Duhok Technical Institute Petrochemical Department

Heat Transfer Lab. 2nd Year Majeed.Abdulrazaq@uoz.edu.krd

Experiment No.3
Radial Conduction
1- Objectives:
A- To measure the temperature distribution for steady state conduction
of heat energy through thick cylinder (Radial energy flow).
B- To understand the use of the Fourier Rate Equation in determining
rate of heat flow through thick cylinder (Radial energy flow).
C- To determine the thermal conductivity k of a thick cylinder for
Radial energy flow.

2- Introduction:

Thermal Conduction is defined as the transfer of energy (heat)

from more energetic particles (high temperature) to adjacent less
energetic particles (low temperature) as a result of interactions between
the particles. In solids, conduction is the combined result of molecular
vibrations and free electron mobility. Metals typically have high free
electron mobility, which explains why they are good heat conductors.

Consider steady heat conduction through a hot-water pipe. Heat is

continuously lost to the outdoors through the wall of the pipe, and we
intuitively feel that heat transfer through the pipe is in the normal
direction to the pipe surface and no significant heat transfer takes place in
the pipe in other directions. The wall of the pipe, whose thickness is rather
small, separates two fluids at different temperatures, and thus the
temperature gradient in the radial direction is relatively large. The
temperature of the pipe in this case depends on one direction only (the
radial r-direction) and can be expressed as T = T(r).

3- The apparatus :

consist from following parts:

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Duhok Technical Institute Petrochemical Department
Heat Transfer Lab. 2nd Year Majeed.Abdulrazaq@uoz.edu.krd

Figure(1): Thermal Conductivity Apparatus

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Duhok Technical Institute Petrochemical Department
Heat Transfer Lab. 2nd Year Majeed.Abdulrazaq@uoz.edu.krd

Technical Data:
Linear heat conduction :
Heated Section: insulated.
Material: Brass, 25mm diameter, 3Thermocouples T1, T2, T3 at 10mm spacing
, Thermal Conductivity@ 20 °C: 113 W/m K. , heater power 140 W

Intermediate Section: 3 inserts insulated

- 1x DxL: 25x30mm,stainless steel, Thermal Conductivity @ 20 °C: 25 W/m K.
- 1x DxL: 15x30mm, brass, Thermal Conductivity@ 20 °C: 113 W/m K.
- 1x DxL: 25x30mm, brass, Thermal Conductivity@ 20 °C: 113 W/m K.
- 3Thermocouples T4, T5, T6 at 10mm spacing ,

Cooled Section: insulated

Material: Brass, 25mm diameter, 3Thermocouples T7, T8, T9 at 10mm spacing
Thermal Conductivity: Approximately@ 20 °C 113W/m K

Radial conduction:
Brass disc Outside diameter: 110mm, thickness :4mm, heater in center of the
disk on the underside and has a diameter : 12mm , cooling coil at outer
diameter of disc. Thermal conductivity of brass disc @ 20 °C 113 W/m.k,
Radial space between thermocouples 10 mm, heater power 125 W .

4- Theory:
When the inner and outer surfaces of a thick walled cylinder has
different temperature, heat flows radially through the cylinder wall. Due
to symmetry, any cylindrical surface concentric with the central axis of
the tube has a constant temperature (is isothermal) and the direction of
heat flow is normal (at right angles) to the surface.

From continuity considerations the radial heat flow through

successive layers in the wall must be constant if the flow is steady but
since the area of successive layers increases with radius, the temperature
gradient must decrease with radius.

The amount of heat (Q), which is conducted across the cylinder

wall per unit time, is:

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Duhok Technical Institute Petrochemical Department
Heat Transfer Lab. 2nd Year Majeed.Abdulrazaq@uoz.edu.krd

where : ,

Q = heat flow rate, [W] X = thickness of the cylinder, [m ] ]

Ti = inner section temperature, [C ] To = outer section temperature, [C]

] ]

Ri = inner radius, [m] Ro = outer radius, [m]

k = thermal conductivity of the cylinder [w/m. C] ,

Figure(2) Temperature distribution through a thick cylinder

5- Procedure:
1- For radial heat flow, connect one of the water tubes to the water supply
and the other to drain , then Turn on the water supply and ensure that
water is flowing from the free end of the water pipe to drain.
2- Connect data and power supply cable for radial heat conduction module
from experimental unit to display & control unit.
3- Set operating mode switch at manual mode.
4- Switch on the power supply and heater switch from display and control
unit.
5- Turn the heater power control knob to 90 Watts and allow sufficient time
for a steady state condition to be achieved before recording the
temperature at all six sensor points and the input power reading on the
wattmeter (Q).

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Duhok Technical Institute Petrochemical Department
Heat Transfer Lab. 2nd Year Majeed.Abdulrazaq@uoz.edu.krd

Table (1) Radial temperature distribution through a thick cylinder

Distance from Temperature ∆T Q K
Measuring Center (mm) (°C) (°C) (watts) (w/m.°C)
point

1 ---- ---- ---- -----

2 10 Not possible to calculate

3 20
4 30
5 40
6 50

6- Discussion:
1- Plot the temperature profile along radial distance of cylinder
2- Calculate heat flow Q at multi points of cylinder , and Is Fourier’s
Law satisfied or not ?.
3- Calculate the thermal conductivity K of the cylinder at multi
points, and Plot the thermal conductivity (K) versus temperature .
4- Discuss the characteristics of your plots and compare them to
what you would expect based on the theory.

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