heatflux measuring device 130

A
Rc
-
?
r
6

C
B

V r
Cu  Cu
 2Rk -

A heat flux measuring device consists of a very thin round piece of constan-
tane foil (Radius Rc and thickness S) and a cylindrical copper body with
inner diameter 2Rk . Heat radiation falls on the black surface (A) of the con-
stantane foil which is soldered on the solid copper body. The energy which
is absorbed by the foil flows to the copper body that works as a heat buffer
with constant temperature T0 . A copper wire is attached at the center of
the foil. In this way a thermocouple is created which makes it possible to
measure the temperature difference between the center of the foil and the
copper body. This temperature difference is an indicator for the absorbed
heat flux. De hollow space (B) is in vacuum and the emission coefficient of
the polished surface (C) is so low, that there is no radiation from this surface
to the copper body. The heat conduction coefficient of constantane is given
by: k = k0 (1 + β(T − T0 )).

a. Formulate the 2-D temperature equation with boundary conditions

for the foil, if the heat flux q to the foil is constant and the steady state is
reached.
b. Formulate the 1-D temperature equation with boundary conditions
for the foil for the situation that S << Rk .
c. Determine the sensitivity (the relation between q and the temperature
difference measured by the thermocouple) of the heat flux measuring device

1
 2004, Answers Question I-2
a.
∂ ∂T 1 ∂ ∂T
k + rk =0 (1)
∂z ∂z r ∂r ∂r
with boundary conditions:
∂T
r=0 ∂r
=0

r = Rk T = T0

z=0 −k ∂T
∂z
=q

z=S −k ∂T
∂z
=0

b. Temperature gradients in the z-direction are negligible for a very thin

foil. An energy balance for a ring with radius r and thickness dr gives:
 
∂T  ∂T 
2πrdrq − 2πrSk  + 2π(r + dr)Sk  =0 (2)
∂r r ∂r r+dr
q 1 ∂ ∂T
+ rk =0 (3)
S r ∂r ∂r
with boundary conditions:
∂T
r=0 ∂r
=0

r = Rk T = T0

c. The sensitivity of the heat flux measuring device can be obtained by

determining the stationary temperature distribution. With θ = T − T0 the
differential equation becomes:
1 d dθ q
rk0 (1 + βθ) = − (4)
r dr dr S
Integrate once gives:
dθ q
rk0 (1 + βθ) = − r2 + C1 (5)
dr 2S
∂θ
With on r = 0 dr
= 0 this gives C1 = 0 Integrate once more leads to:
β q
k0 θ(1 + θ) = − r2 + C2a (6)
2 4S
The second boundary condition θ = 0 on r = Rk gives:
q
C2a = Rk 2 (7)
4S

2
 The solution becomes:
( ) ( )
β q Rk 2 − r 2
θ 1+ θ = (8)
2 4k0 S

The sensitivity of the heatflux measuring device is given by:

( )
β qRk 2
(Tm − T0 ) 1 + (Tm − T0 ) = (9)
2 4k0 S