5.

1 LUMPED CAPACITANCE METHOD

The temperature of T∞ ,h As Energy Balance :

T (t )  net rate of heat transfer   rate of increase of 
the solid is assumed into the solid through  the internal energy 
qst   =  
spatially uniform
its boundaries  of the solid 
The temperature is V
qin Initial condition:
a function of time only ∂T
h (T∞ − T ) As = ρ c p V T ( 0 ) = T0
T (t ) qin = qst ∂t

Biot Number:
Temperature of a solid − h As t
ρ cp V
t − hLc
as a function of time T ( t ) = T∞ + ( T0 − T∞ ) e = T∞ + ( T0 − T∞ ) e τ = T∞ + ( T0 − T∞ ) e − Bi⋅ Fo Bi =
k

Fourier Number:
T (t ) T (t )
αt
Fo =
T∞
initial
T0
L2c
temperature
T0 >T∞ cooling Time constant:
T0 <T∞ heating
initial T0 T∞ ρ c pV
temperature τ=
t t hAs

 Lc  Lumped Capacitance is valid for Characteristic

conduction
  length
kA
= s
hLc thermal resistance
Biot Number Bi = =
k  1  convection V
  Bi < 0.1 Lc =
 hAs  thermal resistance As

Total energy Q [ J ] − h As  −h As 
t t t t
transfered to a solid Q = ∫ qin ( t ) dt = ∫ h T∞ − T ( t )  As e
ρcp V 
dt = ρ c pV (T∞ − T0 ) 1 − e
ρc p V 
 
for time from 0 to t 0 0
  Q [J ]

Q = ρ c pV (T∞ − T0 ) = mc p ∆T when t → ∞

T∞
Time needed to heat
a solid from T0 to
ρcp V  T −T  T
t = ln  ∞ 0 
current temperature T h As  T∞ − T  T0
t
0 t

ρ c pV 1
Time Constant τ = = ρ c pV ⋅ The lower is the time constant τ
hAs

hAs the faster is the heating of a solid
thermal convection
capacitance thermal
resistance

Plane Wall Cylinder Sphere

W
As = 2HW As = π dH = 2π rH As = π d 2 = 4π r 2
H H d=2r
V = LHW πd2 2 πd3 4 3
V = H = πr H V = = πr
4 6 3
L d=2r

L d r d r
Lc = Lc = = Lc = =
2 4 2 6 3
hL hr hr
Bi = Bi = Bi =
k 2 k2 k3