Class Problem 1

Consider the base plate of an 800-W household iron with a thickness of L = 0.6 cm, base area of
A = 160 cm2, and thermal conductivity of k = 20 W/m • K. The inner surface of the base plate is
subjected to uniform heat flux generated by the resistance heaters inside. When steady
operating conditions are reached, the outer surface temperature of the plate is measured to be
85°C. Disregarding any heat Loss through the upper part of the iron, (a) express the differential
equation and the boundary conditions for steady one-dimensional heat conduction through the
plate, (b) obtain a relation for the variation of temperature in the base plate by solving the
differential equation, and (c) evaluate the inner surface temperature.

Assumptions: 1 Heat conduction is steady and one-dimensional since the surface area of the
base plate is large relative to its thickness, and the thermal conditions on both sides of the plate
are uniform. 2 Thermal conductivity is constant. 3 There is no heat generation in the plate. 4
Heat loss through the upper part of the iron is negligible.

Solution:
The base plate of a household iron is subjected to specified heat flux on the left surface and to
specified temperature on the right surface. The mathematical formulation, the variation of
temperature in the plate, and the inner surface temperature are to be determined for steady
one-dimensional heat transfer
Properties The thermal conductivity is given to be k =
20 W/m⋅°K.
Analysis (a) Noting that the upper part of the iron is
well insulated and thus the entire heat generated in
the resistance wires is transferred to the base plate,
the heat flux through the inner surface is determined
to be

= 75000 W/m2
X=0 X=L

Taking the direction normal to the surface of the wall to

T (L) = T2 = 85oC
 0

(b) Integrating the differential equation twice with respect to x yields

= +
At x=o

− = → =−

x=L
# = #+ =

$%
= +
&

Putting values of C1 and C2 in

# #−
=− + + = +

'( . *+
=

= 3750 . 006 − + 85
(c) At x=0
= 107.5oC
Class Problem:

A Ski clothing (type of jacket) is made of five layers of .1 mm thick synthetic fabric (k= 0.13
W/m. K ) with 1.5 mm thick air space (k= .026 W/m. K) between the layers. Assuming inner
surface temperature of the jacket to be 28 oC and the surface area to be 1.25 m2, determine the
rate of heat loss through the jacket when the temperature of the outdoors is 0 oC and the heat
transfer coefficient at the outer surface is 25 W/m2. K.
(a) What would your response be if the jacket is made of a single layer of 0.5 mm thick
synthetic fabric?
(b) What should be the thickness of a wool fabric (k= .035 W/m . K) if you want to have same
level of thermal comfort wearing a thick wool coat instead of a five layer ski jacket?
Solution:
Assumptions 1 Heat transfer is steady since there is no indication of change with time. 2 Heat
transfer through the jacket is one-dimensional. 3 Thermal conductivities are constant. 4 Heat
transfer coefficients account for the radiation heat transfer.
Properties The thermal conductivities are given to be k = 0.13 W/m⋅°K for synthetic fabric, k =
0.026 W/m⋅°C for air, and k = 0.035 W/m⋅°K for wool fabric.
Analysis The thermal resistance network and the individual thermal resistances are

# . 0001
/012345 / = /6 = /( = /' = /7 = = = 0.0006 ;/
8 0.13 × 1.25
# . 0015
/143 = / = /= = / = /> = = = 0.0462 ;/
8 0.026 × 1.25
1 1
/ = = = 0.0320 ;/
ℎ8 25 × 1.25
/ABA % = 5 /012345 + 4/143 + / = 0.2198B ;/

A E *AF >*
DB = = = 127 W
GHIHJK . 7>

If the jacket is made of a single layer of 0.5 mm thick synthetic fabric, the rate of heat transfer
would be
A E *AF >*
DB = = = 127 W
GHIHJK . 7>
 (a) What would your response be if the jacket is made of a single layer of 0.5 mm thick
synthetic fabric?
A E *AF >*
DB = = 800 W
GHIHJK 5/LMNOPQ +/0

(b) What should be the thickness of a wool fabric (k= .035 W/m . K) if you want to have same
level of thermal comfort wearing a thick wool coat instead of a five layer ski jacket?

The thickness of a wool fabric that has the same thermal resistance is determined from

# 1
/ABA % = / RSST + / = +
012345 8 ℎ8
#
0.2198 = + 0.0320 → # = 0.0082 = 8.2
0.035 1.25

Class Problem:
To warm up some milk for a baby, a mother pours milk into a thin-walled glass whose diameter
is 6 cm. The height of the milk in the glass is 7 cm. She then places the glass into a large pan
filled with hot water at 60°C. The milk is stirred constantly, so that its temperature is uniform at
all times. If the heat transfer coefficient between the water and the glass is 240 W/m2 • °K,
determine how long it will take for the milk to warm up from 3°C to 38°C. Take the properties
of the milk to be the same as those of water. Can the milk in this case be treated as a lumped
system? Why?
Solution:

Assumptions 1 The glass container is cylindrical in shape with a radius of r0 = 3 cm. 2 The thermal
properties of the milk are taken to be the same as those of water. 3 Thermal properties of the milk
are constant at room temperature. 4 The heat transfer coefficient is constant and uniform over the
entire surface. 5 The Biot number in this case is large (much larger than 0.1). However, the lumped
system analysis is still applicable since the milk is stirred constantly, so that its temperature remains
uniform at all times.
Properties The thermal conductivity, density, and specific heat of the milk at 20°C are k = 0.598
3
W/m.°K, ρ = 998 kg/m , and cp = 4.182 kJ/kg.°K

Analysis The characteristic length and Biot number for the glass of milk are

V X3YZ %
#U 01050.0
W X3 %[ X3YZ

ℎ#Q
\4 = = 4.21 > .1

For the reason explained above we can use the lumped system analysis to determine how long it will
take for the milk to warm up to 38°C:

A ^ *AF a
= ` *2^ (As N = = 0.0054e *
A_ *AF b5c%d

t = 174 sec