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/m·K. 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 25°C and convection heat transfer coefficient of 60 W/m2·K. Determine the
position and value of maximum temperature within the cylinder. Tmax = 79.33ºC

2. 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/m·K), an intermediate layer
of 100-mm thick polyurethane insulation (kins = 0.02 W/m·K), and an inner sheet of 5.0-
mm thick aluminium alloy (kal = 177 W/m·K). 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 m2·K/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 25°C and -5°C,
respectively? q = 575.93 W
(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.

3. A 5 m internal-diameter spherical tank made of 1.5 cm thick stainless steel (k = 15 W/m·K)

is used to store iced water at 0C. The tank is located in a large room whose temperature
is 30C. The walls of the room are also at 30C. 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/m2·K and 10
W/m2·K, respectively. The outer surface of the tank is black (ε = 1) and hence the radiation
heat transfer coefficient is approximated to be hr = 5.57 W/m2·K. Determine:
(a) The rate of heat transfer to the iced water in the tank. q = 30.581 kW
(b) The amount of ice at 0C 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.

4. A 100 m long carbon steel pipe of (kpipe = 60.5 W/m·K) 30 cm inner diameter and 2 cm
wall thickness is filled with radioactive material which generates heat at a rate of 0.1
MW/m3. The pipe is to be submerged in lake water where the average water temperature
is 25ºC which gives a convection coefficient of 10 W/m2·K. In order to protect the pipe
material from corrosion, the outer surface of the pipe is wrapped by a 5 mm thick layer of
stainless steel (kstst = 14.5 W/m·K).
(a) What is the heat flux crossing the outer layer of the stainless steel.
q" = 6428.496 W/m2
(b) Will any part of the pipe melt if the melting temperature of carbon steel is 1370ºC?

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MEHB323 – Heat Transfer
Tutorial Assignment No. 3

5. Electrical current flows through a long rod with radius rr = 0.01 m generating thermal
energy at a uniform volumetric rate of 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/m·K. The thermal resistance per unit length due to radiation
 = 0.5 m·K/W, and the convection heat transfer
between the enclosure surfaces is Rrad
coefficient in the enclosure is h = 10 W/m2·K. The outer surface of the hollow cylinder is
exposed to cold air at T∞ = 20ºC and convection coefficient of h = 15 W/m2.K while
 = 100 W/m2. Under steady condition, calculate the surface
absorbs a radiant flux of q rad
temperature of the rod, Tr.

Tr = 528.92ºC

6. A proposal to store used nuclear fuel in a spherical shape aluminium (kAl = 237 W/m·K)
vessel which is of 1 m inner diameter and 50 mm wall thickness. The fuel generates
uniform heat at a rate of 500 kW/m3. The outer surface of the vessel is wrapped by a 20
cm thick protective layer of stainless steel (kstst = 14.9 W/m·K). The vessel is to be placed
in a remote area where air is in cross flow over the vessel at an average temperature of
27ºC and a convection coefficient of 7.95 W/m2·K. Analyze the acceptability of the
proposal by considering the thermal stability of the materials if the melting temperatures
of aluminium and stainless steel are 660ºC and 1670ºC, respectively. A metallic material
is thermally stable at a temperature of 85% of its melting temperature.

7. In a coal-fired power plant, steam is flowing inside a T-91 tube (ktube = 15 W/m·K) of 5
cm inner diameter and 6 mm wall thickness. The inner surface of the tube is maintained at
a temperature of 600ºC whereas the outer surface is exposed to a cross flow of combustion
gas at an average temperature of 750ºC and convection heat transfer coefficient of 19.83
W/m2·K. A thin layer of soot is formed at the outer surface of the tube which is
′
characterized by a thermal resistance of 𝑅𝑡,𝑐 = 0.03 m·K/W. What is the heat gain per unit
length of the tube? What is the outer surface temperature of the soot? Ts = 616.63ºC