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Welcome to Fundamentals of Heat Transfer Part 2: Enhance Your Understanding of Convection and Convection Coefficients

In part 1 of our course on Fundamentals of Heat Transfer, we focused on heat transfer by conduction and briefly discussed convection as a possible boundary condition. In part 2, we delve deeper into convection and convection coefficients.

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Welcome to Fundamentals of Heat Transfer Part 2: Enhance Your Understanding of Convection and Convection Coefficients

In part 1 of our course on Fundamentals of Heat Transfer, we focused on heat transfer by conduction and briefly discussed convection as a possible boundary condition. In part 2, we delve deeper into convection and convection coefficients.

Our first objective is to develop an understanding of boundary layer phenomena and the features that control the convection coefficient. We will discuss the hydrodynamic boundary layer concept and the thermal boundary layer, which is the region of the fluid next to the surface in which energy exchange is occurring, and examine its influence on the convection coefficient.

We then address the problem of convection and introduce methods for estimating convection coefficients associated with forced convection in external and internal flows. We also consider free or natural convection and present methods for estimating convection coefficients for common geometries.

Throughout the course, we will explore how to estimate convection coefficients to perform analyses on thermal systems experiencing different types of flow and heat transfer situations. We will examine how the convection coefficient depends upon fluid properties, surface geometry, and flow conditions.

By the end of this course, you will have an enhanced understanding of convection and convection coefficients, enabling you to apply these concepts in real-world scenarios.

We wish you good luck in your learning journey. Enroll now to advance your knowledge of heat transfer.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Understand the physical mechanism of convection, and its classification
  • Visualize the development of velocity and thermal boundary layers during flow over surfaces
  • Gain a working knowledge of the dimensionless reynolds, prandtl, and nusselt numbers
  • Distinguish between laminar and turbulent flows, and gain an understanding of the mechanisms of momentum and heat transfer in turbulent flow
  • Evaluate the heat transfer associated with flow over a flat plate for both laminar and turbulent flow
  • Calculate the the average heat transfer coefficient for flows over cylinders and spheres during cross flow
  • Have a visual understanding of different flow regions in internal flow, such as the entry and the fully developed flow regions
  • Analyze heating and cooling of a fluid flowing in a tube under different conditions, and work with the logarithmic mean temperature difference
  • Determine the friction factor and nusselt number in fully developed turbulent flow using empirical relations, calculate the pressure drop and heat transfer rate
  • Understand the physical mechanism of natural convection
  • Evaluate the nusselt number for natural convection associated with vertical, horizontal, and inclined plates as well as cylinders and spheres
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Syllabus

Introduction to Convection
The Thermal Boundary Layer
Example 1
Laminar and Turbulent Boundary Layers
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Example 2
The Prandtl Number
The Nusselt Number
Example 3
External Forced Convection
The Empirical Method
External Flow Correlations: Flat Plate
Cylinder in Cross Flow
External Flow Correlations: The Sphere
Example 4
Internal Forced Convection
Hydrodynamic Considerations
Velocity Profile in the Fully Developed Region
Pressure Gradient and Friction Factor in Fully Developed Flow
Thermal Considerations
Thermally Fully Developed Flow
Constant Surface Heat Flux Condition
Constant Surface Temperature Condition
Surface Thermal Condition: External Fluid
Internal Flow Correlations
Example 5
Natural Convection
Flow and Thermal Considerations
The Grashof Number
Natural Convection Correlations
Exercise Files

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Fundamentals of Heat Transfer Part 2 with these activities:
Review Fluid Mechanics Fundamentals
Reinforce your understanding of fluid properties and flow behavior, which are essential for grasping convection concepts.
Browse courses on Fluid Mechanics
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  • Review definitions of viscosity, density, and pressure.
  • Study different types of fluid flow (laminar, turbulent).
  • Practice solving basic fluid mechanics problems.
Review Thermodynamics Principles
Solidify your understanding of thermodynamics principles, which are fundamental to understanding heat transfer.
Browse courses on Thermodynamics
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  • Review the laws of thermodynamics.
  • Study different modes of heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation).
  • Practice solving basic thermodynamics problems.
Calculate Convection Coefficients
Practice calculating convection coefficients for various geometries and flow conditions to solidify your understanding of the empirical correlations.
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  • Solve problems involving flow over flat plates.
  • Solve problems involving flow over cylinders and spheres.
  • Solve problems involving internal flow in tubes.
Four other activities
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Show all seven activities
Create a Convection Concept Map
Visualize the relationships between different concepts related to convection, such as boundary layers, dimensionless numbers, and flow regimes.
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  • Identify key concepts related to convection.
  • Draw connections between these concepts.
  • Refine the concept map for clarity and completeness.
Analyze Heat Transfer in a Heat Exchanger
Apply your knowledge of convection to analyze the performance of a heat exchanger, considering different flow arrangements and fluid properties.
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  • Select a type of heat exchanger to analyze.
  • Determine the relevant parameters (flow rates, temperatures, fluid properties).
  • Calculate the overall heat transfer coefficient and heat transfer rate.
  • Analyze the effect of different parameters on heat exchanger performance.
Read 'Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer' by Incropera and DeWitt
Deepen your understanding of convection by studying a comprehensive heat transfer textbook.
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  • Read the chapters on convection and boundary layers.
  • Work through the example problems.
  • Attempt the end-of-chapter problems.
Read 'Heat Transfer' by J.P. Holman
Supplement your learning with a well-regarded textbook on heat transfer.
Show steps
  • Read the sections on forced and natural convection.
  • Review the examples and solved problems.
  • Consider this book as a reference for future work.

Career center

Learners who complete Fundamentals of Heat Transfer Part 2 will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Thermal Engineer
As a Thermal Engineer, you focus on the design, analysis, and optimization of thermal management systems. This Fundamentals of Heat Transfer course on convection and convection coefficients helps you understand the thermal boundary layer and estimate convection coefficients for various flow conditions. You will learn how fluid properties, surface geometry, and flow conditions influence convection, which will be useful when developing cooling solutions for electronic devices. This course provides a strong foundation for analyzing heat transfer in complex systems.
HVAC Design Engineer
The role of an HVAC Design Engineer involves designing and implementing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. This course is helpful for understanding how convection impacts heat transfer within HVAC systems. Knowing how to effectively estimate convection coefficients related to forced and natural convection helps you optimize designs for energy efficiency and thermal comfort. By examining the thermal boundary layer and different flow conditions, you can improve the performance and reliability of HVAC systems. The course specifically addresses internal flows, which is useful for HVAC design.
Aerospace Engineer
Aerospace Engineers design aircraft and spacecraft, requiring a strong understanding of heat transfer mechanisms. This course helps you analyze thermal behavior in aerospace applications, particularly regarding convection and convection coefficients. Specifically, the course helps you understand the development of velocity and thermal boundary layers during flow over surfaces. You also examine how convection coefficients depend on fluid properties, surface geometry, and flow conditions, which is relevant to designing thermal protection systems for re-entry vehicles.
Energy Engineer
As an Energy Engineer, you work on developing and implementing energy-efficient solutions. This course helps you understand convection and convection coefficients, enabling you to optimize energy systems involving heat transfer. You will also learn how to estimate convection coefficients for various flow conditions, while improving the performance of renewable energy technologies such as solar thermal collectors. Understanding boundary layer phenomena and thermal resistance helps you design more efficient energy systems.
Research Scientist
Research Scientists in heat transfer conduct experiments and develop models to advance the understanding of thermal phenomena, often requiring an advanced degree (master's or phd). This course helps you understand convection and convection coefficients, which are crucial in various research areas. The course provides a good background for conducting research on topics such as enhanced heat transfer techniques and nanofluids. By learning about dimensionless numbers and empirical relations, you will be able to analyze and interpret experimental results in heat transfer research.
Mechanical Engineer
Mechanical Engineers are involved in the design and manufacturing of mechanical systems, often requiring in-depth knowledge of heat transfer. This course may be useful for understanding convection and convection coefficients in various mechanical applications. The course helps you develop a clearer understanding of both laminar and turbulent flows. This course also is useful for performing analyses on thermal systems experiencing different types of flow and heat transfer situations, which is important for optimizing system performance and efficiency.
Automotive Engineer
Automotive Engineers design and develop vehicles, many of which involve managing heat generated by engines and other components. This course helps you understand convection and convection coefficients, thereby optimizing cooling systems for engines and other vehicle components. This course also helps you examine how convection coefficients depend upon fluid properties, surface geometry, and flow conditions. By learning about forced and natural convection, you can improve the thermal management of automotive systems, increasing efficiency and reliability.
Process Engineer
Becoming a Process Engineer requires one to design, implement, and optimize industrial processes, often involving heat transfer. This course may be useful for understanding convection in process equipment such as heat exchangers and reactors. By learning how to estimate convection coefficients for different flow conditions and geometries, you will be able to improve process efficiency and product quality. The course helps you analyze heating and cooling of fluids flowing in tubes under different conditions.
Manufacturing Engineer
Manufacturing Engineers improve manufacturing processes with the goal of efficiency and product quality, something that may involve understanding heat transfer. This course helps you understand convection and convection coefficients, enabling you to optimize processes involving heating and cooling. In particular, this course discusses internal flow of fluids which will be relevant to many manufacturing processes. By examining different flow conditions and geometries, you can improve manufacturing operations involving heat treatment and material processing.
Product Development Engineer
Product Development Engineers work on the design and development of new products, sometimes needing to consider thermal management. This course may be useful for understanding convection and convection coefficients in product design. By learning about boundary layer phenomena and heat transfer correlations, you will be able to design products with improved thermal performance and reliability. The course reviews how convection depends on fluid properties, surface geometry, and flow conditions.
Test Engineer
Test Engineers are responsible for designing and conducting tests on products and systems, sometimes needing to evaluate thermal performance. This course may be useful for understanding convection and convection coefficients, enabling you to develop and interpret thermal tests. You will also learn how to estimate convection coefficients for different flow conditions, which improves the accuracy of thermal testing. The course discusses the hydrodynamic boundary layer concept and thermal boundary layer, which will be useful for interpreting tests.
Sustainability Consultant
Sustainability Consultants advise organizations on how to reduce their environmental impact, sometimes involving energy efficiency and heat transfer. This course may be useful for understanding convection and convection coefficients in buildings and industrial processes. You will also study the physical mechanism of natural convection. By learning about heat transfer correlations for different geometries, you can provide recommendations to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
Biomedical Engineer
Biomedical Engineers apply engineering principles to solve medical and healthcare-related problems, which includes understanding heat transfer in biological systems. This course may be useful for understanding convection in applications such as thermal therapy and medical device cooling. The course helps you examine how convection coefficients depend on surface geometry and flow conditions. By learning about forced and natural convection, you can improve the design of medical devices and therapies involving thermal regulation.
Materials Engineer
Materials Engineers develop and characterize new materials, sometimes focusing on their thermal properties and behavior. This course may be useful for understanding how convection affects heat transfer in materials processing and applications. By learning about the thermal boundary layer and different flow conditions, you will be able to optimize material processing techniques and improve material performance. The course specifically addresses external flow correlations, which is helpful for materials processing.
Lecturer
Lecturers are instructors, usually at post-secondary institutions, who disseminate knowledge. This course may be useful for refreshing previous knowledge of convection and convection coefficients. Specifically, it is useful for developing an understanding of boundary layer phenomena and the features that control the convection coefficient. You also will develop a working knowledge of the dimensionless Reynolds, Prandtl, and Nusselt numbers. This allows you to develop examples and homework for your students.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Fundamentals of Heat Transfer Part 2.
Comprehensive resource for heat transfer principles, including detailed explanations of convection. It provides a strong foundation in the underlying physics and mathematical formulations. It is commonly used as a textbook in heat transfer courses at universities. This book offers more depth and breadth to the course, making it a valuable reference for further study.
Provides a clear and concise introduction to heat transfer concepts, including convection. It useful reference for understanding the practical applications of heat transfer. It is often used as a textbook for undergraduate heat transfer courses. This book serves as a valuable reference tool and provides additional reading to enhance your understanding of the course material.

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