Abstract
The problem of natural convection over a semi-infinite flat plate with non-uniform wall temperature is studied by using a numerical method. The local rates of heat transfer as a function of the distance along the plate are tabulated for a range of Prandtl numbers (0.01 to 100) and for a few cases of wall temperature distributions. Such tabulations serve as a reference against which other approximate solutions can be compared in the future.
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Abbreviations
- a i, bi, ci :
-
constants and coefficients in Eq. (I-5) in Appendix
- A :
-
constant
- f :
-
dimensionless dependent variable, defined in (5)
- F :
-
representation of the differential equations in Appendix
- g :
-
dimensionless dependent variable, defined in (5)
- Gr :
-
Grashof number, gβ(T r−T ∞)L 3/v 2
- h :
-
heat transfer coefficient
- h j :
-
step size
- k :
-
heat conductivity
- K :
-
ratio of successive step sizes
- L :
-
length of the plate
- m :
-
constant
- M(ξ):
-
dimensionless surface mass transfer parameter
- n :
-
constant
- Nu :
-
Nusselt number, hx/k
- P(ξ):
-
wall temperature function, defined in Eq. (9)
- Pr :
-
Prandtl number
- r :
-
a function of x in Eq. (16)
- R :
-
a function of x in Appendix
- Re :
-
Reynold number
- S :
-
a function of x in Appendix
- S w :
-
dimensionless wall temperature
- t :
-
g′ in Appendix
- T :
-
temperature
- u :
-
velocity component in x-direction and f′ in Appendix
- v :
-
velocity component in y-direction and f″ in Appendix
- x :
-
coordinate along the plate
- y :
-
coordinate perpendicular to the plate
- θ :
-
(T−T ∞)/(T w−T ∞)
- ξ :
-
dimensionless coordinate along the plate
- η :
-
similar variable, defined in (5)
- ψ :
-
stream function
- α :
-
constant and a function of ξ in Appendix
- β :
-
bulk modulus and a function of P(ξ) in Appendix
- φ :
-
a function of x
- ε :
-
(T w1−T ∞)/(T w2−T ∞)
- o:
-
reference condition
- r:
-
reference condition
- w:
-
wall condition
- x:
-
local condition
- ∝:
-
mainstream condition
References
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Na, T.Y. Numerical solution of natural convection flow past a non-isothermal vertical flat plate. Appl. Sci. Res. 33, 519–543 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00411829
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00411829