MEHB323 Heat Transfer

Tutorial Assignment No. 3

1. Consider one-dimensional steady heat conduction in the radial direction of a hollow
cylinder. The thermal conductivity of the cylinder is 0.14 W/mK. The inner wall of the
cylinder has a diameter of 37.5 mm and is subjected to a heat flux of 1.16 kW/m2. The
thickness of the cylinder wall is 5.4 mm. The outer wall of the cylinder is exposed to an
airflow at 25C and convection heat transfer coefficient of 60 W/m2K. Determine the
position and value of maximum temperature within the cylinder.
Tmax = 79.33C
2. Electrical current flows through a long rod with radius rr = 0.01 m generating thermal
energy at a uniform volumetric rate of q = 2 106 W/m3. The rod is concentric with a
hollow ceramic cylinder, creating an enclosure that is filled with air as shown below. The
hollow ceramic cylinder has inner and outer radius of ri = 0.02 m and ro = 0.03 m,
respectively, and the conductivity k = 2 W/mK. The thermal resistance per unit length due
= 0.5 mK/W, and the convection heat
to radiation between the enclosure surfaces is Rrad
transfer coefficient in the enclosure is h = 10 W/m2K. The outer surface of the hollow
cylinder is exposed to cold air at T = 20C and convection coefficient of h = 15 W/m2.K
= 100 W/m2. Under steady condition, construct a
while absorbs a radiant flux of q rad
thermal circuit that can be used to calculate the surface temperature of the rod, Tr.

Tr = 528.92C
3. A proposal to store naturally occurred radioactive materials (NORM) in a spherical vessel
constructed from aluminium alloy 2024-T6 with melting point of 775 K. The vessel has a
storage capacity of 0.3 m3 and wall thickness of 15 cm. In order to protect the vessel from
corrosive environment, the outer surface is wrapped by a stainless steel (AISI 304) lining
with melting point of 1670 K. The NORM generates 0.30 MW/m3 of heat uniformly. The
wrapped vessel is to be submerged in oceanic water that is at an average temperature of
16C and provides a uniform convection coefficient of 50 W/m2K. Evaluate all materials
properties at room temperature (27C).
(a) You are required to design the suitable thickness of the stainless steel lining for safe
storing of the NORM.
(b) What is the outer surface temperature of the lining?
This question has no fixed answers. Any value of thickness less than 0.1616 m (which
provides radius of the lining of no more than 0.7269 m) is acceptable. For radius of the
lining at 0.7269 m, the outer surface temperature of the lining is 287.09C
1

MEHB323 Heat Transfer

Tutorial Assignment No. 3
4. For residential water heating purpose, a chlorinated PVC pipe (kp = 0.14 W/mK) carrying
hot water at an average temperature of 80C is exposed to ambient air at 25C as shown
in figure below. The average convection heat transfer coefficients between the hot water
and the inner wall of the pipe is estimated to be 1500 W/m2K while the average convection
heat transfer coefficients between the outer surface of the pipe and the ambient air is 60
W/m2K. For a unit length of the pipe (L = 1 m), design the pipe dimensions (i.e. diameters
and thickness) in order to ensure the outer surface of the pipe is at safe-to-touch condition,
which is below 40C. (Hint: in common practice, the outer diameter of a household water
heater pipe is within the range of 2.14 to 6 cm).

Hot water

This question has no fixed answers. Some possible combinations of outer diameter and
thickness of the pipe are as following:
(a) Do = 0.0214 m; t = 0.0047 m
(b) Do = 0.0334 m; t = 0.0051 m
(c) Do = 0.04826 m; t = 0.0054 m
5. Given a composite wall as shown below with kB = 1.0W/mK, kC = 1.5W/mK, kD = 2.0
W/mK, L = 1m, T = 25oC, and h = 20 W/m2K. Wall A experiences uniform volumetric
heat generation of q 200W/m 3 . Assuming one-dimensional conduction with constant
properties and steady state condition, determine the surface temperature of wall A labelled
as TA.
Perfect insulation

TA

Wall B

Wall A

Wall
D

Air, T, h
H

Wall C
0.5H

0.5L

TA = 245C
2

MEHB323 Heat Transfer

Tutorial Assignment No. 3
6. A commercial grade cubical freezer, 4 m on a side, has a composite wall consisting of an
exterior sheet of 5.0-mm thick plain carbon steel (kst = 60.5 W/mK), an intermediate layer
of 100-mm thick polyurethane insulation (kins = 0.02 W/mK), and an inner sheet of 5.0mm thick aluminium alloy (kal = 177 W/mK). Adhesive interfaces between the
polyurethane insulation and both metallic sheets are each characterized by a thermal
contact resistance of Rt",c = 2.5 10-4 m2K/W.
(a) What is the steady-state cooling load that must be maintained by the refrigerator under
conditions for which the outer and inner surface temperatures are 25C and -5C,
respectively?
(b) For power saving purpose, which wall material should be increased/reduced in
thickness in order to reduce 50% of the cooling load found in part (a)? Redesign the
thickness of the proposed material.
(a) Q = 575.93 W
7. A 5 m internal-diameter spherical tank made of 1.5 cm thick stainless steel (k = 15 W/mK)
is used to store iced water at 0C. The tank is located in a large room whose temperature
is 30C. The walls of the room are also at 30C. Heat transfer between the outer surface of
the tank and the surroundings is by natural convection and radiation. The convection heat
transfer coefficients at the inner and the outer surfaces of the tank are 80 W/m2K and 10
W/m2K, respectively. The outer surface of the tank is black ( = 1) and hence the radiation
heat transfer coefficient is approximated to be hr = 5.57 W/m2K. Determine:
(a) The rate of heat transfer to the iced water in the tank.
q = 30581 W
(b) The amount of ice at 0C that melts during a 24-hour period. The heat of fusion of
water (the energy needed for 1 kg of ice to melt down) at atmospheric pressure is hif
= 333.7 kJ/kg.
m = 7918 kg
2
(c) Evaluate whether hr = 5.57 W/m K is an acceptable approximation for the surface
radiation convection coefficient in this problem.