Numerical Example:

The wall of an industrial furnace is constructed from 0.15-m-thick fireclay brick

having a thermal conductivity of 1.7 W/mK.
Measurements made during steady-state operation reveal temperatures of 1400 and
1150 K at the inner and outer surfaces, respectively.
What is the rate of heat loss through a wall that is 0.5m by 1.2m on a side?

SOLUTION:

Known:
Steady-state conditions with prescribed wall thickness, area, thermal conductivity,
and surface temperatures.

Find:
Heat loss from wall

Assumptions:

1. Steady-state conditions.
2. One-dimensional conduction through the wall.
3. Constant thermal conductivity.

Analysis:

Since heat transfer through the wall is by conduction, the heat flux may be
determined from Fourier’s law. Using Equation, we have
The heat flux represents the rate of heat transfer through a section of unit area, and
it is uniform (invariant) across the surface of the wall. The heat loss through the
wall of area
A=H*W
is then;
Numerical Example:

The thermal conductivity of a sheet of rigid, extruded insulation is reported to be

k= 0.2 W/m K.
The measured temperature of a 2.5cm-thick sheet of the material is T1 = 415C
The rate of heat transfer is 3KW through a 5 m * 2 m sheet of the insulation
Find the outer temperature of the wall, T2

KNOWN:

Heat rate, q, through one-dimensional wall of area A,

Thickness L,
Thermal conductivity k
And inner temperature, T1

FIND:

The outer temperature of the wall, T2

SCHEMATIC:

ANALYSIS:

The rate equation for conduction through the wall is given by Fourier’s law,
COMMENTS: Note direction of heat flow and fact that T2 must be less than T1.
Numerical Example:

A concrete wall, which has a surface area of 20 m2 and is 0.30 m thick, separates
conditioned room air from ambient air.
The temperature of the inner surface of the wall is maintained at 25C, and the
thermal conductivity of the concrete is 1 W/mK.

(a) Determine the heat loss through the wall for outer surface temperatures ranging
from -15C to 38C, which correspond to winter and summer extremes, respectively.
Display your results graphically.
(b) On your graph, also plot the heat loss as a function of the outer surface
temperature for wall materials having thermal conductivities of 0.75 and 1.25
W/mK.
Explain the family of curves you have obtained.

KNOWN:
Inner surface temperature and thermal conductivity of a concrete wall

FIND:
Heat loss by conduction through the wall as a function of ambient air temperatures
ranging from -15 to 38°C

SCHEMATIC:

ANALYSIS:

From Fourier’s law, it is evident that the gradient, dT/ dx = -q x/k , is a constant,
and hence the temperature distribution is linear, if qx and k are each constant.
The heat flux must be constant under one-dimensional, steady-state conditions; and
k is approximately constant if it depends only weakly on temperature.
The heat flux and heat rate when the outside wall temperature is T2 = -15°C are
For the concrete wall, k = 1 W/m×K, the heat loss varies from +2667 W to -867 W
and is zero when the inside and ambient temperatures are the same. The magnitude
of the heat rate increases with increasing thermal conductivity.

Note:

Change the value of K and do it again. (0.75 and 1.25)