Utilizing disk thermistors to indirectly measure convective heat transfer coefficients for forced, natural and combined (mixed) convection

An experimental technique has been developed for obtaining convective heat transfer data from commercially available thermistors of circular disk geometry. The use of self-heated thermistors to indirectly measure convective heat transfer coefficients and surface temperatures is unique and quite different from the classical method of mounting multiple heat patches and several temperature sensors on the surface of a heat transfer model. In this way, accurate heat transfer data is obtained for several different conditions ranging from pure natural to pure forced convection. From this experimental data, dimensionless correlations are obtained for this important geometry.