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For the flow over a flat plate of length L, how the average Nusselt Number over a length L is equal to

$$Nu_{avg} = \frac{h_{avg}L}{k_f}$$

where $h_{avg}$ is the average heat transfer coefficient over the length L.

What I'm essentially interested in knowing is how Average heat transfer coefficient gives average Nu, where the average is done over a length L.


My working:

The local Nusselt number at any x is given as,

$$Nu_{x} = \frac{h_{x}x}{k_f}$$

The average heat transfer coefficient over the length L will be,

$$h_{avg} = \frac{h_1 + h_2 + h_3 + .....+ h_n}{n} | ---------(1)$$

The average Nusselt Number over the length L,

$$Nu_{avg} = \frac{Nu_1 + Nu_2+ Nu_3 +....+ Nu_n}{n} $$

$$Nu_{avg} = \frac{\frac{h_1 x_1}{k_f} + \frac{h_2 x_2}{k_f}+\frac{h_2 x_2}{k_f}+....+ \frac{h_n x_n}{k_f}}{n} $$

$$Nu_{avg} k_f = \frac{{h_1 x_1} + {h_2 x_2}+h_2 x_2+....+ h_n x_n}{n} |---------(2)$$

How to use (2) and (1) to come up with relation

$$Nu_{avg} = \frac{h_{avg}L}{k_f}$$ ?

Another way is to make use of integration

enter image description here

but again how do I combine 1 and 2 to get

$$Nu_{avg} = \frac{h_{avg}L}{k_f}$$

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  • $\begingroup$ Who says that the local Nu is defined as $Nu_x=\frac{h_xx}{k_f}$? Please provide a reference for this. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 9, 2022 at 14:00
  • $\begingroup$ @ChetMiller The Nusselt number as I have studied, is given as $\frac{hL_c}{k_f}$ where Lc is the characteristic dimension, taken as the distance along the plate x, for the flow over a flat plate. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/… $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 9, 2022 at 14:03
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    $\begingroup$ I have big issues with the definition given in Wiki. In the case of flow over a flat plate, there is no well-defined (constant) geometric length scale, and using $\frac{h_xx}{h_f}$ makes no sense to me. For flow over a flat plate, I would use as the length scale $\frac{\mu}{\rho V}$, where V is the free-stream velocity. That way, $$Nu_x=\frac{\mu h_x}{\rho V k_f}$$Then, the averaging would work out fine. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 9, 2022 at 14:24

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