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Heat Transfer: Non-Dimensional Parameters
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| As is common with fluid mechanics analysis, a number of dimensionless parameters are employed to describe convective heat transfer. A summary of these variables is included in the following tables: |
| General Convection (Forced and Free) |
| Parameter | Formula | Interpretation |
| Prandtl Number: | Ratio of fluid velocity boundary layer thickness to the fluid temperature boundary layer thickness. | |
| Nusselt Number: | Ratio of heat transfered from surface to heat conducted away by fluid. |
| Forced Convection Only |
| Parameter | Formula | Interpretation |
| Reynolds Number: | Ratio of fluid inertia stress to viscous stress (for flow over flat plates). | |
| Reynolds Number: | (Reynolds Number for pipe flow). | |
| Stanton Number: |
| Free Convection Only |
| Parameter | Formula | Interpretation |
| Grashof Number: | ![]() |
Ratio of fluid buoyancy stress to viscous stress. |
| Rayleigh Number: |
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