TAIBAH UNIVERSITY-YANBU BRANCH College of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering

THERMAL CONDUCTION EXPERIMENT

1-Introduction

Heat transfer (or heat) is thermal energy in transit due to a spatial temperature difference.

Types of heat transfer processes as modes.

When a temperature gradient exists in a stationary medium, which may be a solid or a fluid, we
use the term conduction to refer to the heat transfer that will occur across the medium. In
contrast, the term convection refers to heat transfer that will occur between a surface and moving
fluids when they are at different temperatures. The third mode of heat transfer is termed thermal
radiation. All surfaces of finite temperature emit energy in the form of electromagnetic waves.
Hence, in the absence of an intervening medium, there is net heat transfer by radiation between
two surfaces at different temperatures.

Conduction is the transport of energy in a medium due to a temperature gradient, and the
physical mechanism is one of random atomic or molecular activity at mention of the word
conduction, we should immediately conjure up concepts of atomic and molecular activity
because processes at these levels sustain this mode of heat transfer. All materials have thermal
conductivity (Solid phase, liquid phase and gas phase). The thermal conductivity of each
material changes with temperature. Materials having low thermal conductivity are used as
insulation materials to reduce heat gain or loss.

Examples of conduction heat transfer

The exposed end of a metal spoon suddenly immersed in a cup of hot coffee is eventually
warmed due to the conduction of energy through the spoon. On a winter or summer day, there is
significant energy loss from a heated room to the outside air or heat gain to the cooled room.
This loss is principally due to conduction heat transfer through the wall that separates the room
air from the outside air.

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TAIBAH UNIVERSITY-YANBU BRANCH College of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering

Objective

1. To show how heat conducts linearly along a solid bar of uniform dimensions and
material.
2. To show how different materials in contact can affect linear heat transfer.
3. To show how you can calculate the experimental thermal conductivity of the material in a
solid bar.

Theory

Electrical Power, Heat Quantity and Heat Transfer Rate Assuming ideal conditions, the electrical
power supplied to the heater on each experiment gives a direct and accurate value of the heat
energy that it emits or conducts. The electrical power into the heater is the product of the voltage
and current supplied to it, so: Electrical Power (W) = Voltage (V) across the heater x Current (I)
passing through the heater. Or W=Vx I

Heat quantity or heat energy (Q) is an amount of energy, usually specified in Joules (J).A rate of
heat energy transfer is a given amount heat energy transferred in a given time, or Q/t. To
simplify the equations, you put a mark above the symbol Q to represent this, so: Q/t= Q~

The unit (Watt) of electrical power is also a measurement of rate of energy transfer (one Joule
per second), so: 𝑄̇ = 𝑊̇ (1)

This shows that the rate of electrical energy supplied to the heater is equal to the energy (heat)
transfer rate from the heater.

Linear Thermal Conductivity Equations

As mentioned earlier, thermal conductivity is a measure of how quickly heat energy travels along
a unit length of material of a unit cross-sectional area. So for the solid bar of circular cross-
section in figure 2 below, the equation includes the area (A) of the cross-section and the length
between the two measured temperatures:

or reference only, the standard form of this equation is:

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TAIBAH UNIVERSITY-YANBU BRANCH College of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering

Therefore, to calculate thermal conductivity of a material, the equation must rearranged to give

The units of thermal conductivity are J.s -1m-1.K-1. However, as 1 Joule per second is equal to a
Watt, it is more useful to write as W.m-1K-1. And, as shown earlier, you may substitute Q/t with
W, so:

Diameter 30 mm and cross-sectional area 0.000707 m2

Apparatus & software discretion

The Base Unit (TD1002)
The Base Unit shown in figure 3 is the main part of the Heat Transfer Experiments. It is a
compact bench-mounting frame that connects to a suitable electrical supply and a cold water
supply and drain. It supplies safe, low voltage electrical power to the heater (heat source) in the
optional experiments and shows the temperature of the thermocouples in each optional

Figure 2: A bar of circular – section Conducting Heat

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TAIBAH UNIVERSITY-YANBU BRANCH College of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering

experiment. The cold water circuit is simply the incoming mains cold water supply that passes
through the optional experiment unit and then out to drain. A hand-operated valve in the water
circuit allows you to control its flow.

Figure 3: The Base Unit (TD1002) and an Optional Experiment (TD1002A)

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TAIBAH UNIVERSITY-YANBU BRANCH College of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering

Linear Heat Conduction Experiment (TD1002A)

This experiment unit shows how heat conducts along a solid brass bar of uniform circular cross
section as shown in figures 4 & 5. It has an electric heater at one end to generate heat energy (the
‘heat source’) and a small chamber at the other end (‘the heat sink’). The cold water supply from
the Base Unit flows through the heat sink to remove the heat energy. A thermal switch next to
the heater works with the Base Unit to switch off the electrical supply to the heater if it becomes
too hot. Seven thermocouples equally-spaced along the bar measure the temperature gradient
between the heat source and heat sink. The bar includes an interchangeable middle section to
allow you to fit different metals (supplied) and study how they affect temperature gradient along
the bar. Insulation surrounds the bar to reduce heat loss by radiation and convection, giving you
more accurate results to compare with theory.

Figure 5 linear Conduction experiments-

Procedure 1 - Standard Brass Material

1. Connect and set up the Linear Heat Conduction Experiment (TD1002A) as shown in
2. Fit the brass middle section, using the heat transfer paste. see figure 7
3. Create a blank results table, similar to Table 1. If you have VDAS, select the correct
experiment. The software will create a table for you automatically when you start taking
readings.
4. Use an accurate thermometer to check the local ambient air temperature for reference.
5. Open the water outlet valve to start the water flowing, then switch on the heater and set to
30 Watts’s power.
6. Wait for the temperatures to stabilized then record T1to T7.
7. For comparison, repeat the test at one or more heater powers greater than 30 W.
8. Switch off the heater and water supply.

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TAIBAH UNIVERSITY-YANBU BRANCH College of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering

Figure 6: Inserting Specimen for measurements

To Fit an Experiment (General)

1. Switch off the Base Unit and its heater switch.
2. Put the experiment onto the front of the Base Unit. Use the thumbscrews to hold it in
position.
3. Connect the water supply pipes (if your experiment needs them). Make sure you connect
them the correct way round, as this will affect your results.
4. Switch on your water supply and allow water to pass through the experiment for several
minutes while checking for leaks.
5. Connect the thermocouples from the experiment to the sockets on the Base Unit
(matching the correct numbers). Connect the heater cable from the experiment to the
socket on the Base Unit.
6. Switch on the Base Unit. Turn the heater control to minimum and switch on the heater.

Thermal Equilibrium for Accurate Results

Your results will be more accurate if you wait for the temperatures to stabilize before you take
results. This is when the experiment reaches ‘thermal equilibrium’ and can take at least 30
minutes

Operation of the Software

Versatile Data Acquisition System (VDAS)

TecQuipment’s VDAS is an optional extra for the Heat Transfer Experiments. It is a two-part
product (Hardware and Software) that will:

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TAIBAH UNIVERSITY-YANBU BRANCH College of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering

1. automatically log data from your experiments

2. automatically calculate data for you
3. save you time
4. reduce errors
5. create charts and tables of your data
6. export your data for processing in other software

Figure 7: The VDAS Hardware and Software

Evaluation of Results
From the results for each power
setting, plot charts of
temperature against distance
along the bar, with respect to the
first thermocouple (T1) (see
Figure 9). You should be able to
draw a good best-fit line
through your results. If the
middle temperature value (T4) is
not near the line, you have not correctly fitted the middle section. Calculate the thermal gradient
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TAIBAH UNIVERSITY-YANBU BRANCH College of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering

of the line for reference. Use the two furthest readings T1 and T7, the given distance between
them, the heater power and the bar area with Equation 5 to calculate the thermal conductivity of
the metal bar. Compare it with the typical value given in text book or table 3. Can you explain
the cause of any errors - if any? What do you notice about the gradient of the charts for each
heater power setting?

Typical Results: Figure 9

Note: These results are sample results only; actual results may be slightly different. All results are
based on experiments in a room with
stable conditions and at Approximately
20°C.

Experimental Data

Room Temperature 20C

Q = 30 Watt

Temperature T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7
in C
85 C 77 68 60 52 43 35
Distance in 0 20 40 60 80 100 120
mm

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TAIBAH UNIVERSITY-YANBU BRANCH College of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering

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TAIBAH UNIVERSITY-YANBU BRANCH College of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering

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