Chapter 9 – Tutorial

9-41 Heat is generated in a horizontal plate while heat is lost from it by convection and radiation. The temperature
of the plate when steady operating conditions are reached is to be determined.
Assumptions 1 Steady operating conditions exist. 2 Air is an ideal gas with constant properties. 3 The local
atmospheric pressure is 1 atm.
Properties We assume the surface temperature to be 50°C. Then the properties of air at 1 atm and the film
temperature of (Ts+T∞)/2 = (50+20)/2 = 35°C are (Table A-15)
k = 0.02625 W/m.°C
Air
ν = 1.655 × 10 −5 m 2 /s
Pr = 0.7268 T∞ = 20°C
L = 24 cm
1 1
β= = = 0.003247 K -1
Tf (35 + 273)K
Analysis The characteristic length in this case is
As (0.24 m)(0.20 m)
Lc = = = 0.05455 m
p 2[(0.24 m) + (0.20 m)]
The Rayleigh number is
gβ (Ts − T∞ ) Lc 3 (9.81 m/s 2 )(0.003247 K -1 )(50 − 20 K )(0.05455 m) 3
Ra = Pr = (0.7268) = 411,500
ν2 (1.655 × 10 −5 m 2 /s) 2
The Nusselt number relation for the top surface of the plate (horizontal hot surface, facing up) is
Nu = 0.54 Ra 0.25 = 0.54(411,500) 0.25 = 13.68
Then
k 0.02625 W/m.°C
h= Nu = (13.68) = 6.581 W/m 2 .°C
Lc 0.05455 m
and
Q top = hA(Ts − T∞ ) = (6.581 W/m 2 .°C)(0.24 × 0.20 m 2 )(Ts − 20)°C = 0.3159(Ts − 20)

The Nusselt number relation for the bottom surface of the plate (horizontal hot surface, facing down) is
Nu = 0.27 Ra 0.25 = 0.27(411,500) 0.25 = 6.838
Then
k 0.02625 W/m.°C
h= Nu = (6.838) = 3.291 W/m 2 .°C
Lc 0.05455 m

Q bottom = hA(Ts − T∞ ) = (3.291 W/m 2 .°C)(0.24 × 0.20 m 2 )(Ts − 20)°C = 0.1580(Ts − 20)
Considering that radiation heat loss to surroundings occur both from top and bottom surfaces, it may be expressed
as
Q rad = 2εAσ (Ts 4 − Tsurr 4 )
[
= (0.9)(2)(0.24 × 0.20 m 2 )(5.67 × 10 −8 W/m 2 .K 4 ) (Ts + 273 K ) 4 − (17 + 273 K ) 4 ]
= 4.899 × 10 −9
[(T s
4
+ 273 K ) − (17 + 273 K ) 4
]
When the heat lost from the plate equals to the heat generated, the steady operating conditions are reached. The
surface temperature in this case can be determined by trial-error or using EES to be
Q total = Q top + Q bottom + Q rad
[
20 W = 0.3159(Ts − 20) + 0.1580(Ts − 20) + 4.899 × 10 −9 (Ts + 273 K ) 4 − (17 + 273 K ) 4 ]
Ts = 38.3°C
The surface temperature is about 12°C below the assumed surface temperature of 50°C. For more accuracy, it is
recommended to repeat the caluations with a lower value of surface temperature.