Lecture-6

Conduction Heat Transfer

Dr. Chetan S. Mistry
Associate Professor,
Mechanical Engg. Dept.
Institute of Technology, Nirma University
Dr. Chetan S. Mistry
 The heat transfer vector at a point P on
this surface must be perpendicular to
the surface, and it must point in the
direction of decreasing temperature. If
n is the normal of the isothermal
surface at point P, the rate of heat
conduction at that point can be
expressed by Fourier’s law as
¶T
Qn = -kA (W )
¶n
r
Qn = Qx iˆ + Q y ˆj + Qz kˆ
¶T ¶T ¶T
Qx = -kAx , Q y = -kAy , Qz = -kAz
¶x ¶y ¶z
Isotropic in nature, and thus they have the same properties in all
directions.
Anisotropic materials such as the fibrous or composite materials, the
properties may change with direction.
Dr. Chetan S. Mistry
Heat Conduction Equation for different co-ordinate systems
Rectangular Coordinates

An energy balance on this thin element during a small time interval Δt can be
expressed as
æ Rate of heat ö
ç ÷ æ Rate of heat ö
æ Rate of heat ö ç conduction ÷ ç ÷ æ Rate of change ö
ç ÷ ç ÷ ç generation ÷ ç ÷
ç conduction ÷ - ç at x + Dx, ÷ + ç ÷ = ç of energy content ÷
ç at x, y, z ÷ ç y + Dy, inside the
è ø ç
÷ ç ÷ çè of element ÷
ø
÷
ç z + Dz ÷ è element ø
è ø Dr. Chetan S. Mistry
 æ Rate of heat ö
ç ÷ æ Rate of heat ö
æ Rate of heat ö ç conduction ÷ ç ÷ æ Rate of change ö
ç ÷ ç ÷ ç generation ÷ ç ÷
ç conduction ÷ - ç at x + Dx, ÷ + ç ÷ = ç of energy content ÷
ç at x, y, z ÷ ç y + Dy, inside the
è ø ç
÷ ç ÷ çè of element ÷
ø
÷
ç z + Dz ÷ è element ø
è ø
DEelement
Q& x + Q& y + Q& z - Q& x + Dx - Q& y + Dy - Q& z + Dz + E& gen =
Dt

DEelement = Et + Dt - Et = mc(Tt + Dt - Tt )
= rΔxΔyΔzC(Tt + Dt - Tt )
E& gen = e&genVelement = e&gen ΔxΔyΔz

T -T
Q& x + Q& y + Q& z - Q& x + Dx - Q& y + Dy - Q& z + Dz + e&gen DxDyDz = rCDxDyDz t + Dt t
Dt
1 Q& x + Dx - Q& x 1 Q& y + Dy - Q& y 1 Q& z + Dz - Q& z T -T
- - - + e&gen = rC t + Dt t
DyDz Dx DxDz Dy DxDy Dz Dt
Dr. Chetan S. Mistry
 1 Q& x + Dx - Q& x 1 Q& y + Dy - Q& y 1 Q& z + Dz - Q& z T -T
- - - + e&gen = rC t + Dt t
DyDz Dx DxDz Dy DxDy Dz Dt

¶ æ ¶T ö ¶ æ ¶T ö ¶ æ ¶T ö ¶T
çk ç
÷ + çk ÷
÷ + çk ÷ + +egen = rC
&
¶x è ¶x ø ¶y è ¶y ø ¶z è ¶z ø ¶t
from the definition of the derivative and Fourier’s law of heat conduction,

1 Q& x + Dx - Q& x 1 ¶Q& x 1 ¶ æ ¶T ö

Dx ¾¾® 0
lim
= = ç - kDyDz ÷
DyDz Dx DyDz ¶x DyDz ¶x è ¶x ø

1 Q& y + Dy - Q& y 1 ¶Q& y 1 ¶ æ ¶T ö

Dy ¾¾® 0
lim
= = çç - kDxDz ÷÷
DxDz Dy DxDz ¶y DxDz ¶y è ¶y ø

1 Q& z + Dz - Q& z 1 ¶Q& z 1 ¶ æ ¶T ö

Dz ¾¾® 0
lim
= = ç - kD xDy ÷
DxDy Dz DxDy ¶z DxDy ¶z è ¶z ø

Dr. Chetan S. Mistry

For constant thermal conductivity,
¶ 2T ¶ 2T ¶ 2T e&gen 1 ¶T
+ 2 + 2 + = Fourier-Biot equation
¶x 2
¶y ¶z k a ¶t

1. Steady state heat conduction ¶ 2T ¶ 2T ¶ 2T e&gen

+ 2 + 2 + =0
Poisson equation ¶x 2
¶y ¶z k

¶ 2T ¶ 2T ¶ 2T 1 ¶T
2. Transient and no heat generation + 2 + 2 =
Diffusion equation ¶x 2
¶y ¶z a ¶t

d 2T d 2T d 2T
3. Steady state and no heat generation + 2 + 2 =0
Laplace equation dx 2
dy dz

Dr. Chetan S. Mistry

Cylindrical Coordinates ¶ 2T ¶ 2T ¶ 2T e&gen 1 ¶T
+ 2 + 2 + =
¶x 2
¶y ¶z k a ¶t
Assignment

Using the concept of coordinate

transformation

x = r cos f
y = r sin f
z=z

1 ¶ æ ¶T ö 1 ¶ æ ¶T ö ¶ æ ¶T ö ¶T
ç kr ÷+ 2 çç k ÷÷ + ç k ÷ = rC
r ¶r è ¶r ø r ¶f è ¶f ø ¶z è ¶z ø ¶t
Dr. Chetan S. Mistry
 Spherical Coordinates ¶ 2T ¶ 2T ¶ 2T e&gen 1 ¶T
+ 2 + 2 + =
¶x 2
¶y ¶z k a ¶t
Using the concept of coordinate transformation x = r cos f sin q
Assignment y = r sin f sin q
z = cos q

1 ¶ æ 2 ¶T ö 1 ¶ æ ¶T ö 1 ¶ æ ¶T ö ¶T
ç kr ÷+ 2 2 çç k ÷÷ + 2 2 ç k sin q ÷ = rC
r ¶r è
2
¶r ø r sin q ¶f è ¶f ø r sin q ¶q è ¶q ø ¶t
Dr. Chetan S. Mistry
 Rectangular Coordinates

¶ T ¶ T ¶ T e&gen 1 ¶T
2 2 2
+ 2 + 2 + =
¶x 2
¶y ¶z k a ¶t

Cylindrical Coordinates

1 ¶ æ ¶T ö 1 ¶ æ ¶T ö ¶ æ ¶T ö ¶T
ç kr ÷+ 2 çç k ÷÷ + ç k ÷ = rC
r ¶r è ¶r ø r ¶f è ¶f ø ¶z è ¶z ø ¶t

Spherical Coordinates

1 ¶ æ 2 ¶T ö 1 ¶ æ ¶T ö 1 ¶ æ ¶T ö ¶T
ç kr ÷ + ç k ÷ + ç k sin q ÷ = rC
r 2 ¶r è ¶r ø r 2 sin 2 q ¶f çè ¶f ÷ø r 2 sin 2 q ¶q è ¶q ø ¶t
The heat conduction equations above were developed using an energy
balance on a differential element inside the medium, and they remain the
same regardless of the thermal conditions on the surfaces of the medium.

The differential equations do not incorporate any information related to

the conditions on the surfaces such as the surface temperature or a
specified heat flux.

Heat conduction equation is of first order in time co-ordinate

Second order in space co-ordinate

For solution we need to integrate, time equation require one constant

Space require two constant

For full equation we need ‘7’ Constants …………… How to find??

can be achieved by putting some conditions called
Initial and Boundary conditions.
Dr. Chetan S. Mistry
• The wall at the beginning of the heat conduction process usually
specified at time t=0, is called the initial condition.
• In rectangular coordinates, the initial condition can be specified in the
general form as,
t = 0,
T(x, y, z, 0) = f(x, y, z)
• Note that under steady conditions, the heat conduction equation does
not involve any time derivatives, and thus we do not need to
specify an initial condition.
• The heat conduction equation is second order in space coordinates,
and thus a boundary condition may involve first derivatives at the
boundaries as well as specified values of temperature.

• Boundary conditions most commonly encountered in practice are the

specified temperature, specified heat flux, convection, and radiation
boundary conditions.
Dr. Chetan S. Mistry
 1. Specified Temperature Boundary Condition
• The temperature of an exposed surface
can usually be measured directly and
easily.
1500C • One of the easiest ways to specify the
thermal conditions on a surface is to
700C specify the temperature.
• For one-dimensional heat transfer
through a plane wall of thickness L, for
example, the specified temperature
boundary conditions can be expressed as
T (0, t ) = T1 Dirichlet condition

T ( x, t ) = T2
or
First type
Where T1 and T2 are the specified temperatures at surfaces at x = 0 and
x = L, respectively.
The specified temperatures can be constant, which is the case for
steady heat conduction, or may vary with time. Dr. Chetan S. Mistry
2. Specified Heat Flux Boundary Condition
• When heat flux on that surface is
known, and this information can be
used as one of the boundary conditions.
• The heat flux in the positive x-direction
anywhere in the medium, including the
boundaries, can be expressed by
Fourier’s law of heat conduction as

A ´ DT Neumann condition
Q = -k (W) Or
Dx Second type

The sign of the specified heat flux is

determined by inspection:
Positive if the heat flux is in the positive
direction of the coordinate.
Negative if it is in the opposite direction of
the coordinate.
Dr. Chetan S. Mistry
For a plate of thickness L subjected to
heat flux of 50 W/m2 into the medium
from both sides, for example, the
specified heat flux boundary conditions
can be expressed as

¶T(0, t )
-k = 50
¶x
¶T(L, t )
-k = -50
¶x

Dr. Chetan S. Mistry