CL 333 Chemical Engineering Lab-2
Experiment Number HT302
Title Free and Forced Convection
Sub-group Code C6a
Date of Experiment September 2, 2024
Date of Report Submission September 5, 2024
Roll Number Name Responsibility owned
(data, analysis, plots,
report, none)
22b0410 Ayush Raj Plots
22b0362 Chaudhari Yashita Vinod Analysis
22b0432 Sarthak Mishra Calculations
22b0397 Vansh Yadav Report
(For use by examiners only)
Criterion TA assigned marks Faculty assigned marks
Calculations
Graphical plots
Hypothesis testing
Report quality
Initials with date
R&P TA initials with date
Objective
he aim of this experiment is to study the behavior of heat transfer in both natural and forced
T
convection settings. The main goals include:
● D etermining the heat transfer coefficient for various surfaces such as flat plates,
cylinders, and tubes.
● Calculating Reynolds and Nusselt numbers for each configuration tested.
● Exploring the relationship between surface temperature and power input.
● Estimating the overall heat transfer coefficient and the heat transfer rate.
Theory
Natural Convection
atural convection occurs when fluid motion is driven by temperature gradients rather than
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external forces. The heat transfer coefficient for natural convection is computed using the
following formula:
ere, represents the heat transferred, is thesurface temperature,
H is the film
temperature, and is the heat transfer area.
Forced Convection
orced convection involves an external force, such as a fan or pump, to move the fluid over a
F
surface, thereby enhancing the heat transfer rate. The heat transfer coefficient in this case is
also computed by:
he Nusselt number (
T ) quantifies the enhancementof heat transfer via convection relative
to conduction and is calculated by:
(for flat plates)
or
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(for cylinders and tubes)
here and are characteristic lengths, and isthe thermal conductivity. The Reynolds
w
number , which expresses the ratio of inertial toviscous forces, is given by:
ere, is the fluid density,
H is the velocity, is the characteristic length, and is the
dynamic viscosity.
Experimental Setup
he experiment was conducted using equipment designed to explore both natural and forced
T
convection over various geometrical surfaces. The apparatus consisted of:
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● vertical duct equipped with an axial fan to control airflow.
● A heating element attached to multiple tubes functioning as fins.
● Temperature sensors and a digital wattmeter for monitoring temperatures and measuring
heat input.
Experimental Procedure
Free Convection Procedure
● nsure that the main power switch is off before starting.
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● Connect the electrical power supply and turn on the main switch.
● Set the required temperature using the control panel.
● Allow the system to stabilize, then record the temperature readings.
● Repeat the procedure at different power inputs.
● After completing the experiment, reduce the variac to zero and turn off the heater and
power supply.
Forced Convection Procedure
● nsure all switches are off before beginning.
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● Connect the power supply and switch on the blower to set the airflow velocity.
● Turn on the heater and adjust the temperature using the control panel.
● Once the system stabilizes, record the temperature, pulse times, and airflow velocity.
● Repeat the procedure for various airflow velocities.
● After completing the experiment, reduce the variac to zero, and turn off the blower,
heater, and power supply.
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Observations
The experimental data is summarized in the following table:
Sample Calculations
Constants Used
L
● ength of the cylinder :
● Diameter of the cylinder:
● Area of the duct:
Insulation cross-sectional area:
●
● Insulation thickness:
S
● tefan-Boltzmann constant:
● Emissivity:
● Teflon thermal conductivity:
● Energy meter constant:
Formulae Used
● Surface Area of the cylinder
● Power
● Average air temperature
● Film temperature
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● Surface temperature
● Absolute surface temperature
● Absolute ambient temperature
● Radiative heat loss
● Conductive heat loss
● Net heat transfer
● Heat transfer coefficient
● Nusselt number
Sample Calculations for Free Convection
Average Air Temperature
Film Temperature
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Surface Area
(Given)
Surface Temperature
Radiative Heat Loss
Conductive Heat Loss
Power
Net Heat Transfer
HTC
Nusselt Number
Sample Calculations for Forced Convection (V = 1m/s)
Average Air Temperature
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Film Temperature
Radiative Heat Loss
Conductive Heat Loss
Power
Net Heat Transfer
HTC
Reynold’s Number
Nusselt Number
Derived Data
fter doing calculations for all the readings on an excel sheet, we get the data which is shared
A
below :
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Graphs
1. Air Velocity Vs. Qnet
2. Nusselt’s Number Vs. Reynold’s Number
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3. Air Velocity Vs. Heat Transfer Coefficient
Error Analysis
We can derive the relation for error in Nu using the correlations mentioned above,
ΔT=0.1K, Δt=0.1s, ΔI=0.1A, ΔV=0.1V, Δv=0.1m/s
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On putting the values, we got this…
Approximate fractional error in the calculation of Nu is around 10%.
Observations
. N
1 usselt number decreased as the velocity of air increased.
2. As the air velocity increased, the steady state was achieved at lower temperatures at
every measuring point.
Source of Errors
The potential source of errors that may have influenced the results include:
• Instrument Errors: The sensors used had limited precision, which could have caused some
inaccuracies in the measurements.
• Heat Loss: Any heat that escaped into the surroundings without being measured could have
led to lower calculated values of Qnet and, consequently, affected the heat transfer coefficient
• Flow Disturbances: Uneven flow around the tubes might have introduced errors in the
calculations of Nu (Nusselt number) and h (heat transfer coefficient).
• Measurement Errors: The placement of the velocity sensor and the manual timing with a
stopwatch may have caused additional inaccuracies during data collection.
Hypothesis
1. Efficiency of the setup will increase with velocity.
utcome: Yes, According to the derived data shared earlier, we got less Qnet with more
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velocity compared to that with free convection or with low velocities.
2. Heat transfer coefficient will increase with Renault’s Number.
utcome: No, the statement didn’t turn out to be true according to the experiment done. In our
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case, HTC is decreasing as velocity of air is increasing.
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Conclusions
From the experiments conducted, the following conclusions can be drawn:
• The heat transfer coefficient h is lower for free convection compared to forced convection,
indicating that forced convection results in higher convective heat transfer.
• The Nusselt number Nu decreases with the Reynolds number Re.
• Experimental values of h and Nu were lower than theoretical predictions, likely due to heat
losses and measurement inaccuracies.
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