9/26/12 Heat conduction from a sphere to a stagnant fluid

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Transport Phenomena - Heat Transfer Problem :

Heat conduction from a sphere to a stagnant fluid

Problem.

A heated sphere of diameter D is placed in a large amount of stagnant fluid. Consider the heat conduction
in the fluid surrounding the sphere in the absence of convection. The thermal conductivity k of the fluid
may be considered constant. The temperature at the sphere surface is TR and the temperature far away
from the sphere is Ta .

Figure. Heated sphere in a large amount of

stagnant fluid.

a) Establish an expression for the temperature T in the surrounding fluid as a function of r, the distance
from the center of the sphere.

b) If h is the heat transfer coefficient, then show that the Nusselt number (dimensionless heat transfer
coefficient) is given by
hD
Nu = = 2
k
Hint: Equate the heat flux at the sphere surface to the heat flux given by Newton's law of cooling.

Solution.

Click here for stepwise solution

a)

Step. Differential equation from heat balance

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9/26/12 Heat conduction from a sphere to a stagnant fluid

From a heat balance over a thin spherical shell in the surrounding fluid,

d
(r2qr) = S r2 (1)
dr

where S is the rate of generation of heat per unit volume. In this case, S = 0 in the fluid.

dT
Since the thermal conductivity k for the fluid is constant, on substituting Fourier's law (qr = k ) we
dr

get

d dT
(r2 ) = 0 (2)
dr dr

Step. Temperature profile by solving differential equation

On integrating,

dT C1
r2 = C1 or T = + C2 (3)
dr r

The integration constants are determined using the boundary conditions:

BC 1: r , T = Ta or C2 = Ta (4)

BC 2: r = R, T = TR or C1 = (TR Ta ) R (5)

where R is the radius of the sphere.

On substituting the integration constants, the temperature profile is

R T Ta R
T = (TR Ta ) + Ta or = (6)
r TR Ta r

b)

Step. Nusselt number from heat flux

Using Fourier's law and differentiating the temperature profile, the heat flux is

qr = k dT = k(TR Ta ) R (7)
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9/26/12 Heat conduction from a sphere to a stagnant fluid

dr r2

Equating the heat flux at the sphere surface (r = R) to the heat flux as per Newton's law of cooling, we get

TR Ta hR
k = h(TR Ta ) or =1 (8)
R k

The Nusselt number (which is the dimensionless heat transfer coefficient) is

hD
Nu = = 2 (9)
k

where D is the diameter of the sphere.

Note:

This is a well-known result that is worth remembering. It provides the limiting value of the Nusselt
number for heat transfer from a sphere in the presence of convection at low Reynolds and Grashof
numbers.
The Nusselt number Nu must not be confused with the Biot number Bi. Though the two
dimensionless groups are similar-looking, they differ as given below.

hD convection
Nu = or Nu = (10)
k fluid conduction in fluid

hD convection
Bi = or Bi = (11)
k solid (internal) conduction in solid

Related Problems in Transport Phenomena :

Transport Phenomena - Heat Transfer Problem : Forced convection heat transfer for plug flow in circular
tube
- Problem of determining Nusselt number for forced convection in cylindrical coordinates

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