5. Convection in fluids with low Prandtl numbers

5.1 General

The Prandtl number, linked exclusively to the physical characteristics of the fluid, is involved in all heat transfers by forced or natural convection.

Most of the theory of convection was developed at a time when, apart from mercury with no industrial application and casting problems in foundries, little attention was paid to heat transfer through liquid metals.

The foregoing has shown how fluid mechanics has served as the basis for all convection theory, and even how, on the basis of the Reynolds analogy, we could identify turbulent dynamic and thermal...