Heat Conduction in a

slab

Dr. Nurul Hasan

 Shell balance
Example 1: Steady state heat conduction in a slab.
Step 1 to 4:
z

Energy in
Energy out

Thin shell z z  z
 Continue..
Step 5 and 6 : Energy balance equation

Aq z  Aq z  z  0  0

Rate of energy in Rate of energy out S. S

Unit : J/s Unit : J/s

No heat prod.
 Continue..
First order ODE with respect to heat flux.
dq
 0
dz

Substitute Fourier’
d  dT 
k 0
dz  dz 
 Continue..
If k is constant

 T
2
d
k 0
 dz 
2

If k is temperature dependant

d  dT 
 k( T ) 0
dz  dz 
 Continue..
Step 7: Physical constraint on the boundary.

T(0) = T0

T(L) = TL
z
0
L
 Continue..
Step 8: Temperature distribution.

T ( z )  T0 z

TL  T0 L

Temperature distribution is linear ( only valid for constant k

and slab geometry)
 Continue..
Step 9

Heat Flux
: Applying the Fourier’s law, remember that the heat flux
in general is the function of z.

 T0  TL 
q  k 
 L 
 Continue..
The flux is proportional to the temperature difference.
( only valid for constant k ).
We see for the case of constant k, the temperature distribution is linear
and the heat flux is proportional to the temperature difference.

Let look the case when ‘k’ takes the following functional form:

k  k0 1   ( T  T0 )
 Continue..
Step 6: Heat balance equation.

d  dT  d  dT 
k   k 0 ( 1   ( T  T0 )  0
dz  dz  dz  dz 

Constraint on : (T0 – TL) < 1

<0
k

>0
To TL
 Continue..
Step 7: Boundary conditions
Same as before, that is

z = 0 , T = T0
z = L , T = TL
 Continue..
Step 8: Temperature distribution.

 
T ( z )  T0    T ( z )  T0 2

2 
z
 
TL  T0    TL  T0  2 L
2

Temperature distribution is non-linear across the slab.

 Continue..
T0 >0

=0

TL
<0
z=0 z=L
 Continue..
Step 9 : Heat Flux

Applying the Fourier’s law

T0  TL     T0  TL 2
q  k0 2
L