Tutorial 2

Heat Transfer Processes and Equipment

Conduction
1. The inner and outer surfaces of a 0.5 cm-thick 2-m × 2-m window glass in winter are 10°C
and 3°C, respectively. If the thermal conductivity of the glass is 0.78 W/m·°C, determine
the amount of heat loss, in kJ, through the glass over a period of 5 hours. What would your
answer be if the glass were 1.5 cm thick?
[Ans: 78,624 kJ]

2. A hollow spherical iron container with outer diameter 20 cm and thickness 0.4 cm is filled
with iced water at 0°C. If the outer surface temperature is 5°C, determine the approximate
rate of heat loss from the sphere, in kW, and the rate at which ice melts in the container.
The heat from fusion of water is 333.7 kJ/kg.

[25.3 kW, 0.0757 kg/s]

Convection
3. A 5-cm-external-diameter, 10-m-long hot water pipe at 80°C is losing heat to the
surrounding air at 5°C by natural convection with a heat transfer coefficient of 25
W/m2·°C. Determine the rate of heat loss from the pipe by natural convection, in W.
[2945 W]

4. A1.4-m-long, 0.2-cm-diameter electrical wire extends across a room that is maintained at

20°C. Heat is generated in the wire as a result of resistance heating, and the surface
temperature of the wire is measured to be 240°C in steady operation. Also, the voltage
drop and electric current through the wire are measured to be 110 V and 3 A, respectively.
Disregarding any heat transfer by radiation, determine the convection heat transfer
coefficient for heat transfer between the outer surface of the wire and the air in the room.
[170.5 W/m2.°C]
 Radiation
5. Consider a person standing in a room maintained at 20°C at all times. The inner surfaces
of the walls, floors, and ceiling of the house are observed to be at an average temperature
of 12°C in winter and 23°C in summer. Determine the rates of radiation heat transfer
between this person and the surrounding surfaces in both summer and winter if the exposed
surface area, emissivity, and the average outer surface temperature of the person are 1.6
m2, 0.95, and 32°C, respectively.
[177.2 W]

6. The outer surface of a spacecraft in space has an emissivity of 0.8 and a solar absorptivity
of 0.3. If solar radiation is incident on the spacecraft at a rate of 950 W/m2, determine the
surface temperature of the spacecraft when the radiation emitted equals the solar energy
absorbed.
[281.5 K]

Additional problem
7. Consider a flat plate solar collector placed horizontally on the flat roof of a house. The
collector is 1.5 m wide and 4.6 m long, and the average temperature of the exposed surface
of the collector is 38°C. The emissivity of the exposed surface of the collector is 0.9.
Determine the rate of heat loss from the collector by convection and radiation during a
calm day when the ambient air temperature is 21°C and the effective sky temperature for
radiation exchange is 10°C. Take the convection heat transfer coefficient on the exposed
surface to be 15 W/m2.°C.