Correlating Equations For Laminar and Turbulent Free Conve
Correlating Equations For Laminar and Turbulent Free Conve
Correlating Equations For Laminar and Turbulent Free Conve
CORRELATING
EQUATIONS
FOR
LAMINAR AND TURBULENT
FREE CONVECTION
FROM A VERTICAL
PLATE
STUART W. CHURCHILL and HUMBERT H. S. CHU
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA 19174, U.S.A.
(Received 2 August 1974 and in revised form 10 February 1975)
Abstract-A simple expression is developed for the space-mean Nu (or Sh) for all Ra and Pr (or SC)
in terms of the model of Churchill and Usagi. The development utilizes experimental values for Ra
approaching zero and infinity, and the theoretical solutions obtained from laminar boundary-layer
theory. The expression is applicable to uniform heating as well as to uniform wall temperature and for
mass transfer and simultaneous heat and mass transfer. The correlation provides a basis for estimating
transfer rates for non-Newtonian fluids and for inclined plates. Even simpler expressions are developed
for restricted ranges ofconditions. The general and restricted expressions are compared with representative
experimental data. The structure of the correlating equation shows why the common power-law-type
equations cannot be successful over an extended range of Ra and Pr.
NOMENCLATURE
arbitrary exponent;
dimensionless coefficient ;
arbitrary exponent;
b,
dimensionless coefficient ;
c,
diffusivity [m/s];
fiPrj,
dimensionless function of Pr in
equation (2);
F{m}, dimensionless function of power-law
coefficient in equation (16);
acceleration due to gravity [m/s];
local heat-transfer coefficient [J/m* . s . K];
mean heat-transfer coefficient over O-z
[J/m. s K];
thermal conductivity [J/m. s . K] ;
k,
local mass-transfer coefficient [s-l];
k,
I;, mean mass-transfer coefficient over O-z
a,
A,
m,
6
NU
NU,
Pr,
47
Ra,
Ra,
Ra*,
SC,
Sh,
sil,
T,
x,
Y*
z.
[s-l];
coefficient defined by equation (15)
[kg/m-s2-m];
exponent defined by equation (15);
exponent in equation (1);
hz/k, local Nusselt number at z;
AZ/k, mean Nusselt number over O-z;
v/u, Prandtl number;
heat flux density [J/m*-s];
g/?( T, - Tb)z3/va, Rayleigh number;
gy(o, - wb)z3/v~, Rayleigh number for mass
transfer;
gfiqz4/kvu, modified Rayleigh number based
on heat flux density;
v/g, Schmidt number;
kz/s, local Sherwood number;
IEz/g, mean Sherwood number over O-z;
temperature [K];
independent variable [m];
dependent variable [ml;
distance up plate [m].
Greek symbols
thermal diffusivity [m*/s];
thermal coefficient of expansion [K-l];
dimensionless coefficient for expansion due
to change in composition;
mass fraction;
a,
kinematic viscosity [m*/s];
v,
cp{Pr},
dimensionless function of Pr in
equation (8);
angle of inclination of the plate from the
8,
vertical;
shear stress [kgjm-s*].
7,
a,
P,
Y?
Subscripts
b,
s,
0,
00,
bulk;
surface;
limiting behavior
limiting behavior
for small z;
for large z.
INTRODUCTION
A VARIETY of theoretical expressions, graphical correlations and empirical equations have been developed
to represent the coefficients for heat and mass transfer
by free convection from vertical plates. However, the
discrepancies
between the expressions proposed
for
correlation and the various sets of experimental data
have still not been completely resolved or explained.
The experimental anomalies are apparently due in part
to physical property variations and undefined differences in the environment.
The theoretical results are
mostly limited to the intermediate range of Rayleigh
number for which the postulates of laminar boundarylayer theory are applicable; a completely satisfactory
theory has not been developed for either the diffusive
regime (low Rayleigh numbers) or the turbulent regime
(high Rayleigh numbers). The primary shortcoming of
the empirical correlations is their failure to take into
1323
1324
STLIART
W. CHURCHILL
and
REGIME
(2)
f (@492/P@ 1 419.
LAMINAR
PLUS TUR~~L~~
REGIME
(31
(6)
H.S.Cw
(11
and thus require appropriate expressions for the iimiting behavior for both large and small values of the
independent variable a.
Ede [Z] provides a thorough review of the literature
for heat transfer through 1964. In the interest of brevity,
correlations, theoretical solutions and experimental
data since that date will not be reviewed or analyzed
except insofar as they are directly relevant to the
derivations herein. The correlation is first developed
in terms of heat transfer from an isothermal plate.
Uniform heating, mass transfer, simultaneous heat and
mass transfer, non-Newtonian fluids and inclined plates
are subsequently considered.
LAMINAR
HUMBERT
(71
(8)
1325
Fb/
[ i+D49el*)
9A6
16/9
FIG. 1. Correlating equations for the laminar regime of isothermal, vertical plates.
. WeIke. T0bl.m
B Elrenberg
(mars tr(ln~e,l
10-3
lo-
00
IO2
IO3
04
I03
Pa/
C ,+lO492/Al
id
9/K
107
I09
109
100
IO
IO2
16/9
FIG. 2. Comparison of correlating equations with experimental data for isothermal, vertical plates.
INTERPRETATION
Computed
values of f{ Pr} and cp{Pr} for representative fluids are given in Table 1. The significant
deviations for air and water from the limiting dependence for Pr + cc indicate why the customary empirical equations of the form of equation (2) with
f(Pr} = 1.0 and equation (6) with cp{Pr} = 1.0 have
not proven satisfactory for a variety of fluids with a
wide range of Pr. Table 1 also indicates that somewhat lesser but still significant discrepancies are to be
expected with the simplified correlations for liquid
metals based on the limiting form for Pr + 0. A
further variation in the dependence on Pr and Ra arises
from the additive constant in equations (5) and (9).
Thus empirical correlations of the form:
Nu = CRaP@
(10)
1326
STUART
W.
CHURCHILL
and
HUMBERT H. S. CHU
Go
7.0
0.70
0,024
0.004
oil
water
air
mercury,
50F
sodium,
1200F
cp{Prl
(0.492:Pr) 14.f(Pr)
1.000
0.978
0.9 14
0766
0,436
1,000
0.971
0.887
0.701
0,331
0,259
0.47 I
0.702
0.928
0.165
0366
0.623
0,905
0.292
0.194
0,912
0.962
1,000
1~000
HEAT FLUX
(11)
N = 06*+ [1
0670Ra4
+
(o.437/pr)W6]W
(12)
(0,492/Pr)3q{Pr)
NU12
= o825
+
[l
+(o.437/pr)9!16]8/27
(13)
0.387Ra!
[I + (0.437/pr)W6]8/27
(14)
Churchill
[14] has asserted
that Nu for fully
developed turbulent motion (Ra -+ CD) should be the
same for uniform heating as for wall temperature if a
value independent
of z, corresponding
to a proportionality of Nu to Ra I3 is attained. This assertion
is tested by plotting equation (9) for Pr = 0.70 in Fig. 3.
Good agreement with the data may be noted as would
be expected since equations (9) and (14) differ only
slightly in one coefficient.
Free convection with uniform heating is often correlated in terms of Ra* in order to avoid explicit
inclusion of the surface temperature.
Equations (ll),
(12) and (14) can be rewritten in terms of Ra* simply
by replacing T, - Tb with q/h, hence Ra with Ra*/Nu.
However, this re-expression
disguises the important
result that the dependence of Nu on Ra is essentially
the same as for uniform wall temperature.
INCLINED
SURFACES
1327
i
16'
!OO
IO4
IO
IO2
IO'
IO5
Ro,
l+oG-/P,,
IO6
946
IO'
IO9
IO9
10'0
IO
160
FIG. 3. Comparison of correlating equations with experimental data for uniformly heated, vertical plates.
MASSTRANSFER
Equations (5) and (9) with % substituted for Nu,
SC for Pr, and Ra for Ra are expected to hold for
mass transfer as long as the net rate of mass transfer
is not so high as to affect the velocity field significantly.
Representative mass-transfer data [26] are included in
Fig. 2 and reasonable agreement with equations (5) and
(9) is apparent.
du m-1 du
-.
dy
II
dy
Nu = F{M}
l/(3,+1)
>
(16)
CONCLUSIONS
1. Equation (9) based on the model of Churchill and
Usagi provides a good representation for the mean
heat transfer for free convection from an isothermal
vertical plate over a complete range of Ra and Pr from
0 to 00 even though it fails to indicate a discrete
transition from laminar to turbulent flow.
2. Equation (14) provides an equivalent representation for heat transfer by free convection from a
uniformly heated vertical plate. However, equation (9)
is also an adequate representation for this boundary
condition.
3. Equation (9) is applicable to mass transfer with
a, Ra and SC substituted for Nu, Ra and Pr and can
be applied for simultaneous heat and mass transfer for
the special case of Pr = SC if Ra+ Ra is substituted
for Ra. Other such extensions are also possible.
4. More accurate representations for the laminar
regime are provided by equations (5) and (12) and these
simpler expressions should be used rather than equations (9) and (14) for Ra < 109. The expressions for the
laminar regime are also applicable to mass transfer
and simultaneous heat and mass transfer with the
indicated substitutions.
5. Equations (5) and (12) are proposed as tentative
representations for laminar convection from plates
inclined up to at least 60 from the vertical if gsincp
is substituted for g. Based on the results of Vliet [25],
equations (9) and (14) may be applicable for the turbulent regime without this modification. Fortunately
1328
STUART
W. CHURCHILL and
REFERENCES
1. S. W. Churchill and R. Usagi, A general expression for
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
HUMBERT H. S. CHU
(1956).
(1973).
23. B. H. Chang and R. G. Akins, An experimental investigation of natural convection in mercury at low Prandtl
numbers, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 15, 513-515 (1972).
24. D. V. Julian and R. G. Akins, Experimental investigation
of natural convection heat transfer to mercury, I/EC
Fundamentals 8,641-646
(1969).
..
law fluids,
and K.
from a
Sutterby
(1973).
KORRELATIONEN
Zusammeofassung-Nach
einem Mode11 von Churchill und Usagi wurde eine einfache Beziehung fiir
mittlere N&Zahlen (oder Sh) fur alle Ra und Pr (oder SC) entwickelt. Es sind dazu experimentelle Werte
fiir Ra die gegen Null und unendlich gehen herangezogen und theoretische Losungen, wie sie aus der
Gre~schichttheorie erhalten werden. Die Beziehung ist anwendbar fur gleichf~rmige Heizung, einheitliche
Wandtemperatur, fur Stoff~~rgang und gle~c~eitigen Warme- und Stoff~berg~g. Die Korrelation
vermittelt eine Grundlage zur Bestimmung des Ubergangs bei nichtnewtonischen Fliissigkeiten und fiir
geneigte Platten. Fur bestimmte Anwendungsbereiche werden einfachere Beziehungen angegeben. Die
allgemeine Gleichung und die spezielle Beziehung werden vergliechen mit reprlsentativen experimentellen
Daten. Die Struktur der Korrelationsbeziehung gibt Aufschlug tiber das Versagen der allgemeinen
Exponential-Gleichungen fiir einen ausgedehnten Bereich von Ra und Pr.
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1329