A Theoretical Analysis of Heat Transfer in Natural Convection and in Boiling

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Abstract
A theoretical analysis of natural convection and of boiling heat transfer is presented. Instead of approaching these problems according to a conventional concept, a short-cut method is introduced by the application of wave motion. Above the heating surface a boundary layer is assumed whose thickness depends upon the heat flow. Inside this layer there is wave motion, stable in the lower part but unstable in the upper. It has been recognized that, if there is a temperature gradient across a stratum of liquid, a wave motion will occur. Each loop of this wave can initiate vortexes in the natural-convection process and also can facilitate the formation of bubbles in boiling. A unified formula is thus obtained for convection and for boiling. The calculated results agree excellently with experiments as conducted by previous investigators. This paper does not profess to be a complete treatise, but shows how the concept of wave motion can be made of use in giving a new picture of these heat-transfer processes.

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