5.

LUMPED CAPACITANCE METHOD

Energy Balance :

As

The temperature of
the solid is assumed
spatially uniform

net rate of heat transfer

qst

T ,h

into the solid through

its boundaries

T (t )

The temperature is
a function of time only

the internal energy

of the solid

qin

T (t )

rate of increase of
=

h (T T ) As = c p

qin = qst

T
V
t
Biot Number:

Temperature of a solid

T ( t ) = T + (T0 T ) e

as a function of time

h As
t
cp V

T ( t ) = T + (T0 T ) e

T (t )

T ( t ) = T + (T0 T ) e Bi Fo

Fourier Number:

T (t )

Fo =

initial
T0
temperature

c pV
hAs

= c pV

1
hAs

Bi =

Biot Number

Total energy Q [ J ]
transfered to a solid
for time from 0 to t

Time needed to heat

a solid from T0 to

hLc
k

thermal resistance
convection

Bi < 0.1

thermal resistance

Q = qin ( t ) dt = h T T ( t ) As e
Q = c pV (T T0 ) = mc p T

hAs

h As

cp V

dt = c pV (T T0 ) 1 e

h As

cp V

Lc =

V
As

Q [J ]

when t
T

t =

cp V

current temperature T

h As

ln

T T0
T T

T0

Plane Wall

Cylinder
W

c pV

Characteristic
length

Lumped Capacitance is valid for

conduction

1
hAs

L2

The lower is the time constant

the faster is the heating of a solid

thermal
convection
capacitance thermal
resistance

Lc
kAs

Time Constant

Time constant:

T0 >T cooling

T0 <T heating
initial
T0
temperature

hLc
k

Bi =

Sphere

As = dH = 2 rH

As = 2HW

V = LHW
L

V =

d2
4

As = d 2 = 4 r 2
d=2r

H = r2H

V =

d3
6

d=2r

Lc =

L
2

Lc =

d r
=
4 2

Lc =

d r
=
6 3

Bi =

hL
k 2

Bi =

hr
k2

Bi =

hr
k3

4 3
r
3