Mathematical Analysis of Heat-Transfer from a Vertical Flat Surface by Laminar Free Convection

Abstract

Laminar free convection heat transfer from a vertical flat surface to an infinite extended uniform temperature fluid is treated here by a modified Integral Method. In accordance with the results of general considerations for the case of uniform surface temperature are presented two approximate solutions. Then for the case where the surface temperature is not uniform along the height is derived an ordinary differential equation, which will give a solution for any Prandtl number and an arbitrary surface temperature distribution. And a few examples of the solutions are presented.