WEEK 1: 1D HEAT CONDUCTION

Q1. (A) Consider a 1-m-high and 1.5-m-wide glass car windshield with a thickness of 10 mm
and thermal conductivity of k = 0.8 W/m·K. Determine the steady rate of heat transfer through
this glass windshield and the temperature of its inner surfaces for a day during which the car is
maintained at 25°C while the temperature outside is -10°C. Take the heat transfer coefficients
on the inner and outer surfaces of the windshield to be h1 = 15 W/m2·K and h2 = 30 W/m2·K.

(ANS: 466.67W, 4.26°C, 0.37°C)

(B) Do the same exercise for a double pane glass windshield with two 5-mm thick layers of the
same glass separated by a 10-mm wide stagnant air space k = 0.03 W/m·K.

(ANS: 117.76W, 19.28°C, -6.89°C)

Which windshield would you choose if you were to design the windshield of a car?

Q2. A 4-m internal diameter spherical tank made of 4-cm-thick stainless steel (k = 10 W/m·K) is
used to store iced water at T1 = 0°C. The tank is located in a room whose temperature is T2 =
25°C. The heat transfer between the outer surface of the tank and the surroundings is by
convection. The convection heat transfer coefficients at the inner and the outer surfaces of the
tank are h1 = 80 W/m2·K and h2 = 20 W/m2·K, respectively. Determine (a) the rate of heat
transfer to the iced water in the tank and (b) the amount of ice at 0°C that melts in 2 days
(Latent heat of ice = 334 kJ/kg).

(ANS: (a) 19.531 kW, (b) 10,104.79 kg)

Q3. A spherical heating bulb is to be designed such that it dissipates maximum heat. Assume all
the heat is dissipated through convection on the outer surface of the bulb. The bulb produces
400W of heat. The inner radius of the glass of the bulb is 8cm. The heat transfer coefficient
outside the bulb is 20 W/m2K and the conductivity of the glass of the bulb is 1 W/m-K. Find the
outer radius of the bulb.

(ANS: 10cm)

Q4. Calculate the total thickness of a cylindrical furnace wall, where the outer temperature is not
to exceed 80 oC for the safety of the workers. The inner radius of the furnace is 2m and the
inner surface is exposed to a constant temperature of 800 oC. Refractory bricks with k=15 W/m-
K and 20cm thickness are used in the furnace and form the innermost part of the wall. The
bricks are covered by insulating material with k=1 W/m-K on the outside. The ambient
temperature is 25 oC and hout=20 W/m2-K. (Final equation will be explicit and will require you to
find the answer by iterating).

(ANS: 80cm)

Q5. A nuclear power plant uses a fuel element made of Uranium, which has an external
aluminium cladding on either side, which provides extended surfaces to promote heat transfer.
The fuel element is a rectangular plate of thickness 8 mm, length 1040 mm, and height 248 mm.

The nuclear fuel element attains a maximum temperature of 673 K during its operation. For
safety reasons, the cladding temperature is not allowed to exceed 493 K.

(a) If the heat generated per unit volume is 600 MW, calculate the minimum thickness
required for the cladding to maintain safety conditions.
(b) Plot a rough sketch of the variation in temperature.

(Thermal conductivities: Al-237 W/mK, Uranium-27.5 W/mK)

(ANS: 0.545 mm)

Q6. If, in the previous question, instead of a rectangular plate, a cylindrical rod is used, with
diameter 2r and cladding thickness t. Now, through the cladding, a coolant fluid with heat
transfer coefficient h is passed. If Q is the heat generated per unit volume and the fuel and the
cladding are made of Uranium and Aluminium respectively, find the expression for the total
temperature drop from the center of the fuel to the coolant.

(ANS: 0.5(Qr2)(1/55 + ln((r/t)+1)/237 + 1/h(r+t)))

Q7. Hot water flows at 0.5 m/s in a smooth copper pipe with inner and outer diameters 2.5 cm
and 2.66 cm respectively. The pipe is horizontal in still air and covered with a 1 cm layer of
polystyrene foam insulation. The water flows at 65°C, while the air around is at 20°C. Estimate the
heat transfer per unit length for this system.

Also identify the component which has the highest effect on the heat transfer per unit length.

(Thermal conductivities: Copper-400, Polystyrene Foam-0.038, Water-0.659, Air-0.025 W/mK)

(Heat transfer coefficients: Water-6895, Air-3.56 W/m2K)

(ANS: 10.54 W/m)