MEC 320 Midterm 1

Chapter 1 notes

Heat transfer (HT): deals with non-equilibrium

processes requiring temperature gradient to
determine rates of reaction

HT is always from higher temperature to lower

temperature medium
Three modes: Conduction, Convection,

Radiation
Sensible heat: portion of internal energy
associated with kinetic energy of molecules
Latent energy/heat: internal energy associated
with phase of a system

Specific Heat: energy required to raise a

temperature of substance by 1 degree

Cp: specific heat a constant pressure

Cv: specific heat at constant volume

du=C dT ; dh=C dT
v

Energy transfer is heat transfer if driving force

is temperature difference or else it is work
t

dt for Q
const ant :Q=Q
t
Q= Q

Heat flux: rate of heat transfer per unit area

normal to direction of heat transfer

q =

Q Qout + Egen = Ethermal ,system

'
conduction=kA dT (W )
Fourier s Law : Q
dx

Q
A

Heat capacity: ability of material to store heat

Cp

Thermal Diffusivity: How fast heat diffuses

through a material

Heat conduction
k m
=
Heat storage
C p s2
conv =h A s( T sT )
Q
=

( )

Radiation: energy transmitted by matter in the

form of electromagnetic radiation

emit= A s T 4 ( W ) T : must beKelvin

Q
:absorbity fraction of radiation energy

incident on a surface that is absorbed by the

surface
absorbed= Q
incident
Kirchhoffs Law: Q

A s (T 4s T 4surr )
Q=
When there is radiation and convection:

tot =Q
conv + Q
rad =h conv A s ( T sT surr ) + A s (T 4s T 4surr )
Q

Review Sheet
Convention: Heat transfer in positive direction of
coordinate axis is positive; HT in negative
direction is negative
Heat generation is a volumetric phenomenon

e gen

( mW ) E

Pure conduction only happens in opaque solids

In liquids: HT by conduction and possibly
radiation in a still fluid; convection and radiation
in flowing fluid
Chapter 2 Notes

= e gen (W )
V

One Dimensional Heat Conduction Equation in

Large Plane Wall

T
kA
+ e gen =C
A x
x
T

Assumption 1: Constant Conductivity

2 T e g en 1 T
k
+
=
=
2
k
t
c
x
Assumption 2: Steady State

( t =0)

2 T e gen
+
=0
x2 k
Assumption 3: No Heat Generation

2 T
=0
x2

Add stuff here for cylindrical and spherical

coordinates

Boundary and Initial Conditions

There must be 2 boundary conditions in each
direction since the equation is a 2nd order
differential
1. Specified Temperature Boundary Condition:
T(0,t)=T1; T(L,t)=T2
2. Specified Heat Flux Boundary Condition:
when there is enough information about rate
of heat transfer; heat flux on a surface this
can be used as a boundary condition

q =k

T
x

3. Insulated Boundary: can be approximated to

have no heat flux
Boundary condition:

k T ( 0,T )
T ( 0, T )
=0
x
x
4. Thermal Symmetry: when there is heat
coming from two sides of a surface, no HT at
axis of symmetry; can be viewed as an
insulating surface

hcomb =hconv +hrad =hconv A s+ ( T s +T surr ) ( T 2s +T 2surr )

hrad = ( T 2s +T 2surr )(T s +T surr )

gen

T ( L )
=0
x

5. Convection Boundary Condition

T ( 0, t )
=h [ T 1T ( 0,t ) ]
x

6. Radiation Boundary Condition: when there is

no other mechanism for heat conduction that
radiation

( 0, t )
= 1 [ T 4surr T ( 0, t )4 ]
x

Make sure that the temperature is in

Kelvin
7. Interface Boundary Conditions
Two bodies in contact must have same
temperature at area of contact; an
interface cant store energy and thus
heat flux on either side must be the same
T a=( x 0 ,t )=T b ( x 0 ,t )

k a

T a ( xo , t )
T b ( xo , T )
=k b
x
x

8. Heat generation in a solid: Max temperature

happens furthest away from solid surface
Variable Conductivity
Usually disregarded, but when you need to
account for it, you can take the average
value

k avg =

k (T ) dT

T 2 T 1

Chapter 3 notes
Thermal resistance in series: Rate of steady
state heat transfer between two surfaces is
equal to temperature difference divided by
two total thermal resistance between those
two surfaces

L
;
kA

Rconv =

1 K
;
h As W

( )

The temperature drop across any layer is

proportional to thermal resistance

R
T =Q

Surface temperature
Once you know Q
can be determined by taking surface you
want to find as terminal surface e.g.
T 1T 1 = T ,1T 1 solve for T 1
Q=
R conv , 1
1
h1 A

Thermal Contact Resistance, Rc: temperature

drop that occurs at the interface due to
imperfect contact

T2

T1

Rcond =

Rc 5 1065 104

( WK )

Thermal contact resistance is significant for

good conductors but can be disregarded for
poor heat conductors/insulators
You can use thermal resistances to find
equivalent thicknesses
Fin Equation
Boundary condition at fin base:
( 0 )= b=T bT =0 s