Convection similarity

The prime variables should be selected so that each dimensionless product characterizes some distinct feature of the flow. For example, the forced velocity, U, should be used as one prime variable since it determines whether or not the problem involves forced convection. Similarly, the buoyancy variable (3g(Tw - T/) will determine the importance of free convective effects and should also be used as a prime variable. Also, since h is the variable whose value is required, it should be used as a prime variable. The fourth prime variable will be taken as cp. This choice is not as obvious as the others but stems from the fact that cp will determine the thermal capacity of the fluid and will, therefore, influence the relation between the velocity and temperature fields. 

W. H. Braun, S. Ostrach, and J. E. Heighway, Free-Convection Similarity Flows About Two-Dimensional and Axisymmetric Bodies With Closed Lower Ends, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer (2) 121-135,1961. 

The temperature of the gas leaving the sulfur burner is a good indication of SO2 concentration, even though the thermocouples employed for temperature measurement (qv) frequently read somewhat lower than the tme temperatures, because of radiation and convection errors. A temperature of 970°C corresponds to about 10.0 vol % SO2, 1050°C to 11.0 vol % SO2, and 1130°C to 12.0 vol % SO2. Other temperatures and concentrations are in similar proportion. 

A PFBC boiler is visually similar to an AFBC boiler. The combustor is made of water-wall tubing, which contains the high-temperature environment, but the whole assembly is placed within a pressure vessel. Unlike an AFBC unit, there is no convection pass, as the flue-gas temperature must be maintained at boiler temperature to maximize energy recovery by the expansion turbine. There is an economizer after the turbine for final heat recoveiy. A simplified schematic is presented in Fig. 27-49. An 80-MWe demonstration plant, operating at 1.2 MPa (180 psia), began operation in 1989 with a power producdion intensity of 3 MWe/m (1 MWe/3.5 fU). By 1996, five units of this size had been construcded, and a 320-MWe unit is planned to commence operation in 1998. 

Vei tical cylindrical cross-tube convection heaters are similar to the preceding type except for a horizontal convective tube bank above the combustion chamber. The design is economical with a high efficiency and is usually selec ted for higher-duty applications 11 to 210 GJ/h (10 to 200 10 Btu/h). 

Open Tube Sections (Air Cooled) Plain or finned tubes No shell required, only end heaters similar to water units. Condensing, high level heat transfer. Transfer coefficient is low, if natural convection circulation, but is improved with forced air flow across tubes. 0.8-1.8... 

The net heat transfer between two surfaces according to Eq. (4.159) is proportional to the first or second power of the temperature difference hence the radiation heat transfer dominates at a high temperature or for large temperature differences. When the temperature difference is small, a heat transfer factor is used similar to that used for convective heat transfer ... 

For a chemical reaction such as combustion to proceed, mixing of the reactants on a molecular scale is necessary. However, molecular diffusion is a very slow process. Dilution of a 10-m diameter sphere of pure hydrocarbons, for instance, down to a flammable composition in its center by molecular diffusion alone takes more than a year. On the other hand, only a few seconds are required for a similar dilution by molecular diffusion of a 1-cm sphere. Thus, dilution by molecular diffusion is most effective on small-scale fluctuations in the composition. These fluctuations are continuously generated by turbulent convective motion. 

Sections (air headers similar to water transfer. if natural convection ... 

If a hot body is surrounded by cooler air, heat is conducted to the air in immediate contact with the body. This air then becomes less dense than the colder air further away. The warmer, light air is thus displaced upwards and is replaced by colder, heavier air which, in turn, receives heat and is similarly displaced. There is thus developed a continuous flow of air or convection around the hot body removing heat from it. This process is similar but reversed if warm air surrounds a colder body, the air becoming colder on transfer of the heat to the body and displaced downwards. 

Similar convection processes occur in liquids, though at a slower rate according to the viscosity of the liquid. However, it cannot be assumed that convection in a liquid results in the colder component sinking and the warmer one rising. It depends on the liquid and the temperatures concerned. Water achieves its greatest density at approximately 4°C. Hence in a column of water, initially at 4°C, any part to which heat is applied will rise to the top. Alternatively, if any part is cooled below 4°C it, too, will rise to the top and the relatively warmer water will sink to the bottom. The top of a pond or water in a storage vessel always freezes first. 

It is not proposed to deal with forced convection here. Experimental work has yielded considerably differing results for ostensibly similar conditions. It is sufficient to note that forced convection affects small-bore pipes to a greater extent than large-bore and is dependent on temperature differences. While the heat loss from non-insulated surfaces may increase by a factor of up to 200-300 per cent, the increase in heat loss from the insulated surface would be considerably less (of the order of 10 per cent). 

As with all convective systems, warm air heating installations produce large temperature gradients in the spaces they serve. This results in the inefficient use of heat and high heat losses from roofs and upper wall areas. To improve the energy efficiency of warm air systems, pendant-type punkah fans or similar devices may be installed at roof level in the heated space. During the operational hours of the heating system, these fans work either continuously or under the control of a roof-level thermostat and return the stratified warm air down to occupied levels. 

A similar situation arises when a vertical metal plate is partly immersed in an electrolyte solution (Fig. 1.48c), and owing to differential aeration the upper area of the plate will become cathodic and the lower area anodic. With time the anodic area extends upwards owing to the mixing of the anolyte and catholyte by convection and by the neutralisation of the alkali by absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide. 

Good quality steel is used and electrozinc is preferred for washing machines. Steel is pretreated with iron phosphate for economy electrozinc with a fine crystal zinc phosphate. No primer is normally used 25-40/im of finish is applied direct to metal. The required properties are best obtained with a thermosetting acrylic or polyester/melamine-formaldehyde finish. Self-reactive acrylics are usually preferred these resins contain about 15 Vo 7V-butoxymethyl acrylamide (CH2=CH —CO —NH —CHj—O —C4H,) monomer and cure in a manner similar to butylated melamine-formaldehyde resins. Resistance or anti-corrosive properties may be upgraded by the inclusion of small amounts of epoxy resin. Application is usually by electrostatic spray application from disc or bell. Shapes are complex enough to require convected hot-air curing. Schedules of 20 min at 150-175°C are... 

A similar effect occurs if the air is brought into contact with a solid surface, maintained at a temperature below its dew point. Sensible heat will be transferred to the surface by convection and condensation of water vapour will take place at the same time. Both the sensible and latent heats must be conducted through the solid and removed. The simplest form is a metal tube, and the heat is carried away by refrigerant or a chilled fluid within the pipes. This coolant must be colder than the tube surface to transfer the heat inwards through the metal. 

The mechanism for DDT in this case is very similar to that in cast expls, the chief difference is the proposed ignition by a convective flame front... 

The DDT mechanism for this case Is similar but not identical to that of Case B. A convective flame front propagates ahead of the compressive waves which are necessary to form a precursor shock front. In modeling DDT the convective front (and its consequences) must be included because of its influence on dp/dt in the ignition region... 

More recently, Zucrow et al. (Zl) have run experiments which show that in the region of low flow rates the burning rates of certain propellants actually decrease with increasing gas flow. As the gas flow rate increases, the burning rate is observed to go through a minimum and then increase with further increases in gas flow rate. The decrease in burning rate was attributed to undefined mass-transfer processes. Eventually, the convective heat-transfer processes overcome this effect to give results similar to those obtained by others. 

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