CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2023/2024

TUTORIAL 2
(a) The Basic Modes of Heat Transfer (Part II)
Qa1: White potatoes (k = 0.49 W/m· oC) that are initially at a uniform temperature
of 20oC and have an average diameter of 10 cm are to be cooled by
refrigerated air at 5oC flowing at a velocity of 1 m/s. The average heat
transfer coefficient between the potatoes and the air is experimentally
determined to be 19.1 W/m2·oC. Calculate the initial rate of heat transfer
from a potato.

Qa2: A 6.7 m uninsulated steam line crosses a room. The outer diameter of the steam line is 0.46 m, and the outer
surface temperature is 137.8°C. The convective heat transfer coefficient for the air is 56.8 W/hr-m2-°C.
Calculate the heat transfer rate from the pipe into the room if the room temperature is 22.2°C.

Qa3: A room is initially at the outdoor temperature of 25°C. After a period of

time, a large fan that consumes 200 W of electricity when running is
turned on. It is given that the overall heat transfer coefficient, U = 6
W/m2 · °C and the exposed surface area of the room, A = 30 m2, and Ti
and To are the indoor and outdoor air temperatures, respectively.
Determine the indoor air temperature when steady operating
conditions are established.

Qa4: If an object has an area of 1 m2, an emissivity of 0.67, a temperature of 100 °C, and an environment of 0°C.
Calculate the amount of heat transferred by the object.

Qa5: Glass bottles may be prevented from breaking on filling with hot pasteurized juice when their temperature is
close to that of the juice being filled.
The bottles are rapidly heated by passing through a chamber that has top, bottom, and side walls heated by
natural gas. The glass bottles may be considered as an object completely surrounded by a radiating surface.
The glass bottles have an emissivity of 0.94, a mass of 155 g each, a specific heat of 1256 J/(kg · K), and a surface
area of 0.0219 m2. If the glass bottles are to be heated from 15.5◦C to 51.6◦C in 1 minute, calculate the
temperature of the walls of the chamber to achieve this average heating rate when the glass is at the midpoint
of the temperature range (33.6◦C).

Qa6: Consider steady heat transfer between two large parallel plates at constant
temperatures of T1 = 290 K and T2 = 150 K that are L = 2 cm apart. Assuming the
surfaces to be black (emissivity ε = 1), determine the rate of heat transfer
between the plates per unit surface area assuming the gap between the plates
is (a) filled with atmospheric air, (b) evacuated, (c) filled with fiberglass
insulation, and (d) filled with super insulation having an apparent thermal
conductivity of 0.00015 W/m· °C.
It is given that the thermal conductivities are k = 0.01979 W/m⋅°C at -50°C for
air, and k = 0.036 W/m⋅°C for fiberglass insulation.
CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2023/2024

(b) Overall Heat Transfer

Qb1: The rate of heat loss through a unit surface area of a window per unit temperature difference between the
indoors and the outdoors is called the U-factor (or the overall heat transfer coefficient). The value of the U-
factor ranges from about 1.25 W/m2·°C for low-e (low emissivity) coated, argon-filled, quadruple-pane windows
to 6.25 W/m2·°C for a single-pane window with aluminium frames. Determine the range for the rate of heat
loss through a 1.2-m x 1.8-m window of a house that is maintained at 20°C when the outdoor air temperature
is -8°C.

Qb2: The wall of a bakery oven is built of insulating brick 10 cm thick and of thermal conductivity 0.22 Jm-1s-1.oC-1.
Steel reinforcing members penetrate the brick, and their total area of cross-section represents 1% of the inside
wall area of the oven.
If the thermal conductivity of the steel is 45 Jm-1s-1oC-1, calculate:
(a) the relative proportions of the total heat transferred through the wall by the brick and by the steel
(b) the heat loss for each m2 of oven wall if the inner side of the wall is at 230oC and the outer side is at 25oC.

Qb3: A refrigerator door of area 0.6 m2 consists of 25 mm of lagging on top of a thin metal sheet. The film heat
transfer coefficients inside and outside the refrigerator are 10.0 and 15.0 W m−2 K−1, respectively, and the
thermal conductivity of the lagging is 0.25 W m−1 K−1. If the working temperature of the refrigerator is 0◦C and
ambient temperature is 20◦C, determine the heat flow through the refrigerator door and the temperature of
the inside surface of the door.

Qb4: An engineer was assigned to design an air to air plate heat exchanger for heat treatment of a food product.
During the heat treatment, the inside temperature in the heat exchanger is 100 oC and outside temperature is
20oC. The plate heat exchanger with area 2 m2 and wall thickness 0.1 mm is needed, it can be made in
polypropylene PP, aluminium or stainless steel. The thermal conductivity for polypropylene is 0.1 W/mK,
aluminium is 205 W/mK, and stainless steel is 16 W/mK, respectively. Assume the convective heat transfer
coefficient for air at inside and outside of the heat exchanger is 50 W/m2K. Suggest the best material to be used
to construct the heat exchanger.

Qb5: Heat is generated by an industrial furnace in a chemical plant. The furnace wall is of three layers, first layer of
insulation brick of 12 cm thickness of conductivity 0.6 W/mK. The face (1m2) is exposed to gases at 870°C with
a convection coefficient of 110 W/m2K. This layer is backed by a 10 cm layer of firebrick of conductivity 0.8
W/mK. There is a contact resistance between the layers of 2.6 × 10–4 m2 °C/W. The third layer is the plate
backing of 10 mm thickness of conductivity 49 W/mK. The contact resistance between the second and third
layers is 1.5 × 10–4 m2 °C/W. The plate is exposed to air at 30°C with a convection coefficient of 15 W/m2K.
Determine the heat flow, the surface temperatures and the overall heat transfer coefficient.
CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2023/2024

SUGGESTED SOLUTION:
Qa1: Assumptions: (i) Steady operating conditions exist. (ii) Potato is spherical in shape. (iii) Convection heat
transfer coefficient is constant over the entire surface.

The total surface area of a potato:

The initial rate of heat transfer from a potato:

Qa2: The heat transfer rate from the pipe into the room:
Q˙=h A ΔT
= h (2π r L) ΔT
=(56.8 J/hr-m2-∘C)[2(3.14)(0.46/2 m)(6.7 m)](137.8∘C−22.2∘C)
= 6.36 × 104 J/hr = 17.7 W

Qa3: The electricity consumed by the fan is energy input for the room, and thus the room gains energy at a rate of
200 W. As a result, the room air temperature tends to rise. But as the room air temperature rises, the rate of
heat loss from the room increases until the rate of heat loss equals the electric power consumption. At that
point, the temperature of the room air, and thus the energy content of the room, remains constant
(conservation of energy for the room).

The heat transfer rate between the room and the outdoor air is given as 𝑄̇ = UA(Ti - To)

Therefore, the room air temperature will remain constant after it reaches 26.1°C.

Qa4: Convert temperature to kelvins: K = °C + 273.15 K.

Use Q = σεA(T24-T14), calculate heat transfer:
Q = 5.670367×10−8 × 0.67 × 1 m2 × [(373.15 K)4 - (273.15 K)4]
= -525.09 W.
Mark the negative sign – the object radiates heat from the system.

Qa5: The required heat transfer rate is m Cp∆T:

In 1 minute:

T2 = 33.6 +273 = 306.6 K

Qa6: (a) Disregarding any natural convection currents, the rates of conduction and radiation heat transfer:
CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2023/2024

(b) When the air space between the plates is evacuated, there will be radiation heat transfer only. Therefore,

(c) In this case there will be conduction heat transfer through the fiberglass insulation only,

(d) In the case of superinsulation, the rate of heat transfer will be:

Superinsulators are very effective in reducing heat transfer between to surfaces.

Qb1: Assumptions: (i) Steady operating conditions exist. (ii) Heat losses associated with the infiltration of air
through the cracks/openings are not considered.
The rate of heat transfer through the window can be determined from:

where Ti and To are the indoor and outdoor air temperatures, respectively, Uoverall is the U-factor (the overall
heat transfer coefficient) of the window, and Awindow is the window area.

Substituting,
Maximum heat loss: Qwindow, max = (6.25 W/m2 ⋅°C)(1.2×1.8 m2 )[20 − (−8)]°C = 378 W
Minimum heat loss: Qwindow, min = (1.25 W/m2 ⋅°C)(1.2×1.8 m2 )[20 − (−8)]°C = 76 W

The rate of heat loss through windows of identical size is in the range of 76 – 378 W, which may differ by a
factor of 5, depending on how the windows are constructed.

Qb2: (a) Q = k A ∆T /x, we know that T is the same for the bricks and for the steel.
Also x, the thickness, is the same.
Consider the loss through an area of 1 m2 of wall (0.99m2 of brick, and 0.01 m2 of steel):
For brick,

For steel,

Therefore, qb /qs = 0.48

(b)Total heat loss:

CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2023/2024

Therefore percentage of heat carried by steel,

% Q = (923/1369) x 100
= 67%

Qb3: The thermal resistance of the air film on the inside of the refrigerator is equal to the reciprocal of the relevant
heat transfer coefficient, that is, 0.10 m2 KW−1.
Similarly for the air film on the outside, the thermal resistance is 1/15 = 0.0667 m2KW−1.
The thin metal sheet will present very little resistance to the flow of heat and therefore only the insulation
need be considered.
The conductive resistance is thus 0.025/0.25 = 0.10 m2KW−1.
The overall temperature difference is that between the air on the inside and the air outside the refrigerator,
that is, 20 K.
Hence the rate of heat transfer through the door is:

Q = 45 W

The rate of heat transfer from the refrigerator door to the inner air by convection is:
Q = h A (T1 - Tinner )
45 = 10 × 0.60 (T1 − 0)
therefore the surface temperature, T1 = 7.5◦C.

Qb4: The individual resistances are evaluated:

Ri = Rconv,1 = 1/hc A = 1/ (50 W/m2.K x A m2) = 0.02/A K/W
Rplate = Rcond = x/kmetal A = (1 x 10-4 m)/(kmetal x A m2)
Ro = Rconv,2 = 1/hc A = 1/ (50 W/m2.K x A m2) = 0.02/A K/W

Rtotal = Rconv,1 + Rcond + Rconv,2

U = 1/ ARTotal = 1/ (0.04 m2K/W + ((1 x 10-4 m)/(kmetal)) m2K/W)

For polypropylene with thermal conductivity, kmetal = 0.1 W/mK:

U = 1/ (0.04 m2K/W + ((5 x 10-5 m)/(0.1 W/m.K)) m2K/W) = 24.7 W/m2.K
So, Q = UA ∆T = (24.7 W/m2.K)(2 m2)(100 – 20oC) = 3952 W

For aluminium with thermal conductivity, kmetal = 205 W/mK:

U = 1/ (0.04 m2K/W + ((5 x 10-5 m)/(205 W/m.K)) m2K/W) = 25.0 W/m2.K
So, Q = UA ∆T = (25.0 W/m2.K)(2 m2)(100 – 20oC) = 4000 W

For stainless steel with thermal conductivity, kmetal = 16 W/mK:

U = 1/ (0.04 m2K/W + ((5 x 10-5 m)/(16 W/m.K)) m2K/W) = 25.0 W/m2.K
So, Q = UA ∆T = (25.0 W/m2.K)(2 m2)(100 – 20oC) = 4000 W

Therefore, aluminium or stainless steel is suitable to be used as the material to construct the plate heat
exchanger.

Qb5:
CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2023/2024

Using:

The resistances (°C/W) are: Taking A = 1.0 m2,

Since Q = UA ΔT, where U is the overall heat transfer coefficient.

Since A = 1 m2,

Since A = 1 m2, the surface temperatures can be determined by:

CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2023/2024