2017-18

MECE 411: Heat & Mass Transfer

Tutorial Sheet 2: Conservation of Energy and Modes of Heat Transfer

1 The rear window of an automobile is defogged by passing warm air over its inner surface. If
warm air is at T∞= 400 C and the corresponding convection coefficient is h i = 30W/m2.K, what
are the inner and outer surface temperatures of 4 – mm thick window glass, if the outside
ambient air temperature is T∞= -100 C and the associated convection coefficient is ho =
65W/m2.K? Take thermal conductivity of glass at 300 K as 1.4 W/mK. (7.7,4.90 C)
2 A commercial grade cubical freezer, 3 m, on a side has a composite wall consisting of exterior
sheet of 6.35- mm- thick plain carbon steel, an intermediate layer of 100 mm thick cork
insulation, and an inner sheet of 6.35 mm thick aluminum alloy. Adhesive interfaces between
the insulation and the metallic strips are each characterized by a thermal contact resistance of
Rtc” = 2.5x10-4 m2.K/W. What is steady state cooling load that must be maintained by the
refrigerator under conditions for which the outer and inner surface temperatures are 220C and
-60C respectively? (590 W)
4 A thin electrical heater is wrapped around the outer surface of a long cylindrical tube whose
inner surface is maintained at a temperature of 50 C. the tube wall has inner and outer radii of
25 and 75 mm respectively and a thermal conductivity of 10 W/m.K. The thermal contact
resistance between the heater and outer surface of the tube (per unit length of the tube) is R’tc
=0.01 m.K/W. The outer surface of the heater is exposed to a fluid with T∞ =-100 C and a
convection coefficient of h=100 W/m2.K. Determine the heater power per unit length of the
tube required to maintain the heater at T0 = 250 C. (2377 W/m)
5 A 2 mm diameter electrical wire is insulated by a 2-mm thick rubberized sheath (k= 0.13 W/m.K)
and the wire/sheath interface is characterized by a thermal contact resistance of R’tc =3x10-4
m2.K/W. The convection heat transfer coefficient at the outer surface of the sheath is h=10
W/m2.K and the temperature of the ambient air is 20 0 C. If the temperature of the insulation
may not exceed 500C what is the maximum allowable electrical power that may be
dissipated per unit length of the conductor? What is the critical radius of the insulation?
(4.51 W/m, 13 mm)
6 The wall of a spherical tank of 1-m diameter contains an exothermic chemical reaction and is at
2000 C when the ambient air temperature is at 250 C. What thickness of urethane foam is
required to reduce the exterior temperature to 400 C, assuming the convection coefficient is 20
W/m2K for both situations? What is the percentage reduction in heat rate achieved by using the
insulation? (13.5 mm, 91%)