Mathematical Models of Thermal Systems

Introduction and Units System Elements Mathematical Model Printable

Contents
Introduction
The Energy Balance
Examples Involving only Thermal Resistance and Capacitance
Example: Two thermal resistances in series
Example: Heating a Building with One Room
Example: Heating a Building with One Room, but with Variable
External Temperature.
Example: Heating a Building with Two Rooms
Examples Involving Fluid Flow
Example: Cooling a Block of Metal in a Tank with Fluid Flow.
Aside: Modeling a Fluid Flow with and Electrical Analog
Solving the Model

Introduction
While the previous page (System Elements) introduced the fundamental elements of
thermal systems, as well as their mathematical models, no systems were discussed. This
page discusses how the system elements can be included in larger systems, and how a
system model can be developed. The actual solution of such models is discussed
elsewhere.

The Energy Balance

To develop a mathematical model of a thermal system we use the concept of an energy
balance. The energy balance equation simply states that at any given location, or node, in a
system, the heat into that node is equal to the heat out of the node plus any heat that is
stored (heat is stored as increased temperature in thermal capacitances).
Heat in = Heat out + Heat stored
To better understand how this works in practice it is useful to consider several examples.

Examples Involving only Thermal Resistance and Capacitance

Example: Two thermal resistances in series
 Consider a situation in which we have an internal temperature, θi, and an ambient
temperature, θa with two resistances between them. An example of such a situation is
your body. There is a (nearly) constant internal temperature, there is a thermal
resistance between your core and your skin (at θs), and there is a thermal resistance
between the skin and ambient. We will call the resistance between the internal
temperature and the skin temperature Ris, and the temperature between skin and
ambient Rsa.
a) Draw a thermal model of the system showing all relevant quantities.
b) Draw an electrical equivalent
c) Develop a mathematical model (i.e., an energy balance).
d) Solve for the temperature of the skin if θi, =37°C, θa =9°C, Ris=0.75°/W; for a patch of
skin and Rsa= 2.25°/W for that same patch.

Solution:
a) In this case there are no thermal capacitances or heat sources, just two know
temperatures ( θi, and θa), one unknown temperature (θs), and two resistances ( Risand
Rsa.)

b) Temperatures are drawn as voltage sources. Ambient temperature is taken to be

zero (i.e., a ground "temperature), all other temperatures are measured with respect to
this temperature).

c) There is only one unknown temperature (at θs), so we need only one energy balance
(and, since there is no capacitance, we don't need the heat stored term).
Note: the first equation included θa, but the second does not, since θa is our reference temperature and is

taken to be zero.

d) Solving for θs

Note: you may recognize this result as the voltage divider equation from electrical circuits.

We can now solve numerically (we use 28°C for the internal temperature since it is 28°C
above ambient (37°-9°=28°)

This says that θs is 21°C above ambient. Since the ambient temperature is 9°C, the
actual skin temperature is 30°C.
Note: If Rsa is lowered, for example by the wind blowing, the skin gets cooler, and it feels like it is colder. This

is the mechanism responsible for the "wind chill" effect.

Example: Heating a Building with One Room

Consider a building with a single room. The resistance of the walls between the
room and the ambient is Rra, and the thermal capacitance of the room is Cr, the heat
into the room is qi, the temperature of the room is θr, and the external temperature is a
constant, θa.
a) Draw a thermal model of the system showing all relevant quantities.
b) Draw an electrical equivalent
c) Develop a mathematical model (i.e., a differential equation).

Solution:
a) We draw a thermal capacitance to represent the room (and note its temperarature).
We also draw a resistance between the capacitance and ambient.
b) To draw the electrical system we need a circuit with a node for the ambient
temperature, and a node for the temperature of the room. Heat (a current source) goes
into the room. Energy is stored (as an increased temperature) in the thermal
capacitance, and heat flows from the room to ambient through the resistor.

c) We only need to develop a single energy balance equation, and that is for the
temperature of the thermal capacitance (since there is only one unknown
temperature). The heat into the room is qi, heat leaves the room through a resistor and
energy is stored (as increased temperature) in the capacitor.

by convention we take the ambient temperature to be zero, so we end up with a first

order differential equation for this system.

Example: Heating a Building with One Room, but with Variable External
Temperature.

Consider the room from the previous example. Repeat parts a, b, and c if the
temperature outside is no longer constant but varies. Call the external temperature
θe(t) (this will be the temperature relative to the ambient temperature). We will also
change the name of the resistance of the walls to Rre to denote the fact that the
external temperature is no longer the ambient temperature.

Solution:
The solution is much like that for the previous example. Exceptions are noted below.
a) The image is as before with the external temperature replaced by θe(t).

b) To draw the electrical system we need a circuit with a node for the external
temperature and a node for the temperature of the room. Though perhaps not obvious
at first we still need a node for the ambient temperature since all of our temperatures
are measured relative to this, and our capacitors must always have one node connected
to this reference temperature. Heat flows from the room to the external temperature
through the resistor.

c) We still only need to develop a single energy balance equation, and that is for the
temperature of the thermal capacitance (since there is only one unknown
temperature). The heat into the room is qi, heat leaves the room through a resistor and
energy is stored (as increased temperature) in the capacitor.

(the ambient temperature is taken to be zero in this equation). In this case we end up
with a system with two inputs (qi and θe).

Example: Heating a Building with Two Rooms

Consider a building that consists of two adjacent rooms, labeled 1 and 2. The
resistance of the walls room 1 and ambient is R1a, between room 2 and ambient is R2a
and between room 1 and room 2 is R12. The capacitance of rooms 1 and 2 are C1 and
C2, with temperatures θ1 and θ2, respectively. A heater in in room 1 generates a heat
qin. The temperaturexternal temperature is a constant, θa.
a) Draw a thermal model of the system showing all relevant quantities.

b) Draw an electrical equivalent

c) Develop a mathematical model (i.e., a differential equation).

In this case there are two unknown temperatures, θ1and θ2, so we need two energy
balance equations. In both cases we will take θa to be zero, so it will not arise in the
equations.
Room 2: Heat in = Heat out + Heat
Room 1: Heat in = Heat out + Heat Stored
Stored

In this case there are two parts to the

"Heat Out"
term, the heat flowing through R1a and the In this case we take heat flow through
R12 to (from 1 to 2) to be an input.
heat
through R12.
We could also take this energy balance
to have no heat in, and write the heat
flow from
2 to 1 as a second "Heat out" term. (note
the
change of subscripts in the subtracted terms)

The two first order energy balance equations (for room 1 and room 2) could be
combined into a single second order differential equation and solved. Details about
developing the second order equation are here.
Examples Involving Fluid Flow
So far we have not considered fluid flow in any of the examples; let us do so now.

Example: Cooling a Block of Metal in a Tank with Fluid Flow.

Consider a block of metal (capacitance=Cm, temperature=θm). It is placed in a well

mixed tank (at termperature θt, with capacitance Ct). Fluid flows into the tank at
temperature θin with mass flow rate Gin, and specific heat cp. The fluid flows out at the
same rate There is a thermal resistance to between the metal block and the fluid of the
tank, Rmt, and between the tank and the ambient Rta. Write an energy balance for this
system.

Note: the resistance between the tank and the metal block, Rmt, is not explicitly shown.

Solution:
Since there are two unknown temperatures, we need two energy balance equations.
Metal Block: Heat in = Heat out +
Tank: Heat in = Heat out + Heat Stored
Heat Stored

In this case there is not heat in, and In this case we have heat in from the fluid flow
heat out and from the metal block.
is to the tank through Rmt. We have heat out to ambient through Rta.

Aside: Modeling a Fluid Flow with and Electrical Analog

To model this system with an electrical analog, we can represent the fluid flow
as a voltage source at θin, with a resistance equal to 1/(Gin·cp). If you sum
currents at the nodes θt and θm you can show that this circuit is equivalent to the
thermal system above.
Solving the Model
Thus far we have only developed the differential equations that represent a system. To
solve the system, the model must be put into a more useful mathematical representation
such as transfer function or state space. Details about developing the mathematical
representation are here.

References

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Erik Cheever Department of Engineering Swarthmore College