CHEMICAL ENGINEERING GROUP

HEAT TRANSFER IN NATURAL CONVECTION

OBJECTIVE
1.

To determine the experimental value of heat transfer coefficient under natural

convective conditions.

2.

To compare the experimental value of heat transfer coefficient with that obtained from
theory.

3.

Study of heat transfer under natural convection conditions.

INTRODUCTION
Convection is the mode of energy transfer between a solid surface and adjacent fluid
that is in motion and it involves the combined effects of conduction and fluid motion
(advection). The fluid can flow on solid surface (external flow) can be external or through
pipes or ducts (internal flow). The faster the fluid motion, greater the convection heat transfer.
In the absence of bulk fluid motion, heat transfer is by conduction only. The presence of bulk
motion of fluid enhances the heat transfer between the surface and the fluid, but complicates
the determination of heat transfer rates. If the convective motion takes place due to density
difference caused by a temperature gradient, then the mode of heat transfer is known as free
convection. In free convection fluid motion is due to buoyancy forces in the fluid. Buoyancy
is due to the combined presence of a fluid density gradient and a body force that is
proportional to density.
DESCRIPTION OF APPARATUS
The apparatus consists of a brass tube fitted vertically in a rectangular duct. The duct is open
at the top and bottom and forms an enclosure which also serves the purpose of creating an
undisturbed surrounding. One side of the enclosure is made up of glass/Acrylic for
visualization. A heating element inside the vertical tube is used for heating purposes. The
power dissipated by the heater is obtained by measuring the potential drop across the heater
terminals and the current. A variable transformer allows continuous adjustment of heater
power which can be estimated from voltage and current measurements (recorded using a
digital voltmeter and ammeter respectively). The heat is lost from the tube to the surrounding

HEAT TRANSFER IN NATURAL CONVECTION

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING GROUP

air by natural convection.

A digital temperature indicator indicates the temperature at

different points along the tube, the same being measured using seven temperature sensors.
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
PART A: BEFORE START-UP (will be done prior to start of each session)
1. Clean the apparatus and make it free from dust.
2. Ensure that all switches on the panel are in OFF position.
3. Ensure that variac knob is set at ZERO position.
4. Note ambient temperature and pressure before commencing measurements.
PART B: EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
5. Switch on the main power supply to the set-up.
6. Switch on the panel with the help of Mains On/Off switch given on the panel.
7.

Set the heater power to some desired nominal value using the Variac (will be set prior to
start of each session).

8.

Allow the apparatus to reach steady state (attained when temperature sensor readings
are observed not to change with time).

9.

When steady state is attained record the following observations:

a. Voltage and current using which the power input to the heater can be computed
b. Temperature readings as indicated by the sensors

PART C: SHUTDOWN PROCEDURE

10. Switch off heater first.
11. Set variac knob back zero position.
12. Switch off the panel with the help of Mains On/Off switch given on the panel.
13. Switch on the main power supply to the set-up.
SPECIFICATIONS / KNOWN DATA
Diameter of the tube

35 mm.

Length of the tube

500 mm.

No. of RTD Temperature Sensors

8 Nos. embedded on the surface

OBSERVATIONS
HEAT TRANSFER IN NATURAL CONVECTION

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING GROUP

1.

Voltmeter reading:

______ V

2.

Ammeter reading:

______ A

Thermocouple nos.

t1

t2

t3

t4

t5

t6

t7

t8

Temperature / oC

DATA REDUCTION
Surface area for heat transfer (m2)
The surface area A for heat transfer is evaluated using
A D L

m2- UNIT

where D and L denote the diameter and length of the tube respectively
Average surface and air temperatures (oC)
The average surface temperature is computed using
Average surface temperature t s

t1 t 2 t 3 t 4 t 5 t 6 t 7
7

K- UNIT

The temperature of air in the duct tair is measured using sensor t8

Properties of air
The thermal conductivity, viscosity, specific heat and density of air is evaluated thus
k air

1.195 10 3 T 1.6
(W/m.K)
118 T

air

1.488 10 T
118 T

3
2

(N.s/m2)

c p, air (1 2.5 10 10 T 3 ) 10 3
HEAT TRANSFER IN NATURAL CONVECTION

(J/kg.K)
3

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING GROUP

air (3.4833 10 2 )

Pair
(kg/m3) (P is in bar) (Pair = 1 bar)
Tair

t s t air
2

All properties are estimated at mean fluid temperature, i.e. t f

Heater power (W)
The power

dissipated (in Watts) in the heater is calculated from the voltage drop (V)

across the heater terminals and the current (I), thus

V I
Q

Watt- UNIT

Experimental Heat transfer coefficient (W/m2.K)

The experimental heat transfer coefficient is computed using
Q
A (t s t air )

hexp

Theoretical Heat transfer coefficient (W/m2.K)

The free convection heat transfer coefficient is evaluated from
Nu

hth D
k air

The Nusselt number Nu is calculated using

0.387(Gr.Pr )1 / 6
Nu 0.825
8 / 27
9 / 16

0.492

Pr

where Gr and Pr denote the Grashof and Prandtl numbers respectively. The same is computed
using
Gr

gTD 3
2
air

c P, air air
k air

Pr
HEAT TRANSFER IN NATURAL CONVECTION

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING GROUP

g is the acceleration due to gravity

is the volumetric thermal expansion coefficient (1/K) and is computed using 1 / Tf

T = ts - tair
RESULTS:
1. The experimental value of heat transfer coefficient during air flow inside a pipe under
natural convective conditions is.
2. Compare the experimental value of

heat transfer coefficient with that obtained

theoretically.

NOMENCLATURE
A

Cross sectional area of tube

cp,air

Specific heat of air

Diameter of tube

Acceleration due to gravity

Gr

Grashof number

Heat transfer coefficient

hexp

Experimental heat transfer coefficient

hth

Theoretical heat transfer coefficient

Ammeter reading

Thermal conductivity

kair

thermal conductivity of air

Tube length.

Nu

Nusselt number

Pr

Prandtl number

Heater power input

Manometer Reading

ts

Average tube surface temperature in Celsius

tair

Air temperature in Celsius

Thermodynamic temperature

air

Absolute viscosity of air

HEAT TRANSFER IN NATURAL CONVECTION

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING GROUP

air

Kinematic viscosity of air

air

Density of air

= air/ air

PRECAUTIONS & MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS

1. Use stable AC Single phase supply only.
2. Never switch on mains power supply before ensuring that all the ON/OFF switches given
on the panel are in OFF position.
3. Regulate and change voltage supply to the heater in a slow manner.
4. Never run the apparatus if supply voltage is less than 180 volts and above than 240 volts.
5. Operate selector switch of temperature indicator gently.
6. Always keep the apparatus free from dust.
REFERENCES
1.

Holman, J.P., Heat Transfer, 9th edition, McGraw Hill, NY, 2004

2.

Incropera, F. P. and Dewitt, D. P., Heat and Mass transfer, 5th Edition, 2002
********************

HEAT TRANSFER IN NATURAL CONVECTION