CHAPTER 5

Dimensionless Characterization
Number for the Heat Transfer
Contents
5.1 Reynolds Number Re for the Characterization of the Flow Condition 75
5.2 Prandtl Number Pr, Peclet Number Pe, and Temperature Conductivity a 75
5.3 Nusselt Number Nu for the Calculation of the Heat Transfer Coefcient 76
5.4 Stanton Number St for the Calculation of the Heat Transfer Coefcient 76
5.5 Colburn Factor JC for the Calculation of the Heat Transfer Coefcient 77
5.6 Kern Factor JK for the Calculation of the Heat Transfer Coefcient 77
5.7 Grahof Number Gr for the Calculation of the Heat Transfer Coefcient in Natural Convection 78
References 78

5.1 REYNOLDS NUMBER RE FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE

FLOW CONDITION

w"d
Re
v
w ow velocity (m/s)
d tube diameter (m)
n kinematic viscosity

Example 1: Calculation of the Reynolds number Re

Data: w 1.2 m/s di 21 mm n 0.95 " 10#6 m2/s
1:2 " 0:021
Re 26; 526
0:95 " 10#6

5.2 PRANDTL NUMBER PR, PECLET NUMBER PE, AND TEMPERATURE

CONDUCTIVITY A [1e8]

n Pe 3600 " h " cp 3600 " n " cp " r

Pr
a Re l l
w"d l ! 2" #
Pe Pr " Re a m s
a cp " r " 3600

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76 Heat Exchanger Design Guide

a temperature conductivity (m2/s)

Pe Peclet number (#)
r density (kg/m3)
cp specic heat capacity (Wh/kg K)
l thermal heat conductivity (W/m K)
h dynamic viscosity (Pas)
n kinematic viscosity (m2/s)
The factor 3600 is needed to convert hours to seconds in order to make the dimen-
sions coherent.

Example 2: Calculation of the Prandtl number Pr

Data: r 903 kg/m3 cp 0.594 Wh/kg K l 0.118 W/m K
h 858 mPas n 0.95 " 10#6 m2/s
l 0:118 "
a 6:1 " 10#8 m2 s
cp " r " 3600 0:594 " 903 " 3600

n 0:95 " 10#6

Pr 15:5
a 6:1 " 10#8

3600 " n " cp " r 3600 " 0:95 " 10#6 " 0:594 " 903
Pr 15:5
l 0:118

3600 " h " cp 3600 " 858 " 10#6 " 0:594
Pr 15:5
l 0:118

5.3 NUSSELT NUMBER NU FOR THE CALCULATION OF THE HEAT

TRANSFER COEFFICIENT [6]

a"d Nu " l ! #
Nu St " Re " Pr a W=m2 K
l d
a heat transfer coefcient (W/m2 K)

5.4 STANTON NUMBER ST FOR THE CALCULATION OF THE HEAT

TRANSFER COEFFICIENT
G w " r (kg/m2 s) G mass stream density (kg/m2 s)
 Dimensionless Characterization Number for the Heat Transfer 77

Nu a a
St
Re " Pr G"c 3600 " c " w
! "#
a St " 3600 " cp " w " r m2 s

5.5 COLBURN FACTOR JC FOR THE CALCULATION OF THE HEAT

TRANSFER COEFFICIENT

JC ! " #
JC St " Pr2=3 a 2=3
" 3600 " w " r W m2 K
Pr

5.6 KERN FACTOR JK FOR THE CALCULATION OF THE HEAT

TRANSFER COEFFICIENT [1]

Nu l ! " 2 #
JK a JK " Pr1=3 " W m K
Pr1=3 d

Example 3: Calculation of the heat transfer coefcient with Nu, St, JC, and JK
Data: r 903 kg/m3 cp 0.594 Wh/kg K l 0.118 W/m K
n 0.95 " 10#6 m2/s di 21 mm w 1.2 m/s
Re 26526 Pr 15.5 Nu 196.55
Nu " l 196:55 " 0:118 "
a 1104 W m2 K
d 0:021
Nu 196:55
St 0:00048
Re " Pr 26526 " 15:5
"
a St " 3600 " w " r 0:00048 " 3600 " 0:594 " 1:2 1108 W m2 K

JC St " Pr2=3 0:00048 " 15:52=3 0:003

JC 0:003
a " 3600 " cp " w " r
2=3 2=3
" 3600 " 0:594 " 1:2 " 903
Pr 15:5
" 2
1112 W m K
Nu 196:55
JK 79:55
Pr1=3 15:51=3
l 0:118 "
a JK " Pr1=3 " 79:55 " 15:51=3 " 1104 W m2 K
d 0:021
78 Heat Exchanger Design Guide

5.7 GRAHOF NUMBER GR FOR THE CALCULATION OF THE HEAT

TRANSFER COEFFICIENT IN NATURAL CONVECTION [8]
1 1
9:81 " b " Dt " l 3 1 v1 # v2 r # r2
Gr b " r" 1 1=K
n v t1 # t2 t1 # t2
b volumetric heat expansion coefcient (1/K)
Dt temperature difference productdwall (K)
l characteristic length (m)
v1 specic volume (m3/kg) at t1
v2 specic volume (m3/kg) at t2
Product Gr$Pr
r " cp " b " l 3 " Dt
Gr " Pr 35316 "
l"n

Example 4: Calculation of the Grahof number

Data: r 800 kg/m3 cp 0.6 Wh/kg K l 0.13 W/m K
n 50 " 10#6 m2/s b 0.001 K#1 Dt 50 K d 50 mm
3600 " 50 " 10#6 " 0:6 " 800
Pr 664:6
0:13
9:81 " 0:001 " 50 " 0:053
Gr 24:53 " 103
50 " 10#6
Gr " Pr 24:53 " 103 " 664:6 16:3 " 106
800 " 0:6 " 0:002 " 0:053 " 50
Gr " Pr 35316 " 16:3 " 106
50 " 10#6 " 0:13

REFERENCES
[1] D.Q. Kern, Process Heat Transfer, McGraw-Hill, N.Y., 1950.
[2] A.P. Fraas, M.N. Ozisik, Heat Exchanger Design, John Wiley, N.Y., 1965.
[3] W.H. McAdams, Heat Transmission, McGraw-Hill, N.Y., 1954.
[4] Perrys Chemical Engineers Handbook, McGraw-Hill, 1984.
[5] G.F. Hewitt, G.L. Shires, T.R. Bott, Process Heat Transfer, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1994.
[6] V.D.I. Warmeatlas, 5. Auage, VDI-Verlag, D usseldorf, 1988.
[7] W.M. Rohsenow, J.P. Hartnett, Handbook of Heat Transfer, McGraw-Hill, N.Y., 1973.
[8] E.R.G. Eckert, R.M. Drake, Heat and Mass Transfer, McGraw Hill, N.Y., 1959.