Flat Plate Flow

Ref: Incropera & DeWitt,

Fundamentals of Heat and Mass
Transfer, 3rd ed.
Nusselt Number Correlations
(

Remember from Ch. 6 that Nu = f Re, Pr )

In general, Nu L = C Re m Pr n (1)
L

C, m, and n vary with geometry & flow type.

They are usually determined experimentally,
making (1) an empirical correlation.

Evaluate properties at the film temperature
(ave. boundary layer temp) unless otherwise
noted.
Ts + T∞
Tf =
2
Convection Heat Transfer
Measurements
Example experiment to find h
Laminar Flat Plate Flow

Assumptions: steady, incompressible,
laminar, constant fluid properties,
negligible viscous dissipation

dp/dx=0

Simplified continuity equation:

∂u ∂v
+ =0
∂x ∂y
Simplified Momentum &
Energy Equations

Momentum Equation:
∂u ∂u ∂ u 2
u + v =υ 2
∂x ∂y ∂y

Energy Equation

∂T ∂T ∂ T
2
u +v =α 2
∂x ∂y ∂y

Momentum Equation is decoupled from
Energy Equation (but not vice versa).
Boundary Conditions

Velocity Boundary Conditions
u ( x,0 ) = v ( x,0 ) = 0 no slip at plate surface where y=0
u ( x , ∞ ) = u∞ far from the plate, we have the free-stream velocity
v ( x, ∞ ) = 0 no y-component of velocity far from plate

Temperature Boundary Conditions

T ∗ (0) = 0 T=Tsurface at plate surface

T ∗ (∞) = 1 T=T∞ far from the plate
 Blasius Solution for laminar flow over
a flat plate, constant plate surface
temp

Solve using a similarity solution.
5x
δ= velocity boundary layer thickness
Re x
τ s,x −1 2
C f ,x = = 0.664 Re local skin friction coefficient
ρ u∞2 / 2
x

hx x
Nu x = = 0.332 Re1x 2 Pr1 3 0.6 ≤ Pr ≤ 50 local Nusselt
k number
δ
≈ Pr1 3 ratio of velocity to thermal boundary layer
δt thicknesses
Average Results

The results for Cf,x and Nux were local
results. To find average results, we
must integrate.
12
1 x k 1 u  x dx
h = ∫ hx dx = 0.332 Pr   ∫ 1 2
3 ∞

x 0 x ν  0 x
−1 2
C f = 1.328Re x
C f = 2C f , x
Nu = 0.664 Re Pr 12
x
13
0.6 ≤ Pr ≤ 50
Nu = 2 Nu x Why is this true?
Turbulent Flow

These results are determined experimentally.

C f , x = 0.0592 Re −x1 5 5 ⋅105 < Re x < 107

Nu x = 0.0296 Re 4x 5 Pr1 3 0.6 < Pr < 60

δ = 0.37xRe-1x 5 ≈ δ t note that "x" is a variable,

not a multiplication sign

Why doesn’t Pr come into play with δ/δt like it
does for laminar flow?

Do turbulent BL’s grow faster or slower than
laminar BL’s? Are h & Cf greater or smaller?
Mixed Boundary Layer
Conditions, cont.
u∞ x If Rex reaches 500000, the
Re x =
ν flow will go turbulent.

If the plate is long enough, the laminar portion can be

neglected, and the flow can be treated as all turbulent.
Otherwise, see the next slide….
Mixed Boundary Layer
Conditions, cont.

Integrate over the plate.
1  xc L 
hL =  ∫ hlam dx + ∫ hturb dx 
L  0 xc


Nu L = ( 0.037 Re − A ) Pr
45
L
13

A = 0.037 Re4x ,c5 − 0.664 Re1x ,2c

If Rex,c=5x105,
NuL = ( 0.037 Re 4L 5 − 871) Pr1 3
Mixed Boundary Layer
Conditions, cont.

For Cf, integrate in the same way.

0.074 1742
C f ,L = 15
−
Re L Re L

To check what type of flow you have, calculate
Re at the end of the plate. If it’s below Recr, use
laminar equations. If it’s over Recr, use the mixed
boundary layer calculations. For some
complicated geometries, the fluid flow will have a
high degree of turbulence in the freestream. In
this case it may be turbulent over the entire plate.

What are some applications where this may be
true?
Unheated Starting Length
If only part of the plate is heated, the thermal and
velocity boundary layers will start growing at
different positions. This will affect Nu.
Unheated Starting Length

For laminar flow
Nu x ξ =0
Nu x =
[1 − (ξ x) ]
3 413

For turbulent flow

Nu x ξ =0
Nu x =
[1 − (ξ ]
9 10 1 9
x)
Uniform Heat Flux

If a plate has a uniform heat flux instead
of a uniform surface temperature, use
the following for laminar flow:

Nu x = 0.453 Re1x 2 Pr1 3

For turbulent flow:

Nu x = 0.0308 Re x Pr
4 5 13
 Method to Solve a Convection Problem
1. Determine the flow geometry.
2. Choose the reference temperature &
evaluate fluid properties.
3. Calculate the Reynolds number. Determine
if the flow is laminar or turbulent or a
combination. This is very important!!!
4. See if a local or surface average coefficient
is required.
5. Check the boundary condition – constant
heat flux or constant surface temperature.
6. Pick the correct correlation.
The most common problem in convection is
choosing a correlation for the wrong geometry or
Reynolds number.
Example
Air at 27ºC and 1 atm flows over a flat plate
1 m wide at a speed of 2 m/s.
a) Calculate the boundary layer thickness
20 cm from the leading edge of the plate.
b) If the plate temperature is 127ºC, calculate
the average heat transfer rate over these first
20 cm.