Stanton Number

Stanton number [′stant·ən ‚nəm·bər]

(thermodynamics)

A dimensionless number used in the study of forced convection, equal to the heat-transfer coefficient of a fluid divided by the product of the specific heat at constant pressure, the fluid density, and the fluid velocity. SymbolizedN_St. Also known as Margoulis number (M).

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Stanton Number 

(or Margoulis number), a similarity criterion in thermal processes. Symbolized N_St or St, the Stanton number characterizes the intensity of energy dissipation in a liquid or gas flow: N_st, = α/c_p ρv, where α is the heat-transfer coefficient, c_p is the specific heat of the fluid at constant pressure, ρ is the fluid density, and v is the fluid velocity.

The Stanton number represents a dimensionless form of the heat-transfer coefficient and can be expressed in terms of the Nusselt number N_Nu and the Péclet number Pe: N_St = N_Nu/Pe. The Stanton number can also be expressed in terms of the dimensionless skin-friction coefficient C_f, or the dimensionless drag coefficient λ. When the Prandtl number is equal to one, N_st = C_f/2 = λ/8.

The Stanton number was named for the British scientist T. Stanton (1865–1931).