Heat Transfer Coefficient

Heat transfer coefficient
What we calculate as overall heat transfer coefficient, you will be surprised to know that it is actually the
resistance to mass, momentum and energy on the path of heat flow in a heat exchanger. These are taken
into account when calculating the overall heat transfer coefficient U.
U = 1 / [1/h1 + [A1L] / [AmK] + A1/h2A2], h1and h2 are film coefficients, K is thermal conductivity
This note's goal is to walk you through the fundamentals as thoroughly as possible in 3–4 pages.
What is heat transfer? At the fundamental level, heat transfer is a heat transport phenomenon in a
system. In any transport phenomenon, including heat transfer, it is important to consider the contributions
of mass, momentum, and energy in order to fully understand and analyse the transfer process. These
factors play a crucial role in determining the overall behaviour and characteristics of heat transfer.
Resistances in heat transfer: In heat transfer the two main forms of heat transfer resistance that need to
be overcome: convection and conduction, with a metal wall serving as a barrier between them. Heat, Q is
moves from hot to cold. For a fluid flow, when there is no external resistance to heat flow, only Cp [specific
heat] offers the internal resistance to heat flow. Cp takes away Q /mass- degc and supply it for molecular
motions, the equation is Q = mCpdT.
When there are external resistances like the metal wall between hot and cold fluid in a heat exchanger with
boundary layers, the equation gets modified to, Q= UAdt, U is called the overall heat transfer coefficient. In
the equation Q = UAdt, the overall heat transfer coefficient U takes into account various modes of heat
transfer, such as conduction, convection, and radiation. While the overall heat transfer coefficient does not
directly represent mass or momentum transfer, it encompasses the combined effect of mass, momentum,
and energy transfer at the surface.
In the above image, you can see three resistances on the path of heat flow, one film of boundary layer each
on either side of the metal wall and the metal wall itself.
Explanation: Example of role of mass, momentum and energy in heat transfer
Typically, gases have smaller heat transfer coefficient than liquids
As you can notice in the above table, the heat transfer coefficient, which represents the rate of heat
transfer per unit area per unit temperature difference, is significantly different for gases and liquids.
Explanation
This difference is primarily due to the distinct properties and behaviours of gases and liquids in terms of
mass, momentum, and energy.
Effect of mass: For mass, a gas is less dense than a liquid, meaning that it has a lower mass per unit
volume. This difference in mass affects the heat transfer process, as the movement of molecules, or mass
transfer, impacts the overall heat transfer rate. This is particularly evident in convective heat transfer, where
the movement of fluid (gas or liquid) carries heat from one location to another.
Effect of momentum: Regarding momentum, gas and liquid have different fluid behaviours. Gas is a
compressible fluid, while liquid is an incompressible fluid. The compressibility of gas allows for changes in
its density and fluid properties under varying pressures and temperatures. On the other hand, liquid
remains relatively incompressible, resulting in different flow characteristics. These differences in
momentum behaviour affect the convective heat transfer process, as they determine the flow patterns,
velocities, and turbulence levels of the fluid, ultimately influencing heat transfer rates.
Effect of energy: In terms of energy, gas and liquid have different thermal properties. Due to its lower
density and specific heat capacity, gas has lower thermal conductivity compared to liquid. This means that
gas is less effective at conducting heat compared to liquid.
Consequently, the heat transfer processes involving gas, such as conduction or convection, exhibit different
rates compared to processes involving a liquid.
This is what you can see in the above table.
How do we write what is overall heat transfer coefficient

The overall heat transfer coefficient is the resistance to mass, momentum and energy on the path of heat
flow in a heat exchanger.
U = 1 / [1/h1 + [A1L] / [AmK] + A1/h2A2], h1and h2 are film coefficients, K is thermal conductivity
The film coefficients [h] represent the conduction mode of heat transfer in the boundary layers on each
side of the metal wall. The convective resistances due to these boundary layers are typically represented by
film coefficients, which describe the rate of heat transfer between the solid surface and the fluid
surrounding it. These film coefficients account for the thermal resistance caused by conduction within the
boundary layer. The overall heat transfer coefficient (U-value) is the sum of the conductive resistance within
the metal wall and the convective resistances on both sides represented by the film coefficients.
How to find overall heat transfer coefficient: The heat transfer coefficient (h) is a measure of the
effectiveness of heat transfer from one medium to another across a solid boundary or interface. It
represents the thermal conductivity and convective properties of the system.
The determination of the overall heat transfer coefficient U involves considering individual coefficients h for
specific modes of heat transfer. For example, in convective heat transfer, the Nusselt number (Nu) is often
used to determine the convective heat transfer coefficient (h) through the
Nusselt equation:
Nu = hL / k
In this equation:
- Nu is the Nusselt number, which relates the convective heat transfer to the conductive heat transfer.
- h represents the convective heat transfer coefficient.
- L denotes a characteristic length related to the geometry of the system.
- k is the thermal conductivity of the medium.
Once you have the Nusselt number (Nu), you can determine the film coefficient (h) using the Dittus-Boelter
equation, which is a popular correlation for forced convection heat transfer in pipes. The Dittus-Boelter
equation is given as Nu = 0.023 * Re^0.8 * Pr^0.4, where Re is the Reynolds number and Pr is the Prandtl
number. By rearranging the equation, you can solve for the film coefficient (h) as h = Nu * k / L
The Reynolds number (Re) and the Prandtl number (Pr) are two important dimensionless numbers that play
a role in determining the heat transfer coefficient.
Reynolds Number (Re): It is a dimensionless quantity that represents the ratio of inertial forces to viscous
forces within a fluid flow. It is defined as:
Re = (ρuL) / μ
where ρ is the fluid density, u is the velocity of the fluid, L is a characteristic length, and μ is the dynamic
viscosity of the fluid.
Prandtl Number (Pr): It is a dimensionless quantity that relates the momentum diffusivity to the thermal
diffusivity of a fluid. It is defined as:
Pr = μCp / k , where μ is the dynamic viscosity of the fluid, Cp is the heat capacity at constant pressure,
and k is the thermal conductivity of the fluid.
The mass, momentum, and energy transfers are interconnected and hidden within the Reynolds number
(Re) and Prandtl number (Pr).
The Reynolds number considers both mass and momentum transfer. It represents the ratio of inertial forces
(related to the fluid's mass and velocity) to viscous forces (related to the fluid's resistance to flow). For
convective heat transfer, Re determines the flow regime (laminar or turbulent), which affects the heat
transfer characteristics. In laminar flow, molecular diffusion dominates, whereas in turbulent flow,
convective mixing enhances heat transfer.
The Prandtl number relates momentum diffusivity to thermal diffusivity. It indicates the relative
importance of momentum and thermal diffusion in the fluid. Mass transfer is also influenced by these
diffusivities. A higher Prandtl number implies that momentum is more easily diffused than heat, affecting
the convective mass transfer. For example, in a fluid with a high Prandtl number, such as water, the
momentum diffuses more easily than the heat, resulting in slower mass transfer.
Therefore, Re and Pr numbers indirectly incorporate the effects of mass, momentum, and energy transfers
within convective heat transfer. These dimensionless numbers provide insights into the fluid dynamics and
thermophysical properties that influence heat transfer and, consequently, the heat transfer coefficient.

Heat Transfer Coefficient

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