CEMI321: Tutorial 2 2 August 2023

TOTAL MARKS: [20]

Question 1 [5]

A machine’s motor draws electric power (𝑃𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐 ) from the power cable and delivers mechanical
power (𝑃𝑚𝑒𝑐ℎ ) to a rotating aluminium shaft of thermal conductivity 𝑘𝑠 , length 𝐿, and diameter
𝐷. The motor is mounted on a square pad of width 𝑊, thickness 𝑡, and thermal conductivity
𝑘𝑝 . The surface of the housing exposed to ambient air at 𝑇∞ is of area 𝐴ℎ , and the
corresponding convection coefficient is ℎℎ . Opposite ends of the shaft are at temperatures of
𝑇ℎ and 𝑇∞ , and heat transfer from the shaft to the ambient air is characterized by the
convection coefficient ℎ𝑠 . The base of the pad is at 𝑇∞ .

T∞ ; hh Ah; Th
T∞ ; hs
ks, Pmech
Pelec
Motor Th Aluminium shaft D

t Pad, kp T∞
W
T∞

a) Expressing your result in terms of 𝑃𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐 , 𝑃𝑚𝑒𝑐ℎ , 𝑘𝑠 , 𝐿, 𝐷, 𝑊, 𝑡, 𝑘𝑝 , 𝐴ℎ , ℎℎ , and ℎ𝑠 , obtain

an expression for (𝑇ℎ − 𝑇∞ ).
b) Calculate the value of 𝑇ℎ . All the parameter values are given in the following table,
Table 1:
 Table 1:

Unknown Value Unit

𝑃𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐 30 𝑘𝑊
𝑃𝑚𝑒𝑐ℎ 15 𝑘𝑊
𝑘𝑠 350 𝑊/𝑚 ∙ 𝐾
𝐿 0.05 𝑚
𝐷 0.07 𝑚
𝑊 0.07 𝑚
𝑡 0.05 𝑚
𝑘𝑝 0.5 𝑊/𝑚 ∙ 𝐾
𝑇∞ 25 °𝐶
𝐴ℎ 1 𝑚2
ℎℎ 10 𝑊/𝑚2 ∙ 𝐾
ℎ𝑠 400 𝑊/𝑚2 ∙ 𝐾

Question 2 [5]

An infinitely long fin attached to a wall has a base temperature 𝑇𝑏 = 65 °𝐶. The surrounding
air is at a temperature of 𝑇∞ = 25 °𝐶 and has a convection coefficient of ℎ = 19 𝑊/𝑚2 ∙ 𝑘.
The fin conducts heat from the wall and transfers the heat to its surroundings via convection.
The fin is a rectangular pin fin with a diameter of 𝐷 = 0.07 𝑚.

a) At what rate does the copper fin transfer heat to its surroundings?
b) Evaluate whether the use of the pin fin on the wall is justified, and comment on your
findings.