University of Baghdad

College of engineering
Chemical engineering department

Lab. of
“Chemical Engineering”

Name of experiment
“Forced Convection”

Names of the students: -

1-‫عبدهللا سعيد إبراهيم‬

2- ‫عمر عادل حامد‬

3-‫عيسى قاسم حزام‬

Date of experiment: 2024/3/10

Date of submit: 2024/3/17

Written by: - Name of the lecturer: -

‫عبدهللا سعيد إبراهيم‬ ‫ طارق محمد‬.‫د‬
 Chemical Engineering Lab.

Name of the experiment: - Forced Convection.

Aim of the experiment: -

 To determine of heat transfer coefficient for forced convection.

 To determine Reynold number through the pipe line.
 To plot a graph between temperature versus length.

Introduction:
Convection is the process of heat transfer by the bulk movement of
molecules within fluids such as gases and liquids. The initial heat transfer
between the object and the fluid takes place through conduction, but the
bulk heat transfer happens due to the motion of the fluid. When a fluid is
heated from below, thermal expansion takes place. The lower layers of the
fluid, which are hotter, become less dense. We know that colder fluid is
denser. Due to buoyancy, the less dense, hotter part of the fluid rises up. And
the colder, denser fluid replaces it. This process is repeated when this part
also gets heated and rises up to be replaced by the colder upper layer. This is
how the heat is transferred through convection. [1]

There are two types of convection, and they are:

[1]
Natural convection and Forced convection.

Natural convection: When convection takes place due to buoyant force as

there is a difference in densities caused by the difference in temperatures it
is known as natural convection. Examples of natural convection are oceanic
winds. [1]
Forced convection: In heat transfer, Heat is carried passively by a fluid
motion which would occur anyway without the heating process. This heat
transfer process is termed forced convection. In forced heat convection,
transfer of heat is due to movement in the fluid which results from many
other forces, such as (for example) a fan or pump. Forced convection is a
mechanism, or type of heat transport in which fluid motion is generated by
an external source (like a pump, fan, suction device, etc.). Forced convection
is often encountered by engineers designing or analyzing heat exchangers
pipe flow, and flow over a plate at a different temperature than the stream
(the case of a shuttle wing during re-entry, for example). Forced convection
phenomenon is used in the manufacture of oven. Bio-Gene Forced
Convection Type Oven is used for baking, drying, conditioning, sterilizing and
quality control. [2]

Figure 1: Natural convection and forced convection

Ceiling Fans
The use of ceiling fans in a home also represents a different type of forced
convection. Ceiling fans can be used in both the winter (figure 2) and the
summer (figure 3), but their settings must be different in order to perform the
desired task. In the summer months, the fan is generally set to a higher speed.
The angle of the blade’s forces air down through the room. Generally, this
corresponds to a counter-clockwise rotation when looking at the fan from
below. This downward breeze aids in the evaporation of perspiration from
inhabitants of the home, cooling them. In the winter months, the fan must be
used on a slower speed. The blades also spin in a different direction, generally
clockwise when looking from below the fan, which pulls the cooler air up from
the lower parts of the room. The cooler air from below then mixes with the
warmer air that has risen and mixes the two, distributing warmer air
throughout the building. [3]

Figure 2: In the summer, ceiling fans should

rotate counterclockwise to mix warm air and
force a cool breeze downwards, creating a
downdraft.

Figure 3: In the winter, ceiling fans should rotate

clockwise to pull cool air up from the room and
force warm air downwards, creating an updraft.
Mechanism of Forced Convection:
In a flow in tube, the growth of the boundary layer is limited by the boundary of
the tube. The velocity profile in the tube is characterized by a maximum value at
the centerline and zero at the boundary.

For a condition where the tube surface temperature is constant, the heat
transfer rate can be calculated from Newton’s cooling law. [4]

Convection is a complex heat transfer method, but can be expressed by

Newton's Law of Heating and Cooling in terms of the rate of convective heat
transfer between the wall and the fluid, the surface area through which the
energy is being transferred, A, and the difference between the wall surface and
the bulk fluid temperature:
q conv =hA (T w −T ∞)

Where:
q conv = Heat transfer rate in Watt

h = Heat transfer coefficient in W/m2. Co

A = surface area of tube in m2

( T w −T ∞ ) = difference between the wall surface and the bulk fluid temperature

Solving for the convective heat transfer coefficient, h, yields the experimental
measurement of h, requires the measurement of each of the four quantities on
the right-hand side. [2]
The theoretical value can be determined by:
Dittus Boelter equation, Nusselt number is given by:

Where:
μ cP
Prandtl number p = k (dimension less)

ρud
Reynold number Re = μ (dimension less)

k is conductivity of fluid.

d is diameter of the tube.

μ is viscosity of the fluid.

ρ is density of the fluid. [2]

Chemical Engineering Lab.

Apparatus part:

1. Fan switch.
2. Heater control.
3. Current gauge.
4. Voltage gauge.
5. The air fan.
6. Orifice plate connected with manometer.
7. The pipe line from (Cu) through which the air will pass and is connected with
coil to heat the air inside the pipe.

8. Insulator around the pipe.

9. Inclined manometer.

Chemical Engineering Lab.

Procedure: -
1. Tum the fan on with closed gate.

2. Wait awhile to reach steady state.

3. Fix the reading of the inclined manometer.

4. Turn the heater on, and then read the current and voltage.

5. Wait for 10 minutes until reach thermal steady state.

6. Read the inlet temperature of air from thermometer and the

thermocouples temperatures from (Tl - T13) by the digital temperature
reader.

7. Repeat these steps with open gate.

8. Turn the heater off and then turn the fan off.

Chemical Engineering Lab.

Calculation

Case 1: Closed fan

ρair u1 d 1
ℜ= d 1= pipe line ¿ Cu=0.04 m∧d o=0.03175 m
μ air

Q=u 1 A1=uo A o

√() { ( )}
2g ∆h 4
Q=cd A o d
do
4
∴ 1− o neglect
1− d1
d1

ρ m−ρ f
∴ ∆ h= ∆ z∧Cd=0.64
ρf

∆ z=L sinθ=0.13589∗sin 30 °=0.0679 m

1000−1.098
∆ h= ∗0.0679=61.77 m
1.098

( )
3
π( 2 m
Q=0.64∗ 0.03175 ) √2∗9.81∗61.77=0.0176
4 s

Q=u 1 A1 → 0.0176=u1∗ ( π4 ( 0.04 ) )

2

0.0176 m
u1 = =14.005
( π
4
( 0.04 )2) s

ρu d 1.098∗14.005∗0.04
ℜ= = =61509.96 Turbulent
μ 10
−4

Q=IV Q=220∗1.8=396 w

Q=hA ( T w −T f )

2
A=surface area=πdL=π∗0.04∗1.524=0.1915 m

T 8 +T 10+ T 12 34 +55+64
T wall = = =51
3 3
 T 2+ T 3 +T 4 +T 5 +T 6 +T 7 45+ 47+51+47 +49+ 47
Tf= =
6 6

T f =47.6

396=h∗0.1915 ( 51−47.6 )
2
h=608.201 watt /m . c

case 2: open fan

∆ z=L sinθ=0.14986∗sin 30 °=0.075

ρ m− ρ f 1000−1.098
∆ h= ∆ z= ∗0.075=68.14
ρf 1.098

( )
3
π 2 m
Q=0.64∗ ( 0.03175 ) √2∗9.81∗68.14=0.0185
4 s

Q=u 1 A1 → 0.0185=u1 ( π4 ( 0.04 ) )

2

0.0185 m
u1 = =14.72
( π
4 )
( 0.04 )2
s

ρu d
ℜ= =64650.24
μ

45+47 +51+ 47+ 49+ 48

Tf= =47.83
6

35+57+65
T wall = =52.3
3

396 watt
Q=hA ( T w −T f ) → h= =426.61 2
0.1915∗(52.3−47.83) m .c °
 Temp. VS Length in opened Fan
52
51 Insulation Coil Fluid

50
49
48
Temp.

47
46
45
44
43
42
200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600
Length

Temp. VS Length in closed Fan

52
51 Insulation Coil Fluid

50
49
48
47
Temp.

46
45
44
43
42
200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100
Length

Chemical Engineering Lab.

Safety & hazards
Before conducting any experiment, you should access the hazards related to the
work, including; what are the worst possible things that could go wrong, how to
deal with them, and what are the prudent practices, protective facilities and
equipment necessary to minimize the risk of exposure to the hazards.

HAZARDS Safety
Electrical - Burn / Shock Care with electrical connections,
particularly with grounding and not
using frayed electrical cords, can
reduce hazard. Use GFCI receptacles
near
High Pressure Air-Fluid / Gas Inspect system integrity before
Cylinders / Vacuum operating any pressure / vacuum
equipment. Gas cylinders must be
secured at all times. Use appropriate
equipment
Water / Slip Hazard Clean any spills immediately.

Heating - Burn Be aware of hot surfaces, Use Safety

Goggles

Chemical Engineering Lab.

Discussion: - ABDULLAH SAEED
Convection heat transfer is a physical process. It governs both natural and
artificial systems and is essential for industrial applications. Thermal
engineers use a variety of tools to control the convective heat flow within an
application or system. Thermal management typically refers to technology
designed to increase heat transfer. Thermal insulation typically refers to
technology designed to reduce heat transfer. Thermal engineering can help
systems become more energy efficient by maintaining correct and safe
operating temperatures.

The convection heat transfer coefficient h strongly depends on the fluid

properties and roughness of the solid surface, and the type of the fluid flow
(laminar or turbulent).

The larger the heat transfer coefficient, the more heat transfer occurs. In
general, under turbulent flow conditions, the increase in heat transfer rate is
more significant than that under laminar flow conditions. This is due to the
increase in the Reynolds number of the flowing fluid in turbulent flow. But in
this experiment, we notice the opposite, this means that there are errors
that affect the experience, such as: Not accurately recording the temperature
by heat sensors. An error in theoretical calculation of experiment. There is a
problem with the system of experiment.

In Forced convection External equipment is necessary for convective heat

transfer e.g. Pump, Blower, fan, etc. While in natural convection No external
equipment is required.

Also, in forced convection Molecules of fluid are forced to move faster. While
in natural convection the motion of molecules is comparatively slower.
Natural convection plays a role in natural phenomenon on earth and
engineering applications. Following are the natural convection heat transfer
examples.

• Cyclones.
• Underwater currents.
• Movement of clouds.
• Space heating using radiators.
• Water heating.
• Cooling in refrigerator
• Convective heating in the microwave.
• Cooling of electronic units and appliances etc.

Following are examples of forced convection heat transfer.

• The flow of coolant in a car engine.
• Cooling of laptop or PC processor using a fan
• Heat exchangers.
• Air conditioning units
• Hairdryer
• Cooling of electronic devices such as servers
• Car Radiator etc.

Chemical Engineering Lab.

References

[1] https://byjus.com/physics/heat transferconvection/#types%20of%20convection

[2] https://nitsri.ac.in/Department/Chemical%20Engineering/HTLHandouts.pdf
https://www.cradle-cfd.com/media/column/a73

[3] https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Forced_convection

[4] https://pritamashutosh.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/convective-heat-
transfer/