Lebanese American University

Mechanical Engineering Department

Heat Transfer Lab, MEE 404
Instructor: Nicole Jureidini Wehbeh
Spring 2018

EXTENDED SURFACE HEAT TRANSFER

Main Objective
The objective of this experiment is to demonstrate the temperature profiles and heat transfer
characteristics for an extended surface (cylindrical pin) when heat flows along the rod by
conduction and heat is lost along the rod by combined convection and radiation to the
surroundings. The heat transfer from the extended surface resulting from the combined
modes of free convection and radiation will be calculated and compared to the results of a
theoretical analysis.

Equipment Required
HT10X Heat Transfer Service Unit
HT15 Extended Surface Heat Transfer Accessory

Description of the Equipment

The HT15 accessory comprises a long horizontal rod, which is heated at one end by and
electric heating element, to provide an extended surface (cylindrical pin) for heat transfer
measurements. Eight thermocouples at regular intervals along the rod allow the surface
temperature profile to be measured. Each thermocouple is wrapped around the rod to
minimize errors by conduction. By making the diameter of the rod small in relation to its
length, thermal conduction along the rod can be assumed to be one-dimensional, and heat
loss from the tip can be ignored. Temperature of the ambient air is measured by an
independent thermocouple T9, mounted adjacent to the heated rod. The rod is coated with
heat resistant black paint, which provides a consistent emissivity close to 1, and is
positioned to avoid the influence of adjacent surfaces.

Set-Up
Connect the power lead from the heater inside the HT15 to the variable DC outlet socket
marked OUTPUT 3 at the rear of the service unit.
Connect the miniature thermocouple plug from each of the nine temperature sensors to the
appropriate socket on the front of the service unit.
Make sure that the service unit is properly connected to the external electrical mains supply.
The heater voltage is directly adjustable on the unit. As the electrical supply to the heater
is Direct Current, the power supplied to the heater is simply obtained from the product of
the voltage and current, i.e,
Heater Power Q (Watts) = Voltage V (Volts) x Current I (Amps)
Voltage and current can be monitored on the top panel meter of the service unit, by setting
the selector switch to position V or I.
The temperature (in C) given by the thermocouples can be monitored on the lower panel
meter of the service unit by setting the selector switch to the required position.

Method:

By heating one end of the solid cylindrical rod and measuring the temperature distribution
along the surface of the rod.

Procedure:

Switch on the front Mains switch on the service unit.

Set the Heater Voltage to 20 Volts, monitor temperature T1 and when it reaches 80C,
reduce the heater voltage to 9 volts (the initial higher setting will reduce the time taken for
the temperatures on the rod to stabilize). Allow the HT15 to stabilize.
When the temperatures are stable record the following:
T1 to T9, V and I

Set the Heater Voltage to 16 volts, allow the HT15 to stabilize, and repeat the above
readings.
Input:
Consider:
T1 = Temperature at heated end where x=0 (C)
T2 = Temperature at x=0.05m (C)
T3 = Temperature at x=0.10m (C)
T4 = Temperature at x=0.15m (C)
T5 = Temperature at x=0.20m (C)
T6 = Temperature at x=0.25m (C)
T7 = Temperature at x=0.30m (C)
T8 = Temperature at tip where x=0.35m (C)
T9 = Temperature of ambient air (C)
D = Diameter of rod = 0.01m
L = Length of rod (from T1 to T8) = 0.35m

Results Required:
For each set of values the following results can be obtained:

Total heat loss (in Watts) from the rod can be calculated as follows:

Qtot = HAs(Ts-Ta)

Where the heat transfer coefficient H is the combined coefficient due to natural convection
and radiation, i.e. H = Hc + Hr (W/m2K), and As is the total area of the extended surface,
i.e., A =DL (m2).

The average convective heat transfer coefficient Hc can be calculated using the following
simplified equation:

Hc = 1.32 ((Ts-Ta)/D)0.25

Where,
Ts = average surface temperature of the rod obtained from temperatures T1 to T8 (in K)
Ta = ambient air temperature (in K)

The average radiative heat transfer coefficient Hr can be calculated using the following
relationship:

Hr = F(Ts4-Ta4)/(Ts-Ta)
Where,
 = Emissivity of surface = 0.95
F = View factor = 1
 = Stefan Boltzmann constant = 56.7 x 10-9 W/m2K4
Also calculate for each set of readings the actual power supplied to the cylinder
Qinput= VI

Compare the theoretical values of Qtot with the measured values Qinput (tabulate the values
for the comparison to be clear) and comment on any differences between these values.

Do Hc and Hr vary with a variation in heater voltage? Why?

Is the rod losing heat more through convection or radiation? Why?

Why don’t we take conduction into account in the above calculations? Does the thermal
conductivity (k) of the rod material affect the heat flow across it?

Can we apply the same equation between T1 and T4 and equate it to VI? Why or why not?