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Free & Forced Convection report (aerospace lab)
Engineering lab 1 (Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia)
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AEROSPACE ENGINEERING LAB 1 (MECH 2128)
SECTION 1
LAB REPORT : HEAT TRANSFER
GROUP 4
LECTURER : DR. MUHAMMAD HANAFI BIN AZAMI
GROUP MEMBERS :
1. MUHAMMAD IQHWAN BIN ZABIDI 1814949
2. AINA SOFEA BINTI FAHIZAL 1911420
3. NAJIHAH FARIZSHA BINTI AHMAD RIZAL 1815388
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1.0 ABSTRACT
The heat convection experiments are divided into 3 parts. Part A of the experiment
focusses on the natural convection with both fin and cylinder heater insert. For this part,
there is no forced convection heat transfer is applied and the heater is kept at a constant
level. Whilst for the Part B of the experiment, forced convection is applied where the fan
is switched on at constant level and no other variation is applied. Lastly for Part C of the
experiment, it is done the same way as Part B except that the fan speed is made varied to
no. 7, 9 and 10. Throughout all parts of the experiment, steady state condition of the
temperatures and velocities are needed before data tabulation. Different types of extended
surface plate, fin heater insert and pin (cylinder) heat insert is used for all parts of the
experiments. Each parts of the experiment shows how the free and forced flow of air affect
the velocities and the temperatures inside the air duct.
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2.0 INTRODUCTION
Heat convection is energy transfer between a solid surface and the adjacent fluid in
motion where it involves combined effects of both conduction and also fluid motion. The
energy transfer occurs to the surface of an object where the surrounding fluid is heated and
therefore moving the energy away from the heat source. This is due to the temperature
difference between the surface and the surrounding fluid. The mechanism of the process
involves molecular diffusion and also the movement of fluid through free (natural
convection) or forced (forced convection).
Free convection or natural convection refers to fluid motion induced solely on the
buoyancy force. Buoyancy force is caused by the density gradients throughout the fluids
due to the temperature difference. Meanwhile forced convection is heat transfer in fluids
that are caused when fluids are forced to move in order to increase the heat transfer. Such
force is done with a fan, a pump or suction devices.
From the free and forced convection experiment, the heat transfer by convection
can be increased by attaching thin strips of metal fins to the surface. Convection of heat
transfer can be improved by increasing the surface area in contact with the air. The heated
surface dissipates heat to the surrounding fluid primarily through convection. The air in
contact with the hot surface is heated by the surface and rises from inside the airduct due
to the reduction in density. The heated air is then replaced with cooler air which is in turn
heated by the hot surface and the process repeats until all the fluids are at the same
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temperature. The larger the surface area of heat insert in contact with air, the higher the
heat transfer rate could be obtained.
In free convection, very small movements of air are generated by the heat limit the
heat transfer rate from the surface. More heat could be transferred if the velocity inside the
air duct is increased over the heated surface which means forced convection occurs. A
heated surface experiencing forced convection will have a lower surface temperature than
that of the same surface in free convection, for the same power input.
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3.0 OBJECTIVE
The experiment aims to illustrate the transfer of heat by convection both naturally
and by force.
1. To demonstrate the use of extended surfaces to improve heat transfer from a surface.
2. To demonstrate convection heat transfer by using different type of extended
surfaces.
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4.0 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
4.1 APPARATUS
1. G. U. N. T. WL350 TEST UNIT, FREE AND FORCED CONVECTION
MACHINE
2. Heater inserts – fin and cylinder
3. Thermocouple
4. Air measurement probe
G. U. N. T. WL350 TEST UNIT, FREE AND FORCED CONVECTION MACHINE
Figure 1
1. Air duct
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2. Measuring glands (enable the temperature to be recorded at various points)
3. Thermocouple
4. Flow sensor
5. Pt100 element (record the inlet temperature)
6. Pt100 element (record the outlet temperature)
7. Heater insert
8. Heater insert
9. Heater insert
4.2 PROCEDURE
Part A – Natural Convection (Fin and Cylinder Heater Insert)
1. Insert the fin heater insert. (Make sure that the heater power supply is first switched
off before replacing the heater insert. Beware of hot surfaces!)
2. Switch on the equipment. Ensure that the fan is switched off.
3. Set the heater to no. 7.
4. Allow sufficient time to achieve a steady state condition before taking the readings
of velocity and temperature as shown below:
a. Inlet flow rate, vin and the inlet temperature, Tin at TP1.
b. The air temperature, Tout at TP12.
c. Temperatures T2,T3, T4 and T5.
5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 for the cylinder heater insert.
Part B – Forced Convection (Fin and Cylinder Heater Insert)
1. Switch on the fan to no. 8 (Do not run it at a lower settings)
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2. When steady state is achieved, take the readings as in from Part A.
3. Carry out this experiment for both the fin and cylinder heater inserts.
Part C – Forced Convection (Fin and Cylinder Heater Insert) at Varying Flow Rates.
1. Carry out the experiment the same way as in Part B, only, vary the fan speed to no.
7, 9 and 10.
2. Obtain steady state condition and note down the respective velocity and
temperatures.
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5.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
5.1 DATA TABULATION
Cylinder Heater Insert Pin Heater Insert
Tin (oC) 25.9 38.4
Tout (oC) 30.3 39.2
T2 (oC) 27.3 35.1
T3 (oC) 25.3 33.7
T4 (oC) 23.9 32.6
T5 (oC) 21 31.7
Air velocity 0.1 0.1
(m/s)
Table 1 – Readings for Free Convection (Heater no 7)
Fan Speed Air Velocity Cylinder Heater Insert Pin Heater Insert
m/s Tin (oC) Tout (oC) Tin (oC) Tout (oC)
7 2.0 30.0 31.2 46.0 49.3
8 2.6 27.8 39.7 37.2 40.5
9 3.2 28.0 30.2 28.4 33.6
10 3.7 22.7 25.5 24.3 29.3
Table 2 – Forced Convection (Different Fan Speed)
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Fan Air Cylinder Heater Insert Pin Heater Insert
Speed Velocity T2 T3 T4 T5 T2 T3 T4 T5
(m/s) (oC) (oC) (oC) (oC) (oC) ( oC) (oC) (oC)
7 2.0 25.5 23.9 23 22.7 32.6 31.1 30.2 27
8 2.6 23.8 23 22.8 21.7 26 24 26 24.7
9 3.2 22.3 21.9 20.6 19.4 20.7 19.2 20 20.3
10 3.7 19.4 18.7 17.1 17 18.4 18.5 18 17.6
Table 3 – Forced Convection (Different Fan Speed)
5.2 DISCUSSION
Temperature vs Distance Graph
(Cylinder Heater Insert)
30
25
Temperature
20
15
10
0
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06
Distance
10
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Temperature vs Distance Graph
(Pin Heater Insert)
35.5
35
34.5
Temperature
34
33.5
33
32.5
32
31.5
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06
Distance
The graphs plotted above shows the relationship between temperature against the
distance of each plate with each other. This is obtained at constant speed of air inside the
airduct which meant free convection happened. The air velocity is 0.1m/s. The distance of
each plates are 0.012m, which meant the graphs are located at 0.012m, 0.024m, 0.036m
and 0.048m away from the heater. As the graphs shows that the further away the plate from
the heater, the temperature of the plate is lower than the one nearer to the heater. The graphs
also shows that the pin heater inserts has higher temperatures than the cylinder heater insert.
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Temperature vs Velocity Graph
(Cylinder Heater Insert)
30
25
20
Temperature
15
10
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Velociity 2.5 3 3.5 4
Series1 Series2 Series3 Series4
Series 1 – T2 Series 2 – T3 Series 3 – T4 Series 4 – T5
Temperature vs Velocity Graph
(Pin Heater Insert)
35
30
25
Temperature
20
15
10
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
Velociity
Series1 Series2 Series3 Series4
Series 1 – T2 Series 2 – T3 Series 3 – T4 Series 4 – T5
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The graphs above shows the relationship between temperature and velocity for both
cylinder and pin heater insert. This relationship occurs due to the difference fan speed used
which is at 7, 8, 9 and 10. At fan speed 7, the velocity of air inside the airduct is 2.0m/s,
2.6m/s at fan speed 8, 3.2m/s at fan speed 9 and at fan speed 10 the velocity is 3.7m/s. The
graph shows that as the fan speed or the velocity inside the airduct increases, the
temperature obtained from the thermocouples would decrease. Though the relationship
between temperature and velocity are the same, between the heater inserts, the pin heater
insert has a relatively higher temperature compared to the cylinder heater insert.
Temperature vs Distance Graph
(Cylinder Heater Insert)
35
30
25
Temperature
20
15
10
5
0
0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03 0.035 0.04 0.045
Distance
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Temperature vs Distance Graph
(Pin Heater Insert)
50
45
40
35
Temperature
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03 0.035 0.04 0.045
Distance
The graphs plotted above shows the relationship between the extended surface
temperature against the distance from the back plate for both heat inserts at various air
velocities. At distance 0.01m the air speed is 2.0m/s, 2.6m/s at 0.02m, 3.2m/s at 0.03m and
3.7m/s at 0.04m. It is found from the graph that the pin heater insert has higher temperature
reading compared to the cylinder heater insert. Both of the heater inserts shows the same
relationship where the temperature of surfaces decreasing along the increasing distance of
the back plate.
Between the heater inserts, the pin heater insert has higher surface area compared
to the cylinder heater insert. The difference in the surface area exposed to the convection
process explains the difference in temperature between the two heater inserts. This is why
the pin heater insert has a relatively higher temperature than the cylinder heater insert.
Greater surface area exposed to the convection process enabled more heat to be transferred
through convection process.
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For a heat exchanger with 100% efficiency, the whole of the extended surface should be at
the same temperature as the backplane, this is not achievable in the experiment because the
efficiency of the heat exchanger to be 100% is impossible in real life. One of the factor that
affect the efficiency is due to the thermal properties of the material. This includes the
thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, specific heat capacity and the material density of
the extended surface. The thermal properties of a material also explain the response of a
material to the application of heat.
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6.0 CONCLUSION
To conclude the experiment done, it is shown that the same power input to both
heater inserts has resulted in temperature distribution along the extended surface through
conduction process through the material for the free and forced convection. The
temperature are seen to decrease along the extended surfaces to the farthest location from
the heater plate.
The illustration of heat transfer through free and forced convection are successfully
shown where the difference in temperature distribution on the extended surface are clear.
Through forced convection where air are forced to move by the fan, the temperature
distribution along the plates are lower than of the free convection.
The different type of extended surface also plays an important role in the whole
process of convection heat transfer. It can be concluded that the pin heater insert, with a
larger surface area achieved a higher heat transfer than the cylinder heater insert. This is
due to the total surface area exposed to the air and heat transfer take place faster through
the more exposed surface area.
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7.0 REFERENCES
1. Bethel Afework, Jordan Hanania, Kailyn Stenhouse, Jasdeep Toor, Jason
Donev. (2015) Forced convection. Available:
[Link] Last
accessed 25th May 2021
2. Elsevier B.V. (2021). Heat Convection. Available:
[Link] Last
accessed 25th May 2021
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