3 - Thermal Resistance

Heat & Mass Transfer
(ME 331)
Instructor: Asst. Prof. ABDUL NAEEM KHAN

Office: 215 (E) First Floor
Contact: naeemkhan@smme.nust.edu.pk
Phone: 9085 6075
Chapter 3 (Part-I)
Steady Heat Conduction
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
Objectives
After having studying this chapter, you should be able
to:
• Understand the concept of thermal resistance and
development thermal resistance networks for practical
heat conduction problems.
• Solve steady conduction problems that involve multilayer
rectangular, cylindrical, or spherical geometries.
• Develop an insightful understanding of thermal contact
resistance, and circumstances under which it may be
significant.
• Identify applications in which insulation may actually
increase heat transfer.
• Analyze finned surfaces, and assess how efficiently and
effectively fins enhance heat transfer.
11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 3

Steady Heat Conduction in Plane Walls
Assuming heat transfer is the only energy interaction and there is no

heat generation, the energy balance can be expressed as:
Zero for steady

operation
Rate of Rate of Rate of change

heat transfer - heat transfer = of the energy
into the wall out of the wall of the wall
0
(3-1)
dEwall
Qin  Qout  0
dt
For steady conduction, the rate of heat transfer through
the wall must be constant, i.e. Qcond , wall  constant

• Then Fourier’s law of heat conduction for the wall
can be expressed as:
dT
Qcond , wall  kA (W) (3-2)
dx
• Since the rate of conduction heat transfer and
the wall area A are constant it follows that:
dT/dx = constant
• It means that the temperature through the wall
varies linearly with x.
• Integrating the above equation and rearranging yields :

T1  T2
Qcond ,wall  kA (W) (3-3)
L
Thermal Resistance Concept- Conduction Resistance
T1  T2
Qcond ,wall  kA (W) (3-3)
L
• Equation 3–3 for heat conduction through a
plane wall can be rearranged as:
T1  T2
Qcond , wall  (W) (3-4)
Rwall
• Where Rwall is the conduction resistance
expressed as:
L
Rwall  ( C/W) (3-5)
kA
Analogy to Electrical Current Flow
Heat Transfer Electrical current flow
Rate of heat transfer  Electric current
Thermal resistance  Electrical resistance
Temperature difference  Voltage difference

Thermal Resistance Concept- Convection Resistance
• Thermal resistance concept can also be applied to

convection processes.
• Newton’s law of cooling for convection heat transfer
rate [Qconv  hAs Ts  T ] can be rearranged as:
Ts  T
Qconv  (W) (3-7)
Rconv
• Rconv is the convection resistance

1
Rconv  ( C/W) (3-8)
hAs
Thermal Resistance Concept- Radiation Resistance
• The rate of radiation heat transfer between a surface and
the surrounding:
Qrad   As (Ts 4  Tsurr 4 ) (W )
or Q rad  As (Ts2  Tsurr
2
)(Ts2  Tsurr
2
)
Q rad  As (Ts  Tsurr )(Ts  Tsurr )(Ts2  Tsurr
2
)
We define the Radiation Heat transfer Coefficient (hrad) as:
hrad   (Ts  Tsurr )(Ts 2  Tsurr 2 ) W / (m2 K )

Ts  Tsurr
Then: Qrad  hrad As (Ts  Tsurr ) 
Rrad
1
Where: Rrad  [K/W]
hrad As Rrad is the Radiation Resistance
Note that both Ts and Tsurr must be in Kalvin scale in the evaluation of hrad
Thermal Resistance Concept
Radiation and Convection Resistance
• A surface exposed to the surrounding might involves
convection and radiation simultaneously.
• The convection and radiation resistances are parallel
to each other.
• When Tsurr≈T∞, the radiation
effect can properly be
accounted for by replacing h
in the convection resistance
relation by:
hcombined = hconv+hrad (W/m2K) (3-12)
Thermal Resistance Network
• Consider steady one-dimensional Fig 3-6
heat transfer through a plane wall
that is exposed to convection on
both sides.
• Under steady conditions we have:
Rate of Rate of Rate of

heat convection = heat conduction = heat convection
into the wall through the wall from the wall
Q  h1 A T,1  T1  
T1  T2
kA  h2 A T2  T,2  (3-13)
11/4/2020
L Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 11
Consider:
Rearranging and adding:
T ,1  T1  Q  Rconv ,1

 T1  T2  Q  Rwall

T2  T ,2  Q  Rconv ,2
. .
T,1  T,2  Q( Rconv,1  Rwall  Rconv,2 )  Q  Rtotal
T,1  T,2
Q (W) (3-15)
where Rtotal
1 L 1
Rtotal  Rconv ,1  Rwall  Rconv ,2    ( C/W) (3-16)
h1 A kA h2 A
Note that the thermal resistances are in series, and the equivalent thermal
resistance is determined by simply adding the individual resistances!

Also note that:
• It is sometimes convenient to express heat transfer
through a medium in an analogous manner to
Newton’s law of cooling as:
Q  UAT (W) (3-18)
• Note that in the above quoted law, U replaces h and U

is called the overall heat transfer coefficient.
• Such that:
1
UA  ( C/K) (3-19)
Rtotal
Quick Review
Thermal Resistance Concept
T1  T2 L
Conduction Resistance: Qcond , wall  (W) Rwall  ( C/W)
Rwall kA
T T Rconv 
1
Convection Resistance: Qconv  s  (W) ( C/W)
Rconv hAs
1
Radiation Resistance: Qrad   As (Ts 4  Tsurr 4 ) (W ) Rrad  (K/W)
hrad As
Radiation and Convection Combined Coefficient: hcombined = hconv+hrad

1
Overall heat transfer coefficient: Q  UAT (W) UA  ( C/K)
Rtotal
To find Total Resistance:
• Resistances in series  Rtotal = Ri
• Resistances in parallel  1/Rtotal = (1/Ri)

Attempt Examples
3-1 & 3-2
Page 134 & 135 (2nd Ed)

Multilayer Plane Walls
• In practice we often encounter plane walls that consist of several
layers of different materials.
• The rate of steady heat transfer through this two-layer composite
wall can be expressed as:
T,1  T,2
Q (W) (3-15)
Rtotal
• Where the total thermal resistance
is:
Rtotal  Rconv ,1  Rwall ,1  Rwall ,2  Rconv ,2
1 L1 L2 1
    (3-22)
h1 A k1 A k2 A h2 A

Attempt Example 3-3
Page 136 (2nd Ed)

The R-value is a measure of resistance to heat flow
through a given thickness of material. Higher R-value
Problem 3-34 ( text, 2nd Ed PDF) material has better insulating properties!
Consider a house that has a 10-m  20-m base and a 4-m-high
wall. All four walls of the house have an R-value of 2.31 m2·°C/W.
The two 10-m  4-m walls have no windows.
The third wall has five windows made of 0.5-cm-thick glass (k =
0.78 W/m·°C), 1.2 m  1.8 m in size. The fourth wall has the same
size and 05 windows, but they are double paned with a 1.5-cm-
thick stagnant air space (k = 0.026 W/m·°C) enclosed between
two 0.5-cm-thick glass layers.
The thermostat in the house is set at 22°C and the average
temperature outside at that location is 8°C.
Disregard any direct radiation gain or loss through the windows
and take the heat transfer coefficients at the inner and outer
surfaces of the house to be 7 and 15 W/m2·°C, respectively.
Determine the average rate of heat transfer through each wall.

Problem 3-34 (Solution)
From the given data rate of heat transfer through each wall can be
determined by applying thermal resistance network. The convection
resistances at the inner and outer surfaces are common in all cases.
Walls without windows:
For unit surface area for wall Rwall = L/k

Problem 3-34 (Solution) cont’
Wall with single pane windows:

Problem 3-34 (Solution) cont’
Fourth wall with double pane windows:
Heat Flow Comparison:

Without window = 222.3 W
Single pane = 4372 W
Double pane = 600 W
Chapter 3-2
Thermal Contact Resistance
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
• Two contacting surfaces may have some degree of roughness.
• When two surfaces are pressed against each other, the peaks
form good material contact but the valleys form voids filled
with air.
• As a result, an interface contains numerous

air gaps of varying sizes that act as
insulation because of the low thermal
conductivity of air.
• Thus, an interface offers some resistance

to heat transfer, which is termed the
thermal contact resistance, Rc.

• The value of thermal contact resistance depends on:

– surface roughness,
– material properties,
– temperature and pressure at the interface,
– type of fluid trapped at the interface.
• Thermal contact resistance is observed to decrease with

decreasing surface roughness and increasing interface
pressure.
• The thermal contact resistance can be minimized by applying a

thermally conducting liquid called a thermal grease.

• Heat transfer through the interface of contacting surfaces can
be expressed as:
• In terms of Newton’s law of cooling:
A is interface area, and Tinterface is the effective temperature

difference at the interface.
Also hc is the thermal contact conductance, defined as:
Hence the thermal

contact resistance is:
25
11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM
Attempt Example 3-4 & 3-5
Page 140 &141 (2nd Ed)

Problem 3-48 ( text, 2nd Ed PDF)
A 1-mm-thick copper plate (k = 386 W/m·°C) is sandwiched between two
5-mm-thick epoxy boards (k = 0.26 W/m·°C) that are 15 cm  20 cm in
size. The thermal contact conductance on both sides of the copper plate is
estimated to be 6000 W/m·°C.
Determine the error involved in the total thermal resistance of the plate if
the thermal contact conductance is ignored.
Solution:
The thermal resistances of different layers for unit surface
area of 1 m2 are:

The total thermal resistance is:
Then the percent error involved in the

total thermal resistance of the plate if the
thermal contact resistances are ignored is
determined to be:
Percent error is very small, can be neglected!

Generalized Thermal Resistance Network
• The thermal resistance concept can be used to solve steady heat
transfer problems that involve parallel layers or combined
series-parallel arrangements.
• The total heat transfer of two parallel layers
T1  T2 T1  T2  1 1 
Q  Q1  Q2    T1  T2    
R1 R2  R1 R2 
1
(3-29)
Rtotal
1  1 1  RR
     Rtotal = 1 2 (3-31)
Rtotal  R1 R2  R1  R2

Combined Series-Parallel Arrangement
The total rate of heat transfer through
the composite system
T1  T
Q (3-32)
Rtotal
where Parallel circuit

In Series
R1 R2
Rtotal  R12  R3  Rconv   R3  Rconv (3-33)
R1  R2
L1 L2 L3 1
R1  ; R2  ; R3  ; Rconv  (3-34)
k1 A1 k2 A2 k3 A3 hA3
Attempt Example 3-6
Page 144 (2nd Ed)

Heat Conduction in Cylinders
Consider the long cylindrical layer:
Assumptions for Analysis:
– the two surfaces of the cylindrical
layer are maintained at constant
temperatures T1 and T2,
– no heat generation,
– constant thermal conductivity,
– one-dimensional heat conduction.
Fourier’s law of heat conduction

dT
Qcond ,cyl  kA (W) (3-35)
dr
dT
Qcond ,cyl  kA (W) (3-35)
dr
Separating the variables and integrating from r=r1, where
T(r1)=T1, to r=r2, where T(r2)=T2
r2 T2
Qcond ,cyl

r  r1
A
dr   
T T1
kdT (3-36)
Substituting A =2prL and performing the integrations give
T1  T2
Qcond ,cyl  2p Lk (3-37)
ln  r2 / r1 
Since the heat transfer rate is constant
T1  T2 ln r2 r1 
Rcyl 
Qcond ,cyl  2pLk
11/4/2020
R Prof. NAEEM
Lecture by Asst.cyl 33
Thermal Resistance with Convection
Steady one-dimensional heat transfer through a cylindrical or

spherical layer that is exposed to convection on both sides
T,1  T,2
Q (3-32)
Rtotal
where
Rtotal  Rconv,1  Rcyl  Rconv,2 
1 ln  r2 / r1  1
  
 2p r1L  h1 2p Lk  2p r2 L  h2 (3-43)

Multilayered Cylinders
• Steady heat transfer through
multilayered cylindrical or spherical
shells can be handled just like
multilayered plane.
• The steady heat transfer rate through a three-layered composite

cylinder of length L with convection on both sides is expressed by:
T,1  T,2
Q
Where Rtotal
(3-46)

Steam at 320°C flows in a stainless steel pipe (k = 15 W/m·°C) whose
inner and outer diameters are 5 cm and 5.5 cm, respectively. The pipe is
covered with 3-cm-thick glass wool insulation (k = 0.038 W/m·°C). Heat
is lost to the surroundings at 5°C by natural convection and radiation, with
a combined natural convection and radiation heat transfer coefficient of 15
W/m2·°C. Take the heat transfer coefficient inside the pipe to be 80
W/m2·°C.
Determine:
(a) rate of heat loss from the steam per unit length of the
pipe
(b) temperature drops across the pipe shell and the
insulation.
Solution:
The inner and the outer surface areas of the insulated pipe per unit length are:

The individual thermal resistances are:
Then the steady rate of heat loss from the steam per meter pipe length becomes:

The temperature drops across the pipe and the insulation are:

Critical Radius of Insulation
• Adding more insulation to a wall always decreases heat

transfer.
• Adding insulation to a cylindrical pipe or a spherical shell,
however, is a different matter.
• Adding insulation causes increase in the outer surface area of a
cylinder or sphere for convection.
• Resultantly, it increases the conduction resistance of the
insulation layer but decreases the convection resistance of the
surface!
• The heat transfer from the pipe may increase or decrease,
depending on which effect dominates.

• Consider a cylindrical pipe of outer radius r1 whose outer surface

temperature T1 is maintained constant.
• The pipe is covered with an insulator (k and r2).
• Convection heat transfer at T∞ and h.
• The rate of heat transfer from the insulated pipe to the surrounding
air can be expressed as:
T1  T T1  T
Q 
Rins  Rconv ln  r2 / r1  1 (3-37)

2p Lk h  2p r2 L 
• The variation of the heat transfer rate
with the outer radius of the insulation r2
is shown in the figure.
The value of r2 at which Q is dQ
0
maximum is determined by: dr2
• Performing the differentiation and solving
for r2 yields: k
rcr ,cylinder  (m) (3-50)
h
• From the plot, note that:
• rate of heat transfer from the cylinder increases with the addition of
insulation for r2 < rcr
• reaches a maximum when r2 = rcr, and
• starts to decrease for r2 > rcr.
• Thus, insulating the pipe may actually increase the rate of heat transfer
from the pipe instead of decreasing it when r2 < rcr.
k
Consider: rcr ,cylinder  (m)
h
• The value of the critical radius rcr will be
the largest when k is large and h is small.
The critical radius would be much less in
forced convection because of much larger h
values associated with forced convection.
• The radius of electric wires may be smaller than the critical

radius.
• Therefore, the plastic electrical insulation may actually enhance
the heat transfer from electric wires and thus keep their steady
operating temperatures at lower and thus safer levels.

Attempt Example 3-9
Page 154 (2nd Ed)

Problem 3-88 (text)
A 2-mm-diameter and 10-m-long electric wire is tightly wrapped with a
1-mm-thick plastic cover whose thermal conductivity is k = 0.15 W/m·°C.
Electrical measurements indicate that a current of 10 A passes through the
wire and there is a voltage drop of 8 V along the wire. If the insulated wire
is exposed to a medium at T = 30°C with a heat transfer coefficient of
h=24 W/m2·°C, determine:
a) The temperature at the interface of the wire and the plastic cover in
steady operation.
b) Also determine if doubling the thickness of the plastic cover will
increase or decrease this interface temperature.
Solution:
Thermal Circuit:
In steady operation, the rate of heat transfer = the heat generated within the wire

The total thermal resistance is:
Then the interface temperature becomes:
The critical radius of

plastic insulation is:
Doubling the thickness of the plastic cover will increase the outer radius of the
wire to 3 mm, which is less than the critical radius of insulation.
Therefore, doubling the thickness of plastic cover will increase the rate of heat
loss and decrease the interface temperature.
End of Part-I

3 - Thermal Resistance

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Heat & Mass Transfer

Instructor: Asst. Prof. ABDUL NAEEM KHAN

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 3

Assuming heat transfer is the only energy interaction and there is no

Zero for steady

Rate of Rate of Rate of change

the wall must be constant, i.e. Qcond , wall  constant

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 4

• Integrating the above equation and rearranging yields :

Rate of heat transfer  Electric current

Thermal resistance  Electrical resistance

Temperature difference  Voltage difference

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 7

• Thermal resistance concept can also be applied to

• Rconv is the convection resistance

hrad   (Ts  Tsurr )(Ts 2  Tsurr 2 ) W / (m2 K )

• Under steady conditions we have:

Rate of Rate of Rate of

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 12

Q  UAT (W) (3-18)

• Note that in the above quoted law, U replaces h and U

Radiation and Convection Combined Coefficient: hcombined = hconv+hrad

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 14

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 15

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 16

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 17

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 18

For unit surface area for wall Rwall = L/k

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 19

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 20

Heat Flow Comparison:

• As a result, an interface contains numerous

• Thus, an interface offers some resistance

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 23

• The value of thermal contact resistance depends on:

• Thermal contact resistance is observed to decrease with

• The thermal contact resistance can be minimized by applying a

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 24

• In terms of Newton’s law of cooling:

A is interface area, and Tinterface is the effective temperature

Hence the thermal

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 26

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 27

Then the percent error involved in the

Percent error is very small, can be neglected!

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 28

• The total heat transfer of two parallel layers

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 29

where Parallel circuit

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 31

Fourier’s law of heat conduction

Substituting A =2prL and performing the integrations give

Steady one-dimensional heat transfer through a cylindrical or

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 34

• The steady heat transfer rate through a three-layered composite

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 35

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 36

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 37

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 38

• Adding more insulation to a wall always decreases heat

11/4/2020 Lecture by Asst. Prof. NAEEM 39

• Consider a cylindrical pipe of outer radius r1 whose outer surface

• The pipe is covered with an insulator (k and r2).

• Convection heat transfer at T∞ and h.