Dr. Senthilmurugan S.

Department of Chemical Engineering IIT Guwahati - Part 4

Steady Conduction One Dimensional

Slabs, cylinders and spheres; Critical
thickness of insulation

Objectives
Understand

the concept of thermal resistance and its

limitations, and develop thermal resistance networks for
practical heat conduction problems
Solve steady conduction problems that involve multilayer
rectangular, cylindrical, or spherical geometries
Develop an intuitive understanding of thermal contact
resistance, and circumstances under which it may be
significant
Identify applications in which insulation may actually
increase heat transfer
Analyze finned surfaces, and assess how efficiently and
effectively fins enhance heat transfer
Solve multidimensional practical heat conduction problems
using conduction shape factors

5/12/16 | Slide 2

Contents

5/12/16 | Slide 3

Steady state conduction heat transfer one dimension

Steady Heat Conduction in Plane Walls
Generalized Thermal Resistance Networks
Thermal Contact Resistance
Heat conduction in cylinders and spheres
The Overall Heat-Transfer Coefficient
Critical Thickness of Insulation
Steady Heat Conduction with Heat-Source Systems
Cylinder with Heat Sources
Conduction-Convection Systems
Fins
Thermal Contact Resistance

Steady State Heat Conduction in Plane Walls

Rate of heat transfer into the wall - Rate

of heat transfer out of the wall = Rate of
change of the energy of the wall

0
q

Therefore, the rate of heat transfer into

the wall must be equal to the rate of
heat transfer out of it. In other words,
the rate of heat transfer through the wall
must be constant

5/12/16 | Slide 4

Steady State Heat Conduction in Plane Walls

One Dimension & Constant Area

If the system is in a steady state, i.e., if

the temperature does not change with
time, then the problem is a simple one,
and we need only integrate Fouriers law
of heat conduction equation and
substitute the appropriate values to
solve for the desired quantity.

When k is constant

5/12/16 | Slide 5

Thermal Resistance Concept

Similarity with Electric resistance

The rate of heat conduction through a

plane wall is proportional to the average
thermal conductivity, the wall area, and
the temperature difference, but is
inversely proportional to the wall
thickness.

heat conduction through a plane wall

can be rearranged as

The thermal resistance of the wall

against heat conduction or simply the
conduction resistance of the wall.
The thermal resistance of a medium
depends on the geometry and the
thermal properties of the medium
This equation for heat transfer is
analogous to the relation for electric
current flow I, expressed as (Ohms law
in electric-circuit theory)
Electric resistance

electrical conductivity
5/12/16 | Slide 6

Analogy between thermal and electrical resistance

concepts.

5/12/16 | Slide 7

One-dimensional heat transfer through a composite

wall and electrical analog

T1
T2

T3
T4
Assumption: Resistance for
wall contact is negligible

5/12/16 | Slide 8

Generalized thermal resistance networks

The thermal resistance concept or the

electrical analogy can also be used to
solve steady heat transfer problems that
involve parallel layers or combined
series-parallel arrangements.
q = q1+q2

5/12/16 | Slide 9

Thermal resistance network

for two parallel layers.

Generalized thermal resistance networks

The total rate of heat transfer through

this composite system can again be
expressed as
q

The result obtained is somewhat

approximate, since the surfaces of the
third layer are probably not isothermal,
and heat transfer between the first two
layers is likely to occur.

5/12/16 | Slide 10

Generalized Thermal Resistance Networks

5/12/16 | Slide 11

Generalized Thermal Resistance Networks Method

Analysis
Two assumptions in solving complex
multidimensional heat transfer problems
by treating them as one-dimensional
using the thermal resistance network are
(1) any plane wall normal to the x-axis is
isothermal (i.e., to assume the
temperature to vary in the x-direction
only)
(2) any plane parallel to the x-axis is
adiabatic (i.e., to assume heat transfer
to occur in the x-direction only)
()These two assumptions result in
different networks (different results).
()The actual result lies between these
two results

Any plane wall normal to the

x-axis is isothermal

q
y
x

Any plane wall normal to the

x-axis is adiabatic
T1
q
T2
y
x

5/12/16 | Slide 12

T1

T1

Thermal Resistance Concept

With convection heat transfer

Newtons law of cooling for convection

heat transfer rate can be rearranged as

Convection resistance
At surfaces where boiling and condensation
occur

H , , then
5/12/16 | Slide 13

Thermal Resistance Concept

With radiation heat transfer

When the wall is surrounded by a gas, the radiation effects. The rate of radiation
heat transfer between a surface of emissivity and area As at temperature Ts and the
surrounding surfaces at some average temperature Tsurr can be expressed as

Radiation resistance

Radiation heat transfer coefficient

Temperature must be in kelvin in the evaluation of hrad.

5/12/16 | Slide 14

Thermal contact resistance

Thermal-contact-resistance
effect physical situation

The temperature drop at plane 2, the

contact plane between the two
materials, is said to be the result of a
thermal contact resistance
Temperature profile.

where the quantity 1/hcA is called the thermal

contact resistance and hc is called the contact
coefficient.
5/12/16 | Slide 15

Thermal contact resistance

Theory
Actual (imperfect) thermal contact

No real surface is perfectly smooth, and

the actual surface roughness is believed
to play a central role in determining the
contact resistance.
There are two principal contributions to
the heat transfer at the joint:
The solid-to-solid conduction at the
spots of contact
The conduction through entrapped
gases in the void spaces created by
the contact
The second factor is believed to
represent the major resistance to heat
flow, because the thermal conductivity of
the gas is quite small in comparison to
that of the solids.

5/12/16 | Slide 16

Thermal contact resistance

Theory

Designating the contact area by Ac and

the void area by Av, we may write for the
heat flow across the joint

where Lg is the thickness of the void

space and kf is the thermal conductivity
of the fluid which fills the void space.
The total cross-sectional area of the
bars is A. Solving for hc, the contact
coefficient, we obtain

5/12/16 | Slide 17

Thermal Contact Resistance

Theory

In most instances, air is the fluid filling the

void space and kf is small compared with kA
and kB. If the contact area is small, the
major thermal resistance results from the
void space.
The main problem with this simple theory is
that it is extremely difficult to determine
effective values of Ac, Av, and Lg for
surfaces in contact.
Thermal contact resistance can be reduced
markedly, perhaps as much as 75 percent,
by the use of a thermal grease like Dow
340

5/12/16 | Slide 18

From the physical model, we may

tentatively conclude:
The contact resistance should increase
with a decrease in the ambient gas
pressure when the pressure is decreased
below the value where the mean free path
of the molecules is large compared with a
characteristic dimension of the void
space, since the effective thermal
conductance of the entrapped gas will be
decreased for this condition.
The contact resistance should be
decreased for an increase in the joint
pressure since this results in a
deformation of the high spots of the
contact surfaces, thereby creating a
greater contact area between the solids.

Thermal Contact Resistance

Measurement Technique

The thermal contact resistance can be

determined from equation given below by
measuring the temperature drop at the
interface and dividing it by the heat flux
under steady conditions

5/12/16 | Slide 19

Thermal contact conductance of some metal surfaces

in air (from various sources)

5/12/16 | Slide 20

Heat conduction in cylinders

Consider a long cylinder of inside radius

ri, outside radius ro, and length L,
We expose this cylinder to a
temperature differential Ti To
For a cylinder with length very large
compared to diameter, it may be
assumed that the heat flows only in a
radial direction, so that the only space
coordinate needed to specify the system
is r.
Again, Fouriers law is used by inserting
the proper area relation. The area for
heat flow in the cylindrical system is

5/12/16 | Slide 21

Heat conduction in cylinders

Fouriers law

With the boundary conditions

The solution to Fouriers law Equation is

5/12/16 | Slide 22

Thermal resistance

One-dimensional heat flow through multiple cylindrical

sections and electrical analog.

The thermal-resistance concept may be used for multiple-layer cylindrical walls just
as it was used for plane walls.

5/12/16 | Slide 23

Heat conduction in Spheres

Fouriers law

With the boundary conditions

ro
ri

The solution to Fouriers law Equation is

5/12/16 | Slide 24

Flux

Resistance

Driving
force

Electrical

Cartesian
Conduction

Cylindrical
Conduction

Conduction
through sphere

Convection

Radiation

System

5/12/16 | Slide 25

Heat Conduction in Composite Cylinder

Net Heat transfer rate

Net Heat transfer rate among the individual

layer is equal

Electrical analogy

One-dimensional heat flow through

multiple cylindrical sections
5/12/16 | Slide 26

Over all Heat Transfer Coefficient

Overall heat transfer through a plane wall
Plane wall

Consider the plane wall shown in Figure,

exposed to a hot fluid A on one side and
a cooler fluid B on the other side. The
heat transfer is expressed by

Electrical analogy

Over all Heat Transfer Coefficient

5/12/16 | Slide 27

Over all Heat Transfer Coefficient

Hollow cylinder with convection boundaries

The overall heat transfer by combined

conduction and convection is frequently
expressed in terms of an overall heattransfer coefficient U,

where A is some suitable area for the

heat flow
Over all Heat Transfer Coefficient

5/12/16 | Slide 28

Hollow cylinder with convection

boundaries.

Electrical analogy

Over all Heat Transfer Coefficient

Variable heat transfer area system

Note that the area for convection is not the same for both fluids in this case, these
areas depending on the inside tube diameter and wall thickness. The overall heat
transfer would be expressed by

5/12/16 | Slide 29

Critical Insulation Thickness

Thermal heat transfer

We know that adding more insulation to a

wall always decreases heat transfer. The
thicker the insulation, the lower the heat
transfer rate. This is expected, since the
heat transfer area A is constant, and adding
insulation always increases the thermal
resistance of the wall without increasing
the convection resistance.
Adding insulation to a cylindrical pipe or a
spherical shell, however, is a different
matter. The additional insulation increases
the conduction resistance of the insulation
layer but decreases the convection
resistance of the surface because of the
increase in the outer surface area for
convection. The heat transfer from the pipe
may increase or decrease, depending on
which effect dominates.

5/12/16 | Slide 30

An insulated cylindrical
pipe
exposed to convection
from the outer surface

Critical Insulation Thickness

Cylinder

The rate of heat transfer from the

insulated pipe to the surrounding air can
be expressed as

q
Rtotal=Rconv+Rins
q

q
Rtotal
q

Rconv

q
Rins

5/12/16 | Slide 31

Importance of Critical Insulation Thickness

Should we always check and make sure

that the outer radius of insulation
sufficiently exceeds the critical radius
before we install any insulation?
Probably not, as explained here
The value of the critical radius rcr is the
largest when k is large and h is small.
Lowest value of h encountered in
practice is ~ 5 W/m2K for the case of
natural convection of gases, and k ~
0.05 W/mK for common insulator
The largest value of the critical radius
we are likely to encounter is

5/12/16 | Slide 32

Do we need to be concerned about the critical

radius of insulation when insulating hot-water
pipes or even hot-water tanks.
This value would be even smaller when the
radiation effects are considered. The critical
radius would be much less in forced convection,
often less than 1 mm, because of much larger h
values associated with forced convection. 1
mm in very small considering practice
Therefore, we can insulate hot-water or steam
pipes freely without worrying about the
possibility of increasing the heat transfer by
insulating the pipes.
But, the radius of electric wires may be smaller
than the critical radius. Therefore, the plastic
electrical insulation may actually enhance the
heat transfer from electric wires and thus keep
their steady operating temperatures at lower
and thus safer levels.

Steady Heat Conduction with Heat-Source Systems

One dimensional Plane Wall

Consider the plane wall with uniformly

distributed heat sources shown in
Figure. The thickness of the wall in the x
direction is 2L.
Assumptions: It is assumed that the
dimensions in the other directions are
sufficiently large that the heat flow may
be considered as one dimensional.
The heat generated per unit volume is ,
and we assume that the thermal
conductivity does not vary with
temperature.
Practical Applications: Passing a current
through an electrically conducting
material. Nuclear fuel rod, nuclear
weapons

5/12/16 | Slide 33

Steady Heat Conduction with Heat-Source Systems

One dimensional Plane Wall

The differential equation that governs

the heat flow is

BC1: Interface temperature

BC2 : Thermal Symmetry

Substituting BC2 C1=0

Substituting BC1
(1)
(2)

Solution

Substitute Equation (2) in (1)

(3)

(4)

5/12/16 | Slide 34

Steady Heat Conduction with Heat-Source Systems

One dimensional Cylinder

5/12/16 | Slide 35

Steady Heat Conduction with Heat-Source Systems

One dimensional Cylinder

The differential equation that governs

the heat flow for cylindrical coordinates
is

Solution

Substituting BC2 C1=0

Substituting BC1
(1)

BC1: Interface temperature

(2)
Substitute Equation (2) in (1)

(3)

BC2 : Thermal Symmetry

(4)

5/12/16 | Slide 36

Steady Heat Conduction with Heat-Source Systems

Assignment problem - Hollow Cylinder and Sphere

Derive an expression for the

temperature distribution in a hollow
cylinder with heat sources that vary
according to the linear relation

Derive an expression for the

temperature distribution in a hollow
sphere with heat sources that vary
according to the linear relation

With the generation rate per unit

volume at r =ri. The inside and outside
temperatures are T =Ti at r =ri and T =To
at r =ro.

With the generation rate per unit

volume at r =ri. The inside and outside
temperatures are T =Ti at r =ri and T =To
at r =ro.

5/12/16 | Slide 37

Conduction-Convection Systems
FIN

The heat that is conducted through a

body must frequently be removed (or
delivered) by some convection process
Energy in left face=energy out right face
+ energy lost by convection

dT
dx
dT
kA
dx

qx kA
qx dx

x dx

dT d 2T
kA
2 dx
dx dx

Convection Heat loss (Newtons Law of

Cooling)

qco nv hAp T T

5/12/16 | Slide 38

qx qx dx qco nv

Conduction-Convection Systems
FIN

The energy balance yields

d 2T hAp

T T 0
2
dx
kA

Let

d 2 hAp

0
2
dx
kA

To solve second order differential

equation 2 BC are must.
BC1 : x=0 =

The other boundary condition (BC2)

depends on the physical situation.
Several cases may be considered:
Case 1: The fin is very long, and the
temperature at the end of the fin is
essentially that of the surrounding fluid.
Case 2: The end of the fin is insulated
so that dT/dx=0 at x=L. adiabatic Fin tip
Case 3: The fin is of finite length and
loses heat by convection from its end
Case 4: Specified temperature at fin tip

d 2
2

m
0
2
dx

5/12/16 | Slide 39

m
2

hAp
kA

Solution for Case 1: Very Long FIN

Temperature at the end of the fin is essentially that of the surrounding fluid

The energy balance yields

d 2
2

m
0
dx 2

m
2

hAp
kA

BC1 : = at x=0
BC2 : =0 at x =
Solution for differential equation

C1e mx C2 e mx
BC1: 0 C1 C2 BC 2 : C2 0
T T

C1e mx
0 T0 T

dT
q kAc
dx

x 0

hPKAc
5/12/16 | Slide 40

hP dx
0

Case 2: The end of the fin is insulated

Adiabatic Fin tip

The energy balance yields

d 2
m 2 0
2
dx

m
2

hAp
kA

BC1 : = at x=0
BC2 : at x = L
Solution for differential equation

C1e mx C2 e mx BC1: 0 C1 C2
d
mx
mx
BC
2
:

C
e

C
e

1
2 C , we
Solving for the constants
C1 and
2
dx

Applications
To provide safe temperature
range end of fins

obtain

cosh m L x
T T
e mx
e mx

2 mL
2 mL
0 T0 T 1 e
1 e
cosh mL
5/12/16 | Slide 41

Case 3: Convection at End

The fin is of finite length and loses heat by convection from its end

5/12/16 | Slide 42

Case 4:Specified temperature at fin tip

5/12/16 | Slide 43

Fin Temperature Temperature profile

5/12/16 | Slide 44