CONFIDENTIAL EM/ JUNE 2020/MEC551

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

ODL EXAM 1

COURSE : THERMAL ENGINEERING

COURSE CODE : MEC551
EXAMINATION : JUNE 2020
TIME : 2.00pm-4.00pm (2 HOURS)

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:

1. This question paper consists of FOUR (4) questions.

2. All students are required to fill in an Integrity Declaration and Attendance form which can be
accessed at: https://bit.ly/INTEGRITYDeclarationFKMUiTM

3. Please check to make sure that this ODL examination/ test pack consists of :
i) ODL Examination/ Test Front Page Instruction
ii) An Instruction Pack – Guidelines to Download Question, Upload and Submit
the Answer
iii) ODL Examination/ Test Question Pack
iv) The Property Table/If Rquired

4. Time Allocations for this ODL Exam/ Test are:

30 MINUTES BEFORE starting the examination/ test:

 To read the ODL Examination/ Test Front Page Instruction
 To fill in the Integrity Declaration and Attendance form
 To download/ read the Instruction Pack – Guidelines to Download Question, Upload and
Submit the Answer
 To download/ read the ODL Examination/ Test Question Pack

2 HOURS to complete the Examination/ Test, AND

AFTER the examination/ test time, Students have maximum of 30 MINUTES:

 To prepare Soft Copy for Answer File(s)
 To upload the Answer File(s) in the Main Submission Platform and Back Up
Submission Platform

5. Answer ALL questions in English.

6. For Descriptive- based answer, type your answers according to the given instruction using
Microsoft Documents file. The answer should be formatted using font size 12-point Times
New Roman and indented 25 mm/ 1 inch from the left and right margins using single
spacing. Rename your file as your FULL NAME & ID No. Save the answer file in PDF
format.

(Note: Those who are using Hand Written, please refer instruction in no. (7)

7. For Calculation- based answers/ answers using Hand Written, Answer ALL questions on

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any blank and white sheet paper using a Black/ Blue Pen. Prepare and save All Answers
in ONE (1) Soft Copy File. All Soft Copy File MUST be in PDF format.

8. Upload the Answer File(s) in the Main Submission platforms: Google Classroom

9. Upload the Answer File(s) in the Back Up platform (Email)

10. This is an open book examination; you may refer to any available materials you wish.
However, you are not allowed to plagiarize the answer from any available sources

11. You are not allowed to communicate, share and exchange answers with other students

12. Please contact your lecturer if you have any problem to upload the Answer File(s) in the
stated submission platform.

DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO

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 CONFIDENTIAL EM/ JUNE 2020/MEC551

QUESTION 1: Conduction

a) Consider a hot potato, will the hot potato cool faster or slower when we blow warm air
coming from our lungs on it instead of letting it cool naturally in the cooler air in the
room? Explain.
[CO1/PO1/C2] (3 marks)

b) Ethylene glycol solutions at an average temperature of -30°C flows in a galvanized

iron pipe (kGI = 30 W/m. °C). The inner and outer radii are 14 cm and 16 cm,
respectively. The pipe is first insulated with 2.5 cm thick magnesia insulation (km =
0.08 W/m. °C) and then on the outside with 0.5 cm thick calcium silicate (kcs =0.05
W/m. °C). The outer surface temperature of the calcium silicate is 30°C and the heat
transfer coefficient of the ethylene glycol solutions is 32 W/m2.°C.
Sketch the thermal resistance network diagram and then determine
(i) the rate of heat loss for a 12 meter length pipe, and
(ii) the temperature at each surface interface.

[CO2/PO2/C4] (13 marks)

QUESTION 2 : Force Convection

a) Explain the difference between Thermal Conductivity (K) and heat transfer
coefficient (h).

[CO1/PO1/C2] (3 marks)

b) Air, at 25 C, flows over the upper surface of a 50 m long heated plate with a
velocity of 5 m/s. The plate is held at temperature of 45 ºC.

i. Determine the velocity and thermal boundary layer thicknesses at the middle of the
plate.
ii. Find the distance where laminar flow changes to turbulent flow

iii. Find the total convection heat transfer for a 1.5 m width.
Given:

Nu = 0.664ReL1/2 Pr1/3 (for laminar flow all over)

Nu = 0.037ReL0.8 Pr1/3 (for turbulent flow all over)

Nu = (0.037ReL0.8 -871).Pr1/3 (for mixed flow)

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Table Q2 Properties of Air at 1 atm

Temperatur Thermal Kinematic Prandtl

e Conductivit Viscosity Number
y
T [°C] ν [m2/s] Pr
k [W/m. °C]

15 0.2715 2.996 x 10-4 3587

25 0.2778 3.142 x 10-4 3698

35 0.2860 3.464 x 10-4 3767

[CO2/PO2/C4] (13 marks

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 CONFIDENTIAL EM/ JUNE 2020/MEC551

QUESTION 3: Free Convection

a) Explain the development of boundary layer thickness across a vertical plate for
natural convection. Also, sketch the velocity and temperature profile across a vertical
plate for natural convection.
[CO1/PO1/C2] (3 marks)

b) A 6-m internal diameter (Di) of a spherical tank as shown in Figure Q3 is made of 1.5
cm thick stainless steel (k=15 W/m°C), it is used to store iced water at 0°C and
placed in a room at 20 °C. The heat transfer between the outer surface of the tank
wall and the surrounding is by the effect of natural convection only. Assuming the
entire tank outer surface temperature is 0 °C, determine;
i. the outer diameter (Do) of the sphere
ii. the total heat transfer rate (kW) absorbed by the ice water in the tank at local
atmospheric pressure, 1 atm.
The empirical correlations for the average Nusselt number for natural convection over
a spherical surface is;

thickness
1.5cm

Ice water
Di=6m

Figure Q3

Table Q3. Properties of air at 1atm

Temperature Density Thermal Dynamic Kinematic Prandtel
T°C kg/m3 conductivity viscosity viscosity number
K(W/m°C) Kg/m.s v m2/s Pr
10 1.246 0.02439 1.788x10-5 1.426 x10-5 0.7336 x10-5
15 1.225 0.02476 1.802 x10 -5
1.470 x10-5
0.7323 x10-5
20 1.204 0.02514 1.825 x10-5 1.516 x10-5 0.7309 x10-5

[CO2/PO2/C4] (13 marks)

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QUESTION 4: Heat exchanger

a) List heat exchangers according to flow type and state the characteristics of each type.

[CO1/PO1/C2] (3 marks)

b) Cold water (cp=4180 J/kg.K) enters the tubes of a heat exchanger with a single shell
pass and 8-tube passes at 10°C at a rate of 2 kg/s. Meanwhile, hot oil (cp = 2200
J/kg.K) enters the shell at 180°C at the same mass flow rate. The overall heat
transfer coefficient of the tube U=300 W/m2.K and the heat transfer surface area is 20
m2. By using the ε-NTU method, determine;

i. the rate of heat transfer in the heat exchanger, and

ii. the outlet temperatures of both working fluids.

Given: Effectiveness chart for heat exchanger.

[CO2/PO2/C4] (13 marks)

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