| As is common with fluid mechanics analysis, a number of dimensionless parameters are employed to describe convective heat transfer. A summary of these variables is included in the following tables: |
| General Convection (Forced and Free) |
| Parameter | Formula | Interpretation |
| Prandtl Number: |  |
Ratio of fluid velocity boundary layer thickness to the fluid temperature boundary layer thickness. |
| Nusselt Number: |  |
Ratio of heat transfered from surface to heat conducted away by fluid. |
| Forced Convection Only |
| Parameter | Formula | Interpretation |
| Reynolds Number: |  |
Ratio of fluid inertia stress to viscous stress (for flow over flat plates). |
| Reynolds Number: |  |
(Reynolds Number for pipe flow). |
| Stanton Number: |  |
| Free Convection Only |
| Parameter | Formula | Interpretation |
| Grashof Number: |  |
Ratio of fluid buoyancy stress to viscous stress. |
| Rayleigh Number: |  |