MEE403 – Heat Transfer

Module 2: Heat Conduction

A.O. Oluwajobi
Outline

1. Fourier’s Law
2. General Heat Conduction Equation
- in Cartesian Coordinates
- in Cylindrical Coordinates
- in Spherical Coordinates
1. Fourier’s Law

q is the rate of heat flow

q is directly proportional to the area A and the temperature
difference, but it is inversely proportional to the thickness
k is the constant of proportionality, called the thermal conductivity
In heat transfer, a positive q means that heat is flowing into the
body and a negative q means heat is leaving the body

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2. General Heat Conduction Equation

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2. General Heat Conduction Equation (contd)

● Thermal diffusivity includes the effects of properties like mass

density, thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity.
● Thermal diffusivity, which is involved in all unsteady
heat-conduction problems, is a property of the solid object.
● The time rate of change of temperature depends on its
numerical value.
● The physical significance of thermal diffusivity is associated
with the diffusion of heat into the medium during changes of
temperature with time.
● The higher thermal diffusivity coefficient signifies the faster
penetration of the heat into the medium and the less time
required to remove the heat from the solid.

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2. General Heat Conduction Equation (contd)

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 2. General Heat Conduction Equation (contd)

For Cylindrical Coordinates, the general heat conduction equation becomes

For Spherical Coordinates, the general heat conduction equation becomes

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Thank you