The influence of a heat transfer coefficient probe on fluid flow near wall

Abstract

Good knowledge of the convective boundary condition is necessary for finite element analysis of thermal deformation behavior in machine tools. There are a number of correlation equations for natural and forced convection and several correlations for mixed convection. Due to a relatively wide range of dimensions, temperatures and speeds, all regimes of convective heat transfer can be observed in machine tools, including the transition region between laminar and turbulent free convection, characterized by Rayleigh number values ranging between Ra = 108 – 109. Since convection in machine tools is highly influenced by external and internal factors, the heat transfer coefficient characterizing convective heat transfer and its changes has to be evaluated experimentally. An experimental technique for evaluating the heat transfer coefficient on the wall and its changes between the wall and the ambient air, based on an active sensor, is being developed. Since the probe dimensions are not negligible, given the fluid motion structures near the wall which are induced by buoyancy or by forced flow, the influence of the probe has to be considered. Paper deals with latest experimental results and summarizes previous work.