Natural convection heat transfer from upward-facing plates in saline water

Saltwater or brackish water is used as a coolant in most industries. Therefore, understanding the heat transfer processes and hydrodynamics during the natural convection in saline water is crucial for enhancing the efficiency of a heat exchanger. This study elaborates on the natural convection heat transfer in saline water under atmospheric conditions. A DC power supply is used to regulate the power given to the heater in a liquid pool for thermal analysis. The pool liquid comprises solutions with varying salinity from 0%, 0.2%, 0.5%, and 2%. The effect of varying salinity on the heat transfer coefficient and the thermal aspects encountered during the desalination process is analyzed. The temperature distribution across the surface of the heater is monitored using an infrared camera. It is studied for the solution of different salinities. The heat transfer coefficient and Nusselt number are investigated during natural convection for normal water and salt solution of different concentrations. It is inferred from the study that in the regime of natural convection, there is no significant difference in the Nusselt number for normal water and saltwater for the lower value of temperature difference between the plate and pool. The heat transfer coefficient in 0.2% saline water is higher as compared to the other solutions.