The Prandtl Number (Pr) is a dimensionless quantity that characterizes the relative thickness of the momentum and thermal boundary layers in fluid flow. It is defined as the ratio of kinematic viscosity () to thermal diffusivity (). Mathematically, it can be expressed as:
where:
The Prandtl Number provides insight into the heat transfer characteristics of a fluid; for example, a low Prandtl Number (Pr < 1) indicates that heat diffuses quickly relative to momentum, while a high Prandtl Number (Pr > 1) suggests that momentum diffuses more rapidly than heat. This parameter is crucial in fields such as thermal engineering, aerodynamics, and meteorology, as it helps predict the behavior of fluid flows under various thermal conditions.
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