ME - 324

Transient Heat Conduction in Semi-Infinite Solids

Semi-infinite solid
An idealized body that has a single plane surface and extends to
infinity.

Assumptions
• Constant thermo-physical properties
• No internal heat generation
• Uniform thermal conditions on its exposed surface
• Initially a uniform temperature of “Ti” throughout.
• Heat transfer in this case occurs only in the direction normal to the
Figure: Semi infinite solid
surface (the “x” direction).

Applications
The semi-infinite solid provides a useful idealization for many practical problems. It may be used to determine transient heat
transfer near the surface of the earth or to approximate the transient response of a finite solid, such as a thick slab.
If a sudden change of conditions is imposed at this surface, transient, one-dimensional conduction will occur within the solid.

The heat equation for transient conduction in a semi-infinite solid is given by equation

𝜕 2 𝑇 1 𝜕𝑇
=
𝜕𝑥 2 𝛼 𝜕𝑡

T (x, 0) =Ti ; (The initial boundary condition)

T (x → ∞, t) = Ti
; (The interior boundary condition)
T (0, t) =Ts

The partial differential equations can be converted into an ordinary differential equation by combining the two independent
variables x and t into a single variable 𝜂, called the similarity variable.

Similarity Variable
The transformation of a PDE to that of an ODE can be achieved by using similarity transformation. The Solution obtained for this
ODEs will be a function of a non-dimensional variable called Similarity Variable.
Closed-form solutions have been obtained for three important surface conditions, instantaneously applied at “t = 0”.

They include application of a

1. Constant surface temperature Ts ≠ Ti

2. Constant surface heat flux 𝒒′′

𝒐,

3. Exposure of the surface to a fluid

characterized by T∞ ≠ Ti and the
convection coefficient h.

Figure: Different surface conditions, Semi Infinite Solid

In this case the similarity transformation is formulated the by transforming two independent variables (x and t) of the original PDE , to an
ordinary differential equation expressed in terms of the single similarity variable 𝜂.

𝑥
𝜂= 1 Τ2
4𝛼𝑡

Related differential operators is transformed, such that

𝜕𝑇 𝑑𝑇 𝜕𝜂 1 𝑑𝑇
= =
𝜕𝑥 𝑑𝜂 𝜕𝑥 4𝛼𝑡 1Τ2 𝑑𝜂
𝜕2𝑇 𝑑 𝜕𝑇 𝜕𝜂 1 𝑑2𝑇
= =
𝜕𝑥 2 𝑑𝜂 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 4𝛼𝑡 𝑑𝜂2
𝜕𝑇 𝑑𝑇 𝜕𝜂 1 𝑑𝑇
= =− 1Τ2 𝑑𝜂
𝜕𝑡 𝑑𝜂 𝜕𝑡 2𝑡 4𝛼𝑡
𝜕 2 𝑇 1 𝜕𝑇
Substituting into =
𝜕𝑥 2 𝛼 𝜕𝑡
The heat equation becomes
𝑑2𝑇 𝑑𝑇
= −2𝜂
𝑑𝜂2 𝑑𝜂
With x = 0 corresponding to 𝜂 = 0, the surface condition may be expressed as
𝑇 𝜂 = 0 = 𝑇𝑠
And with x → ∞, as well as t = 0, corresponding to 𝜂 → ∞, both the initial condition and the interior boundary condition correspond
to the single requirement that

𝑇 𝜂 → ∞ = 𝑇𝑖

Since the transformed heat equation and the initial/boundary conditions are independent of x and t, hence, 𝜼 is a similarity variable.
Its existence implies that, irrespective of the values of x and t, the temperature may be represented as a unique function of 𝜼 .

The specific form of the temperature dependence T(𝜂) ,may be obtained by separating variables in equation

𝑑2𝑇 𝑑𝑇 𝑑 𝑑𝑇 𝑑𝑇
= −2𝜂 ⇒ = −2𝜂
𝑑𝜂2 𝑑𝜂 𝑑𝜂 𝑑𝜂 𝑑𝜂

𝑑𝑇
𝑑
𝑑𝜂
𝑜𝑟, = −2𝜂𝑑𝜂
𝑑𝑇
𝑑𝜂
 𝑑𝑇 𝑑𝑇
On integration, ln = −𝜂2 + 𝐶1′ ⇒ = 𝐶1 exp −𝜂2
𝑑𝜂 𝑑𝜂
Integrating a second time, we obtain
𝜂
𝑇 = 𝐶1 න exp −𝑢2 𝑑𝑢 + 𝐶2 Where, u is a dummy variable.
0

Applying the boundary condition at 𝜂 = 0, 𝑇 𝜂 = 0 = 𝑇𝑠

We obtain, 𝐶2 = 𝑇𝑠
𝜂
⇒ 𝑇 = 𝐶1 න exp −𝑢2 𝑑𝑢 + 𝑇𝑠
0
From the second boundary condition, 𝑇 𝜂 → ∞ = 𝑇𝑖
We obtain,
∞
𝑇𝑖 = 𝐶1 න exp −𝑢2 𝑑𝑢 + 𝑇𝑠
0
∞ 𝑛−1
From the definition of Gamma function, 𝛤 𝑛 = න 𝑥 𝑒 −𝑥 𝑑𝑥
0
𝛤 𝑛 = 𝑛 − 1 !; 𝛤 𝑛 + 1 = 𝑛𝛤 𝑛 Where, n is a positive integer
𝛤 1ൗ2 = 𝜋

𝛤 1 =1
 2 𝑇𝑖 − 𝑇𝑠
𝑜𝑟, C1 =
𝜋 1 Τ2
Where, the Gaussian error function,
Hence the temperature distribution may be expressed as erf 𝜼 , is a standard mathematical
𝑇 − 𝑇𝑠
= 2Τ𝜋 1 Τ 2
𝜂
න exp −𝑢2 𝑑𝑢 ≡ 𝑒𝑟𝑓 𝜂
function. Note that erf(𝜂)
𝑇𝑖 − 𝑇𝑠 0 asymptotically approaches unity as
Where, the definition of Error function, provides 𝜂 becomes infinite.
1 𝑥 −𝑡 2
𝑒𝑟𝑓(𝑥) = න 𝑒 𝑑𝑡
𝜋 −𝑥 Thus, at any nonzero time, temperatures
2 𝑥 −𝑡 2
= න 𝑒 𝑑𝑡 everywhere are predicted to have
𝜋 0
changed from Ti (become closer to Ts).
The infinite speed at which boundary
Also definition of Complementary error function, provides
condition propagates into the semi-
𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑐(𝑥) = 1 − 𝑒𝑟𝑓(𝑥 ) infinite solid is unrealistic
2 ∞ −𝑡 2
= න 𝑒 𝑑𝑡
𝜋 𝑥
The surface heat flux may be obtained by applying Fourier’s law at x= 0, in which case

𝜕𝑇 𝑑 𝑒𝑟𝑓 𝜂 𝜕𝜂
𝑞𝑠" = −𝑘 | = −𝑘 𝑇𝑖 − 𝑇𝑠 |
𝜕𝑥 𝑥=0 𝑑𝜂 𝜕𝑥 𝜂=0

𝑞𝑠" = 𝑘 𝑇𝑠 − 𝑇𝑖 2Τ𝜋 1Τ2 exp −𝜂 2 4𝛼𝑡 −1Τ2 |

𝜂=0

𝑘 𝑇𝑠 − 𝑇𝑖
𝑞𝑠" =
𝜋𝛼𝑡 1Τ2

Case- 1 (Constant Surface Temperature) 𝑇 0, 𝑡 = 𝑇𝑠

𝑇(𝑥, 𝑡) − 𝑇𝑠 𝑥
= 𝑒𝑟𝑓
𝑇𝑖 − 𝑇𝑠 2 𝛼𝑡
𝑘 𝑇𝑠 − 𝑇𝑖
→ 𝑞𝑠" 𝑡 =
𝜋𝛼𝑡
Case- 2 (Constant Surface Heat Flux) 𝑞𝑠" = 𝑞𝑜"
1 Τ2
2𝑞𝑜" 𝛼 𝑡Τ𝜋 −𝑥 2 𝑞𝑜" 𝑥 𝑥
𝑇(𝑥, 𝑡) − 𝑇𝑖 = exp − 𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑐
𝑘 4𝛼𝑡 𝑘 2 𝛼𝑡
𝜕𝑇
Case- 3 (Surface Convection) −𝑘 |𝑥=0 = ℎ 𝑇∞ − 𝑇 0, 𝑡
𝜕𝑥
𝑇 𝑥, 𝑡 − 𝑇𝑖 𝑥 ℎ𝑥 ℎ2 𝛼𝑡 𝑥 ℎ 𝛼𝑡
= 𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑐 − exp + 2 𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑐 +
𝑇∞ − 𝑇𝑖 2 𝛼𝑡 𝑘 𝑘 2 𝛼𝑡 𝑘

The complementary error function, erfc 𝜂, is defined as, 𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑐𝜂 ≡ 1 − 𝑒𝑟𝑓𝜂

Observations
• With a step change in the surface temperature, case 1, temperatures within the medium monotonically approach Ts with increasing
t, while the magnitude of the surface temperature gradient, and hence the surface heat flux, decreases as t -0.5
• For a fixed surface heat flux (case 2), it can be seen that T(0, t) =Ts(t) increases monotonically as t 0.5
• For surface convection (case 3), the surface temperature and temperatures within the medium approach the fluid temperature T∞
with increasing time. As Ts approaches T∞, there is, of course, a reduction in the surface heat flux.
𝑇(𝑥, 𝑡) − 𝑇𝑠 𝑥
= 𝑒𝑟𝑓
𝑇𝑖 − 𝑇𝑠 2 𝛼𝑡