Nusselt Number Formula:
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The Nusselt Number is the ratio of convective to conductive heat transfer at a boundary in a fluid. Convection includes both advection and diffusion. It is a dimensionless number used in heat transfer calculations.
The calculator uses the Nusselt Number formula for constant wall temperature:
Where:
Explanation: This formula calculates the Nusselt number for laminar flow over a flat plate with constant wall temperature boundary condition.
Details: The Nusselt number is crucial for determining convective heat transfer coefficients in various engineering applications, including heat exchanger design, cooling systems, and thermal analysis of fluid flows.
Tips: Enter Reynolds Number and Prandtl Number. Both values must be positive numbers. The calculator will compute the Nusselt Number using the specified formula.
Q1: What is the range of validity for this formula?
A: This formula is valid for laminar flow (Re < 5×10⁵) over a flat plate with constant wall temperature.
Q2: How does the Nusselt number relate to heat transfer?
A: Higher Nusselt numbers indicate more efficient convective heat transfer compared to conductive heat transfer.
Q3: What are typical values for Reynolds and Prandtl numbers?
A: Reynolds numbers can range from 10 to 10⁷ depending on flow conditions. Prandtl numbers typically range from 0.7 for gases to 50-100 for oils.
Q4: Are there other formulas for different boundary conditions?
A: Yes, different formulas exist for constant heat flux boundary conditions and for turbulent flow regimes.
Q5: What are the limitations of this calculation?
A: This calculation is specific to laminar flow over flat plates and may not be accurate for other geometries or flow conditions.