PROBLEM 1.

55

KNOWN: Top surface of car roof absorbs solar flux, qS,abs

, and experiences for case (a): convection
with air at T and for case (b): the same convection process and radiation emission from the roof.
FIND: Temperature of the roof, Ts , for the two cases. Effect of airflow on roof temperature.
SCHEMATIC:

Roof
ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Steady-state conditions, (2) Negligible heat transfer to auto interior, (3) Negligible
radiation from atmosphere.
ANALYSIS: (a) Apply an energy balance to the control surfaces shown on the schematic. For an instant
 E
of time, E
in
out = 0. Neglecting radiation emission, the relevant processes are convection between

the plate and the air, qconv , and the absorbed solar flux, qS,abs
. Considering the roof to have an area
As ,

qS,abs
As hAs ( Ts T ) = 0

bs /h
Ts = T + qS,a
800W/m 2
D
Ts = 20 C +
= 20D C + 66.7D C = 86.7D C
2
12W/m K

<

(b) With radiation emission from the surface, the energy balance has the form

qS,abs
As q conv E As = 0

qS,abs
As hAs ( Ts T ) As Ts4 = 0 .
Substituting numerical values, with temperature in absolute units (K),

800

W
m2

12

W
m2 K

( Ts 293K ) 0.8 5.67 108

Ts4 = 0
2
4
m K

12Ts + 4.536 108 Ts4 = 4316

It follows that Ts = 320 K = 47C.

<
Continued..

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PROBLEM 1.55 (Cont.)

(c) Parametric calculations were performed using the IHT First Law Model for an Isothermal Plane Wall.
As shown below, the roof temperature depends strongly on the velocity of the auto relative to the ambient
air. For a convection coefficient of h = 40 W/m2K, which would be typical for a velocity of 55 mph, the
roof temperature would exceed the ambient temperature by less than 10C.
360

Temperature, Ts(K)

350
340
330
320
310
300
290
0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Convection coefficient, h(W/m^2.K)

COMMENTS: By considering radiation emission, Ts decreases, as expected. Note the manner in which
q conv is formulated using Newtons law of cooling; since q conv is shown leaving the control surface, the

rate equation must be h ( Ts T ) and not h ( T Ts ) .

Excerpts from this work may be reproduced by instructors for distribution on a not-for-profit basis for testing or instructional purposes only to students enrolled in
courses for which the textbook has been adopted. Any other reproduction or translation of this work beyond that permitted by Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976
United States Copyright Act without the permission of the copyright owner is unlawful.