In Chapter 10 we saw how shell energy

balances may be set up for various simple

problems and how these balances lead to
differential equations from which the
temperature profiles may be calculated.
 Let us consider a flow system with the fluid flowing
either in a conduit or around a solid object.

Suppose that the solid surface is warmer than the

fluid, so that heat is being transferred from the
solid to the fluid.

Then the rate of heat flow across the solid-fluid

interface would be expected to depend on the area
of the interface and on the temperature drop
between the fluid and the solid.
 It is customary to define a proportionality factor h
(the heat transfer coefficient) by in which Q is the
heat flow into the fluid (J/hr or Btu/hr), A is a
characteristic area, and T is a characteristic
temperature difference

Note that h is not defined until the area A and the

temperature difference T have been specified.
 As an example of flow in conduits, we consider a
fluid flowing through a circular tube of diameter D,
in which there is a heated wall section of length L
and varying inside surface temperature To(z),
going from T01 to T02
 Suppose that the bulk temperature Tb of the fluid
(defined in Eq. 10.8-33 for fluids with constant
and Cp) increases from Tb1 to Tb2 in the heated
section.
Then there are three conventional definitions of
heat transfer coefficients for the fluid in the heated
section:
 That is, h1 is based on the temperature difference
T1 at the inlet, ha is based on the arithmetic
mean Ta of the terminal temperature differences,
and hln is based on the corresponding logarithmic
mean temperature difference Tln.

For most calculations hln is preferable, because it is

less dependent on L/D than the other two.
 If the wall temperature distribution is initially
unknown, or if the fluid properties change
appreciably along the pipe, it is difficult to predict
the heat transfer coefficients defined above. Under
these conditions, it is customary to rewrite Eq.
14.1-2 in the differential form:
 Here dQ is the heat added to the fluid over a
distance dz along the pipe, Tloc is the local
temperature difference (at position z), and hloc is
the local heat transfer coefficient. This equation is
widely used in engineering design.

In previously equation we have set dA = Ddz,

which means that hloc and Tloc are the mean
values for the shaded area dA in previous figure.
 As an example of flow around submerged objects,
consider a fluid flowing around a sphere of radius
R, whose surface temperature is maintained at a
uniform value To.
Suppose that the fluid approaches the sphere with
a uniform temperature T.
Then we may define a mean heat transfer
coefficient, hm for the entire surface of the sphere
by the relation
 A local coefficient can also be defined for
submerged objects

Let us emphasize that the definitions of A and T

must be made clear before h is defined. Keep in
mind, also, that h is not a constant characteristic of
the fluid medium.

the heat transfer coefficient depends in a

complicated way on many variables, including the
fluid properties (k, , , Cp) the system geometry,
and the flow velocity.
 In the calculation of heat transfer rates between
two fluid streams separated by one or more solid
layers, it is convenient to use an overall heat
transfer coefficient, U0 which expresses the
combined effect of the series of resistances
through which the heat flows.

We give here a definition of U0 and show how to

calculate it in the special case of heat exchange
between two coaxial streams with bulk
temperatures Th ("hot") and Tc ("cold), separated by
a cylindrical tube of inside diameter Do and outside
diameter D1:
 This equation is restricted to thermal resistances
connected in series.