ECE-309

Heat Transfer & Thermodynamics

Spring 2005
Tutorial # 12
Radiation heat transfer-exchanged between surfaces

Problem 1: A furnace cavity, which is in the form of a cylinder of 75-mm diameter and 150-mm
length, is open at one end to large surroundings that are at 27°C. The sides and bottom may be
approximated as blackbodies, are heated electrically, are well insulated, and are maintained at
temperatures of 1350 and 1650°C, respectively. How much power is required to maintain the
furnace conditions?

D
Side, T1
Heater Wire
L Insulation
Bottom, T2

Solution

Known: Surface temperatures of the cylindrical furnace.

Find: Power required to maintain prescribed temperatures.

Schematic:

Tsur =300K

Q
A3 , T3=Tsur

L=0.15m A1 , T1=1350°C

A2 , T2=1650°C

D=0.075m

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Assumptions :

1. Interior surfaces behave as black bodies.

2. Heat transfer by convection is negligible.
3. Outer surface of furnace is adiabatic.

Analysis: The power needed to operate the furnace at the prescribed conditions must be
balanced by the heat losses from the furnace. Subject to the foregoing assumptions, the only heat
loss is by radiation through the opening, which may be treated as a hypothetical surface of area
A3 . Because the surroundings are large, radiation exchange between the furnace and the
surroundings may be treated by approximating the surface as a black body at T3 =Tsur. The heat
loss may then be expressed as
Q = Q13 + Q23
or, from Equation 12-37,

Q = A1 F13σ (T1 − T34 ) + A2 F23σ (T24 − T34 )

4

 r   0.0375m   L   0.15m 
From Figure 12-43, it follows that, with  2  =   = 0.25 and   =   = 4,
 L   0.15m   r1   0.0375 m 
F23 =0.06. From the summation rule

F21 =1-F23 =1-0.06=0.94

And from reciprocity

π (0.075m ) / 4
2
A2
F12 = F21 = × 0.94 = 0.118
A1 π (0.075m )(0.15m)

Hence, since F13=F12 from symmetry,

Q = (π × 0.075 m × 0.15m )0.118 × 5.67 × 10 −8 W / m 2 .K 4 × [(1623 K ) − (300 K ) ] +

4 4

π 
 (0.075 m) × 0.06 × 5.67 × 10 W / m .K [(1923 K ) − (300 K ) ]
2 −8 2 4 4 4

4
Q=1639W+205W=1844W

2
 Q=1844W

Problem 2: A painted baking oven consists of a long, triangular duct in which a heated surface
is maintained at 1200 K and another surface is insulated. Painted panels, which are maintained at
500K, occupy the third surface. The triangle is of width W=1m on a side, and the heated and
insulated surfaces have an emissivity of 0.8. The emissivity of the panels is 0.4. During steady-
state operation, at what rate must energy be supplied to the heated side of the duct to maintain its
temperature at 1200k?

Solution

Known: Surface properties of a long triangular duct that is insulated on one side and heated and
cooled on the other sides.

Find:
Rate at which heat must be supplied to the heated side of the duct.

Schematic:

Equilateral
triangle

T1=1200K
e1=0.8
eR =0.8
TR

T2 =500K
e2 =0.4

W=1m

3
 Eb1 Q1

R1

J1
R1R

JR=EbR
QR=0 R12

R2R
J2

R2

Q2

Assumptons:

1. Steady-state conditions exist.

2. All surfaces are opaque, diffuse, and gray.
3. Convection effects are negligible.
4. Surface R is reradiating.
5. End effects are negligible.

Analysis:

The surface can be considered as a three-surface enclosure with one surface reradiating. We
observe that the view factor from any surface to any other surface in the enclosure is 0.5 because
of symmetry. For the reradiating surface the net heat transfer is zero. Then we must have Q1 =-

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Q2 , since the entire heat lost by surface 1 must be gained by surface 2. The radiation network in
this case is a simple series-parallel connection, and we can determine Q1 directly from

E b1 − E b 2 E b1 − E b 2
Q1 = =
1 1 1 − ε 1 1− ε 2
R1 + ( + ) −1 + R2 1
+ ( A1 F12 + ) −1 +
R12 R1 R + R2 R ε1 A1 1 / A1 F1 R + 1 / A2 F2 R ε 2 A2

Where

A1 =A2 =AR = W×L=1m×1m=1m2 (per unit length of the duct)

Eb1 =σ T14 = [5.67×10-8 W/ (m2 .K4)] (1200K)4 =117,573.12 W/m2

Eb2 =σ T24 = [5.67×10-8 W/ (m2 .K4)] (500K)4 = 3543.75 W/m2

Substituting,

117573.12 − 3543.75
Q1 = −1
1 − 0.8  1  1 − 0 .4
+ (0.5 ×1m 2 ) + 2 
+
0.8 ×1m 2
 1 /(0.5 × 1m ) + 1 /( 0.5 ×1m ) 
2
0.4 × 1m 2

= 37kW

Therefore energy at a rate of 37 kW must be supplied to the heated surface per unit length of the
duct to maintain the temperature at 1200K.