102 10 Unsteady State Heat Transfer

Table 10.1 Solutions of the unsteady state heat transfer equation with uniform initial
temperature and constant surface temperature (negligible surface resistance, Bi > 40)
1) Local Temperature
a) Rectangular coordinates
  !
Te T 4X 1
ð1Þn ð2n þ 1Þpx ð2n þ 1Þ2 p2
¼ cos exp  Fo
Te To p n¼0 2n þ 1 2L 4
b) Cylindrical coordinates
Te  T 2X 1
J0 ðrdn Þn  
¼ exp R2 d2n Fo
Te  To R n¼1 dn J1 ðRdn Þ
with dn being roots of the Bessel function Jo(Rdn) = 0.

The first five roots of Jo(x) are: 2.4048, 5.5201, 8.6537, 11.7915 and 14.9309 (see Table
A.1). Consequently,
d1 ¼ 2:4048=R; d2 ¼ 5:5201=R; d3 ¼ 8:6537=R; d4 ¼ 11:7915=R and
d5 ¼ 14:9309=R

c) Spherical coordinates
Te  T 2R X1
ð1Þn npr  2 2 
¼ sin exp n p Fo
Te  To pr n¼1 n R

2) Mean Temperature
a) Rectangular coordinates
!
Te  Tm 8X 1
1 ð2n þ 1Þ2 p2
¼ 2 exp  Fo ¼
Te  To p n¼0 ð2n þ 1Þ2 4
 
8 1 1
¼ 2 expð  2:47FoÞ þ expð  22:2FoÞ þ expð  61:7FoÞ þ :::
p 9 25
b) Cylindrical coordinates
Te  Tm 4X 1
p2  
¼ 2 exp R2 d2n Fo ¼
Te  To p n¼1 R2 d2n
4
¼ 2 1:7066expð  5:783FoÞ þ 0:324expð  30:5FoÞ
p 
þ 0:132expð  74:9FoÞ þ :::
c) Spherical coordinates
Te  Tm 6X 1
1  
¼ exp n2 p2 Fo ¼
Te  To p2 n¼1 n2
 
6 1 1
¼ 2 expð  p2 FoÞ þ expð  4p2 FoÞ þ expð  9p2 FoÞ þ :::
p 4 9

where
2
A = heat transfer surface area,
 m
2
a = thermal diffusivity, m s
Bi = Biot number ð¼ hR=kÞ
cp = heat capacity, J=kg 8C
erf = the error function
Theory 103

Table 10.2 Solutions of the unsteady state heat transfer equation for uniform initial tem-
perature and both resistances, surface and internal, significant ð0:15Bi540Þ
1) Local Temperature
a) Rectangular coordinates
 
Te  T X1
2Bi cos Lx dn   with
¼ 2 2
exp d2n Fo dn roots of: d tand ¼ Bi
Te  To n¼1d þ Bi þ Bi cosðdn Þ
n
b) Cylindrical coordinates
 
Te  T X1
2 Bi Jo Rr dn   with
¼ 2 2
exp d2n Fo dn roots of: d J1 ðdÞ ¼ Bi Jo ðdÞ
Te  To n¼1 dn þ Bi Jo ðdn Þ
c) Spherical coordinates
  with
Te  T RX 1
2 Bi sin Rr dn  
¼ 2 2
exp d2n Fo dn roots of: d cotd ¼ 1  Bi
Te  To r n¼1 dn þ Bi  Bi sinðdn Þ
For the center of the sphere (r=0)
Te  T X1
2 Bi dn  
¼ 2 2
exp d2n Fo
Te  To n¼1 dn þ Bi  Bi sinðdn Þ

2) Mean Temperature
a) Rectangular coordinates
Te  Tm X 1
2Bi2   with
¼ 2 2 2
exp d2n Fo dn roots of: d tand ¼ Bi
Te  To n¼1 ðdn þ Bi þ BiÞdn
b) Cylindrical coordinates
Te  Tm X 1
4 Bi2   with
¼  2 2
 2 exp d2n Fo dn roots of: d J1 ðdÞ ¼ Bi Jo ðdÞ
Te  To n¼1 dn þ Bi dn
c) Spherical coordinates
Te  Tm X 1
6 Bi2   with
¼  2 2
 2 exp d2n Fo dn roots of: d cotd ¼ 1  Bi
Te  To n¼1 dn þ Bi  Bi dn

Table 10.3 Unsteady state heat transfer with negligible internal resistance ð0:1 < BiÞ
  
Te  T hA
¼ exp  t ¼ expð  Bi FoÞ
Te  To cp m

mcp Te  To
t¼ ln
hA Te  T

erfc = the complementary

 error
 function defined as erfc = 1 - erf
Fo = Fourier number ¼ at L2
h = heat transfer coefficient, W m2 8C
Jo = Bessel function of the first kind of order zero
J1 = Bessel function of the first
 kind of order one
k = thermal conductivity, W m2 C
L = half thickness of the plate, m
m = mass, kg
104 10 Unsteady State Heat Transfer

Table 10.4 Solutions of the unsteady state heat transfer equation for a semi-infinite body with
uniform initial temperature
1) Constant surface temperature
 
Te  T x
¼ erf pffiffiffiffiffi
Te  To 2 at
2) Convection at the surface
 
 
 pffiffiffiffiffi
Te  T x hx h2 at x h at
¼ erf pffiffiffiffiffi þ exp þ 2 erfc pffiffiffiffiffi þ
Te  To 2 at k k 2 at k
where

R = radius of cylinder or sphere, m

r = distance of the point from the centerline of the cylinder or center of the
sphere, m
x = distance of the point from the center plane of the plate, or from the
surface in the case of semi-infinite body, m
t = time, s
Te = equilibrium temperature (temperature of the environment or surface
temperature)
To = initial temperature
T = temperature at time t and point x
Tm = mean temperature
To calculate the temperature as a function of time and position in a solid:
1. Identify the geometry of the system. Determine if the solid can be considered
as plate, infinite cylinder, or sphere.
2. Determine if the surface temperature is constant. If not, calculate the Biot
number and decide the relative importance of internal and external resistance
to heat transfer.
3. Select the appropriate equation.
4. Calculate the Fourier number.
5. Find the temperature by applying the selected equation (if F0 > 0:2, calcu-
late the temperature either using only the first term of the series solution or
using Heisler or Gurnie-Lurie charts).

REVIEW QUESTIONS

Which of the following statements are true and which are false?
1. If the temperature at any given point of a body changes with time, unsteady
state heat transfer occurs.
2. Thermal diffusivity is a measure of the ability of a material to transfer
thermal energy by conduction compared to the ability of the material to
store thermal energy.