Showing papers on "Nusselt number published in 1988"

Natural convection in enclosures

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the complex nature of the natural convection phenomena in enclosures It discusses the two basic configurations of natural convection— that is, a rectangular cavity and a horizontal circular cylinder In rectangular cavities, consideration is given to the two-dimensional convective motion generated by the buoyancy force on the fluid in a rectangle and to the associated heat transfer The two long sides are vertical boundaries held at different temperatures and the short sides can either be heat conducting or insulated Particular attention is given to the different flow regimes that can occur and the heat transfer across the fluid space between the two plane parallel vertical boundaries Although heat transfer by radiation may not be negligible it is independent of the other types of heat transfer and can be fairly accurately calculated separately To formulate the boundary value problem that describes this phenomena it is assumed that: (a) the motion is two-dimensional and steady, (b) the fluid is incompressible and frictional heating is negligible, and (c) the difference between the hot wall and cold wall temperatures is small relative to the absolute temperatures of the cold wall In horizontal circular cylinder, consideration is given to the large Rayleigh number flow with the Prandtl number large and the Grashof number of unit order of the magnitude

Heat transfer from a flat surface to an oblique impinging jet

Abstract: Experiments are conducted to determine the heat transfer to a jet impinging at different oblique angles to a plane surface The main portion of the test plate contains a composite sheet of temperature-sensitive liquid crystal, which is sandwiched between a thin metallic-foil heater and a specially designed liquid bath The results indicate a displacement of the peak heat transfer from the geometric center of the jet origin, the displacement being a function primarily of impingement angle Contours of constant heat transfer coefficient are obtained and correlated with an empirical equation that permits determination of average Nusselt numbers over areas of interest

Mixed Convection in Stagnation Flows Adjacent to Vertical Surfaces

Abstract: Laminar mixed convection in two-dimensional stagnation flows around heated surfaces is analyzed for both cases of an arbitrary wall temperature and arbitrary surface heat flux variations. The two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations and the energy equation governing the flow and thermal fields are reduced to a dimensionless form by appropriate transformations and the resulting system of ordinary differential equations is solved in the buoyancy assisting and opposing regions. Numerical results are obtained for the special cases for which locally similar solutions exist as a function of the buoyancy parameter. Local wall shear stress and heat transfer rates as well as velocity and temperature distributions are presented. It is found that the local Nusselt number and wall shear stress increase as the value of the buoyancy parameter increases in the buoyancy assisting flow region. A reverse flow region develops in the buoyancy opposing flow region, and dual solutions are found to exist in that flow regime for a certain range of the buoyancy parameter.

Minimum-dissipation transport enhancement by flow destabilization: Reynolds’ analogy revisited

Abstract: A classical transport enhancement problem is concerned with increasing the heat transfer in a system while minimizing penalties associated with shear stress, pressure drop, and viscous dissipation. It is shown by Reynolds' analogy that viscous dissipation in a wide class of flows scales linearly with the Nusselt number and quadratically with the Reynolds number. It thus follows that transport enhancement optimization is equivalent to a problem in hydrodynamic stability theory; a more unstable flow will achieve the same Nusselt number at a lower Reynolds number, and therefore at a fraction of the dissipative cost. This transport-stability theory is illustrated in a numerical study of supercritical (unsteady) two-dimensional flow in an eddy-promoter channel comprising a plane channel with an infinite periodic array of cylindrical obstructions.It is shown that the addition of small cylinders to a plane channel results in stability modes that are little changed in form or frequency from plane-channel Tollmien-Schlichting waves. However, eddy-promoter flows are dramatically less stable than their plane-channel counterparts owing to cylinder-induced shear-layer instability (with critical Reynolds numbers on the order of hundreds rather than thousands), and thus these flows yield heat transfer rates commensurate with those of a plane-channel turbulent flow but at much lower Reynolds number. Small-cylinder supercritical eddy-promoter flows are shown to roughly preserve the convective-diffusive Reynolds analogy, and it thus follows from the transport-stability theory that eddy-promoter flows achieve the same heat transfer rates as plane-channel turbulent flows while incurring significantly less dissipation.

An experimental study of natural convection in a vertical cavity with discrete heat sources

Abstract: Natural convection heat transfer in a tall vertical cavity (aspect ratio = 16.5), with one isothermal vertical cold wall, and eleven alternately unheated and flush-heated sections of equal height on the opposing vertical wall, is experimentally investigated. The flow visualization pictures for the ethylene glycol-filled cavity reveal a flow pattern consisting of primary, secondary, and tertiary flows. The heat transfer data and the flow visualization photographs indicate that the stratification is the primary factor influencing the temperature of the heated sections. This behavior persists for all the runs where the secondary flow cells cover a large vertical extend of the cavity. Based on the analysis of the photographs it is suggested that the turbulent flow should be expected when the local modified Rayleigh number is in the range of 9.3 {times} 10 {sup 11} to 1.9 {times} 10{sup 12}. It is found that discrete flush-mounted heating in the enclosure results in local Nusselt numbers that are nearly the same as those reported for a wide flush-mounted heater on a vertical plate. This is believed to be due to the fact that the present problems in inherently unstable, and the smallest temperature difference between a heated section and the cold wallmore » results in the onset of convection motion.« less

Minimum friction velocity and heat transfer in the rough surface layer of a convective boundary layer

Abstract: A simple model is deduced for the surface layer of a convective boundary layer for zero mean wind velocity over homogeneous rough ground. The model assumes large-scale convective circulation driven by surface heat flux with a flow pattern as it would be obtained by conditional ensemble averages. The surface layer is defined here such that in this layer horizontal motions dominate relative to vertical components. The model is derived from momentum and heat balances for the surface layer together with closures based on the Monin-Obukhov theory. The motion in the surface layer is driven by horizontal gradients of hydrostatic pressure. The balances account for turbulent fluxes at the surface and fluxes by convective motions to the mixed layer. The latter are the dominant ones. The model contains effectively two empirical coefficients which are determined such that the model's predictions agree with previous experimental results for the horizontal turbulent velocity fluctuations and the temperature fluctuations. The model quantitatively predicts the decrease of the minimum friction velocity and the increase of the temperature difference between the mixed layer and the ground with increasing values of the boundary layer/roughness height ratio. The heat transfer relationship can be expressed in terms of the common Nusselt and Rayleigh numbers, Nu and Ra, as Nu ~ Ra% MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaaSGbaeaaca% aIXaaabaGaaGOmaaaaaaa!3779!\[{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 2}} \right. \kern- ulldelimiterspace} 2}\]. Previous results of the form Nu ~ Ra% MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaaSGbaeaaca% aIXaaabaGaaG4maaaaaaa!377A!\[{1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 3}} \right. \kern- ulldelimiterspace} 3}\] are shown to be restricted to Rayleigh-numbers less than a certain value which depends on the boundary layer/roughness height ratio.

Natural Convection Along Slender Vertical Cylinders With Variable Surface Temperature

Abstract: Natural convection in laminar boundary layers along slender vertical cylinders is analyzed for the situation in which the wall temperature T{sub w}(x) varies arbitrarily with the axial coordinate x. The governing boundary layer equations along with the boundary conditions are first cast into a dimensionless form by a nonsimilar transformation and the resulting system of equations is then solved by a finite difference method in conjunction with the cubic spline interpolation technique. As an example, numerical results were obtained for the case of T{sub w}(x) = T{infinity} + ax{sup n}, a power-law wall temperature variation. They cover Prandtl numbers of 0.1, 0.7, 7, and 100 over a wide range of values of the surface curvature parameter. Representative local Nusselt number as well as velocity and temperature profiles are presented. Correlation equations for the local and average Nusselt numbers are also given.

Stability and finite amplitude natural convection in a shallow cavity with insulated top and bottom and heated from a side

Abstract: The stability of laminar natural convection in a shallow cavity has been studied theoretically. The flow is driven by a horizontal temperature gradient between isothermal vertical sidewalls of the cavity, the top and bottom of which are insulated. It was found that for a Prandtl number (Pr) less than 0.033, shear instability causes stationary transverse cells to be formed in the flow. For larger values of Prandtl number the instability sets in as oscillating longitudinal rolls in the range 0.033

Electroconvection and its effect on heat transfer

Abstract: The basic properties of electroconvection resulting from unipolar injection into an insulating liquid are examined. It is shown that for very weak injection the induced motion of the liquid has only a negligible influence on the total current across the layer. The agitation of the liquid can nevertheless be very intense and orders of magnitude have been derived for the typical liquid velocity in both viscous dominated and fully turbulent regimes. This electroconvection can be used to enhance heat transfer. The experiment performed in plane-parallel electrode geometry proves that the heat transfer can be substantially augmented. Moreover it appears clear that the convection state is determined by the Coulomb force, buoyancy effects being insignificant. The experimental results can be qualitatively summarized by a power law dependence for the Nusselt number of the form Nu approximately (jd/sup 3/)/sup n/. A more precise expression and, in particular, the estimation of the exponent n require a detailed analysis of the convective flow induced by a unipolar injection. >

Analysis of laminar natural convection in a triangular enclosure

Abstract: The Galerkin finite-element method is used in conjunction with a stream function-vorticity-temperature formulation of the steady-stale governing equations to calculate laminar two-dimensional natural convection of air within a triangular enclosure. Isosceles triangles with horizontal bases are considered. All possible combinations of cold, hot, and adiabatic walls are studied for different Grashof numbers and aspect ratios. Flow patterns and isotherms are presented. Convective Nusselt numbers are also calculated. Comparison is made with published experimental data.

Direct numerical simulations of the effects of shear on turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection

Abstract: The interaction between shear and buoyancy effects for Benard convection in plane Couette flow is studied by performing direct numerical simulations. At moderate Rayleigh number (≈10000−50000), shear tends to organize the flow into quasi-two-dimensional rolls parallel to the mean flow and can enhance heat transfer, while at higher Rayleigh number (>150000), shear tends to disrupt the formation of convective plumes and can reduce heat transfer. A significant temporal oscillation in the local Nusselt number was consistently observed at high Rayleigh numbers, a factor that may contribute to the scatter seen in experimental data. This effect, plus the time-varying reversal of the mean temperature gradient in the middle of the channel, is consistent with a flow model in which the dynamics of large-scale, quasi-two-dimensional, counter-rotating vortical cells are alternately driven by buoyancy and inertial effects. An analysis of the energy balance in the flow shows that the conservative pressure diffusion term, which has been frequently neglected in turbulence models, plays a very important dynamical role in the flow evolution and should be more carefully modelled. Most of the turbulent energy production due to mean shear is generated in the boundary layers, while the buoyant production occurs mainly in the relatively uniform convective core. The simulations and the laboratory experiments of Deardorff & Willis (1967) are in very reasonable qualitative agreement, suggesting that the basic dynamics of the flow are being accurately simulated.

Forced Convection in the Entrance Region of a Packed Channel With Asymmetric Heating

Abstract: The problem of a thermally developing forced convective flow in a packed channel heated asymmetrically is analyzed in this paper. The flow in the packed channel is assumed to be hydrodynamically fully developed and is governed by the Brinkman-Darcy-Ergun equation with variable porosity taken into consideration. A closed-form solution based on the method of matched asymptotic expansions is obtained for the axial velocity distribution, and the wall effect on pressure drop is illustrated. The energy equation for the thermally developing flow, with transverse thermal dispersion and variable stagnant thermal conductivity taken into consideration, was solved numerically. To match the predicted temperature distribution with existing experimental data, it is found that a wall function must be introduced to model the transverse thermal dispersion process in order to account for the wall effect on the lateral mixing of fluid. The variations of the local Nusselt number along the streamwise direction in terms of the appropriate parameters are illustrated. The thermal entrance length effect on forced convection in a packed channel is discussed.

Numerical prediction of laminar flow and heat transfer in wavy channels of uniform cross-sectional area

Abstract: Fluid flow and heat transfer in two-dimensional wavy channels of uniform cross-sectional area were analyzed numerically for constant-property laminar flow. The channel walls were maintained at constant temperature. Streamwise periodic geometry caused the flow and heat transfer to repeat periodically far downstream of the channel entrance. Computations were performed for different Reynolds numbers and geometric parameters. Prandtl number was kept constant (0.707). The whole solution domain was divided into five regions, and different coordinates were used for each region. The periodic boundary conditions were implemented by mutual replacements of field values at the two end regions. It was found that both Nusselt number and friction factor were greatly affected by Reynolds number and two geometric parameters.

An analysis on forced convection in a channel filled with a Brinkman-Darcy porous medium: exact and approximate solutions

Abstract: An analysis was made to investigate non-Darcian fully developed flow and heat transfer in a porous channel bounded by two parallel walls subjected to uniform heat flux. The Brinkmanextended Darcy model was employed to study the effect of the boundary viscous frictional drag on hydrodynamic and heat transfer characteristics. An exact expression has been derived for the Nusselt number under the uniform wall heat flux condition. Approximate results were also obtained by exploiting a momentum integral relation and an auxiliary relation implicit in the Brinkmanextended Darcy model. Excellent agreement was confirmed between the approximate and exact solutions even in details of velocity and temperature profiles.

Analysis of fully developed opposing mixed convection between inclined parallel plates

Abstract: An exact solution is presented of fully developed, laminar flow between inclined parallel plates with a uniform wall heat flux boundary condition. The flow is downward and the heat flux is into the channel, so that natural convection opposes the forced flow. The solution depends on the two parametersP1=Gr sinθ/Re andP2=Gr cosθ/Re2Pr. Four different flow reversal regimes are observed: 1) no reversal, 2) top reversal, 3) bottom reversal, and 4) top and bottom reversal. Velocity profiles, temperature profiles, wall friction, and Nusselt numbers are presented. Despite the simplicity of the problem which has been analyzed, it does display some features which have been observed in real mixed convection flows, such as flow reversal and nonmonotonic dependence on tilt angle.

An experimental study on natural convection heat transfer in an inclined square enclosure containing internal energy sources

Abstract: An experiment was carried out to study two-dimensional laminar natural convection within an inclined square enclosure containing fluid with internal energy sources bounded by four rigid planes of constant equal temperature. Inclination angles, from the horizontal, of 0, 15, 30, and 45 deg for Rayleigh numbers from 1.0 {times} 10{sup 4} to 1.5 {times} 10{sup 5} were studied. At inclined angles of 0 and 15 deg, there are two extreme values of temperature and temperature gradient within the fluid, while there is only one at 30 and 45 deg. Local and average Nusselt numbers are obtained on all four walls. As the inclination angles increases, the average Nusselt number increases on the right (upper) and bottom walls, decreases on the left (lower) wall and stays almost constant on the top wall.

Combined forced and free laminar convection in the entrance region of an inclined isothermal tube

Abstract: An analysis is made of the combined forced and free convection for laminar flow in the entrance region of isothermal, inclined tubes. This involves the numerical calculation of the developing flow with significant buoyancy effects. Three independent parameters are introduced: the Prandtl number Pr, a modified Rayleigh number Ra*, and {Omega}, a parameter that measures the relative importance of free and forced convection. The inclination angle does not appear explicitly in the formulation. Numerical results are obtained for Pr = 0.7, 5, and 10, and representative values of Ra* and {Omega}. The axial development of the velocity profiles, temperature field, local pressure gradient, and the Nusselt number are presented. These results reveal that the buoyancy effects have a considerable influence on the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics of the development flow. A comparison of the numerical results with the available experimental data is also presented.

Mixed convection in horizontal porous layers heated from below

Abstract: Numerical studies are reported for steady, mixed convection in two-dimensional horizontal porous layer with localized heating from below. The interaction mechanism between the forced flow and the buoyant effects is examined for wide ranges of Rayleigh number Ra* and Peclet number Pe*. The external flow significantly perturbs the buoyancy-induced temperature and flow fields when Pe* is increased beyond unity. For a fixed Peclet number, an increase in Rayleigh number produces multicellular recirculating flows in a domain close to the heat source. This enhances heat transfer by free convection. However, for a fixed Ra*, an increase in forced flow or Peclet number does not necessarily increase the heat transfer rate. Hence, there exists a critical Peclet number as a function of Ra* for which the overall Nusselt number is minimum. The heat transfer is, generally, dominated by the buoyant flows for Pe* < 1 whereas the contribution of free convection is small for Pe* 10 when Ra* {le} 10.