Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Amrita School of Engineering, Amritapuri Campus

Department of Mechanical Engineering

TF 608 Computational Methods in Thermal & Fluids Engg.

TERM PROJECT

Problem set #1

Online submission of the report, program and results

1. A drug administered to a patient produces a concentration in the blood stream given by c t Atet 3

milligrams per milliliter, t hours after A unit has been injected. The maximum safe concentration is
1 mg/ml.
a) What amount should be injected to reach this maximum safe concentration, and when does this
maximum occur?
b) An additional amount of this drug is to be administered to the patient after the concentration falls
to 0.25 mg/ml. Determine, to the nearest minute, when this second injection should be given.
c) Assume that the concentration from consecutive injections is additive and that 75% of the amount
originally injected is administered in the second injection. When is it time for the third injection?

2. Find all roots of the equations by Newtons method. Start with the assumed root (1.1, 1.5, 3.5)

x 2 x 2 y 2 yz 10
5x 6 y z 0
z y 2 x2 0

Note:
Develop your own code. Copying programs, in any form, (including from
textbooks/internet etc.), will be heavily penalized.
 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Amrita School of Engineering, Amritapuri Campus
Department of Mechanical Engineering

TF 608 Computational Methods in Thermal & Fluids Engg.

TERM PROJECT
Problem set #2

Online submission of the report, program and results

x2 1 1
1. Obtain all roots of the equation x sin x cos 2 x 0
4 2 2
2. In the design of all-terrain vehicles, it is necessary to consider the failure of the vehicle when
attempting to negotiate two types of obstacles. One type of failure is called hang-up failure and
occurs when the vehicle attempts to cross an obstacle that causes the bottom of the vehicle to touch
the ground. The other type of failure is called nose-in failure and occurs when the vehicle descends
into a ditch and its nose touches the ground. The accompanying figure shows the components
associated with the nose-in failure of a vehicle. In that reference, it is shown that the maximum
angle that can be negotiated by a vehicle when is the maximum angle at which hang-up failure
does not occur satisfies the equation
A sin cos + B sin2 C cos E sin = 0,
where,
A = l sin 1, B = l cos 1, C = (h + 0.5D) sin 1 0.5D tan 1, and E = (h + 0.5D) cos 1 0.5D.
a) It is stated that when l = 89 in., h = 49 in., D = 55 in., and 1 = 11.5, angle is approximately
33. Verify this result.
b) Find for the situation when l, h, and 1 are the same as in part (a) but D = 30 in.
Use a method that is different from that used for problem 1.

Fig for problem 2.

Page 1 of 2
Note:
Develop your own code. Copying programs, in any form (including from
textbooks/internet etc.), will be heavily penalized.

Page 2 of 2
 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Amrita School of Engineering, Amritapuri Campus

Department of Mechanical Engineering

TF 608 Computational Methods in Thermal & Fluids Engg.

TERM PROJECT
Problem set #3

Online submission of the report, program and results

1. A car traveling along a straight road is clocked at a number of points. The data from the observations
are given in the following table, where the time is in seconds, the distance is in feet, and the speed
is in feet per second.

a) Use a cubic spline to predict the position of the car and its speed when t = 10 s.
b) Use the derivative of the spline to determine whether the car ever exceeds a 55-mi/h speed limit
on the road; if so, what is the first time the car exceeds this speed?
c) What is the predicted maximum speed for the car?

Note:
Develop your own code. Copying programs, in any form (including from
textbooks/internet etc.), will be heavily penalized.

Page 1 of 1
 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Amrita School of Engineering, Amritapuri Campus

Department of Mechanical Engineering

TF 608 Computational Methods in Thermal & Fluids Engg.

TERM PROJECT
Problem set #4

Online submission of the report, program and results

1. Reaction rates for chemical reactions are usually expressed in the form:
E
K BT exp
RT
For a particular reaction, measured values of the forward and backward reaction rates Kf and Kb,
respectively, are given by

T, K 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000

Kf 7.5e15, 3.8e15, 2.5e15, 1.9e15, 1.5e15
Kb 4.6e07, 5.9e04, 2.5e08, 1.4e10, 1.5e11

a) Determine B and for the backward reaction rate Kb for which E/R = 0.
b) Determine B, and E/R for the forward reaction rate Kf.
Plot the rate equations developed along with the data points.

Note:
Develop your own code. Copying programs, in any form (including from
textbooks/internet etc.), will be heavily penalized.

Page 1 of 1
 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Amrita School of Engineering, Amritapuri Campus

Department of Mechanical Engineering

TF 608 Computational Methods in Thermal & Fluids Engg.

TERM PROJECT
Problem set #5

Online submission of the report, program and results

1. Find out the optimum over-relaxation factor for the following system of equations, which arises out
for estimation of forces acting on the bridge truss.

Note:
Develop your own code. Copying programs, in any form (including from
textbooks/internet etc.), will be heavily penalized.

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 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Amrita School of Engineering, Amritapuri Campus

Department of Mechanical Engineering

TF 608 Computational Methods in Thermal & Fluids Engg.

TERM PROJECT
Problem set #6

Online submission of the report, program and results

1. When a fluid flows over a surface, the heat transfer rate q (J/s) to the surface given by the expression
dT
q kA
dy
where k is the thermal conductivity (J/s-m-K), T is the temperature (K), and y is the distance normal
to the surface (cm). Measurements of the temperature an air stream flowing above a surface are
made with a thermocouple. The values given in Table 1 were obtained.

Table 1. Temperature Measurements

At the average temperature, k = 0.030 J/s-m-K. Calculate dT/dy at the surface using a high order
finite difference approximation. Estimate the corresponding values of the heat flux at the surface
and the heat transfer to a flat plate 10cm long and 5 cm wide.

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2. In a circuit with impressed voltage (t) and inductance L, Kirchhoffs first law gives the relationship
di
t L Ri
dt
where R is the resistance in the circuit and i is the current. Suppose we measure the current for
several values of t and obtain

t 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04

i 3.10 3.12 3.14 3.18 3.24

where t is measured in seconds, i is in amperes, the inductance L is a constant 0.98 henries, and the
resistance is 0.142 ohms. Approximate the voltage (t) when t = 1.00, 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, and 1.04s.

Note:
Develop your own code. Copying programs, in any form (including from
textbooks/internet etc.), will be heavily penalized.

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 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Amrita School of Engineering, Amritapuri Campus

Department of Mechanical Engineering

TF 608 Computational Methods in Thermal & Fluids Engg.

TERM PROJECT
Problem set #7

Online submission of the report, program and results

1. A car laps a racetrack in 84 seconds. The speed of the car at each 6-second interval is determined
by using a radar gun and is given from the beginning of the lap, in feet/second, by the entries in the
following table.

Estimate the length of the track as accurately as possible.

2. Evaluate the integral

2 2
1

R
exp x y dy dx

where R is the is the area enclosed by the circle x2 + y2 = 1. Use Cartesian coordinates.

Note:
Develop your own code. Copying programs, in any form (including from
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 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Amrita School of Engineering, Amritapuri Campus

Department of Mechanical Engineering

TF 608 Computational Methods in Thermal & Fluids Engg.

TERM PROJECT
Problem set #8

Online submission of the report, program and results

1. Temperature T of a lumped mass m initially at the temperature To, cooled by convection to its
surroundings at the temperature Ta is given by the relation:
dT hA
T Ta
dt mC
Consider a sphere of radius r = 1.0 cm made of an alloy for which = 3,000.0 kg/m3 and
C = 1,000.0 J/(kg-K). If h = 500.0 J/(s-m2-K), To = 500.0 C, and Ta = 50.0 C, calculate T(t) for
t = 0.0 to 20.0s with highest possible accuracy and which is also time step independent. Plot the
computational and analytical results in a single figure.

2. Solve the following IVP

d2y dy
2
0.5 7 y 0
dx dx
where y(0) = 4 and y(0) = 0. Solve from x = 0 to 5 with h = 0.5. Plot your results.

Note:
Develop your own code. Copying programs, in any form (including from
textbooks/internet etc.), will be heavily penalized.

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 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Amrita School of Engineering, Amritapuri Campus

Department of Mechanical Engineering

TF 608 Computational Methods in Thermal & Fluids Engg.

TERM PROJECT
Problem set #9

Online submission of the report, program and results

1. Consider steady two-dimensional heat transfer in an L-shaped solid body whose cross section is
given in the figure. The thermal conductivity of the body is k = 45 W/mC, and heat is generated
in the body at a rate of g = 5 x106 W/m3.

dT hA
T Ta
dt mC
The right surface of the body is insulated, and the bottom surface is maintained at a uniform
temperature of 120C. The entire top surface is subjected to convection with ambient air at T 30C
with a heat transfer coefficient of h = 55 W/m2 C, and the left surface is subjected to heat flux at a
uniform rate of qL = 8000 W/m2. The nodal network of the problem consists of 13 equally spaced

nodes with x = y = 1.5 cm. Determine the nodal temperatures.

Note:
Develop your own code. Copying programs, in any form (including from
textbooks/internet etc.), will be heavily penalized.

Page 1 of 1
 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Amrita School of Engineering, Amritapuri Campus

Department of Mechanical Engineering

TF 608 Computational Methods in Thermal & Fluids Engg.

TERM PROJECT
Problem set #10

Online submission of the report, program and results

1. Consider a large uranium plate of thickness L = 8 cm, thermal conductivity k = 28 W/mC, and
thermal diffusivity =12.5 x 106 m2/s that is initially at a uniform temperature of 100C. Heat is
generated uniformly in the plate at a constant rate of g = 106 W/m3. At time t = 0, the left side of
the plate is insulated while the other side is subjected to convection with an environment at T =20C
with a heat transfer coefficient of h = 35 W/m2C. Using the explicit finite difference approach
with a uniform nodal spacing of x = 2 cm, determine (a) the temperature distribution in the plate
after 5 min and (b) how long it will take for steady conditions to be reached in the plate.

Note:
Develop your own code. Copying programs, in any form (including from
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 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Amrita School of Engineering, Amritapuri Campus

Department of Mechanical Engineering

TF 608 Computational Methods in Thermal & Fluids Engg.

TERM PROJECT
Problem set #11

Online submission of the report, program and results

1. A wall 1 ft. thick and infinite in other directions (see Figure-1) has an initial uniform temperature of
100.0F. The surface temperatures (Ts) at the two sides are suddenly increased and maintained at
300.0F. The wall is composed of nickel steel (40% Ni) with a diffusivity of a = 0.1 ft2/hr. We are
interested in computing the temperature distribution within the wall as a function of time.

Figure 1. Nomenclature for problem 1

The governing equation to be solved is the unsteady one-space dimensional heat conduction
equation, which in Cartesian coordinates is

Use the following techniques with the specified step sizes to solve the problem.
a. DuFort-Frankel
b. Laasonen

For each method, two sets of step sizes are to be used.

1. x = 0.05, t = 0.01
2. x = 0.05, t = 0.05.

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The analytical solution of this problem, subject to the imposed initial and boundary conditions, is

where Ts denotes the equal surface temperatures at the two sides and Ti is the initial temperature
distribution within the wall. This solution is to be used to validate the numerical solutions.

In all cases the solution is to be printed and plotted for all x locations at each 0.1 hr. time intervals
from 0.0 to 0.5 hr.

Note:
Develop your own code. Copying programs, in any form (including from
textbooks/internet etc.), will be heavily penalized.

Page 2 of 2
 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Amrita School of Engineering, Amritapuri Campus

Department of Mechanical Engineering

TF 608 Computational Methods in Thermal & Fluids Engg.

TERM PROJECT
Problem set #12

Online submission of the report, program and results

1. Consider the steady-state heat conduction in a slab (k = 18 W/(mK)) of thickness L = 0.01 m, in

which energy is generated at a constant rate of g0 = 7.2x107 W/m3. The boundary surface at x = 0 is
maintained at a constant temperature T0 = 50 C. The boundary surface at x = L dissipates heat by
convection with a heat transfer coefficient h = 200 W/(m2 K) into ambient at temperature
T = 100 C. Dividing the region into 25 equal sub-regions, write the finite-difference formulation
of this heat conduction problem and thus find the temperature distribution..

Note:
Develop your own code. Copying programs, in any form (including from
textbooks/internet etc.), will be heavily penalized.

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 Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
Amrita School of Engineering, Amritapuri Campus

Department of Mechanical Engineering

TF 608 Computational Methods in Thermal & Fluids Engg.

TERM PROJECT
Problem set #13

Online submission of the report, program and results

1. An iron rod L = 5 cm long of diameter D = 2 cm with thermal conductivity k = 50 W/(mC) protrudes

from a wall and is exposed to an ambient at T = 20C and h = 100 W/(m2 C). The base of the rod
is at To = 320C, and its tip is insulated. Assuming one-dimensional steady-state heat flow, calculate
the temperature distribution along the rod and the rate of heat loss into the ambient by using finite
difference. Get a grid independent solution and compare the finite difference solution with the exact
analytical solution of this problem.

Note:
Develop your own code. Copying programs, in any form (including from
textbooks/internet etc.), will be heavily penalized.

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