Free and Forced Convection

By : Vikas Bhadoria

Updated : Feb 23, 2021, 5:38

In heat transfer, convection is a mechanism that occurs between the surface of a solid and the fluid which surrounds it in the presence of the bulk fluid motion. The mechanism of convection is classified into two types - Free (or Natural), and Forced convection, based on the initialization of the motion of the fluid. The Free and Forced Convection GATE ME syllabus covers various important parameters of this topic. Free or natural convection occurs when the buoyant force initialises the motion in a fluid, and there is no external force; whereas, the forced convection is the mechanism in which the external force initialises the fluid's motion. Free and Forced Convection MCQ questions practicing is very important for the students, as this is an important topic for competitive and government exams.

Important Free and Forced Convection Topics for GATE ME

Knowing the important topics of Free and Forced Convection for computer science and mechanical engineering will make the preparation easy. The Free and Forced Convection GATE syllabus lists the following important topics for Free and Forced Convection topics for GATE ME preparation.

Topic	Explanation
Thermal Boundary Layer	Since convection consists of the motion of the particles of fluids, it is mandatory to superimpose the temperature field on the motion of the fluid.
Effect of Turbulence	The turbulence increases the amount of noise and air resistance and also accelerates the thermal mixing and heat conduction.
Convection	In this topic, you would study convection and its classification in detail.
Dimensionless Parameters in Free and Forced Convective	This topic focuses on Nusselt Number, Reynold Number, Grashof Number, Prandtl Number, and Rayleigh Number.

Tips to Prepare Free and Forced Convection for GATE

Free and Forced convection is a topic that involves many subtopics, which might lead to confusion of concepts during the exam. Here are a few tips to get a stronghold on the topic.

Go through the Free and Forced Convection syllabus for GATE and check out the exam pattern.
Start with thoroughly understanding the concepts from an excellent Free and Forced Convection book.
Create a timetable for the preparation. Make your own Free and Forced Convection GATE notes simultaneously as you study. If you don't have a habit of preparing your notes, you can refer to the Free and Forced Convection notes for GATE pdf available online.
Start attempting Free and Forced Convection quiz, Free and Forced Convection online tests, and Free and Forced Convection MCQ questions; this will help you polish your concepts.
Once you feel fully prepared, start with the Free and Forced Convection GATE questions. This will boost your confidence regarding the topic.
For revision purposes, you can refer to the notes, Free and Forced Convection MCQ pdf, and Free and Forced Convection GATE questions and answers pdf available online.

Importance of Free and Forced Convection in GATE ME

The free convection leads to the fall of cooler fluid and rise in the warmer fluid. In forced convection, the fluid is forced in a tube or on any surface for flowing through external forces like a fan or a pump. So, convection is an important topic to study.
The application and practical use of convection are vast, such as a radiator, melting of ice, and boiling water for steam.
Clearing your Free and Forced Convection concepts will help you in competitive exams and the university semester exams.
Heat Transfer is an important topic for mechanical engineering, and Free & Forced Convection is its subtopic. Studying this topic, along with the other topics from Heat Transfer will boost your GATE marks.

Most Recommended Books for Free and Forced Convection for GATE

A good Free and Forced Convection book will help you in understanding complex concepts with ease. Given below are the best books for Free and Forced Convection.

Book	Author
Heat and Mass Transfer	PK Nag
Heat Transfer	JP Holman, Souvik Bhattacharya
Fundamentals of Engineering Heat and Mass Transfer	RC Sachdeva

Why Prepare Free and Forced Convection with BYJU'S Exam Prep?

BYJU'S Exam Prep is an online exam preparation platform to help you in achieving your GATE score goal effortlessly. You can download the BYJU'S Exam Prep app to get the best collaborative and brainstorming Forced Convection notes for ME and Free and Forced Convection study material for GATE ME. You can also get access to Free and Forced Convection online quizzes, tests, and MCQs. You should prepare convection and other topics for GATE from BYJU'S Exam Prep to ace your exams and achieve milestones. You can also avail of expert guidance via live sessions. You can crack any exam effortlessly with the Free and Forced Convection study material for GATE ME provided by BYJU'S Exam Prep.

FAQs

Q: What is free and forced convection?

A: Any motion of fluid occurring by natural means is called free convection. In forced convection, the motion of the fluid occurs due to the external force applied.

Q: What is a Hydrodynamic boundary layer?

A: It is a thin region formed on the plate within which the velocity gradients are observed to be in a normal direction to the plate.

Q: What is a Peclet number?

A: Peclet number is the product of Prandtl number and Reynolds number.

Q: What is the weightage of Free and Forced Convection in GATE?

A: Free and forced convection is a subtopic of heat transfer. Free and forced convection, along with other subtopics of Heat Transfer, comes for 5 to 7 marks in GATE.

Q: In Free Convection, which Dimensionless Number is used?

A: Grashof Number. It is a ratio of buoyancy to a viscous force that acts on the fluid.