and * m/s#
Remove the "inned heat exchaner and re"lace with the finned heat exchaner# Re"eat
com"lete ex"eriment#
RESULTS:
$mbient air tem"erature ;tH< de C
Dower in"ut Fatts
Distance of nearest hole mm
Distance of middle hole mm
Distance of farthest hole mm
$ir velocity m/s Tem"erature de C
T( T* T+ T5
'
(
*
Dlot ra"hs of surface tem"erature aainst distance from bac& "late for the two heat
exchaners at various air velocities#

.or a heat exchaner to be (''I efficient, the whole of the extended surface must be at
the same tem"erature as the bac& "lane#
In "ractice, this cannot occur because the flow of heat alon the "ins or fins by
conduction causes a tem"erature radient to occur# The reater this radient, the less
efficient the heat exchaner will be#
The efficiency of the heat exchaner must not be confused with the effect of a chane in
surface area# .or exam"le, if the "inned and finned heat exchaners su""lied with the
e!ui"ment are com"ared, the "in is more efficient than the fin ;slihtly smaller
tem"erature radient< but the finned exchaner has a sinificantly larer surface area than
the "inned exchaner and can dissi"ate more heat for the same surface tem"erature#
EXPERIMENT E
OBJECT OF EXPERIMENT:
Com"arison of a hori-ontal and vertical flat "late in free convection#
EQUIPMENT SET-UP:
SUMMARY OF THEORY:
Fhen a tem"erature difference is established between a wall and a stationary fluid, the
fluid adAacent to the wall will move u"ward if the wall tem"erature is hiher than that of
the fluid, and downward if the wall tem"erature is lower# Density radients are set u" in
the fluid resultin in buoyancy forces and free convective currents# The rate of heat
transfer de"ends mainly on the fluid motion# The orientation of the "late affects this
movement of air# $ hori-ontal "late restricts the movement of air and reduces the heat
transfer# The same "late mounted vertically will ive im"roved heat transfer#
READINGS TO BE TAKEN:
NOT,) The wattmeter is calibrated to read in the rane ' to 33#3 watts# De"endin on the
su""ly voltae it may be "ossible to exceed the maximum readin on the wattmeter if the
"ower control &nob is turned fully cloc&wise# This will not cause damae to the
wattmeter but readins in excess of 33#3 watts will commence aain at ' watts#
Dlace the flat "late exchaner hori-ontally onto a suitable surface# Record the ambient air
tem"erature ;t$<# ?et the heater "ower control to (= Fatts# The surface tem"erature of the
flat "late ;tH< can be recorded usin the tem"erature "robe, the ti" of the "robe bein
held in contact with the surface by hand# To ensure ood contact the thermal com"ound
should b used# $llow sufficient time to achieve steady state conditions before notin the
heated "late tem"erature# The "late tem"erature should be ta&en at the centre of the "late#
Dlace the flat "late vertically ta&in care not to touch the heated surface with your hands#
Re"eat the ex"eriment#
RESULTS:
$mbient air tem"erature ;t$< de C
In"ut "ower G (= Fatts
Heater Tem" ;tH< de C tH%t$
Hori-ontal
:ertical
Comment on the effects of "late orientation on surface tem"erature#