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Heat transfer and fluid flow during natural convection on upward facing heater

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Abstract

Natural convection is a suitable method for thermal control because of its low cost, longevity, and convenience over a wide range of applications. It is suitable for the stances of low heat dissipation. The phenomenon of natural convection from horizontal heated surfaces is associated with various industries and equipment. The present study focuses on explaining the heat transfer by natural convection to a pool of water from an upward-facing heater surface. Stainless steel (SS 304) plates of different aspect ratios maintained under uniform heat flux conditions are considered for this study. An infrared (IR) camera is used to measure the surface temperature of the heater plates. The temperature distribution along the plate during the heat transfer process is analysed. Convection currents emerging during the process are visualized using the shadowgraph technique. This research puts light on the effects of aspect ratio, length, and width of the heater on heat transfer during the natural convection process. It is observed that the Nusselt number is independent of the aspect ratio. However, the length and width of the heater individually govern the heat transfer process. Independently increasing the length and width of the heater results in an increase in the Nusselt number. The experimental data of the present study are compared statistically with the existing correlations. An empirical correlation is suggested for analysing the natural convection heat transfer process.

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Abbreviations

A:

Surface area of the heater plate, mm2

AR:

Aspect ratio

Atm:

Atmospheric, bar

Da:

Darcy Number

DC:

Direct current

DSLR:

Digital single-lens reflex

Δ:

Difference

f:

Fluid

Gr:

Grashof number

h, HTC:

Natural convection heat transfer coefficient, W/m2K

I:

Current, A

IR:

Infrared

L:

Length of heater plate, mm

Lc :

Characteristic length, mm

Nu:

Nusselt number

P:

Perimeter of heater plate, mm

Pr:

Prandtl number

Pt:

Platinum

Q:

Heat transfer rate, W

\(\dot{\mathrm{Q}}\) :

Heat flux, W/m2

Qloss :

Power loss, W

Ra:

Rayleigh number

RTD:

Resistance temperature detector

s:

Surface

T:

Temperature, ℃

U:

Uncertainty

V:

Voltage, V

W:

Width of heater plate, mm

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Ministry of Education, India for the financial assistance. The work is supported by the Grant under number I/SEED/HK/20180020. The authors are thankful to Mr. Vikram Singh and Mr. Bharat Bhati, staff of the Central workshop IIT Jodhpur for extending their helping hand towards fabricating the setup and test sections.

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  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, Karwar, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India, 342037

    Bikash Pattanayak, Sarath. S Lal & Hardik B. Kothadia

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Correspondence to Hardik B. Kothadia.

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Pattanayak, B., Lal, S.S. & Kothadia, H.B. Heat transfer and fluid flow during natural convection on upward facing heater. Heat Mass Transfer 59, 859–874 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-022-03300-4

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