PROBLEM 4.

36
KNOWN: Control volume and nodal configuration in the vicinity of the interface between two
materials.
FIND: Expressions for control surface heat rates. Finite difference equation at node m,n.

SCHEMATIC: ∆x

q(m,n+1)→(m,n) Material A
∆y • kA
(m,n+1)

q(m-1,n)→(m,n)
(m+1,n)
•
(m-1,n)
•
(m,n)
•
q(m+1,n)→(m,n)

q(m,n-1)→(m,n)
• Material B
(m,n-1) kB

ASSUMPTIONS: Steady-state, two-dimensional heat transfer, no heat generation, negligible contact

resistance.
ANALYSIS: Conduction from Node (m,n+1) to Node (m,n) occurs exclusively in Material A.
Therefore,
∆x
=
q( m,n +1)→( m,n ) kA L Tm,n +1 − Tm,n  <
∆y 

Likewise for conduction from Node (m,n-1) to Node (m,n),

∆x
=
q( m,n −1)→( m,n ) k B L Tm,n −1 − Tm,n  <
∆y 

Conduction from Node (m-1,n) to Node (m,n) occurs in both Material A and Material B. In Material
A,
∆y / 2
= qA( m −1,n )→( m,n ) kA L Tm −1,n − Tm,n 
∆x 
Likewise for conduction in Material B,
∆y / 2
= qB( m −1,n )→( m,n ) k B L Tm −1,n − Tm,n 
∆x 
For both materials,

=
q( m −1,n )→( m,n ) qA( m −1,n )→( m,n ) + qB( m −1,n )→( m,n )
∆y / 2 ∆y / 2
= kA L Tm −1,n − Tm,n  + k B L Tm −1,n − Tm,n 
∆x ∆x 
∆y / 2
= ( kA + k B ) L Tm −1,n − Tm,n  <
∆x 

Similarly for conduction from Node (m+1,n) to (m,n),

∆y / 2
q( m +1,n )→( m,n ) = ( kA + k B ) L Tm +1,n − Tm,n  <
∆x 
Continued...
 PROBLEM 4.36 (Cont.)

An energy balance on node m,n yields

q( m −1,n )→( m,n ) + q( m +1,n )→( m,n ) + q( m,n −1)→( m,n ) + q( m,n +1)→( m,n ) =
0

or

∆x ∆x ∆y / 2
kA Tm,n +1 − Tm,n  + k B
∆y 
Tm,n −1 − Tm,n  + ( k A + k B )
∆y  ∆x 
Tm −1,n + Tm +1,n − 2Tm,n  =
0 <

COMMENTS: How would you modify the analysis if the contact resistance is significant?
 PROBLEM 4.22

KNOWN: Dimensions and temperature of thermocouple bead and wires. Manipulator temperature,
distance between bead and surface.
FIND: Surface temperature.
SCHEMATIC:

Manipulator, Tm = 23°C

d = 25µµ Air
∼∼ ∼
∼ L = 300µµ
qcond,Al qcond,Ch

D = 120 µµ Thermocouple
Ttc = 29°C bead

z = 100µµ
qcond,a

Ts

ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Constant properties, (2) Negligible radiation and convection, (3) Isothermal
thermocouple bead, (4) Air behaves as a semi-infinite medium, (5) Steady state conditions.

PROPERTIES: Table A.4, Air (310 K): k a = 0.027 W/m⋅K.

ANALYSIS: An energy balance on the thermocouple bead yields
q=
cond,air qcond,Al + qcond,Ch (1)

where the conduction heat transfer rates through the alumel and chromel wires are denoted as q cond,Al
and q cond.Ch , respectively. Conduction from the surface through the air to the thermocouple bead,
q cond,air , may be determined by use of the shape factor S = (2πD)/(1 - D/4z)of Case 1 of Table 4.1.
Therefore, Equation (1) may be written as

πd2 πd2
Ska ( Ts=
− Ttc ) k Al (Ttc − Tm ) + kCh (Ttc − Tm ) (2)
4L 4L

which may be rearranged to yield

1 − D / 4z d 2
=
Ts ⋅  kAl (Ttc − Tm ) + kCh (Ttc − Tm )  + Ttc
2 Dka 4 L 

( 25 ×10 )
−6 2
1 − 120 / ( 4 × 100 ) m
= ⋅  29 W/m ⋅ K ( 29 − 23) °C + 19W/m ⋅ K ( 29 − 23) °C  + 29°C
2 × 120 × 10−6 m × 0.027 W/m ⋅ K 4 × 300 × 10−6 m 

= 45.2°C <
Continued…
 PROBLEM 4.22 (Cont.)

COMMENTS: The required surface temperature to induce the specified thermocouple temperature
and its dependence on the separation distance, z, is shown below. As expected, the required surface
temperature becomes greater as the separation distance increases.

50

48

46

Ts (°C)
44

42

40
70 110 150 190 230

zmicron
z (µm)
 PROBLEM 4.13
KNOWN: Surface temperatures of two parallel pipe lines buried in soil.
FIND: Heat transfer per unit length between the pipe lines.
SCHEMATIC:

ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Steady-state conditions, (2) Two-dimensional conduction, (3)

Constant properties, (4) Pipe lines are buried very deeply, approximating burial in an infinite
medium, (5) Pipe length >> D 1 or D 2 and w > D 1 or D 2 .
ANALYSIS: The heat transfer rate per unit length from the hot pipe to the cool pipe is
q S
q=′ = k ( T1 − T2 ) .
L L
The shape factor S for this configuration is given in Table 4.1 as
2π L
S= .
 4w 2 --
D12 D 22 
cosh 
-1 
 2D1D 2 
 
Substituting numerical values,
 4 × ( 2.0m )2 --( 0.3m )2 ( 0.2m )2  2π / cosh -1(132.3)
π / cosh -1 
S
2=
L  2 × 0.3m × 0.2m 
 
S
= 2=π / 5.58 1.13.
L
Hence, the heat rate per unit length is

q′ =1.13 × 0.5W/m ⋅ K ( 95 − 5 ) C =50.7 W/m. <
COMMENTS: The heat gain to the cooler pipe line will be larger than 50.7 W/m if the soil
temperature is greater than 5°C. How would you estimate the heat gain if the soil were at
25°C?
 PROBLEM 4.12
KNOWN: Electrical heater of cylindrical shape inserted into a hole drilled normal to the
surface of a large block of material with prescribed thermal conductivity.
FIND: Temperature reached when heater dissipates 50 W with the block at 25°C.
SCHEMATIC:

ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Steady-state conditions, (2) Block approximates semi-infinite medium

with constant properties, (3) Negligible heat loss to surroundings above block surface, (4)
Heater can be approximated as isothermal at T 1 .
ANALYSIS: The temperature of the heater surface follows from the rate equation written as
T 1 = T 2 + q/kS
where S can be estimated from the conduction shape factor given in Table 4.1 for a “vertical
cylinder in a semi-infinite medium,”
S = 2π L/n ( 4L/D ) .

Substituting numerical values, find

 4 × 0.1m 
2π × 0.1m/n 
S= =
0.143m.
 0.005m 
The temperature of the heater is then

T 1 = 25°C + 50 W/(5 W/m⋅K × 0.143m) = 94.9°C. <

COMMENTS: (1) Note that the heater has L >> D, which is a requirement of the shape
factor expression.
(2) Our calculation presumes there is negligible thermal contact resistance between the heater
and the medium. In practice, this would not be the case unless a conducting paste were used.
(3) Since L >> D, assumption (3) is reasonable.
(4) This configuration has been used to determine the thermal conductivity of materials from
measurement of q and T 1 .
 PROBLEM 4.10

KNOWN: Diameters and temperatures of spherical particles that are in contact.

FIND: Heat transfer rate.
SCHEMATIC:

ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Constant properties, (2) Isothermal particles.

PROPERTIES: Table A.4, Air (300 K): k = 0.0263 W/m⋅K.

ANALYSIS: By symmetry, the vertical plane at the particle contact point is at temperature T p = (T 1 +
T 2 )/2 = 300 K. Therefore, conduction between the particles q 12 is equal to conduction from particle 1
to the plane, q 1p = Sk(T 1 – T p ). The shape factor is that of Case 1 of Table 4.1 evaluated at z = D/2
yielding S = 4pD. Therefore,

 T +T 
q12 = q1p = 4p Dk  T1 - 1 2  = 4p × 100 × 10-6 m × 0.0263 W/m ⋅ K × 0.1 K = 3.3 × 10-6 W = 3.3m W <
 2 

COMMENTS: (1) The air thermal conductivity in the vicinity of the contact point would be
reduced by nanoscale effects such as those described in Chapter 2. In applying the shape factor of
Case 1 of Table 4.1 to the z = D/2 situation we have implicitly assumed that nanoscale effects are
negligible. See B. Gebhart, Heat Conduction and Mass Diffusion, McGraw-Hill, 1993 for an
appropriate treatment of nanoscale phenomena for this geometry. (2) The effective thermal
conductivity of porous media composed of high thermal conductivity particles, such as packed metal
powder layers, may be estimated by accounting for the particle size and packing distribution and using
an analysis such as the one presented here.