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Module 4:
Multicomponent Transport

Lecture 37:
Dimensional Analysis

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

Equation of Continuity:

(incompressible)
0

.u = 1 D
DT (compressible)

NavlerStokes Equation: (Constant physical properties, Newtonian fluid, Boussinesq

approximation)

(forced convection)
p + g
Du
2

= u +
Dt
g (T T0 ) (free convection)
NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

Energy Balance Equation:

C p
Note:

DT
Dp
= k 2T + u + T
Dt
Dt
1 V

:coefficient of volume expansion

V T P

For ideal gases =

1
T

Define dimensionless variables (for forced convection)

x = x L, U =u u, T* =
*

P* =

T T0 * tu
,t =
T1 T0
L

p p0
u 2

Dimensionless Conservation Equations (Incompressible fluid, Forced Convection case):

* .U = 0
*

*
DU
1 g 1 *2 *
* *
=

P
+
+
U
Dt *
Fr g Re

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

*
DT *
1
Br
Br
*2 *
*
* DP
T0 + T T *
=
T +
U +
*
Dt
Dt
Re Pr
Re Pr
Pr

Dimensionless Numbers:

uL u 2 L Inertial forces
=
=
Re = Reynolds # =
v u L2 Viscous forces
u 2 u 2 L Inertial forces
=
Fr = Froude # = =
Lg
g
Gravity forces
heat transport
ACP u (T0 T1 ) L by convection
CP uL
= Peclet (heat ) = Peh =
=
Re Pr =
heat transport
k
k (T0 T1 ) L2
by conduction
Br = Brinkman # =

u 2

k (T0 T1 )

(u L)

k (T0 T1 ) L2

heat production by viscous dissipation

heat transport by conduction
(important for turbo-machinery)

Br
u 2
Kinetic energy
=
=
Ec = Eckert # =
Pr CP (T0 T1 ) Internal energy
(important for hypersonic flows)

For free convection there is no readily available reference velocity. So it is more convenient to define
NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

U ** =

uLe

= dimensionless velocity

t
t** = 2 = dimensionless time
L

The conservation equation then become

*. U = 0
**

g
DU **
2
= * U ** T * Gr
Dt **
g
DT * 1
= *2 T * + neglible terms
Dt ** Pr
Thus, for free convection only Gr and Pr appear

The

Grashof # Gr =

g 2 (T0 T1 ) L3

Gr g (T0 T1 ) L g (T0 T1 ) Buoyancy forces

=
=
=
u 2 L
u2
Inertial forces
Re 2

The above number decides if natural convection is important as compared to forced convection.
NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

Temperature Distribution: The temperature distribution will be a function of numerous parameters

(say, for forced convection)

T * = F ( t*, X *; Re, Pr, Fr , Br , T0 , T )

Usually not important

Not important if there is no free surface

flow

So, for a wide range of probleness,

T * = F ( t*, X *, Re, Pr )

hL
Q L
Nusselt number =
=
,
k AT k
Where h is the average heat transfer coefficient

Q = k
s

T
T *
. n dA = kL (T1 T0 )
.u dA *
x
x*
s*

= f ( geometry, t*, Re, Pr )

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering

Analogies between Heat and Mass Transfer: Recall correlations for boundary layer heat transfer
and also for heat transfer inside tubes.

Pr
For mass transfer

Peh
Nu

v
D
uL
Pem =
D
k L
Sh = m
D

Sc =

2 g ( X A1 X A0 ) L3
,
Gr GrAB =
2

where =

.
xA p ,T

NPTEL,IITKharagpur,Prof.SaikatChakraborty,DepartmentofChemicalEngineering