Thermal Conductivity

Mechanical Engineering Department
Thermal fluid lab
Instructor: EN Mamoun Khdier
Student Name: hussain salh alomary
Section: 11
Experiment Name: Thermal Conductivity
Abstract 5%
Introduction 10%
Theory 10%
Apparatus & procedure
10%
Data & calculations 40%
Tables & figures 10%
Discussion 10%
Conclusion 5%
Total 100%
Abstract
In this experiment we are going to find the thermal conductivity of a conductor of two metals
Aluminum and mild steel, by measuring the temperature at different points for steady-state
conduction of heat through a composite of the metal.
Introduction
The second law of thermodynamics states that heat transfer occurs in the direction of the body
at a lower temperature that is heat flows from high temperature to low temperature. Heat
conduction is a mode of heat transfer in which energy is dissipated by the collision of adjacent
vibrating molecules and transferred along the whole system. The other modes of heat transfer
are convection, which is the combination of conduction and flow heat transfer, and radiation,
which is the emittance of heat in the form of photons requiring no medium for transference. In
real life, it is common that all three mode of heat transfers occur simultaneously.
In this experiment, we will place a mild steel cylinder at the bottom and an Aluminum cylinder
on the top with each cylinder having one hole for the sensor(Thermocouple ) , the first two
holes were for taking the Temperature gradient off Aluminum (T 3 , T 4 ), The second two holes
for taking Temperature gradient off mild steel (T 1 , T 2), the ∆ X is constant between each hole ,
we are going to run this experiment for at least 1.5 or 2 hours .
Theory
In this experiment, you will observe the flow of heat from one end of a metal bar to another.
From your data, you will determine the thermal conductivity of the material. It is no
coincidence that the term conductivity appears both in the context of heat flow and of
electrical circuits. In an electrical circuit, electrical current flows due to a difference in
electrostatic potential from one location to another. In an analogous way, heat flows in
response to differences in temperature from one location to another in a material, as shown in
Figure 3.1:
Figure 3.1
An empirical relationship between the conduction rate in a material and the temperature
gradient in the direction of energy flow, first formulated by Fourier in 1822 who concluded that
"the heat flux resulting from thermal conduction is proportional to the magnitude of the
temperature gradient and opposite to it in sign". For a one directional conduction process this
observation may be expressed as:
q } =-kA {δT} over {δx ¿
We need also to defined Newton coolant law which is :
q= m. cp ∆T
Where:
q: heat flow through the two sample
K: thermal conductivity W/mK
A: cross section area
(T 3 ,T 4 ) T( 1 ,T 2 ) , ,δx: distance between thermocouples
.δT: The Temperature gradient off Aluminum (T 3 , T 4 ), Temperature gradient off mild steel.
C p: Specific heat capacity
Figure 3.2 thermal conductivity devices

Apparatus & procedure
To conduct this experiment, we use a special device designed to measure the thermal
.conductivity coefficient
It consist of electrical heater , cooling water supply tank , a multi-point thermocouples , tow
thermometer to measure water temperature , a clamping specimen stake assembly to put the
desired material in it , and an enclosure to reduce the heat loses to the minimum .
1. A self-clamping specimen stack assembly with electrically heated source.
2. Calorimeter base.
3. Dower vessel.
4. Thermocouples mounted on the two specimens.
5. Cooling water supply tank.
To begin with the experiment firstly we have to make the water running by Opening the valve
for the tap water to start to run Then the water would start too head for the head tank (For
steady state flow)Then the water will enter the set up , we have two thermocouples measuring
the temperature in and temperature out , We will get the data from the reader next to us
switching from channel 1 to Channel 2 gives us the temperature in and out respectively ,Then
we will calculate the volumetric flow Using graduated cylinder by dividing volume over time
,Then we will put the two cylinders (Aluminum and mild steel),We will turn on the power
Which was almost 11.5 Watts The temperature would run along the Two cylinder Then I will
T
.) 1 ,T 2 ,T 3 ,T 4 ( measure every temperature
Data & calculations

:This the data as provided by our instructor
Figure 5.1 data

THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
T1 T2
T4 (Aluminum T3 (Aluminum at T2 (Mild steel T1 (Mild steel at Volumetric flow rate Water Water
at top) bottom) at top) bottom) (mL/min) in out
55.8 51 47.2 42.4 15 21 26
Table 5.1 data from instructor
ALUMINIUM MILD STEEL

Length (mm) 64 38
Diameter (mm) 25 25
Distance between temperatures (mm) 50 25
k (W/m.K) 209 41.8
Table 5.2 constant
Volumetric flow rate

(m³/sec) Mass Flow rate (kg/sec)
0.00000025 0.00025
Q 0.009719122
Table 5.3 constant
Delta T Delta T K (Al) K (MS)

(water) (Mildsteel) Delta T (Aluminum) Area (m²) (W/m².K) (W/m².K) R (Al) R (MS)
110.877943
5 -4.8 -4.8 0.00049087 7 55.43897184 1.175885 1.396364
Table 5.4 results a excel sheet would be provided
Discussion
As you see in the calculations, we can easily to find the thermal conductivity for most kind of
materials by using the above apparatus, and you can see that the experimental value of thermal
conductivity (K) for the Aluminum (110.877 W/m².K) is very close to the real value for its which
gets from tables (209 W/m².K) and same goes for molded steel .
From figures in the results you can see that the thermocouple temperatures at the both hot
and cold ends of the long specimen are constant (with no different) at the steady state
condition, but we don’t have any information to plot the relationships for the change of the
thermocouple temperatures for a small specimens.
Conclusion
The errors we have noticed is due to different factors ,such as heat loses which was neglected
and the high K which was assumed to the material between contact surfaces between tow
.specimens , and other factor like error in reading , and not reading in steady state conditions
We also verify the relation between heat rate and (K) theory (q = -K dT/dx), which was the main
.equation to use for metals, and for coolant (q= m. cp ∆T)
From this we conclude that the thermal conductivity factor depends on the material and the
.temperature of the material as well as the length of the specimen used
The heat transfer in a material is proportional to the area of its cross section, the temp.
.Difference between both sides and material type. But it is inversely proportional to the length
.There is a contact resistance between the two surfaces, and this was neglected
- :some curves are not smooth because of the following error
1. Human error in reading since the monitors that shows the reading is analog.
2. Errors from approximation in the calculations.
3. Machine errors since we couldn’t ensure that how much the diffuser is opened or partial
opened.

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Mechanical Engineering Department

Thermal fluid lab

Instructor: EN Mamoun Khdier

Student Name: hussain salh alomary

Experiment Name: Thermal Conductivity

q } =-kA {δT} over {δx ¿

We need also to defined Newton coolant law which is :

q: heat flow through the two sample

K: thermal conductivity W/mK

A: cross section area

(T 3 ,T 4 ) T( 1 ,T 2 ) , ,δx: distance between thermocouples

C p: Specific heat capacity

Figure 3.2 thermal conductivity devices

Data & calculations

Figure 5.1 data

ALUMINIUM MILD STEEL

Volumetric flow rate

Delta T Delta T K (Al) K (MS)

- :some curves are not smooth because of the following error

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