Prepared by

Nurhaslina
FKK, UITM

FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF
CONVECTION
Convection denotes energy transfer
between a surface and a fluid moving
over the surface.
Recall Newtons law of cooling for heat
transfer between a surface of area As and
temperature Ts and a fluid:

q h(TS T )
Generally flow conditions will vary along
the surface, so q is a local heat flux and
h is a local convection coefficient.

THE VELOCITY BOUNDARY LAYER

Consider flow of a fluid over a flat plate:

The flow is characterized by two regions:

A thin fluid layer (boundary layer) in which
velocity gradients and shear stresses are large.
Its thickness is defined as the value of y for
which u = 0.99 u
An outer region in which velocity gradients and
shear stresses are negligible

From Newtonian fluids:

u
S
y
and

y 0

S
Cf 2
u / 2

where Cf is the local friction coefficient

THE THERMAL BOUNDARY LAYER

Velocity boundary layer develops when there is fluid

flow over a surface
Thermal boundary layer develops if the fluid free
stream and surface temperature differ.
Consider flow of a fluid over an isothermal flat plate:

The thermal boundary layer is the region of the fluid

in which temperature gradient exist
Its thickness is defined as the value of y for which the
ratio:
TS T
0.99
TS T

 At the plate surface (y=0), there is no fluid

motion
Conduction heat transfer:

qS"

T
k f
y

y 0

- From Newtons Law (convection):

qs = h (Ts - T)
- Combining these equations:

k f T / y
TS T

y 0

LOCAL AND AVERAGE

CONVECTION COEFFICIENTS
Consider the convective heat transfer as a
fluid passes over a surface of arbitrary shape:

Newtons law of cooling states:

where h is the local heat transfer coefficient.

 Flow conditions will vary along the surface, both

q and h also vary along the surface
The total heat transfer rate is

where h is the average convection coefficient for

the entire surface

 For the special case of flow over a flat plate, h

varies with the distance x

1 L
h
h dx
L 0

Laminar and Turbulent Flow

fluid motion is orderly and

regular

Flow conditions are typically

characterized by a Reynolds
number, Re:

Re x =

u x

highly irregular and fluctuates

The critical Reynolds number for flow

over a flat plate:

Re x ,c =

u x c
= 5 105

For flow in a pipe:

Re D =

Laminar : ReD < 2300

Transition: 2300 < ReD < 4000
Turbulent: ReD > 4000

SUMMARY BOUNDARY LAYERS

Velocity Boundary Layer (thickness (x))
characterized by the presence of velocity
gradients and shear stresses
Surface Friction, Cf
Thermal Boundary Layer (thickness t(x))
characterized by temperature gradients.
Convection heat transfer coefficient, h

Problem 6.1
In a flow over a surface, velocity and temperature
profiles are of the forms
u(y) = Ay + By2 Cy3
T(y) = D + Ey + Fy2 Gy3
where the coefficients A through G are constants.
Obtain a expressions for the friction coefficient Cf
and the convection coefficient h in terms of u , T
and appropriate profile coefficients and fluid
properties.

PROBLEM 6.3
In a particular application involving airflow over a
heated surface, the boundary layer temp.
distribution may be approximated as
T Ts = 1 exp ( - Pr uy)
T - Ts

where y is the distance normal to the surface and

the Prandtl number, Pr = cp /k = 0.7 is a
dimensionless fluid property. If T = 400k ,
Ts =300k and u / = 5000m-1 , what is the surface
heat flux?

PROBLEM 6.4
For laminar flow over a flat plate, the local heat
transfer coefficient hx is known to vary as x-1/2 ,
where x is the distance from the leading edge
(x=0) of the plate. What is the ratio of the average
coefficient between the leading edge and some
location x on the plate to the local coefficient at x?

PROBLEM 6.8
Air at free stream temperature of T = 20c is in
parallel flow over a flat plate of length L = 5m and
temp. Ts = 90c . However, obstacles placed in the
flow intensity mixing with increasing distance x
from the leading edge and the spatial variation of
temp. measured in the boundary layer is correlated
by an expression of the form T(c) = 20 + 70 exp (600xy) , where x and y are in meters. Determine
and plot the manner in which the local convection
coefficient, h varies with x. Evaluate the average
convection coefficient h for the plate.