Taibah University College of Engineering

Mechanical Engineering Final Exam - 4/2021

Heat transfer (ME-372) Time Allowed: 90 minutes

 Be neat and organized. Make sure your answers are legible.

 This examination consists of SIVEN pages. Point values and time for each problem are indicated to the right.
 If you think that something is missing with one of the problems below, please state your concern in your exam
books. Please circle your final answer.

Name:
ID: Section:

Please Attempt the Following Questions: (45 points)

Question # 1 (5 points), 4 minutes

1. Define the effectiveness of heat exchanger? How is the maximum heat transfer rate obtained?
(2 points), 2 minutes

2. Explain the properties emissivity, absorptivity, and transitivity. When are these two properties
“equal” and “differ” to each other? (3 points), 2 minutes

Dr. K. Harby 1-7

 Taibah University College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Final Exam - 4/2021
Heat transfer (ME-372) Time Allowed: 90 minutes

Question # 2 (40 points), 72 minutes

1. Water with average temperature of 120 °C is flowing through a 17-m long section of a 2.5 cm
thickness stainless-steel pipe with 4 cm inner diameter. The pipe is covered with 3 cm-thick
glass wool insulation with k= 0.05 W/m·K. The thermal contact conductance at the interface
between the pipe and insulation is measured to be 12,000 W/m2·K. The outer surface of the
pipe, whose emissivity is 0.7, is exposed to the cold air at 12°C in the basement, with a heat
transfer coefficient of 15 W/m2·°C. The heat transfer coefficient at the inner surface of the pipe
is 120 W/m2·°C. Taking the walls of the basement to be at 12°C. Determine: (8 points), 18 minutes
a) Draw the thermal resistant circuit,
b) The rate of heat loss from the hot water,
c) The average velocity of the water in the pipe if the temperature of the water drops by 5°C
as it passes through the basement.

a)

1 1
Ri = = = 0.0044 C/W
hi Ai (120 W/m 2 .C)(1.885 m 2 )
ln( r2 / r1 ) ln( 2.3 / 2)
R pipe = = = 0.00003 C/W
2k1 L 2 (52 W/m.C)(15 m)

hrad =  (T2 2 + Tsurr 2 )(T2 + Tsurr )

= (0.7)(5.67  10 −8 W/m 2 .K 4 )[(353 K ) 2 + (283 K ) 2 ](353 + 283) = 5.167 W/m 2 .K

hcombined = hrad + hconv ,2 = 5.167 + 15 = 20.167 W/m 2 .C

1 1
Ro = = = 0.0229 C/W
hcombined Ao (20.167 W/m .C)(2.168 m 2 )
2

R total = R i + R pipe + R o + Rc = 0.0044 + 0.00003 + 0.0229 + 0.909 10 −4 = 0.0273 C/W

b) The rate of heat loss from the hot water pipe then becomes
T −T (90 − 10)C
Q = 1  2 = = 2927 W
Rtotal 0.0273 C/W

Q 2927 J/s
Q = mC p T ⎯⎯
→m = = = 0.233 kg/s
C p T (4180 J/kg.C)(5 C)
c) m 0.14 kg/s
m = V Ac ⎯⎯
→V = = = 0.186 m / s
 Ac 3  (0.04 m)
2
(1000 kg/m )
4

Dr. K. Harby 2-7

Taibah University College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Final Exam - 4/2021
Heat transfer (ME-372) Time Allowed: 90 minutes

2. Water vapor in a boiler of steam generator pass through bank of tubes each tube has 5 cm
diameter and 180°C wall temperature. A 250 pure aluminum circular fins with 186 W/m·°C
and 1 mm thickness are used as shown in the figure. Calculate the increment rate in heat
transfer per unit length of tube when using fins. (8 points), 14 minutes

Analysis In case of no fins, heat transfer from the tube per meter of its length is

Ano fin = D1 L =  (0.05 m)(1 m) = 01571 . m2

Q no fin = hAno fin (Tb − T ) = (40 W / m2 .  C)(01571
. m2 )(180 − 25) C = 974 W
The efficiency of these circular fins is


L = ( D2 − D1 ) / 2 = (0.06 − 0.05) / 2 = 0.005 m 

r2 + (t / 2) 0.03 + (0.001 / 2) 
= = 1.22  fin = 0.97
r1 0.025 

 t h  0.001  2o
L +  =  0.005 + 
40 W/m C
= 0.08 
 2  kt  2  (186 W/m o C)(0.001 m) 

Heat transfer from a single fin is
Afin = 2 (r2 − r1 ) + 2r2 t = 2 (0.03 2 − 0.025 2 ) + 2 (0.03)(0.001) = 0.001916 m 2
2 2

Q fin =  fin Q fin, max =  fin hAfin (Tb − T )

= 0.97(40 W/m 2 .C)(0.001916 m 2 )(180 − 25)C
= 11.53 W
Heat transfer from a single unfinned portion of the tube is
Aunfin = D1 s =  (0.05 m)(0.003 m) = 0.0004712 m 2
Q unfin = hAunfin (Tb − T ) = (40 W/m 2 .C)(0.0004712 m 2 )(180 − 25)C = 2.92 W
There are 250 fins and thus 250 interfin spacings per meter length of the tube. The total heat transfer
from the finned tube is then determined from
Q total,fin = n(Q fin + Q unfin ) = 250(11.53 + 2.92) = 3613 W
Q increase = Q total, fin − Q no fin = 3613 − 974 = 2639 W

3. Hot gas used to heat water in a small plant by crossing the hot gases over a tube bank of through which water is
flowing at 6 kg/s. The tube bank consists of 16 rows with 8 tubes in each row. If we consider the properties of hot
gases as air, determine: (8 points), 18 minutes
a) The heat transfer rate per 1 m length of tubes,
b) The pressure drop across the tube bank, and
c) The temperature rise of water per 1 m length of tubes.

Hot gas properties: k = 0.0411 W/m-K,  = 0.674 kg/m3, Cp =1.03 kJ/kg-K, Pr = 0.695,  = 2.7710-5 kg/m-s,
Prs = Pr@ Ts = 0.716)

Dr. K. Harby 3-7

Taibah University College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Final Exam - 4/2021
Heat transfer (ME-372) Time Allowed: 90 minutes

ST 0.08
Vmax = V= (4.5 m/s) = 6.102 m/s
ST − D 0.08 − 0.021

Vmax D (0.6746 kg/m 3 )(6.102 m/s)(0.021 m)

Re D = = = 3132
 2.76 10 −5 kg/m  s

The average Nusselt number

Nu D = 0.27 Re 0D.63 Pr 0.36 (Pr/ Prs ) 0.25
= 0.27(3132 ) 0.63 (0.6946 ) 0.36 (0.6946 / 0.7154 ) 0.25 = 37.46
Since NL =16, the average Nusselt number and heat transfer coefficient for all the tubes in the tube bank
become
Nu D, N L = Nu D = 37.46

Nu D, N L k 37.46(0.04104 W/m  C)

h= = = 73.2 W/m 2  C
D 0.021 m

The total number of tubes is N = NL NT = 168 = 128. For a unit tube length (L = 1 m), the heat transfer
surface area and the mass flow rate of air (evaluated at the inlet) are

As = NDL = 128 (0.021 m)(1 m) = 8.445 m 2

m = m i = i V( N T ST L) = (0.6158 kg/m 3 )(4.5 m/s)(8)(0.08 m)(1 m) = 1.773 kg/s

Then the fluid exit temperature, the log mean temperature difference, and the rate of heat transfer
become

 Ah   
 = 80 − (80 − 300 ) exp − (8.445 m )(73.2 W/m  C)  = 237 .0C
2 2
Te = Ts − (Ts − Ti ) exp − s
 m C p   (1.773 kg/s)(1033 J/kg  C) 
   

(Ts − Ti ) − (Ts − Te ) (80 − 300 ) − (80 − 237 )

Tln = = = 186 .7C
ln[( Ts − Ti ) /(Ts − Te )] ln[( 80 − 300 ) /(80 − 237 )]

Q = hAs Tln = (73.2 W/m 2  C)(8.445 m 2 )(186 .7C) = 115,425W

(b) For this in-line arrangement tube bank, the friction coefficient corresponding to ReD = 3132 and SL/D

v max
2
(0.6746 kg/m3 )(6.102 m/s) 2  1 N 
P = N L f = 16(0.18)  2 
= 36.2 Pa
2 2  1 kg  m/s 
(c) The temperature rise of water is

Q 115 .425 kW
Q = m water C p , water Twater ⎯
⎯→ Twater = = = 4.6C
m water C p , water (6 kg/s )(4.18 kJ/kg  C)

Dr. K. Harby 4-7

Taibah University College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Final Exam - 4/2021
Heat transfer (ME-372) Time Allowed: 90 minutes

4. A condenser of thermal power stations as shown in the figure is used to handle 35,000 kg/h of
dry and saturated water vapor at 50°C. The water flows in the condenser at 2 m/s. The
condenser tubes have 22.5 mm inside diameter with 2.5 mm thickness. The convection heat
transfer coefficient on steam side is 5000 W/m2.K. Neglect the thermal resistance of wall
material. (8 points), 18 minutes
Determine:
(i) The water mass flow rate.
(ii) The heat transfer area of the condenser
(iii) The total number of tubes.

Dr. K. Harby 5-7

Taibah University College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Final Exam - 4/2021
Heat transfer (ME-372) Time Allowed: 90 minutes

5. A copper pipe contains hot water as shown in figure. Calculate: (3 points), 5 minutes
a) The heat loss by convection per meter length of the pipe
b) Assuming black body radiation, what is the heat loss by radiation?

6. A steam pipe passes through a hall as shown in the figure. (8 points), 12 minutes
a) Draw the thermal resistant circuit.
b) What is the surface emissive power and irradiation?
c) The rate of heat loss from the surface per unit length of pipe?

a)

☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺
Good luck
Assoc Prof. Khaled Harby

Dr. K. Harby 6-7