ME52102: HEAT & MASS TRANSFER, JUL-DEC’23

SHEET – III : Transient Heat Conduction

(1) (a) What are the physical assumptions necessary for a lumped – capacity unsteady state analysis
to apply? Define Biot and Fourier number also state its physical significance.
(b) Define and explain the physical significance of Biot Number, how does it differ from Nusselt
Number?
(c) Deduce the expression for unsteady heat transfer rate by lumped parameter method.
(d) What parameters determine the time constant associated with the transient thermal response
Of a lumped capacitance solid? Is this response accelerated or decelerated by:
(i) an increase in the convection coefficient, (b) an increase in the density, and (c) an increase in
the specific heat of the solid?
(e) What are Heisler – Temperature charts?

(2) The temperature of a gas stream is to be measured by a thermocouple whose junction can be
approximated as a 1 mm diameter sphere. Determine how long it will take for the thermocouple
to read 99 % of the initial temperature difference. The properties of the junction are:
𝑘𝑘 = 35 𝑊𝑊 ⁄𝑚𝑚. 𝐾𝐾 , 𝜌𝜌 = 8500 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘⁄𝑚𝑚3 , ℎ = 210 𝑊𝑊 ⁄𝑚𝑚2 . 𝐾𝐾 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝑐𝑐𝑝𝑝 = 320 𝐽𝐽⁄𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘. 𝐾𝐾.
[Ans: 10 sec.]

(3) An egg can be modelled as a sphere of diameter 40mm. If the egg initially at 20o C is placed in a
saucepan of boiling water for 4 minutes, it attains the consumer’s taste. For how long should a
similar egg for the same consumer be boiled when taken from a refrigerator at 5o C?
The egg properties are k = 2 W/m-K, 𝜌𝜌 = 1200 kg/m3, C = 2 kJ/kg-K and heat transfer coefficient
for the shell and shell water interface may be taken as 200 W/m2-K.
Compare the centre temperature attained with that computed by treating the egg as a lumped
heat capacity system. Comment on your result.
[Ans: 4 min 20 sec., 96o C]

(4) A missile re-enters the dense layers of the atmosphere at a very high velocity. The nose section of
the missile is made up of 6 mm thick stainless-steel plate and is not cooled on the inside surface.
The effective temperature of air surrounding the nose region is 2000o C. Assuming the initial
temperature of nose section as 50o C. Calculate the maximum permissible time in these surrounding
if the maximum metal temperature is not to exceed 1000o c. Radiation effect is neglected. Take:
ρ = 7300 kg. /m3, sp. heat = 1.0718 KJ/kg. K, k =150 W/m K, h = 3000 W/m2k
[Ans:13 sec.]

(5) A sphere of radius 5mm is initially in equilibrium at 400oC in a furnace. It is suddenly removed
from the furnace and subjected to a two-step cooling process.
Step I: Cooling in air at 20oC with convective heat transfer coefficient 10W/m2-K until the center
temperature reaches 335oC.
Step II: Cooling in a well stirred water bath at 20oC with convective heat transfer coefficient of
6000 W/m2-K until the center of the sphere reaches 50oC from 335oC.
Calculate the time required in the above steps. Take the thermophysical properties as:
ρ = 3000Kg/m3, K = 20W/m-K, C = 1000 J/Kg-K
[Ans: (I) 94 sec. (II) 3 sec.]

(6) A person is found dead at 5 pm in a room whose temperature is 200C.The temperature of the
body is measured to be 250C when found, and the heat transfer coefficient is estimated to be
8 W/m2K. Modelling the human body a 30 cm diameter, 1.70m long cylinder. Calculate actual
time of death of the person. The average human body is 72% water by mass.
[Ans: 5 am]