ME 305

Heat Transfer
Semester: January 2022

Dr. Sumon Saha

Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
Sunday, July 3, 2022
Convection .. Today’s Topic

Boundary Layer Developments

 Convection .. Velocity Boundary Layer

Hydrodynamic or velocity boundary layer is defined as that

region of the flow where the effects of the viscous shearing forces
caused by fluid viscosity are felt.
When a fluid in motion comes to a complete stop at the stationary
surface and assumes a zero velocity relative to the surface due to
viscous effects, this is know as the no-slip condition.

(from the leading edge of the plate in the direction of flow)

(practically identical to free stream velocity u∞)

Convection .. Velocity Boundary Layer

δ – hydrodynamic boundary layer thickness

Convection .. Velocity Boundary Layer

(Inviscid flow region)

BLR : significant viscous effects and velocity changes
IFR : negligible frictional effects, and constant velocity
Convection .. Velocity Boundary Layer

macroscopic 'lumps' of fluid (eddies)

Convection .. Turbulent Boundary Layer
Convection .. Turbulent Boundary Layer

Eddy viscosity: A coefficient that relates the

average shear stress within a turbulent flow of
fluid to the vertical gradient of velocity.
Convection .. Forced Convection over flat plate

Transition Region
Vxcr
Recr = = 5 105

Turbulent Flow Vx
Laminar Flow Re x =

T
VL
Re L =

δ(x)  ( x) 5
=
x Rex
x Ts
L
Properties of fluid evaluated at the film temperature Tf
T + Ts
Tf =
2
 Thermal Boundary Layer
Convection ..
Developments

T∞
 Convection .. Thermal Boundary Layer

Thermal boundary layer is defined as that region of the flow

where temperature gradients in the direction normal to the surface
due to heat exchange process between the fluid and the wall are
present in the flow.

An implication of the no-slip condition is that heat transfer from

the solid surface to the fluid layer adjacent to the surface is by
pure conduction, since the fluid layer is motionless.
 Convection .. Thermal Boundary Layer

The fluid particles in the

layer adjacent assume the
surface temperature Ts.

A temperature profile
develops that ranges from Ts
at the surface to T∞
sufficiently far from the
Ts < T∞ surface.
 Convection ..Thermal Boundary Layer Thickness

• Laminar flow over an isothermal flat plate

Order-of-magnitude analysis:


Pr =

 Boundary Layer: Unheated
Convection ..
Starting length
 The equations of convective heat
Convection ..
transfer
• Flow over a heated horizontal flat plate

Assumptions:
1. The fluid is incompressible, and the flow is steady.

2. There is no pressure variations in the direction perpendicular

to the plate (zero pressure gradient).

3. Constant viscosity, thermal conductivity and specific heat of

fluid.

4. Viscous-shear forces in the y-direction are negligible.

5. Negligible heat conduction in the direction of flow (x-direction).

 The equations of convective heat
Convection ..
transfer
1. Continuity equation u v
+ =0
x y
2. Momentum equations
 u u  p   2u  2u 
 u + v  = − +   2 + 2 
 x y  x  x y 
 v v  p   2v  2v 
 u + v  = − +   2 + 2 
 x y  y  x y 
3. Energy equation
 T T    2T  2T 
C p  u +v =k 2 + 2 
 x y   x y 
Two-dimensional, incompressible flow in Cartesian coordinate system,
Newtonian fluid with constant properties with no body forces, negligible viscous
dissipation and no internal heat generation.
 Convection .. Boundary Layer Equations

Boundary layer theory was proposed by Ludwig

Prandtl shortly after the completion of his doctoral
dissertation in 1904.

Boundary Layer Approximation:

 Convection .. Boundary Layer Equations

u v
• Continuity equation: + =0
x y
 u u  p  2u
• Momentum equation:   u + v  = − +  2
 x y  x y
• Energy equation: T T  2
T
u +v = 2
x y y
 Boundary Layer for Pipe/Channel:
Convection ..
The Entrance Region
• Consider a fluid entering a circular pipe at a uniform
velocity.
• Because of the no-slip condition a velocity gradient
develops along the pipe.
• The flow in a pipe is divided into two regions:
– the boundary layer region, and
– the irrotational (core) flow region.
• The thickness of this
boundary layer Irrotational Boundary
layer
flow
increases in the flow
direction until it
reaches the pipe
center.
 Convection .. Boundary Layer for Pipe/Channel

• Hydrodynamic entrance region ─ the region from the pipe

inlet to the point at which the boundary layer merges at the
centerline and the length of this region is called the
hydrodynamic entry length Lh.
• Hydrodynamically fully developed region ─ the region
beyond the entrance region in which the velocity profile is fully
developed and remains unchanged.
• The velocity profile in the fully developed region is
– Parabolic (laminar flow), and somewhat flatter or fuller (turbulent flow).

Flow in the entrance

region is called
hydrodynamically
developing flow since
this is the region where
the velocity profile
develops.
 Convection .. Internal Fluid Flow

• Pipe ─ circular cross section.

• Duct ─ noncircular cross section.
• Tubes ─ small-diameter pipes.
• The fluid velocity changes from zero at the surface
(no-slip) to a maximum at the pipe center.
• It is convenient to work with an
average velocity, which remains
constant in incompressible flow
when the cross-sectional area
is constant.

Circular pipes can withstand large pressure differences between the inside and the
outside without undergoing any significant distortion, but noncircular pipes cannot.
 Convection .. Internal Fluid Flow

Average Velocity
• The value of the average velocity is determined from
the conservation of mass principle
m = Vavg AC =  u ( r ) dA
Ac
C

• For incompressible flow in a circular pipe of radius R

  u ( r ) dA
C

R
 u ( r ) 2 rdr 2
R
Vavg = = = 2  u ( r ) rdr
Ac 0
 AC  R 2 R 0
 Convection .. Internal Fluid Flow

• For flow in a circular tube, the Reynolds number is

defined as Vavg D Vavg D
Re D = =
 
• For flow through noncircular tubes D is replaced by
the hydraulic diameter Dh.
4 Ac
Dh =
P
• laminar flow: ReD < 2300
• fully turbulent: ReD > 10,000.
• Transitional flow: 2300  ReD  10,000.
When designing piping networks and determining pumping power, a
conservative approach is taken and flows with ReD > 4000 are assumed to be
turbulent.
 Convection .. Internal Fluid Flow

The velocity profile is parabolic in laminar flow, but it is much

fuller or flatter in turbulent flow, with a sharp drop near the
pipe wall.
 Fully Developed Laminar Flow in
Convection ..
Pipes / Tubes
R  dP 
2
 r 
2
u (r ) = −   1 − 2 
4  dx   R 
• Now the average velocity
2 R 2  dP   r2  R 2  dP 
R R
2
Vavg = 2  u ( r ) rdr = − 2    1 − 2  rdr = −  
R 0 R 0 4  dx   R  8  dx 
• Combining the two equations, the velocity profile is
rewritten as
 r 
2
u ( r ) = 2Vavg 1 − 2  ; umax = 2Vavg
 R 
The maximum velocity occurs at the centerline, r = 0:
The average velocity in fully developed laminar pipe flow is one-
half of the maximum velocity.
 Boundary Layer for Pipe/Channel:
Convection ..
Thermal Entrance Region
• Consider a constant surface temperature heated circular tube.
• Thermal boundary layer along the tube is developing.
• The thickness of this boundary layer increases in the flow direction until the
boundary layer reaches the tube center.
• Thermal entrance region – The region of flow over which the thermal
boundary layer develops and reaches the tube center and the length of this
region is called the thermal entry length Lt.
• Thermally developing flow: Flow in the thermal entrance region. This is the
region where the temperature profile develops.
• Thermally fully developed region ─ the region beyond the thermal
entrance region in which the dimensionless temperature profile
expressed as
(Ts-T)/(Ts-Tm)
remains unchanged.
Fully developed flow is both
hydrodynamically and thermally
developed.
Convection .. Thermal Boundary Layer in Pipe
Ts < T (r,0)
 Convection .. Entry Lengths

Laminar flow: ReD < 2300

– Hydrodynamic -Thermal
Lh ,laminar  0.05 Re D D Lt ,laminar  0.05 Re D Pr D = Pr Lh ,laminar
Turbulent flow: ReD > 10000
– Hydrodynamic -Thermal (approximate)
Lh ,turbulent = 1.359 D  Re1/4
D
Lh ,turbulent  Lt ,turbulent  10 D
➢ Briefly explain the entrance effect during heat transfer from a
flowing fluid through a duct. Are hydrodynamic and thermal entry
lengths equivalent? If not, on what do the relative lengths
depend?
Pr  1 Pr  1
Lt ,laminar Lt ,turbulent
 Pr h t
L  L Lh  L t 1   t
Lh ,laminar   t   t Lh,turbulent