HEAT TRANSFER BY CONDUCTION

Md Faisal Sulemani
2007023

Aim:
1. To find the thermal conductivity of a material by the two slabs guarded hot plate method.
2. To find the thermal resistance of the sample.

Apparatus:
A circular main heater plate (MH) is surrounded by an annular guard heater plate (GH) with a narrow air gap in
between. Each heater is made up of electrical resistance wire sandwiched between two copper plates.
Thermocouples are fixed to the plates to measure their surface temperatures.
Two identical circular slabs of the material to be tested are placed on either side of and in good thermal contact
with the heater plates. On the outer sides of the two slabs, in good thermal contact, are two circular water-cooled
slabs whose surface temperatures can also be monitored with thermocouples (Fig 1).
The purpose of the guard heater is to prevent heat loss from the edge of the main heater by maintaining the
temperature outside the main heater at the same temperature as the main heater. This ensures that all heat lost
from the main heater flows through the test slabs.

Theory:
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The theory of heat transfer seeks to predict the energy transfer that may take place between material bodies as a
result of temperature difference. This energy transfer is defined as heat. The three modes by which heat can be
transferred from one place to another are conduction, convection and radiation.
In conduction, heat is carried by means of collisions between rapidly moving molecules closer to the hot end of a
body of matter and the slower molecules closer to the cold end. Some of the kinetic energy of the fast molecules
passes to the slow molecules, and as a result of successive collisions, heat flows through the body of matter from
the hot end to the cold end. Solids, liquids, and gases all conduct heat. Conduction is poorest in gases because
their molecules are relatively far apart and so interact less frequently than in solids and liquids. Metals are the
best conductors of heat because some of their electrons are able to move about relatively freely and can interact
frequently by collisions.
Without the guard heater, cooler air surrounding the edge of the main heater would be heated by conduction and
convection. Thus some of the heat supplied to the main heater would be carried away by the surrounding air.
With the guard heater in place and adjusted to the same temperature as the main heater, the air in the gap
between is maintained at the temperature of the main heater, so no heat is lost at the edge of the main heater. All
heat lost from the main heater must flow into the test slabs.
 
Consider one dimensional heat conduction (Fig 2). The rate at which heat is conducted through a slab of a
particular material is proportional to the ar ea A of the slab and to the temperature difference  ΔT between its
sides and inversely proportional to the slab's thickness d.
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Observations and calculations:
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
K=VI(DELTA X)/2*2*A*(Tk-Tc)
WHERE
V=Voltage in main heater
I=current in main heater
DELTA X=thickness of specimen
Tk=mean temperatures of main heater[(t1,t2,t3,t4)/2]
Tc=mean temperatures of cold water [(t5+t6)/2]
A=area of material
Temperature of cold water is kept constant which is equal to 0 degree celsius
Table for thermal conductivity
MATE VOLTA CURRE DIAM AREA OF ME THERMA PERCE
RIAL GE(V) NT(A) ETERDO NOTMATERI
COPY AN L NTAGE
(m) AL(m^2) TK( CONDUC ERROR
in TIVITY (
k) k)
GLAS 140 0.54 0.1 0.00785 10. 1.1 0.0726%
S 935
ASBE 140 0.54 0.1 0.00785 16. 0.744 3.1186%
ST_OS 067
CEME 5
NT
MICA 140 0.54 0.1 0.00785 16. 0.71 3.64964
92 %
CARD 140 0.54 0.1 0.00785 57. 0.21 3.96%
BOAR 315
D
EBON 140 0.54 0.1 0.00785 70. 0.17 4.0256%
ITE 935
SOLID
TABLE FOR THERMAL RESISTANCE
THERMAL RESISTANCE=X/K
WHERE “X” IS THE THICKNESS OF MATERIAL AND K IS THE
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
MATERIAL THERMAL THICKNESS THERMAL
CONDUCTIVIT DELTA X(m) RESISTANCE
 Y K(W/mk) (m^2k/w)
glass 1.1 0.005 0.00454
Asbestos cement 0.74 0.005 0.00675
mica 0.71 0.005 0.00704
Card board 0.21 0.005 0.02380
Ebonite solid 0.17 0.005 0.0294

.PRECAUTIONS AND SOURCE OF ERROR

1.THERMAL ENERGY MAY BE LOST TO SURROUNDING.
2.PROPER PHYSICAL CONTACT MAY NOT BE ACHIEVED.
3.IMPURITIES IN MATERIAL MAY CAUSE HEAT TO FLOW NON-
UNIFORMLY.
4.COLOR OF MATERIAL AND TYPE AND SHAPE OF MATERIAL MAY
AFFECT THE RADIATION COEFFICIENTS.

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