Dimensionless Numbers for Heat Transfer

Coefficient Determination

Haider Ali
FA22-PPH-002
 Dimensionless numbers
In fluid mechanics, Dimensionless numbers or non-dimensional numbers are those which are useful to
determine the flow characteristics of a fluid. Inertia force always exists if there is any mass in motion. Dividing
this inertia force with other forces like viscous force, gravity force, surface tension, elastic force, or pressure
force, gives us the dimensionless numbers.
Some important dimensionless numbers used in fluid mechanics and their importance is explained below.
1. Reynolds Number
2. Prandtl Number
3. Lewis Number
4. Peclet Number
5. Stanton Number
6. Nusselt Number
7. Grashof Number
8. Rayleigh Numbe
9. Fourier Number
 Reynolds number
Reynolds number is the ratio of inertia force to the viscous force. It describes the predominance of inertia forces
to the viscous forces occurring in the flow systems.

Where,       
ρ = Density of fluid (kg/m3)
µ = viscosity of fluid (kg/m.s)
d = diameter of pipe (m)
v = velocity of flow (m/s)
Significance:
• Re is the ratio of Inertial forces to the Viscous forces.
• Primarily used to analyze different flow regimes i.e Laminar, Turbulent, or Transient Flow.
• When Viscous forces are dominant (i.e low value of Re) it is a laminar flow.
• When Inertial forces are dominant (i.e high value of Re) it is a Turbulent flow
 Prandtl Number

Where,
ρ = Density of fluid (kg/m3)
µ = viscosity of fluid (kg/m.s)
= Momentum Diffusivity / Velocity
= Heat Diffusivity (m2/s)
k = Thermal Conductivity of the fluid (W/m.K)
= Specific Heat Capacity at a constant pressure (kJ/kg.K)

Significance:
• Depends only on fluid & its properties.
• It is the ratio of momentum diffusivity to heat diffusivity of the fluid.
• It is also the ratio of velocity boundary layer to thermal boundary layer.
• Pr = small, implies that rate of thermal diffusion (heat) is more than the rate of momentum diffusion (velocity).
Also the thickness of thermal boundary layer is much larger than the velocity boundary layer
 Lewis Number

Where,
ρ = Density of fluid (kg/m3)
= Heat Diffusivity
k = Thermal Conductivity of the fluid
= Specific Heat Capacity at a constant pressure
DAB= Mass Diffusivity

Significance:
• Ratio of thermal diffusivity to mass diffusivity.
• Fluid flow with simultaneous Heat & mass transfer by convection.
• It is also ratio of Schmidt number to Prandtl number.
 Peclet Number

Where,
Lch=Characteristic Length

Vch=Characteristic Velocity
ρ = Density of fluid (kg/m3)
= Heat Diffusivity
k = Thermal Conductivity of the fluid
= Specific Heat Capacity at a constant pressure

Significance:
• Ration of Heat transported by convection to Heat transported by conduction.
• Product of Re & Pr for Pe(HT) & product of Re & Sc for Pe(MT).
 Stanton Number

Where,
ρ = Density of fluid (kg/m3)
h=Heat Transfer Coefficient
Vch=Characteristic Velocity
= Specific Heat Capacity at a constant pressure

Significance:
• For HT, It is the ratio of heat transferred to the fluid to the heat capacity of the fluid.
• For HT, It’s the ratio of Nusselt Number to Peclet Number i.e St(HT) = Nu/(Re.Pr).
• Used to find heat transfer in forced convection flows.
 Nusselt Number
𝑳𝒄𝒉 𝒉
Where, 𝑵 𝒖=
h=Heat Transfer Coefficient
𝒌
k = Thermal Conductivity of the fluid
Lch=Characteristic Length

Significance:
• Ratio of convective to conductive heat transfer coefficient across the boundary layer.
• Low Nu => conduction is more => Laminar flow
• High Nu => convection is more => Turbulent flow.
• It can also be viewed as conduction resistance to convection resistance of the material.
• Free convection: Nu = f(Ra, Pr)
• Forced Convection: Nu = f(Re, Pr)
 Grashof Number

𝟑
𝒈 𝜷(𝑻 𝒔 − 𝑻 ∞ )𝑳
𝑮𝒓 = 𝟐
𝒗
Where,
L =Characteristic Length
β=Volumetric Thermal Expansion (K–1)
= Momentum Diffusivity / Velocity
g = acceleration due to gravity

Significance:
• Ratio of Buoyancy force to viscous force in natural convection.
• Reynolds number is used in forced convection of fluid flow, whereas Grashof number is used in natural
convection
 Rayleigh Number
𝒈 𝜷(𝑻 𝒔 −𝑻 ∞ ) 𝑳𝟑
𝑹 𝒂 =𝑮𝒓 × 𝑷 𝒓 =
𝜶𝒗
Where,
L =Characteristic Length
β=Volumetric Thermal Expansion
= Momentum Diffusivity / Velocity
g = acceleration due to gravity
= Heat Diffusivity

Significance:
• It shows the presence & strength of convection in a fluid body.
• Heat transfer by Conduction within fluid < Critical value for that fluid < Heat transfer by convection.
(consequences of Ra values) Product of Gr.Pr
  Fourier Number

𝜶𝒕
𝑭 𝑶𝒉= 𝟐
𝑹

Significance:
• Ratio of rate of heat conduction to the rate of heat storage.
• Used along with Biot number to solve transient state heat transfer problems.
• For mass transfer by diffusion, Fourier number for MT is used.
• It can also be understood as current time to the time taken to reach steady state
 Froude number
Froude number is the ratio of inertia force to the gravitational force. Froude number is significant in case of free
surface flows where the gravitational force is predominant compared to other forces.

Where,
L = length of flow (m)
v = velocity of flow (m/s)
g = acceleration due to gravity (m/s2)
Importance
Froude number is useful to describe the flow in open channels, flow over notches and weirs, the motion of a ship
in turbulent sea conditions (ship resistance), flow over spillways, etc.
 Weber number
Weber number is the ratio of inertia force to the surface tension. The formation of droplets or water bubbles in a
fluid is normally due to surface tension. If Weber number is small, surface tension is larger and vice versa.

Where,
ρ = Density of fluid (kg/m3)
σ = Surface tension of fluid (N/m)
d = diameter of water droplet (m)
v = velocity of flow (m/s)
Applications
Weber number is less than 1 when surface tension is predominant. It happens when the curvature of the liquid
surface is small compared to its depth. This can be seen in different situations such as the flow of blood in veins
and arteries, atomization of liquids, capillary flow of water in soils, thin layers of fluid passing over surface, etc.
 Mach number
Mach number is the ratio of inertia force to the elastic force. If the Mach number is one, then the flow velocity is
equal to the velocity of sound in the fluid. If it is less than one, then the flow is called subsonic flow, and if it is
greater than one the flow is called supersonic flow.

Where,
v = Velocity of flow (m/s)
c = Velocity of sound in fluid (m/s)
Applications
Mach number is useful to describe problems in high flow velocities. It is also used in aerodynamics to describe the
speed of jet plane or missile in terms of speed of sound.
 Euler’s number
Euler number is the ratio of pressure force to the inertia force.

Where,
F = pressure force
ρ = Density of fluid (kg/m3)
L = Characteristic length of flow (m)
v = velocity of flow (m/s)
Applications
Euler’s number is significant in cases where pressure gradient exists such as flow through pipes, water hammer
pressure in penstocks, discharge through orifices and mouthpieces, etc.