AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

LAB 3 (MEC 3610)

Experiment 4: Thermal
Radiation

LABORATORY
MANUAL

DECEMBER 2007

Experiment 4: Thermal Radiation

1. BACKGROUND
Thermal radiation is a transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves with its related laws being different
to those for conduction and convection. No medium of transfer is required as exemplified by the
energy of the sun reaching the earth and all bodies at temperatures above absolute zero emit
thermal radiation.
Two most important physical laws on thermal and optical radiation are Stefan Boltzmanns and
Lamberts distance laws.
As commonly known heat transfer due to a temperature difference. Heat can be transferred in
three different ways, which are known as conduction, convection and radiation.
Any object that is hot gives off light known as Thermal Radiation. The hotter an object is, the more
light it emits. And, as the temperature of the object increase, it emits most of its light at higher and
higher energies. (Higher energy light means shorter wavelength light.) In general, the net rate of
energy transfer by thermal radiation between two surfaces involves complicated relationships
among the properties of the surface, their orientations with respect to each other, the extent to
which the intervening medium scatters, emits and absorbs thermal radiation and other factors
In these experiments, we will prove some fundamental law relating to radiation.
Inverse square law of heat
The total energy dQ from an element dA can be imagined to flow through a hemisphere of radius r.
A surface element on this hemisphere dA1 lies on a line making an angle <<with the normal and the
solid angle subtended by dA1 at dA is dw = dA1/r2
If the rate of flow of energy through dA1 is dQ<<then dQ<<= i<dwdA where i<<is the intensity of
radiation in the <<direction<

Figure 6.1 Solid Angle

The Stefan-Boltzmann Law states that :
q b= (Ts4 Ta4)

Where

qb = energy emitted by unit area of a black body surface (Wm-2)

(Note: Energy emitted by surface =3.040 X reading from radiometer R
refer to Radiometer Data sheet for explanation)
< = Stefan-Boltzmann constant equal to 5.67 x 10-8 (Wm-2K-4)
Ts = Source temperature and surrounding = black plate temp. (K)
Ta = Temperature of radiometer and surrounding = room temp.(K)

2. OBJECTIVE
The experiment aims to demonstrate the most important physical laws on thermal and optical
radiation.
3. EQUIPMENT
Thermal Radiation Study Unit WL360
4. PROCEDURE
Part A Stefan-Boltzmann Law
1. Place the radiometer 150mm from the heat source.
2. Switch on the radiometer and observe and record the background readings i.e. radiation and
temperature. (Ensure that the load is switched off)
3. Switch on the load switch and set the power regulator to 5.
4. Then record the readings for every 10oC increments of increasing temperature up to 100oC.
Both readings should be calculated simultaneously at any given point.
Part B Lamberts Distance Law
1. Place the radiometer at a distance of 1000mm from the heat source.
2. Switch on the radiometer and observe and record the background readings i.e. radiation and
temperature. (Ensure that the load is switched off)
3. Switch on the load switch and set the power regulator to 5.
4. Wait for a steady temperature. Record the radiometer reading and the distance from the heat
source of the radiometer along the horizontal track for ten radiometer positions.
Part C Lamberts Direct Law (Cosine Law)
1. Mount the luxmeter at a separation of L = 400mm from the light source. Ensure that the
luxmeter is connected to the measuring amplifier.
2. Switch on the measuring amplifier and note the background readings.
3. Mount the light source in position = 0o, switch it on and turn the power regulator to setting no.
9.
4. Record the illuminance, E in Lux and repeat the procedure with increasing angle of incidence,
in steps of 10o (0o to 900).

5. REPORT
Part A - Stefan-Boltzmann Law
1. Draw a graph of Irradiance versus Temperature on log-log paper.
2. Calculate the slope of the graph.
3. What does the slope indicate?
Part B Inverse Square Law of Heat
1. Draw a graph of Irradiance versus Distance on log-log paper.
2. Calculate the slope of the graph.
3. What does the slope indicate?
Part C Lamberts Direct Law (Cosine Law)
1. Tabulate the values of background illuminance, measured illuminance, corrected illuminance
(measured background) and normalized illuminance (corrected / illuminance at = 0o) for
every angle taken.
2. Draw a graph of Corrected Illuminance reading versus Angle.

TABLES
FOR
DATA COLLECTION
&
CALCULATIONS

Experiment 4: Thermal Radiation

Part A - Stefan-Boltzmann Law

Distance

Radiometer Reading

Part B Lamberts Distance Law

Temperature

Radiometer Reading

Part C Lamberts Direct Law (Cosine Law)

Angle
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90

Background
Illuminance
(Lux)

Illuminance
(Lux)

Corrected
Illuminance
(Lux)

Normalised
Illuminance (Unit 1)