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How to Calculate HC Convection Coefficient

The HC convection coefficient is a measure of how quickly and efficiently a fluid transfers heat to and from a surface. The higher the coefficient, the more efficient the transfer. Factors that determine the coefficient are fluid viscosity, density and velocity. The higher the fluid velocity, the higher the coefficient, meaning the fluid transfers heat more quickly than a lower velocity fluid. To calculate the HC convection coefficient, you will need the calculations for the surface area, heat transferred, surface temperature and ambient temperature.

Things You'll Need

Heat transferred in watts
Surface area
Surface temperature
Ambient temperature

Instructions

- 1
  Retrieve the surface temperature and ambient temperature from your records. Subtract the surface temperature from the ambient temperature. For example, 75 Kelvin from 100 Kelvin is 25 Kelvin.
- 2
  Multiply the result from Step 1 by the surface area measurement you have in square meters. For example, 25 Kelvin multiplied by 4 square meters is 100 square meters-Kelvin.
- 3
  Divide your heat transferred record by your results in Step 2 to get the HC convection coefficient. For example, 250 watts divided by 100 square meters-Kelvin equals an HC convection coefficient of 2.5 watts per square meters-Kelvin.

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