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American University of Beirut

Department of Mechanical Engineering
MECH 412 Heart Transfer

Catalog description: MECH 412 Heat Transfer

The course seeks to impart an understanding of the fundamental concepts and laws of conduction,
convection and radiation heat transfer and their application to the solution of engineering thermal
problems. The course covers steady and transient heat conduction; extended surfaces; numerical
simulations of conduction in one and two-dimensional problems; external and internal forced
convection of laminar and turbulent flows; natural convection; heat exchanger principles; and thermal
radiation, view factors and radiation exchange between diffuse and gray surfaces. Prerequisites:
MECH 314

Credits: 3

Pre-requisite: MECH 310 “Thermodynamics I” and MECH411 “Fluid Engineering 1”.

Prerequisite by Topic: Thermodynamics: Energy balances, Fluid Mechanics: Internal pipe flow, boundary
layers, Mathematics: calculus and basic differential equations

Textbook
Introduction to Heat and Mass Transfer, by F. Incropera, D. De Witt, T. Bergman, and A. Lavine.
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons.

References
Heat Transfer by Bejan – Wiley, 1993
Heat Transfer by Hollman – McGraw-Hill 1998 – Int. edition.

Coordinator: Section 1: Prof. Kamel Ghali, Room: 324 ext. 3438, Email : ka04@aub.edu.lb.
Office Hours:
Section 2: Professor Nesreen Ghaddar, ME Department, Email : farah@aub,edu.lb
Office Hours: Wed. 9-10 am and 2-4 pm.

Graduate Assistant: TBA.

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Topics
1- General mechanisms of heat transfer. Thermal conductivity. Heat conduction. Fourier equation.
Overall heat transfer coefficient. Radiation.
2- Steady state conduction in one dimension. Heat generation in a solid. Thermal Resistance concept.
3- Extended surfaces – Fins general equations. Applications & discussion.
4- Transient conduction- lumped capacity – semi-infinite bodies – Hiesler Charts
5- Numerical techniques
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6- External forced convection, governing differential equations integral methods and experimental
correlations.
7- Internal forced convection, governing differential equations and empirical correlations.
8- Natural convection governing differential and experimental correlations.
9- Heat exchanger analysis
10- Combined-mode heat transfer

Objectives: (ME program objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4)

1- To impart on students an understanding of the fundamental principles and laws of heat transfer by
conduction, convection and radiation.
2- To train students in modeling and analysis techniques (analytical or numerical) when formulating
and solving problems of one-dimensional and two-dimensional conduction heat transfer.
3- To train students in modeling and analysis techniques and in use of empirical correlations, when
formulating and solving convection problems of fully-developed laminar and turbulent internal
flows and problem of external boundary layer flows.
4- To cultivate skills pertinent to modeling of thermal systems which involve combined modes of heat
transfer.

Performance Criteria and Measures:

Objectives 1-4 correlate to outcomes (a), (c), (e), (f), (g),(i), and (k) of ABET EC2000 Criterion 3.

Outcome 1 (Correlated to Course Objective 1 & 2):

The Students will be able to identify the three modes of heat transfer. They will develop an
understanding of the physical modeling aspects of heat transfer and an ability to make the appropriate
choice between exact and approximate calculations in solving problems of steady and transient
conduction heat transfer.
Measures: 1) Homework Problems. 2) Midterm tests

Outcome 2 (Correlated to Course Objective 1 & 2):

The students understand the role and analogy of flow and momentum diffusion to heat convection and
identify the interdisciplinary character of real-life thermal engineering.
Measures: 1) Homework Problems. 2) Midterm tests

Outcome 3 (Correlated to Course Objective 2):

The student has the ability to calculate the rate of heat transfer in fully-developed laminar and turbulent
internal flow systems and in boundary layers and external flow configurations.
Measures: 1) Homework Problems. 2) Midterm tests and 3) in class exercises.

Outcome 4 (Correlated to Course Objective 2 & 3):

The students develop an understanding of the basic principles of heat exchanger analysis and thermal
design and use them to analyze and/or size heat exchangers and evaluate their performance.
Measures: 1) Homework Problems. 2) Midterm tests and 3) in class exercises.

Outcome 5 (Correlated to Course Objective 2& 3):

Students will be able to identify the radiative properties of materials and evaluate the radiation
exchange between bodies. Students will be able to model and analyze complex thermal systems that
involve combined modes of heat transfer including radiation.
Measures: 1) Homework Problems. 2) Midterm tests and 3) in class exercises
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Assessment and Evaluation

Timely feedback of performance in class, midterms, and project report assessment will be adhered to.
Students are aware of their performance all the time with continuous assessment and activities.

The final grade is computed as follows:

1- Two 1.5-hour exams (50%): Tentative dates

March 5, 2018 (Quiz 1) – April 3, 2018 (Quiz 2)
2- Two-hour final exam (40%)
3- Attendance, pop quizzes and in-class exercises. (10%)

Resources of the course:

Textbook, references, class notes are available on Moodle, handouts, previous quizzes and sample
solutions, teammates and the web.

Computer usage:
1- Use of Matlab or C++ for programming
2- Computer graphics
3- Word processor for the design report

Exams
 Exam grades must be contested within 1 week of their return.
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FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

Department of Mechanical Engineering

DETAILED TOPICS OUTLINE

Course Name: Heat Transfer Course Number: MECH 412

Course Credits: 3
Term: Spring 2018 Prepared by: N. Ghaddar
K. Ghali

Item Topic Week Text Book Suggested Comments

Homework
1 General mechanisms of heat 1 T/B 1.9 Relation between thermo-
transfer. General equations. Ch. 1 1.11 dynamics, fluid mechanics
Thermal conductivity. Overall heat 1.1 – 1.2 1.21 and heat transfer and
transfer coefficient. Radiation. 1.3-1.4-1.5- 1.27 various applications of the
General theory of heat conduction. 1.6-1.7 1.31 course are discussed.
Fourier equation. 1.50
1.61
2.12 Effect of outside surface
2 Heat conduction equation. 2 T/B 2.18 area and methods of
Steady state conduction in one Ch. 2 2.26 measuring thermal general
dimension. Heat generation in a 2.1 to 2.5 2.40 case of conduction.
solid. Fourier Model/Boundary 2.48 Conductivity is
Conditions 2.52 introduced.

3 Thermal resistance concepts. 3&4 T/B 3.7 Effect of fluid properties

Extended surfaces – Fins general Ch. 3 3.13 and fin materials on heat
equations. Applications & 3.1 3.27 transfer process should be
discussion. 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 3.46 discussed. Importance of
3.5 3.73 size & weight in some
3.6 3.84 specific applications.
3.6.1 -3.6.2 3.98
3.7 3.102
3.114
3.122
3.134
Numerical methods in heat 7 T/B 4.43 Finite Difference
conduction Ch. 4 4.49 Formulation controlling
4.1, 4.4, 4.5, 4.54 the numerical error
4.6, 4.9 4.60

4 Transient conduction- general 5-6 T/B 5.8

solution – Hiesler Charts Ch. 5 5.16
5.1, 5.2, 5.3 5.18
5.4, 5.5, 5.6 5.31
5.7 5.45
5.9 5.54
5.76
5.96
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Item Topic Week Text Book Suggested Comments

Homework
5.102
6 Convection heat transfer 8 T/B 6.9, 6.14 Analogy between
mechanism. Thermal & velocity Ch. 6 7.26, 7.33, Momentum and heat
boundary layer. 6.1, 6.2 7.40 transfer
6.2 to 6.7 7.47
6.9, 6.10 7.58
7 External flow. Laminar & 9-10 Ch 7. Relation between friction
turbulent flows. 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 loss & heat transfer is
7.4 introduced.
7.5
7.6
7.7
8 Internal Flows 11-12 Ch. 8 8.14, 8.21, Relation between friction
8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.28 loss & heat transfer is
8.4, 8.5, 8.6 8.39 introduced.
8.7-8.8 8.73
8.10
10 Natural convection physical 13 Chapter 9 9.30 General External Flow
mechanism. Vertical & horizontal 9.1-9.4 9.38 Correlations only.
surfaces & in enclosures. 9.5 9.61
9.6 9.56
12 Review 14