Week 3

Two-Dimensional Conduction:
Shape Factors
and
Dimensionless Conduction Heat Rates
Chapter 4
Sections 4.1 - 4.3
General Considerations
General Considerations
• Two-dimensional conduction:
– Temperature distribution is characterized by two spatial coordinates,
e.g., T (x,y).
– Heat flux vector is characterized by two directional components,
e.g., qx and qy.

• Heat transfer in a long, prismatic solid with two isothermal surfaces

and two insulated surfaces:

Note the shapes of lines of constant temperature (isotherms) and heat flow lines
(adiabats).
Solution Methods

The Heat Equation and Methods of Solution

• Assuming steady-state, two-dimensional conduction in a rectangular domain with
constant thermal conductivity and heat generation, the heat equation can be re-written as:

2T 2T q  x, y 
  0
x2 y2 k

• Solution Methods:
– Exact/Analytical: Separation of Variables
 Limited to simple geometries and boundary conditions.

 
– Approximate/Graphical q  0 : Flux Plotting
–  Of limited value for quantitative considerations but a quick aid to
establishing physical insights.

– Approximate/Numerical: Finite-Difference, Finite Element or Boundary

Element Method.
 Most useful approach and adaptable to any level of complexity.
Separation of Variables
2T 2T q  x, y 
Separation of Variables x2
 2 
y k
0

Consider a 2D conduction in a thin rectangular plate

or rod, at steady-state with no generation.
Similar to 1D conduction, we are interested in the T(x, y),
and applying boundary conditions in (x, y) to determine constants.

We introduce again:
T  T1

T2  T1

The 2D heat equation is now:

 2  2
 2 0
x 2
y

Boundary conditions θ(x=0) = 0; θ(y=0) = 0;

θ(x=L) = 0; θ(y=W) = 1
Separation of Variables

Separation of Variables
Separation of Variables:

 ( x, y)  X ( x).Y ( y)

2 (1) n1  1 nx sinh(ny / L)

 ( x, y)   sin
 n L sinh(nW / L)

can be computed for ANY x and y coordinates.

Shape Factor

The Conduction Shape Factor

• Two-or-three dimensional heat transfer in a medium bounded by two isothermal
surfaces at T1 and T2 may be represented in terms of a conduction shape
factor S:
q  Sk T1  T2  (4.20)

• Exact and approximate results for common two- and three-dimensional systems are
provided in Table 4.1(a). For example,

Case 6. Long (L>>w) circular

cylinder centered in square
solid of equal length
2 L
S
1n 1.08w / D 
• Two-dimensional conduction resistance:

Rcond 2 D    Sk 
1 (4.21)
The Conduction Shape Factor