Y.

RAJA KUMAR ( 1005-11-745316 )

Page 1 of 11

THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF METAL BAR
AIM:
To Determine Thermal Conductivity of Metal Rod.

INTRODUCTION:
Thermal conductivity is the physical property of the material denoting the ease with
particular substances can accomplish the transmission of thermal energy by molecular motion.
Thermal conductivity of material is found to depend on the chemical composition of the
substances of which it is composed, the phase (i.e. Gas, Liquid or solid) in which it exists, its
crystalline structure if a solid, the temperature and pressure to which it is subjected, and
whether or not it is homogeneous material.

Thermal Conductivity of Some Materials:









Mechanism of Thermal Energy Conduction in Metals:

Thermal energy may be conducted in solids by two modes.
1. Lattice vibrations.
2. Transport by free electrons.

In good electrical conductors a rather large number of free electrons move
about in the lattice structure of the material. Just as these electrons may transport electric
charge, they may also carry thermal energy from a high temperature region. In fact, these
electrons are frequently referred as the electron gas. Energy may also be transmitted as
vibrational energy in the lattice structure of the material. In general, however, this latter mode
of energy transfer is not as large as the electron transport and it is for this reason that good
electrical conductors are almost always good heat conductors, i.e. Copper, Aluminum & silver.
With increase in the temperature, however the increased lattice vibrations come in the way of
MATERIAL(METAL) THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY W/mk STATE 0C
Pure Copper 386 20
Brass 110.7 20
Steel (0.5% C) 19.0 20
Stainless Steel 14.9 20
Y.RAJA KUMAR ( 1005-11-745316 )

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the transport by free electrons for most of the pure metals the thermal conductivity decreases
with increase in the temperatures for some metals.

DESCRIPTION:
The experimental set up consists of the metal bar, one end of which is heated by an
electric heater while the other end of the bar projects inside the cooling water jacket. The
middle portion of the bar is surrounded by a cylindrical shell filled with the glass wool. The
temperature of the bar is measured at five different positions, while the radial temperature
distribution is measured by separate thermocouples at two different sections in the insulating
shell.
The heater is provided with a dimmer stat for controlling the heat input. Water under
constant head condition is circulated through the jacket and its flow rate and temperature rise
are noted.
SPECIFICATIONS:
1) Length of the metal bar =450 mm
2) Size of the metal bar (diameter) =25 mm
3) Test length of the bar =250 mm.
4) Radial distances of thermocouples in insulating shell : r
o
=46mm & r

=
26mm
5) Number of thermocouples mounted on the bar =5
6) Number of thermocouples in the insulation shell =4
7) Heater Coil (Band type) Nichrome heater.
8) Cooling Jacket diameter =75 mm.
9) Temperature Indicator: 0-300
o
C with channel selector switch. Positions 1 to 5
Thermocouple positions on metal bar Positions 6 to 9 Thermocouple position in the
shell Positions 10 to 11 To measure rise in temperature of cooling water
10) Dimmer stat for heater coil 2 A, 230V A.C.
11) Digital Voltmeter & Digital Ammeter
12) Flask for measuring water flow rate.
13) Stop clock.
Y.RAJA KUMAR ( 1005-11-745316 )

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THEORY :
The heater will heat the bar at its end and heat will be conducted through the bar to the
other end. After attaining the steady state temperature heat flowing out of section AA (water) of
bar .
q
w
=mC
p
I Where,
m =mass flow rate of cooling water.
Cp = specific heat of water.
T = (T11 T10)
SECTION AA:
Thermal conductivity of bar at section AA can now be calculated as
q
w
= K
AA
._
Jt
Jx
]
AA
.A
The value of [
dt
dx

AA
is obtained graphically.
The negative sign is introduced because heat flows in the direction of decreasing
temperature & serves to make the heat flux in the positive direction.
SECTION BB:
Heat conducted through the section BB of the bar
= q
w
+Radial heat loss between sections BB and AA
q
BB
=q
w
+
2nKL(1
6
-1

)
In
r
c
r
i

Where, K =0.2 Kcal/hr-m-
o
C (Assume value for the powder in M.K.S. units.)
Thermal conductivity at section BB can be calculated a
Y.RAJA KUMAR ( 1005-11-745316 )

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q
BB
= K
BB
._
Jt
Jx
]
BB
.A
SECTION CC:
Heat conducted through the section CC of the bar
= q
BB
+Radial heat loss between sections BB and AA
q
CC
=q
BB
+
2nKL(1
9
-8)
In
r
c
r
i

Where, K =0.2 Kcal/hr-m-
o
C (Assume value for the powder in M.K.S. units.)
Thermal conductivity at section CC can be calculated as
q
CC
= K
CC
._
Jt
Jx
]
CC
.A
Thus the thermal conductivity of bar at different sections can be calculated.
PROCEDURE:
1) Put ON the electric supply.
2) Give input to the heater by the dimmer stat.
3) Start the cooling water supply through the jacket and adjust it to about 300 to 350
CC/min
4) Go on checking the temperature at some specified time intervals, say 15 minutes and
continue this till a satisfactory steady state condition is reached.
5) Note the temperature readings 1 to 11.
6) Note the mass flow rate of water in Kg/sec and temperature rise in
o
C.




Y.RAJA KUMAR ( 1005-11-745316 )

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OBSERVATION TABLE:
Sr.
No.
Thermocouple
No.
Temperature
(
0
c)
M
E
T
A
L

B
A
R

1 I
1
50.7
2 I
2
49.1
3 I
3
47.1
4 I
4
45.5
5 I
5
43.8
I
N
S
U
L
A
T
I
N
G

S
H
E
L
L

6 I
6
42.0
7 I
7
40.9
8 I
8
27.3
9 I
9
26.1
Cooling
water
10 I
10
26.9
11 I
11
27.4

Y.RAJA KUMAR ( 1005-11-745316 )

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Given
Length of the metal rod =425 mm
Diameter of metal rod D=38mm
Thermal conduvitiy of insulting material
K =0.2 K.cal/hr-m-
o
C.
1 W/mk =0.86 K.cal/hr-m-
o
C
1 K.cal/hr-m-
o
C =1.163 w/mk
K=0.2326 W/mk
Area of cross section of metal rod
A =
n
4

2

A=
n
4
0.038
2

A=1.1341
-3
m
2

GRAPH:
Temperature variation along the length of the bar
X-Values
(length,m)
Y-Values
(temperature,
o
C)
0.12(section AA) 50.7
0.17 49.7
0.22(section BB) 47.1
0.27 45.5
0.32(section CC) 43.8
Y.RAJA KUMAR ( 1005-11-745316 )

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Temperature variation along the length of the bar

From graph:


= 423 K/m

= 214 K/m

= 136.88 K/m
0.12, 50.7
0.17, 49.7
0.22, 47.1
0.27, 45.5
0.32, 43.8
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

o
n

t
h
e
r
m
o
c
o
u
p
l
e

(
d
t
)
Length of the bar (dx)
Y.RAJA KUMAR ( 1005-11-745316 )

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CALCULATIONS:
Mass flow of water
m =480 ml in 60 sec.
m =
0.480
60
0.96
kg
s
( 1 L =0.96 kg)
m = .78
kg
x
,

Specific heat of water C
p
=4178
]
kgk
,
Heat flow rate of water
q
w
=mC
p
(I
11
I
10
)
q
w
=0.007684178(27.4 26.9)
q
w
=1.4 W

SECTION AA:
q
w
= K
AA
._
Jt
Jx
]
AA
.A
16.04 =K
AA
(423) 1.13410
-3

K
AA
=
16.04
423 1.13410
-3

K
AA
=33.43 W/ mk
Y.RAJA KUMAR ( 1005-11-745316 )

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SECTION BB:
q
BB
=q
w
+
2nKI(I
6
I
7
)
ln
r
o
r

q
BB
=16.04+
2n 0.23260.1(42.040.9)
ln
46
26

q
BB
=16.32 w
and
q
BB
= K
BB
._
Jt
Jx
]
BB
.A
16.32 =K
BB
(214) 1.13410
-3

K
BB
=
16.32
2141.13410
-3

K
BB
=7.25 W/ mk

SECTION CC:
q
CC
=q
BB
+
2nKI(I
8
I
9
)
ln
r
o
r

q
CC
=16.04+
2n 0.23260.1(27.3 26.1)
ln
46
26

q
CC
=16.62 w
and
Y.RAJA KUMAR ( 1005-11-745316 )

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q
CC
= K
CC
._
Jt
Jx
]
CC
.A
16.62=K
CC
(136.88) 1.13410
-3

K
CC
=
16.62
136.881.13410
-3

K
CC
=17.7 W/ mk
GRAPH:

X-axis
( Temperature ,
o
C)
Y-axis
(Thermalconductvitiy,K
(W/ mk)
50.7 33.4
47.1 67.22
43.8 107.07


Y.RAJA KUMAR ( 1005-11-745316 )

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Variation of thermal conductivity with temperature


RESULT:
1. The temperature of the bar decreases alone the length of the bar and can be plotted.
2. Thermal conductivity of three sections can be calculated and its variation with
temperature can be studied.






50.7, 33.4
47.1, 67.22
43.8, 107.07
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52
T
h
e
r
m
a
l
c
o
n
d
u
c
t
v
i
t
i
y
,
K

(
W
/
m
k
)
Temperature, T (
o
C)