Transient Conduction:

The Lumped Capacitance Method

Chapter Five
Sections 5.1 thru 5.3
Transient Conduction
Transient Conduction
A heat transfer process for which the temperature varies with time, as well
as location within a solid.

It is initiated whenever a system experiences a change in operating conditions

and proceeds until a new steady state (thermal equilibrium) is achieved.

It can be induced by changes in:

surface convection conditions ( h,T),
surface radiation conditions ( hr ,Tsur ),
a surface temperature or heat flux, and/or
internal energy generation.

Solution Techniques
The Lumped Capacitance Method
Exact Solutions
The Finite-Difference Method
Lumped Capacitance Method

The Lumped Capacitance Method

Based on the assumption of a spatially uniform temperature distribution
throughout the transient process. Hence T ( r , t ) T ( t ) .

Why is the assumption never fully realized in practice?

General Lumped Capacitance

Analysis:

Consider a general case,

which includes convection,
radiation and/or an applied
heat flux at specified
surfaces ( As,c ,As,r ,As,h ) ,
as well as internal energy
generation
Lumped Capacitance Method (cont.)

First Law:

dEst dT g g g
= r"c = Ein - Eout + E g
dt dt

Assuming energy outflow due to convection and radiation and with

inflow due to an applied heat flux qs

,

dT g
r"c As , h - hAs , c ( T - T) - hr As , r ( T - Tsur ) + E g
= qs

dt

Is this expression applicable in situations for which convection and/or

radiation provide for energy inflow?

May h and hr be assumed to be constant throughout the transient process?

How must such an equation be solved?

Special Case (Negligible Radiation

Special Cases (Exact Solutions, T ( 0 ) Ti )

Negligible Radiation ( q T - T, q q - b / a ) :
g
a hAs , c / r"c b q

A
s s ,h + E
g / r"c

The non-homogeneous differential equation is transformed into a

homogeneous equation of the form:
dq
= - aq
dt

Integrating from t=0 to any t and rearranging,

T - T b/a
= exp ( -at ) + 1 - exp ( - at )

(5.25)
Ti - T Ti - T

To what does the foregoing equation reduce as steady state is approached?

How else may the steady-state solution be obtained?
Special Case (Convection)
g

Negligible Radiation and Source Terms = 0
h >> hr , E g = 0, qs
:
dT
r"c = - hAs , c ( T - T) (5.2)
dt
r"c q dq t
hAs , c i q
q = - dt
o
q T - T hAs , c t
= = exp
- t
= exp -

qi Ti - T r" c tt

The thermal time constant is defined as

1
tt
hA ( r"c )

s,c (5.7)

Thermal Lumped Thermal

Resistance, Rt Capacitance, Ct

The change in thermal energy storage due to the transient process is

t g t t

DEst -Q = - Eout dt = - hAs , c q dt = - ( r"c ) qi
1 - exp -
(5.8)
o o tt

Special Case (Radiation)

g
Negligible Convection and Source Terms h
r >> h , E = 0
g = 0, qs
:

Assuming radiation exchange with large surroundings,

dT
r"c = -e As , rs ( T 4 - Tsur
4
)
dt
e A s , rs t T dT
dt =
r"c o
Ti T 4 - T
sur
4

r"c
Tsur + T Tsur + Ti
t= 1
n - 1n
4e As , rs Tsur
3
Tsur - T Tsur - Ti

T T i

+2
tan
-1
- tan -1
(5.18)
T sur T sur

Result necessitates implicit evaluation of T(t).

Biot Number
The Biot Number and Validity of
The Lumped Capacitance Method
The Biot Number: The first of many dimensionless parameters to be
considered.
Definition:
hL
Bi c
k
h convection or radiation coefficient
k thermal conductivity of the solid
Lc characteristic length of the solid (" / As or coordinate
associated with maximum spatial temperature difference)

Physical Interpretation:

Lc / kAs Rcond DTsolid

Bi = : :
1/ hAs Rconv DTsolid / fluid

Criterion for Applicability of Lumped Capacitance Method:

Bi << 1
Problem: Thermal Energy Storage

Problem 5.11: Charging a thermal energy storage system consisting

of a packed bed of aluminum spheres.

Schematic:

A lu m in u m s p h e r e
G as D = 75 m m , T i = 25oC
r = 2 7 0 0 k g /m 3
T g ,i = 3 0 0 o C c = 9 5 0 J /k g -K
h = 7 5 W /m 2 -K k = 2 4 0 W /m -K
Problem: Thermal Energy Storage (cont.)

DEst
- = 0.90 = 1 - exp ( - t / t t )
r cVqi
3
2700 kg / m 0.075m 950 J / kg
K
t t = r Vc / hAs = r Dc / 6h = = 427s.
2
6 75 W / m K
t = -t t ln ( 0.1) = 427s 2.30 = 984s

( )
T ( 984s ) = Tg,i + Ti - Tg,i exp ( -6ht / r Dc )
T ( 984s ) --
300 C 275 C =
exp ( 6 75 W / m
2
K 984s / 2700 kg / m
3
0.075m 950 J / kg K )
T ( 984s ) = 272.5
C
Problem: Furnace Start-up

Problem 5.15: Heating of coated furnace wall during start-up.

Schematic:
Problem: Furnace Start-up

Hence, with
-1 -1
-1 1 1
U = ( R
)
tot = + R f
= + 10-2 m 2
K/W = 20 W/m 2
K.
h 25 W/m 2
K

UL 20 W/m 2
K 0.01 m
Bi = = = 0.0033 << 1
k 60 W/m
K

T - T
= exp ( - t/t t ) = exp ( - t/R t C t ) = exp ( - Ut/r Lc )
Ti - T

r Lc T - T 7850 kg/m3 ( 0.01 m ) 430 J/kg

K 1200 - 1300
t=- ln =- ln
U Ti - T 20 W/m 2 K 300 - 1300

t = 3886s = 1.08h.
Problem: Furnace Start-up (cont.)

( ) ( )
h T - Ts,o = Ts,o - Ts,i / R f

hT + Ts,i / R f 25 W/m 2
K+1300 K 1200 K/10-2 m 2 K/W
Ts,o = =
h + ( 1/ R f
) ( 25 + 100 ) W/m 2 K

Ts,o = 1220 K.