ME 364 Review Problems for Exam #1

Problem 1
A plane wall is a composite of a low conductivity material (with thickness L
1
and conductivity
k
1
) and a high conductivity material (with thickness L
2
= L
1
and conductivity k
2
). The edge of
the wall at x = 0 is at temperature T
1
and the edge at x = L
1
+ L
2
has temperature T
2
, as shown in
Figure P1.2-1(a). T
1
is greater than T
2
. The wall is at steady-state and the temperature
distribution in the wall is one-dimensional in x.

T
1
T
2
k
1
k
2
L
1
L
2
x
k
1
k
2
x
k
1
k
2
x
x x
T
q
''
L
1
0 L
1
+L
2
L
1
0 L
1
+L
2
T
1
T
2

(a) (b)
Figure P1.2-1: (a) Composite wall with k
1
< k
2
, and (b) sketch of heat flux and temperature.

a.) Sketch the heat flux ( q'' ) and temperature (T) as a function of position within the wall on the
axes in Fig. 1.2-1(b). Make sure that your sketch reflects the fact that (1) the wall is at steady
state, and (2) k
1
< k
2.
If the process is at steady state, then I can draw a control volume that extends from one surface to
any location x in the material, as shown in Figure 2.

x
T
1
0
q A ''
x
q A ''

Figure 2: Control volume for solution

An energy balance on the control volume leads to:


0 x
q A q A '' '' = (1)

Equation (1) shows that the heat fux at any location x must be constant. The heat flux associated
with conduction is governed by Fouriers law:


x
dT
q k
dx
'' = (2)

Solving Eq. (2) for the temperature gradient leads to:


x
q dT
dx k
''
=

(3)

The numerator of Eq. (3), the heat flux, is constant while the denominator changes depending on
whether you are in material 1 or material 2. In the low conductivity material 1, the temperature
gradient will be higher than in the high conductivity material 2. Within each material, the
temperature gradient must be constant (i.e., the temperature must be linear with x). The solution
is shown in Figure 3.
x
x
L
1
L
1
+L
2
q''
x
x
L
1
L
1
+L
2
T
T
1
T
2
k
1
k
2
k
1
k
2
x
q''

(a) (b)
Figure 3: (a) Heat transfer rate and (b) temperature as a function of position within wall.

Problem 2
Figure P1.2-3 illustrates a plane wall made of a very thin (th
w
= 0.001 m) and conductive (k =
100 W/m-K) material that separates two fluids, A and fluid B. Fluid A is at T
A
= 100C and the
heat transfer coefficient between the fluid and the wall is
A
h = 10 W/m
2
-K while fluid B is at T
B

= 0C with
B
h = 100 W/m
2
-K.
th
w
= 0.001 m
k = 100 W/m-K
2
100 C
10 W/m -K
A
A
T
h
=
=
2
0 C
100 W/m -K
B
B
T
h
=
=

Figure P1.2-3: Plane wall separating two fluids

a.) Draw a resistance network that represents this situation and calculate the value of each
resistor (assuming a unit area for the wall, A = 1 m
2
).

Heat flowing from fluid A to fluid B must pass through a fluid A-to-wall convective resistance
(R
conv,A
), a resistance to conduction through the wall (R
cond
), and a wall-to-fluid B convective
resistance (R
conv,B
). These resistors are in series. The network and values of the resistors are
shown in Figure 2.

T
A
= 100C
,
1
conv A
A
R
h A
=
w
cond
t
R
k A
=
K
0.1
W
K
0.0001
W
,
1
cond B
B
R
h A
=
K
0.01
W
T
B
= 0C

Figure 2: Thermal resistance network representing the wall.

b.) If you wanted to predict the heat transfer rate from fluid A to B very accurately, then which
parameter (e.g., th
w
, k, etc.) would you try to understand/measure very carefully and which
parameters are not very important? Justify your answer.

The largest resistance in a series network will control the heat transfer. For the wall above, the
largest resistance is R
conv,A
. Therefore, I would focus on predicting this resistance accurately.
This would suggest that
A
h is the most important parameter and the others do not matter much.

Problem 3
Figure P1.2-4 illustrates a plane wall that is composed of two materials, A and B. The interface
between the materials is characterized by a contact resistance. The left surface of material A is
held at T
H
and the right surface of material B radiates to surroundings at T
C
and is also exposed to
convection to a fluid at T
C
.

T
H
material A
convection and
radiation to T
C
material B
contact resistance

Figure P1.2-4: Composite wall with contact resistance, convection and radiation

The resistance network that represents the situation in Figure P1.2-4 should include five thermal
resistors; their values are provided below:
R
cond,A
= 0.05 K/W, resistance to conduction through material A
R
contact
= 0.01 K/W, contact resistance
R
cond,B
= 0.05 K/W, resistance to conduction through material B
R
conv
= 1.0 K/W, resistance to convection
R
rad
= 10.0 K/W, resistance to radiation
a.) Draw a resistance network that represents the situation in Figure P1.2-4. Each resistance in
the network should be labeled according to R
cond,A
, R
contact
, R
cond,B
, R
conv
, and R
rad
. Show
where the temperatures T
H
and T
C
appear on your network.


Figure 2: Resistance network that represents Figure P1.2-4.

b.) What is the most important resistor in the network? That is, the heat transfer from T
H
to T
C
is
most sensitive to which of the five resistances?

The most important resistor in a series combination is the largest. The largest resistance is the
parallel combination of R
conv
and R
rad
. The most important resistance in a parallel combination is
the smallest; the smallest of R
conv
and R
rad
is R
conv
. Thus, R
conv
is the most important resistance.

c.) What is the least important resistor in the network?

The least important resistance is the contact resistance; it is the smallest in a series of resistors
that are themselves unimportant relative to convection and radiation.

Problem 4
Figure P1.2-17 illustrates the temperature distribution in a plane wall at a particular instant of
time.

T
x

Figure P1.2-17: Temperature distribution in a plane wall at a certain instant in time.

Select the correct statement from those listed below and justify your answer briefly.
- The heat transfer at the left-hand face of the wall (i.e., at x = 0) is into the wall (in the
positive x direction),
- The heat transfer at the left-hand face of the wall is out of the wall (in the negative x
direction),
- It is not possible to tell the direction of the heat transfer at the left-hand face of the wall.

Fouriers law states that conduction is proportional to the negative of the temperature gradient.
At the left-hand face of the wall the temperature gradient is positive; therefore, the heat transfer
must be in the negative x-direction or out of the wall.

Problem 5
A cylinder with conductivity k experiences a uniform rate of volumetric generation g''' , as
shown in Figure P1.3-4. The cylinder experiences 1-D, steady state conduction heat transfer in
the radial direction and therefore the general solution to the ordinary differential equation for
temperature (T) is:

( )
2
1 2
ln
4
g r
T C r C
k
'''
= + +

(4)

where r is the radial location and C
1
and C
2
are undetermined constants. At the inner radius of
the cylinder (r = r
in
), a heater applies a uniform rate of heat transfer,
in
q . At the outer radius of
the cylinder (r = r
out
), the temperature is fixed at T
out
. The length of the cylinder is L. Write the
two algebraic equations that can be solved in order to obtain the constants C
1
and C
2
. Your
equations must contain only the following symbols in the problem statement:
in
q , T
out
, k, r
in
, r
out
,
L, g''' , C
1
, and C
2
. Do not solve these equations.

in
q
r
in
r
out
T
out
, k g
'''
L

Figure P1.3-4: Cylinder with uniform volumetric generation.

At the outer surface, the temperature is specified and therefore the boundary condition is:

( )
2
1 2
ln
4
out
out out
g r
T C r C
k
'''
= + +

(5)

At the inner surface, the temperature is not specified and therefore it is necessary to do an energy
balance on this interface, as shown in Figure 2.


Figure 2: Interface balance at r = r
in
.

The interface energy balance is:


@
in
in r r
q q
=
= (6)

Substituting Fourier's law for
@
in
r r
q
=
leads to:

2
in
in in
r r
dT
q k r L
dr
t
=
= (7)

Substituting the general solution, Eq. (4), into Eq. (7) leads to:


1
2
2
in
in in
in
g r C
q k r L
k r
t
( '''
= +
(

(8)

Problem 6
Figure P1.3-12 illustrates a plane wall. The temperature distribution in the wall is 1-D and the
problem is steady state.

L
x
L
q
''

, h T

, g a x k
''' =

Figure P1.3-12: Plane wall.

There is generation of thermal energy in the wall. The generation per unit volume is not uniform
but rather depends on position according to:

g a x ''' = (9)

where a is a constant and x is position. The left side of the wall experiences a specified heat flux,
L
q'' . The right side of the wall experiences convection with heat transfer coefficient h to fluid at
temperature T

. The thickness of the wall is L and the conductivity of the wall material, k, is
constant.
a.) Derive the ordinary differential equation that governs this problem. Clearly show your steps.

A differential control volume is shown in Figure 2 and leads to:


x x dx
q g q
+
+ = (10)

x
dx
x
q
x dx
q
+

Figure 2: Differential control volume with energy terms.

After expanding the x + dx term:


x x
dq
q g q dx
dx
+ = +

(11)

The rate of thermal energy generation within the control volume is:


c
g g A dx ''' = (12)

where A
c
is the cross-sectional area of the wall. The conduction term is expressed using
Fouriers law:


c
dT
q k A
dx
= (13)

Substituting Eqs. (13) and (12) into Eq. (11) results in


c c
d dT
g A dx k A dx
dx dx
| |
''' =
|
\ .
(14)

which can be simplified:


d dT g
dx dx k
'''
| |
=
|
\ .

(15)

Substituting the position dependent generation into Eq. (15) leads to:


d dT a x
dx dx k
| |
=
|
\ .
(16)

b.) Solve the differential equation that you obtained in (a). Your solution should include two
undetermined constants.

Equation (15) is separated and integrated:


dT a x
d dx
dx k
| |
=
|
\ .
} }
(17)

which leads to:


2
1
2
dT a
x C
dx k
= + (18)

where CB
1
B is a constant of integration. Equation (18) is integrated again:


2
1
2
a
dT x C dx
k
| |
= +
|
\ .
} }
(19)

which leads to:


3
1 2
6
a
T x C x C
k
= + + (20)

c.) Specify the boundary conditions for the differential equation that you derived in (a).

An interface energy balance at x = 0 leads to:


0
L
x
dT
q k
dx
=
'' = (21)

An interface energy balance at x = L leads to:

( )
x L
x L
dT
k h T T
dx
=
=
= (22)

d.) Use the results of (b) and (c) to obtain two equations that can be solved for the two
undetermined constants.

Substituting Eq. (18) into Eq. (21) leads to:


1 L
q k C '' = (23)

Substituting Eqs. (18) and (20) into Eq. (22) leads to:


2 3
1 1 2
2 6
a a
k L C h L C L C T
k k

| | | |
+ = + +
| |
\ . \ .
(24)

Equations (23) and (24) can be solved for C
1
and C
2
.

Problem 7
Figure P1.4.1(a) illustrates a plane wall with thickness L and cross-sectional area A that has a
specified temperature T
H
on the left side (at x = 0) and a specified temperature T
C
on the right
side (at x = L). There is no volumetric generation in the wall. However, the conductivity of the
wall material is a function of temperature such that: k b cT = + where a and b are constants.
You would like to model the wall using a finite difference solution; a model with only 3 nodes is
shown in Figure P1.4-1(b).

T
H
T
C
L
k = b+cT

T
1
T
2
T
3
Ax

(a) (b)
Figure P1.4-1: (a) A plane wall and (b) a numerical model with 3 nodes.

The distance between adjacent nodes for the 3 node solution is: Ax = L/2.
a.) Write down the system of equations that could be solved in order to obtain the temperatures
at the three nodes. Your equations should include the temperature of the nodes (T
1
, T
2
, and
T
3
) and the other parameters listed in the problem statement: T
H
, T
C
, Ax, A, b, and c.

The equations for T
1
and T
3
are easy, their temperatures are specified:

[1]
H
T T = (25)

[3]
C
T T = (26)

Figure 2 illustrates the control volume for the 2
nd
node.


Figure 2: Control volume for node 2.

An energy balance for the control volume shown in Fig. 3 leads to:

[2] [2] 0
RHS LHS
q q + = (27)

The energy transfer rates must be approximated according to:


| | | | ( ) | | | |
3 2 3 2
[2]
2
RHS
T T T T
q A b c
x
( | | +
= +
( |
A
(
\ .
(28)

and


| | | | ( ) | | | |
1 2 1 2
[2]
2
LHS
T T T T
q A b c
x
( | | +
= +
( |
A
(
\ .
(29)

Notice that the temperature differences agree with the sign convention used in Figure 3 and that
the conductivity is evaluated at the temperature of the interface. Substituting Eqs. (28) and (29)
into Eq. (27) leads to:


| | | | ( ) | | | | | | | | ( ) | | | |
3 2 1 2 3 2 1 2
0
2 2
T T T T T T T T
A b c A b c
x x
( ( | | | | + +
+ + + =
( ( | |
A A
( (
\ . \ .
(30)

Equations (25), (26), and (30) together represent a system of three equations in the three
unknown temperatures.

Problem 8
Figure 1 illustrates a plane wall that is composed of material A (from 0 < x < L) and material B
(from L < x < 2L).

Material A
2
A B
k k
g
=
'''
contact resistance
c
R
''
x
L L
Material B
B
k
, h T

Figure 1: Composite wall.

Material A experiences a uniform rate of volumetric generation of thermal energy, g''' , while
material B experiences no generation of thermal energy. The conductivity of material A is twice
that of material B, k
A
= 2 k
B
. There is an area-specific contact resistance,
c
R'' , at the interface
between materials A and B. The left side of material A is adiabatic and the right side of material
B is cooled convectively by a fluid at T

with heat transfer coefficient h . The area of the wall is

A
c
. This is a 1-D steady-state problem.
a.) On the axes below, sketch the rate of conduction heat transfer in the x-direction as a function
of position, x. This should be a qualitative sketch - the shape of the curve should be correct.

A control volume is defined that extends from x = 0 to x within material A, as shown in Figure 2.

L L
c
g A x
'''
q

x

Figure 2: Control volume with material A.

The rate of conduction heat transfer within material A is given by:


c
q g A x ''' = (31)

A control volume is defined that extends from x = 0 to x within material B, as shown in Figure 3.

L L
q

x
c
g A L
'''

Figure 3: Control volume with material B.

The rate of conduction heat transfer within material B is given by:


c
q g A L ''' = (32)

These characteristics are reflected in Figure 4.

Material A
2
A B
k k
g
=
'''
contact resistance
c
R''
x
L L
Material B
B
k
, h T

q
x
0 L
2L
0
c
g A L '''

Figure 4: Conduction heat transfer as a function of x.

b.) On the axes below, sketch the temperature as a function of position, x. This should be a
qualitative sketch - the shape of the curve should be correct.

Fourier's law states that:


c
dT q
dx k A
=

(33)

Figure 5 is consistent with Eq. (33) - the temperature gradient is zero at x = 0 and becomes more
negative as the rate of heat transfer increases in material A. The temperature gradient is constant
in material B. The temperature gradient in material A at the interface is half that of material B
because it has twice the conductivity. Also, there are temperature drops associated with the
contact resistance and due to convection.

Material A
2
A B
k k
g
=
'''
contact resistance
c
R
''
x
L L
Material B
B
k
, h T

x
0 L
2L
T
T

Figure 5: Temperature as a function of x.

You have decided to develop an analytical model of the temperature distribution in material A
(i.e., the temperature from 0 < x < L). The general solution for the temperature in a plane wall
experiencing a uniform rate of volumetric thermal energy generation is:


2
1 2
2
A
g
T x C x C
k
'''
= + +

(34)

c.) Develop two equations that can be solved to provide the two unknown constants C
1
and C
2
.
Your equations should be in terms of C
1
and C
2
as well as the other symbols defined in the
problem statement. Do not attempt to solve these equations.

An interface energy balance at x = 0 leads to:


0
0
x
dT
dx
=
= (35)

Substituting Eq. (34) into Eq. (35) leads to:


1
0 C = (36)

An interface energy balance at x = L leads to:


0
1
x L
A c
c
x
c B c c
T T dT
k A
R L
dx
A k A h A
=
=

=
''
+ +
(37)

Substituting Eq. (34) into Eq. (37) leads to:


2
1 2
1
2
1
A
A c
c
A
c B c c
g
L C L C T
k g
k A L C
R L
k
A k A h A

'''
+ +
| | '''
+ =
|
''
\ .
+ +

(38)

Equations (36) and (38) can be solved for C
1
and C
2
.

You have decided to develop a numerical model of the temperature distribution in material A,
shown in Figure 1. Your numerical model consists of three nodes, as shown in Figure 6.

L L
T
1
T
2
T
3
Material A
,
A
g k
'''
contact resistance
c
R
''
Material B
B
k
, h T

Figure 6: Numerical model of material A.

d.) Write the three equations that must be solved in order to determine the temperatures at each
of the nodes (T
1
, T
2
, and T
3
). Do not attempt to solve these equations.

T
1
T
2 T
3
RHS
q

Figure 7: Energy balance on the control volume for node 1.

An energy balance on the control volume for node 1 is shown in Figure 7 and leads to:

0
RHS
q g + = (39)

or

( )
2 1
0
2
A c
c
k A x
T T g A
x
A
A
''' + = (40)

where


2
L
x A = (41)

T
1
T
2 T
3
RHS
q

LHS
q

Figure 8: Energy balance on the control volume for node 2.

An energy balance on the control volume for node 2 is shown in Figure 8 and leads to:

0
RHS LHS
q q g + + = (42)

or

( ) ( )
3 2 1 2
0
A c A c
c
k A k A
T T T T g A x
x x
A
A A
''' + + = (43)


T
1
T
2 T
3
g

LHS
q

in
q

Figure 9: Energy balance on the control volume for node 3.

An energy balance on the control volume for node 3 is shown in Figure 9 and leads to:

0
in LHS
q q g + + = (44)

or


( )
( )
3
2 3
0
1
2
A c
c
c
c B c c
T T k A x
T T g A
R L
x
A k A h A
A
A

''' + + =
''
+ +
(45)

Equations (40), (43), and (45) together are 3 equations in the 3 unknown temperatures.

Figure 10 provides specific values of the parameters that govern the problem.

L = 0.1 m
Material A
2 W/m-K
A
k
g
=
'''
Material B
1 W/m-K
B
k =
-3 2
1x10 W-m /K
c
R
'' =
2
100 W/m -K h
T

=
L = 0.1 m

Figure 10 Parameters for the problem.

The conductivity of materials A and B are k
A
= 2 W/m-K and k
B
= 1 W/m-K, respectively. The
thickness of these materials is L = 0.1 m. The contact resistance is
c
R'' = 1x10
-3
m
2
-K/W. The
heat transfer coefficient is h = 100 W/m
2
-K.

e.) Rank the following parameters in terms of their importance to the problem: k
A
, k
B
,
c
R'' , and
h . Note that the only things that you should need to calculate are the values of the thermal
resistances that govern the problem. Justify your answer using the values of these thermal
resistances.

The elevation of the temperature in the heater is due to several resistances in series, including the
thermal resistance to conduction through material B, contact resistance, and convection
resistance. In addition, there is the resistance to conduction through material A. The thermal
resistance to conduction through material B is:


, 2
0.1 m m-K
0.1 K/W
1 W 1 m
cond B
B c
L
R
k A
= = = (46)

where the resistance is computed on a unit area (A
c
= 1 m
2
) basis. The thermal resistance
associated with the contact resistance is:


-3 2
2
1x10 K-m
0.001 K/W
W 1 m
c
c
c
R
R
A
''
= = = (47)

The thermal resistance associated with convection is:


2
2
1 m -K
0.01 K/W
100 W 1 m
conv
c
R
h A
= = = (48)


Material A cannot be represented exactly by a thermal resistance yet it is possible to
approximately determine its importance by calculating the resistance to conduction through A
according to:


, 2
0.1 m m-K
0.025 K/W
2 2 2 W 1 m
cond A
A c
L
R
k A
= = = (49)

In descending order, the values of the resistances are
, cond B
R ,
, cond A
R ,
conv
R , and
c
R . Therefore,
the ranking of the parameters are: k
B
, k
A
, h , and
c
R'' .

Problem 9
Figure 1 illustrates a thin metal rod that has a heater installed on its tip.

L
T
b x
, h T

h
q

Figure 1: Thin metal rod exposed to convection with a heater installed at its tip.

The rate of heat transfer provided by the heater,
h
q , is transferred by conduction into the tip of
the rod (at x = L), as shown. The base of the rod (at x = 0) is maintained at temperature, T
b
. The
cross sectional area of the rod is A
c
and the perimeter of the rod is per. The rod is surrounded by
fluid at temperature T

with heat transfer coefficient h . The conductivity of the rod material is

k. Assume that the extended surface approximation is appropriate (i.e., the temperature within
the rod is a function only of x). Neglect radiation for this problem.
a.) Sketch the temperature distribution in the rod. Justify your choice by listing some of the
characteristics that you expect to see.

The correct solution is shown in Figure 2. Note that the solution satisfies the two boundary
conditions (the base temperature and the required temperature gradient corresponding to the heat
transfer into the tip) and also remains always above the fluid temperature.

L
T
b
x
, h T

h
q

T
x
L 0
T
b
T

The ordinary differential equation that governs this problem is the same as the ODE that was
derived for a constant cross-sectional area fin:


2
2 2
2
where
c
per h d T
m T m T m
k A dx

= = (50)

The general solution to this ODE is:

( ) ( )
1 2
exp exp T C mx C mx T

= + + (51)

b.) Use the correct boundary conditions in order to obtain two equations that can be solved
simultaneously in order to provide C
1
and C
2
. IT IS NOT NECESSARY THAT YOU
SOLVE THESE EQUATIONS.

The boundary conditions are:


0 x b
T T
=
= (52)


c h
x L
dT
k A q
dx
=
| |
=
|
\ .
(53)

Note that the heat transfer is INTO the tip of the fin and therefore in the negative x-direction,
leading to the sign change in Eq. (53). Substituting Eq. (51) into Eqs. (52) and (53) leads to:


1 2 b
C C T T

+ + = (54)

( ) ( )
1 2
exp exp
c h
k A C m mL C m mL q = (

(55)

Equations (54) and (55) can be solved to provide C
1
and C
2
.

You have decided to model the rod using a three node numerical solution, as shown in Figure 2.

L
T
b
x
, h T

h
q

T
1
T
2
T
3

Figure 2: Three node numerical solution.

c.) Derive the three equations that must be solved simultaneously in order to provide the
temperatures of the three nodes (T
1
, T
2
, and T
3
). IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO SOLVE
THESE EQUATIONS.

The temperature of node 1 is specified:


1 b
T T = (56)

An energy balance on the control volume around node 2 leads to:

( ) ( ) ( )
1 2 3 2 2
0
c c
k A k A
T T T T h per x T T
x x

+ + A =
A A
(57)

An energy balance on the control volume around node 3 leads to:

( ) ( )
2 3 3
0
2
c
h
k A x
T T h per T T q
x

A
+ + =
A
(58)

The distance between adjacent nodes, Ax in Eqs. (57) and (58), is:


2
L
x A = (59)

Problem 10
Figure 1 illustrates the wall of a freezer.

freezer air
T
f
= -10C
R
conv
= 3 K/W
surroundings
T
o
= 20C
R
conv
= 3 K/W
R
rad
= 30 K/W
freezer wall
R
cond
= 10 K/W
q

inner surface outer surface

Figure 1: Outdoor wall in a building.

The inner surface of the wall experiences convection with the air in the freezer at T
f
= -10C.
The outer surface of the wall experiences both convection and radiation with the surroundings at
T
o
= 20C. The resistance to convection on the inside and outside of the wall is R
conv
= 3 K/W.
The resistance to radiation on the outer surface is R
rad
= 30 K/W, you may neglect radiation from
the inner surface. The resistance to conduction through the wall is R
cond
= 10 K/W.
a.) Draw a resistance diagram that represents the freezer wall.

Figure 2 illustrates the resistance diagram.

T
f
T
o
R
rad
= 30 K/W
R
conv
= 3 K/W
R
conv
= 3 K/W
R
cond
= 10 K/W

Figure 2: Resistance diagram.

b.) Rank the following effects in terms of their importance (most important to least important):
convection, radiation, conduction. Justify your answer.

The radiation resistance is in parallel with a much smaller convection resistance it is not
important. The convection resistances are in series with a larger conduction resistance they are
less important (although still important).

The most important effect is conduction, followed by convection, with radiation being least
important.

c.) What is the rate of heat transfer to the freezer through the wall, q ?

The rate of heat transfer is:


( ) ( ) ( )
1 1
20 10 K
1.91 W
1 1 K 1 1
3 10
3 30 W
o f
conv cond
conv rad
T T
q
R R
R R


= = =
(
| | | |
+ + + + + + (
| |
\ .
(
\ .
(60)

d.) What is the temperature of the outer surface of the wall?

The temperature of the outer surface of the wall is:

( )
( ) 3 10 K
1.91 W
10 C 14.8 C
W
s f conv cond
T T R R q
+
= + + = + = (61)

If the temperature of the outer surface of the wall is too low then condensation will form on the
freezer. This is undesirable and therefore a thin heater is installed on the outer surface in order to
maintain the temperature of the outer surface above the dew point temperature.
e.) What is the rate of heat transfer that must be provided by the heater in order to keep the
temperature of the outer surface of the wall at T
s
= 18C?

The resistance diagram with the heater power added is shown in Figure 3.

T
f
T
o
R
rad
R
conv
R
conv
R
cond
h
q

T
s

Figure 3: Resistance network with heater power.

An energy balance on the heater leads to:


( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( )
( )
1 1
18 10 K 18 20 K
1.42 W
3 10 K/W
1 1
1 1
K/W
3 30
s f
s o
h
conv cond
conv rad
T T
T T
q
R R
R R


= + = + =
+ +
| | | |
+
+
|
|
\ .
\ .
(62)

Problem 11
A disk-shaped bracket is used to hold a pipe in place, as shown in Figure 1.

r
center line
pipe
disk shaped bracket
r
b
r
t
th
k
T
p
, h T

, h T

Figure 1: Disk-shaped bracket.

The thickness of the bracket is th and it is made of material with conductivity k. The bracket
extends radially from inner radius r
b
where it is connected to the pipe surface to outer radius r
t
.
The temperature of the bracket at the inner radius where it connects to the pipe is T
p
. The outer
edge of the bracket is adiabatic. Both the upper and lower surfaces of the bracket are exposed to
fluid at T

with heat transfer coefficient h .

a.) What calculation would you do in order to justify treating the bracket as an extended surface
(i.e., justify the assumption that the temperature within the bracket is only a function of
radius, r); write your answer in terms of the symbols that are used in the problem statement.

The appropriate Biot number is the ratio of the resistance to conduction across the thickness of
the bracket to the resistance to convection from the bracket surface. The resistance to conduction
across the thickness of the bracket (i.e., in the x direction) is:


( )
,
2 2
2
cond x
t b
th
R
k r r t
=

(63)

The resistance to convection from the fin surface is:


( )
2 2
1
conv
t b
R
h r r t
=

(64)

The Biot number is therefore:


( )
( )
2 2
,
2 2
1 2 2
t b
cond x
conv t b
h r r
R
th thh
Bi
R k k r r
t
t

= = =

(65)

Any answer within a factor of 2 of Eq. (65) is acceptable.


For the remainder of the problem, assume that the bracket can be treated as an extended surface.
b.) Derive the governing ordinary differential equation and the associated boundary conditions
that should be solved in order to obtain an analytical solution for the temperature in the
bracket. Your differential equation and boundary conditions should only involve the
symbols provided in the problem statement. Do not solve the differential equation.

An energy balance on a differential segment of the bracket is shown in Figure 2.

r
center line
r
b
r
t
dr
r
q

r dr
q
+

conv
q

T
p

Figure 2: Energy balance on a differential segment of the bracket.

The energy balance in Figure 2 leads to:


r r dr conv
q q q
+
= + (66)

or

0
conv
dq
dr q
dr
= +

(67)

Substituting rate equations into Eq. (67) leads to:

( ) 0 2 4
d dT
k r th dr h r dr T T
dr dr
t t

(
= +
(

(68)

or

( )
2 d dT h
r r T T
dr dr k th

(
=
(

(69)

The boundary conditions are:

2 0
t
t
r r
dT
k r th
dr
t
=
= (70)

which can be written as:

0
t
r r
dT
dr
=
= (71)


and


b
r r p
T T
=
= (72)


You have decided to generate a numerical model of the bracket that has three nodes, positioned
as shown in Figure 3.

r
center line
r
b
r
t
node 1 node 2
node 3

Figure 3: A 3-node numerical model of the disk-shaped bracket.

c.) Derive a system of algebraic equations that can be solved in order to predict the temperatures
at each of the three nodes in Figure P1.9-2 (T
1
, T
2
, T
3
). Your equations should include only
those symbols defined in the problem statement as well as the radial locations of the three
nodes (r
1
, r
2
, and r
3
). Do not solve these equations.

The temperature at node 1 is specified:


1 p
T T = (73)

An energy balance on node 2 is shown in Figure 4.

r
center line
node 1 node 2
node 3
LHS
q

RHS
q

conv
q

Figure 4: Energy balance on node 2.

and leads to:


LHS RHS conv
q q q + = (74)

or, with rate equations:


( ) ( )
( )
2 2
1 2 3 2 2 3 2 1
2
3 2
1 2
2 2 2
2 2
ln ln
T T T T r r r r
k th k th h T T
r r
r r
t t t

(
+ + | | | |
+ =
(
| |
| | | |
\ . \ .
(

| |
\ . \ .
(75)

Note that this could also be written as:


( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
( ) ( )
2 2
1 2 2 3 2 3 2 1
1 2 3 2 2
2 1 3 2
2 2
2
2 2 2 2
r r k th r r k th r r r r
T T T T h T T
r r r r
t t
t

(
+ + + + | | | |
+ =
(
| |

\ . \ .
(

(76)

An energy balance on node 3 is shown in Figure 5.

r
center line
node 1 node 2
node 3
conv
q

LHS
q

Figure 3: Energy balance on node 3.

and leads to:


LHS conv
q q = (77)

or


( )
( )
2
3 2 2 2 3
3 3
3
2
2 2
2
ln
T T r r
k th h r T T
r
r
t t

(
+ | |
=
(
|
| |
\ .
(

|
\ .
(78)

Equation (78) can also be written as:


( )
( )
( ) ( )
2
2 3 2 2 3
3 2 3 3
3 2
2
2
2 2
r r k th r r
T T h r T T
r r
t
t

(
+ + | |
=
(
|

\ .
(

(79)

d.) On the axes in Figure 4, sketch the temperature distribution that you would expect if the
conductivity of the bracket, k, is very low (label your sketch k 0). Note that the qualitative
values of T
p
and T

are indicated in the plot - your sketch should be consistent with these
values.

r
center line
r
b
r
t
T
p
, h T

, h T

r
b
r
t
r
T
T
p
T

k
0 k

Figure 4: Qualitative sketch of the temperature distribution expected as k becomes very small and k becomes
very large.

The sketch is shown in Figure 4 and has the following characteristics.
1. The slope at r = r
t
should be zero because the tip is insulated.
2. The temperature at r = r
b
must be T
p
.
3. If k is small then the resistance to radial conduction is large and all of the temperature
drop is related to conduction. Thus the temperature decreases rapidly from T
p
at the base
to T

.

e.) On the axes in Figure 4, sketch the temperature distribution that you would expect if
conductivity, k, is very high (label your sketch k ).

The sketch is also shown in Figure 4 and has the following characteristics.
1. The slope at r = r
t
should be zero because the tip is insulated.
2. The temperature at r = r
b
must be T
p
.
3. If k is large then the resistance to radial conduction is small and all of the temperature
drop is related to convection. Thus the temperature remains close to T
p
throughout the
bracket.

Problem 12
One of the engineers that you supervise has been asked to simulate the heat transfer problem
shown in Figure 1(a). This is a 1-D, plane wall problem (i.e., the temperature varies only in the
x-direction and the area for conduction is constant with x). Material A (from 0 < x < L) has
conductivity k
A
and experiences a uniform rate of volumetric thermal energy generation, g''' .
The left side of material A (at x = 0) is completely insulated. Material B (from L < x < 2L) has
lower conductivity, k
B
< k
A
. The right side of material B (at x = 2L) experiences convection with
fluid at room temperature (20C). Based on the facts above, critically examine the solution that
has been provided to you by the engineer and is shown in Figure 1(b). There should be a few
characteristics of the solution that do not agree with your knowledge of heat transfer; list as
many of these characteristics as you can identify and provide a clear reason why you think the
engineers solution must be wrong.
L L
material A material B
k
A
k
B
< k
A
x
A
g g
''' ''' =
0
B
g
''' =
, 20 C
f
h T
=

-100
-50
0
50
100
150
200
250
Position (m)
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

(

C
)
0 L 2L
Material A Material B

(a) (b)
Figure 1: (a) Heat transfer problem and (b) "solution" provided by the engineer.

1. The left side of material A is insulated; therefore, the temperature gradient should be zero.
2. Material A has a higher conductivity than material B; therefore, at x = L the temperature
gradient should be larger in material B than in material A.
3. Heat is transferred to the fluid at 20C; therefore the temperature at x = 2 L must be greater
than 20C.