2017-18

MECE 411: Heat & Mass Transfer

Tutorial Sheet 3: Fins & transient problems

1. A 4-mm-diameter and 10-cm-long aluminium fin (k = 237 W/mK) is attached to a surface. If the heat
transfer coefficient is 12 W/m2K, determine the percent error in the rate of heat transfer from the
fin when the infinitely long fin assumption is used instead of the adiabatic fin tip assumption.
(63.5%)

2. A brass rod of 100 mm long and 5 mm diameter extends from a casting at a temperature of 200 oC.
The rod is in an air environment with T∞ = 20oC and h = 30 W/m2K. What is the temperature of the
rod at 25, 50, and 100 mm from the casting? (156.5, 128.9, 107.0oC)
3. Steel balls 12 mm in diameter are annealed by heating to 1150K and then slowly cooling to 400K in
an air environment for which T∞ =325 and h=20 W/m2 K. Assuming the properties of steel to be
k=40W/m.K, ρ =7800 kg/m3 and c= 600 J/kg.K, estimate the time required for the cooling process.
(Ans: 1122 sec).
4. The base plate of an iron has a thickness of L=7 mm and is made from an aluminum alloy (ρ =2800
kg/m3, c = 900 J/kg.K and k=180W/m.K, Є =0.80). An electric resistance heater is attached to the
inner surface of the plate, while the outer surface is exposed to ambient air and large surroundings
at T∞ = Tsurr=250C. The areas of both the inner and outer surfaces are As = 0.040 m2. If approximately
uniform heat flux of qh'  1.25x10 4 W / m 2 is applied to the inner surface of the base plate and the
convection coefficient the outer surface is h=20 W/m2 K. Estimate the time required for the plate
to reach a temperature of 1350C. (Ans: 168 sec).
5. A thermal energy storage unit consists of a large rectangular channel, which is well insulated on its
outer surface and encloses alternating layers of the storage material and the flow passage. Each
layer of storage material is an aluminum slab of width W = 0.05 m, which is at an initial temperature
of 250 C. consider conditions for which the storage unit is charged by passing a hot gas through the
passages, with the gas temperature and the convection coefficient assumed to have a constant
values of T∞ = 600 0 C and h = 100 W/m2 K throughout the channel. How long will it take to achieve
75% of the maximum possible energy storage? What is the temperature of the aluminum at this
time?
(Ans: 968 sec, 4580 C).