78 3-4 The Conduction Shape Factor

Table 3-1 Conduction shape factors, summarized from references 6 and 7.

Note: For buried objects the temperature difference is T=T
object
T
far eld
. The far-eld temperature
is taken the same as the isothermal surface temperature for semi-innite media.
Physical system Schematic Shape factor Restrictions
Isothermal cylinder of radius r
buried in semi-innite
medium having isothermal
surface
D
r
L
Isothermal
2L
cosh
1
(D/r )
2L
ln(D/r )
L r
L r
D>3r
Isothermal sphere of radius
r buried in innite medium
r
4r
Isothermal sphere of radius r
buried in semi-innite
medium having isothermal
surface T =T
surf
T
far eld
D
r
Isothermal 4r
1r /2D
Conduction between two
isothermal cylinders of
length L buried in innite
medium
D
r
1 r
2
2L
cosh
1
_
D
2
r
2
1
r
2
2
2r
1
r
2
_
L r
L D
Row of horizontal cylinders
of length L in semi-innite
medium with isothermal
surface
Isothermal
D
r
l
S =
2L
ln
__
l
r
_
sinh(2D/l )
_
D >2r
Buried cube in innite
medium, L on a side
L
8.24L
CHAPTER 3 Steady-State ConductionMultiple Dimensions 79
Table 3-1 (Continued).
Physical system Schematic Shape factor Restrictions
Isothermal cylinder
of radius r placed in
semi-innite medium
as shown
2r
L
Isothermal
2L
ln(2L/r )
L 2r
Isothermal rectangular
parallelepiped buried
in semi-innite medium
having isothermal surface
b
c
a
L
Isothermal
1.685L
_
log
_
1+
b
a
__
0.59
_
b
c
_
0.078
See Reference 7
Plane wall
L
A
A
L
One-dimensional heat ow
Hollow cylinder, length L
+
r
i
r
o
2L
ln(r
o
/r
i
)
L r
Hollow sphere
+
r
i
r
o
4r
o
r
i
r
o
r
i
Thin horizontal disk buried
in semi-innite medium
with isothermal surface
Isothermal
2r
D
4r
8r
4r
/2tan
1
(r /2D)
D =0
D 2r
D/2r >1
tan
1
(r /2D) in radians
Hemisphere buried in
semi-innite medium
T = T
sphere
T
far eld
+
r
Isothermal 2r
Isothermal sphere buried in
semi-innite medium with
insulated surface
+
r
D
T

Insulated 4r
1+r /2D
Two isothermal spheres
buried in innite medium
+ +
r
1 r
2
D
4r
2
r
2
r
1
_
1
(r
1
/D)
4
1(r
2
/D)
2
_

2r
2
D
D >5r
max
80 3-4 The Conduction Shape Factor
Table 3-1 (Continued).
Physical system Schematic Shape factor Restrictions
Thin rectangular plate of
length L, buried in semi-
innite medium having
isothermal surface
D
W
Isothermal
L
W
ln(4W/L)
2W
ln(4W/L)
2W
ln(2D/L)
D =0
W > L
D W
W > L
W L
D >2W
Parallel disks buried in
innite medium
D
t
1
t
2
r
4r
_

2
tan
1
(r /D)
_
D >5r
tan
1
(r /D)
in radians
Eccentric cylinders of length L
D
r
1
r
2
+ +
2L
cosh
1
_
r
2
1
+r
2
2
D
2
2r
1
r
2
_
L r
2
Cylinder centered in a square
of length L
W
+ W
r
L
2L
ln(0.54W/r )
L W
Horizontal cylinder of length L
centered in innite plate
D
Isothermal
Isothermal
+
r
D
2L
ln(4D/r )
Thin horizontal disk buried
in semi-innite medium with
adiabatic surface
T = T
disk
T
far eld
D
Insulated
2r
4r
/2+ tan
1
(r /2D)
D/2r >1
tan
1
(r /2D)
in radians