Problem 1

Consider a vertical wall of height H in contact with an isothermal fluid reservoir. For the purpose of scale analysis, select
the square flow region of height H and horizontal thickness H. Show that if in the momentum equation you invoke a

the H × H region is not the boundary layer region; hence, the conclusion ‘‘inertia/friction ∼ GrH’’ does not apply to the
balance between friction and buoyancy, the inertia/friction ratio comes out to be of order Gr H = (gβ ΔT H3)/ν2 (note that

energy equation for the H × H region? In other words, is the invoked balance friction ∼ buoyancy in the H × H region
boundary layer region). Is the vertical velocity scale derived above compatible with the v scale recommended by the

realistic?
Problem 2
Using natural flows, a solar chimney has to be designed to heat the air to a uniform temperature at a constant mass flow
rate. The chimney is planned to design using two parallel walls with the width of the wall significantly higher than the
height of the chimney. Design the chimney by looking into the H/D. what is the condition for which the designed
chimney will work and will be able to discharge fluid at a constant rate? Assume any necessary conditions with proper
justification.
Hint: Find the average heat flux between the two parallel walls facing each other as depicted in the figure.
Assume the necessary conditions for an analytical solution to the problem. Validate your assumptions with the necessary
condition
 Problem 3

You have a bottle of cold drink at room temperature, and you would like to drink it cold as
soon as possible. You place the bottle in the refrigerator; however, you have the option of
positioning the bottle (1) vertically or (2) horizontally. The refrigerator cools by natural
convection (it does not employ forced circulation).
(a) Which way should you position the bottle? Describe the goodness of your decision by
calculating the ratio t1/t2, where t represents the order of magnitude of the time needed for
the bottle to reach thermal equilibrium with the refrigeration chamber (base this
calculation on scale analysis).
Data :
 g   g 
  125;   4910 ; both have same unit
   air    cd

kair=0.025 and kcd=0.58; both have same unit Subscript cd stands for cold drink

For high Pr number fluids (e.g. air, water etc.) the Nu scales as

For heat transfer from vertical walls

Hh g  TH 3 Where H is the height
Nu  Ra1/4
H Where, RaH is the Rayleigh number RaH 
k  of the wall
For heat transfer from horizontal walls
Lh
Nu   Ra1/4
L Where L is the characteristic length
k
Consider H=5L and assume  (Tcd  Ts ) (Ts  Tair )  Where Ts is the surface temperature of the bottle
4
Assumptions: (1) The bottle is cooled only by natural convection (2) No spatial variation
of temperature, the temperature of the surface of the bottle (Ts) and cold drink (Tcd) and
(Tair) will remain uniform everywhere and will only change with time (3) The cold drink
does not contain any bubble or even if it contain bubbles those will have no effect in heat
transfer (4) The time of cooling will be approximated by taking an order of magnitude of
the time needed for heat transfer (5)
 (Tcd  Ts ) (Ts  Tair ) 

Find: Whether to place the bottle vertically or horizontally for faster cooling
Solution:

The rate of cooling down of the bottle (Q) will be (assuming no spatial variation of
temperature and the cold drink temperature will be uniform and Tcd at any time instant),

dTcd
Q mcd ccd …….(1) where c is the specific heat
dt
Now this heat is dissipated in the air

So,
Q hA(Tcd  Tair ) …….(2) where A is the total bottle area.

6
 Equating both the equations we will get
dTcd
hA(Tcd  Tair ) mcd ccd …….(3)
dt

So, the order of cooling down time for the cold dink bottle will be

(mc)cd
t~ …….(4)
hA

If we the above equation carefully only h (heat transfer coefficient) will be a function
of the orientation of the bottle. Rest parameters are independent of the orientation.

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 h=h1
Q
hcd air
h=h2
hair hcd hair cd

Q
air cd

So, we can write

t1 h2 …….(5) Subscript 1 and 2 stands for vertical and horizontal
 position respectively
t2 h1

8
Now we have to estimate the overall heat transfer coefficient (h) for the horizontal and
vertical position of the cold drink bottle respectively.
The overall heat transfer coefficient (h) for this problem will be

1 1 1
 
h hcd side hair side …….(6)

Position 1
From the scale analysis for Pr >1 fluids we can write
1 1
hcd ~ (kRaH )cd and hair ~ (kRa1/4
1/4
H ) air …….(7)
H H
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If we assume the same T  (Tcd  Ts ) (Ts  Tair )  inside and outside the bottle,

Then we can write

  g TH 3 1/4    g  1/4 
k    k  
hcd (kRa1/4      cd      cd 0.58 (4910)1/4
H ) cd
~    58.1
hair (kRa1/4
H ) air   g TH 3  
1/4
  g  
1/4
0.025 (125)1/4

k   k  
     air      air

Since, hcd >> hair we can say the overall h is

1 1  3 1/4 
 g TH  
1
h1 ~ hair ~ (kRa1/4
H ) air   k    (Constant) H
4
…….(8)
H H      air

10
 Similarly,
Position 2
1

h2 ~ (Constant) L 4

From equation (5) we can write

 1/4  1/4
t1 h2  L   L 
     51/4 1.50
t2 h1  H   5 L 

So, the cooling the cold drink bottle by placing it vertically will take 50% more time compare
to the horizontal position. So, if you want to have the cold drink as soon as possible place it
horizontally

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Problem 4
The ABC Evening News Report in a news segment on hypothermia research studies at
the University of Minnesota claimed that heat loss from the body (at 25°C ) is faster in
10°C water than in air at the same temperature. Is that a realistic statement? If the
statement is found to be true then how fast? Person can be approximated as a vertical
cylinder of diameter D = 0.3 m and length L = 1.8 m
1/3 g  TH 3
The variation of Ra with the Nu is given as Nu H 0.1RaH Where, RaH 

Data:
For air, For water,
k = 0.0293 W/m×K, k = 0.598 W/m×K,
ν = 19.91 ´ 10-6 m2/s, ν = 1.081 ´ 10-6 m2/s,
α = 28.4 ´ 10-6 m2/s; α = 1.431 ´ 10-7 m2/s,
ba = 3.45´10-3 K -1 bw = 174 ´10-6 K -1 .

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Solution:
Known: Person, approximated as a cylinder, experiencing heat loss in water or air at
10°C.
Find: Whether heat loss from body in water is faster then that in air. If so then how fast?

Assumptions: (1) Person can be approximated as a vertical cylinder of diameter D = 0.3

m and height H = 1.8 m (2) Initially the outer surface of the body is kept at 25°C
(3) Loss is only from the lateral surface of the body.

Analysis: In both water (w) and air (a), the heat loss from the lateral surface of the
cylinder approximating the body is

q h  DL (Ts  T ) …….(9)

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here Ts and T¥ are the same for both situations. Hence,

qw hw
 …….(10)
qa ha
For Vertical cylinder in air:

m 3 1
9.8 2 3.45 10 (25  10) K (1.8m)3
g TH 3
s K 9
RaH   5.228 10
 m 2
m 2
19.9110 6 28.4 10 6
s s

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So, from the relation with Nu
1/3
NuH 0.1RaH 0.1(5.228 109 )1/3 173.4

h H
Nu H 
k
173.4 ⇒ h 2.82 W / m 2 K

Vertical cylinder in water:

m 6 1
9.8 2 174 10 (25  10) K (1.8m)3
g TH 3
s K 11
RaH   9.643 10
 m 2
m 2
1.08110 6 1.43110 7
s s

15
So, from the relation with Nu
1/3
NuH 0.1RaH 0.1(9.643 1011 )1/3 978.9

h H
⇒
2
Nu H  978.9 h 328 W / m K
k
Hence, from this analysis we find (substituting in equation 10 )
qw 328 W / m 2 K
 2
117 ⇒ qw 117 qa
qa 2.8 W / m K
Conclusion:
Heat loss from the body is 117 times faster in 10°C water than in air at the same
temperature.
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Problem 5
The single-pane window problem consists of estimating the heat
transfer rate through the vertical glass layer shown in Fig. The window
separates two air reservoirs of temperatures Th and Tc. Assuming
constant properties, laminar boundary layers on both sides of the glass,
and a uniform glass temperature Tw. Find the relationship between the
average heat flux qʺ with Th to Tc . Expression for the Nu is given as

Nu 0.517 Ra1/4
H
Problem 6
Machined into a solid wall of temperature T is a slender two-dimensional cavity of height H and length L
(H<< L). The cavity communicates laterally with an infinitely large fluid reservoir of temperature T + T. The
situation is shown schematically in the Figure. Show that if the cavity is slender enough, the buoyancy-
driven flow will penetrate the cavity only to a certain depth whose order of magnitude is
Ly ~ H Ra1/2
H

Determine the order of magnitude of the total heat transfer rate between the fluid reservoir and the walls of
the cavity.
 Problem 7
Consider the penetration of natural convection into a vertical slender cavity of height H and gap thickness L
(H>>L). As is shown in the Figure, One end of the cavity is closed and the other communicates with a very large
fluid reservoir. Rely on scaling arguments to show that when a temperature difference ΔT is established between the
fluid reservoir and the walls of the cavity, the flow penetrates vertically to a depth that scales as
Ly ~ L RaL
Estimate the order of magnitude of the heat transfer rate between the fluid reservoir and the walls of the cavity,
assuming that Ly < H.