What Causes Temperature Gradient at y=0 in Convective Heat Transfer?

In summary: Uh-huh. And is there a steady state for qs?No, there is not a steady state for qs. The heat flux is always changing, depending on the temperature and fluid flow conditions.
  • #1
tonyjk
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3
Hello,
Consider this exemple:
Convective_heat_transfer.png


At y = 0 It is said that the heat is transferred by conduction because the fluid has a velocity equal to 0 (no-slip conditions). But the temperature of the fluid for y=0 is equal to Ts(temperature of the surface) so how come there's a gradient in the temperature? Do they mean there's gradient at y=0 just above the layer of the fluid having a temperature equal to Ts? Another question, the conduction heat transfer at y = 0 is happening for 1s (J/S = W) but during this second the fluid is passing and it is not static like in a wall that issue is confusing me. Even the exchange of energy between the fluid that is not on the surface, this fluid is flowing and heat is transferred each second by qs = h(Ts-Tinf) and on each position x we have a gradient of temperature that is independent of the time. I am very confused about the steady state heat transfer by convection.

Hope someone can clarify it

Thank you
 
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  • #2
Yes, the thermal gradient they are referring to is for ## y \geq 0 ##. Think of the fluid as an infinite heat sink of temperature ## T_\infty ## and the wall as an infinite heat reservoir of temperature ## T_s ##. Heat will flow from the reservoir to the sink. Right at the wall, heat is delivered purely conductively. Just above ## y = 0 ##, however, there are two competing processes: flowing fluid is removing heat, while fluid just below is delivering heat from the wall. At steady state, these two processes just balance one another, so that the temperature at any given point stays constant in time.

Note that steady state does not imply that the fluid is static. In fact, for there to be a steady state in this situation, the fluid must be moving. Otherwise, there would just be a hot conductive front penetrating further and further into the fluid as time progresses.
 
  • #3
Great. but for exemple, heat flux is joule per second, but during this second the fluid will flow but how the temperature will remain constant for a position x
 
  • #4
Over a given time interval, fluid flowing from the left toward the right will replace warmed up fluid with fluid that would be cooler. I say "would be", because the heat delivered from the wall during the same time interval will warm up the incoming fluid just enough to keep the temperature at that position constant. These are the competing effects I was trying to describe above.
 
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1. What is convective heat transfer?

Convective heat transfer is the transfer of heat between a solid surface and a moving fluid, such as air or water. This transfer occurs through the movement of the fluid particles, either through natural convection (due to density differences caused by temperature variations) or forced convection (due to an external force, such as a fan or pump).

2. How does convective heat transfer differ from conductive heat transfer?

Conductive heat transfer occurs through direct contact between two solid surfaces, while convective heat transfer involves the transfer of heat between a solid surface and a moving fluid. Additionally, conductive heat transfer occurs in a stationary medium, while convective heat transfer occurs in a moving medium.

3. What factors affect convective heat transfer?

The rate of convective heat transfer is influenced by several factors, including the velocity and temperature of the fluid, the surface area and temperature of the solid surface, and the properties of the fluid, such as its viscosity and thermal conductivity.

4. How is convective heat transfer calculated?

The rate of convective heat transfer is typically calculated using empirical correlations, which relate the heat transfer coefficient, fluid properties, and geometric properties to the overall heat transfer rate. These correlations are often specific to certain types of convective heat transfer, such as natural or forced convection.

5. What are some real-world applications of convective heat transfer?

Convective heat transfer plays a crucial role in many everyday processes, such as cooling of electronic devices, air conditioning and heating systems, and cooking. It is also important in industrial processes, such as power generation, refrigeration, and chemical processing.

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