Free Convection, Forced Convection, and Acoustic Vibrations in a Constant Temperature Vertical Tube

Abstract

Experimental studies of heat transfer to air with superposed forced and free convection were reported in a previous paper [1]. In studies reported in this paper, the same experimental system was employed, but a complication was added in the form of acoustic vibrations in the flow field. By comparison of the results with and without acoustic vibrations under conditions which were otherwise the same, an effort has been made to determine the effect of acoustic vibrations on heat transfer. The Nusselt modulus, based on the log mean temperature difference, ranged from 17.2 to 50.6; the Graetz modulus, based on the bulk or average temperature of the air, ranged from 40.2 to 1633; and the Grashof-Prandtl D/L modulus, based on properties of air at the wall temperature, ranged from 0.967 × 105 to 1.26 × 106. The results indicated that sound pressure levels below approximately 118 decibels had little effect on the heat-transfer coefficient. Below 118 decibels free convection forces were evident. Above 118 decibels free convection forces were apparently negligible and the effect of sound appeared to be considerable.