ME52102: HEAT & MASS TRANSFER, JUL - DEC 2023

SHEET – I : CONDUCTION
THEORY
(1) (a) How is the subject of heat transfer different from that of thermodynamics?
(b) Write the analogy between heat transfer, momentum transfer, mass transfer, and electric current flow.
(c) Explain the different modes of heat transfer and state the laws associated with them.
(d) Differentiate between Conduction, Convection, and Radiation.
(e) Explain the physical mechanism of heat conduction in a solid, a liquid, and a gas.
(f) How do the thermal conductivity of solids, liquids and gases vary under different conditions?

(2) What is thermal contact resistance? On what parameters does this resistance depend? Explain how the
thermal contact resistance can be minimised.

(3) Derive the general three-dimensional heat conduction equation in the following co-ordinate system:
(a) Cartesian, (b) Cylindrical, and (c) Spherical.
From the general equation derive one dimensional steady state heat conduction equation for a
homogeneous and isotropic material without internal heat generation.

(4) Derive the expression of overall heat transfer coefficient with convection boundaries in the following cases:
(a) Composite hollow cylinder, and (b) Composite hollow sphere

(5) (a) Derive an expression for critical radius of insulation in case of an electrical cable.
(b) Show that the critical radius of insulation for a sphere is twice that of a cylinder.

(6) (a) Prove that temperature profile for heat conduction through a wall of constant thermal conductivity
under steady state condition is a straight line and it becomes parabolic if there is uniform internal
heat generation.
(b) Derive the temperature distribution equation at any radius r of a cylinder with uniform internal heat
generation.

(7) Derive the expression for temperature distribution at any section x of a plane wall with uniform
internal heat generation in the following cases:
(a) When both the sides at the same temperature.
(b) When both the sides at different temperature.

(8) Explain the following terms with:

(a) Thermal resistance, (b) Thermal Contact resistance, (c) Overall heat transfer coefficient,
(d) Critical thickness of insulation, (e) Thermal conductivity of gas, (f) Thermal conductivity of liquid,
(g) Conduction shape factor, (h) Thermal properties of matters.
 ME52102: HEAT & MASS TRANSFER, JUL - DEC 2023
SHEET – I : CONDUCTION
PROBLEM
(1) A refrigerator has inside dimensions 60 cm X 45 cm base and 120 cm high. The composite wall is
made of two 3 mm mild steel sheets (K=145 KJ/m hr oC ) with 6 cm glass wool (K=0.188 KJ/m hr 0C)
insulation sandwiched between them. The average convective heat transfer coefficients at the
interior and exterior wall are 40.8 and 52.3 KJ/m2 hr 0C respectively. The inside and outside temp.
of air are 6.5oC and 25oC. Determine the rate at which heat must be removed from the refrigerator.
Also determine the temperature at each contact surfaces.
[Ans: 156 kJ/hr, 24oC, ……]

(2) A steam pipe(K=45W/m-k) ID 75mm and OD 90mm is lagged with two successive layers of insulation.
The layer in contact with the pipe is 38mm thick asbestos(K=0.14W/m-k) which is also covered
with 25mm thick magnesia(K=0.07W/m-k). The film coefficients for inside and outside surfaces
are 227 W/m2k and 6.8 W/m2k respectively. If the steam flowing through the tube is at 375oc
and ambient temperature is 35oc. Calculate the heat loss for 60 m length of the pipe. Also
determine the overall heat transfer coefficient and the temperature at each contact surfaces.
[Ans: 13321 W, Uo = 0.962 W/m2-K, Ui =62.19 W/m2-K, …….]

(3) An electric current of 34000 amp. flows along a flat steel plate (K = 52.4 W/ m K),1.25 cm thick
and 10 cm wide. The temperature of one surface of the plate is 82o C and that of other is 95o C.
Find the temperature distribution across the plate and value and position of the maximum
temperature. Also calculate the total amount of heat generated per metre length of the plate and
flow of heat from each surface of the plate. The end effects along the short sides of the plate may
be neglected. Take resistivity of steel=12x10-6 Ω cm.
[Ans: Tmax = 121.92oC, x = 6.86 mm, …..]

(4) A nichrome wire [K=17.5 W/m K] having a resistivity of 110 µΩ-cm is to be used as heating
Element. The wire diameter is 2mm and other design features are
Current=25A, Ambient temperature=293K, convection coefficient=46.5 W/m2K
Calculate the heat loss from one metre wire, temperature at the surface, and centre
Temperature of the wire.

(5) A current of 200A is passed through a stainless-steel wire [K=19 W/m K] 3mm in diameter.
The resistivity of the steel may be taken as 70 µΩ-cm and the length of the wire is 1m. The
Wire is submerged in liquid at 110oC and experience a convection heat transfer coefficient of
4 KW/m2K. Calculate the centre temperature of the wire and heat transfer.
[Ans: To = 231.6oC, …..]

(6) A cylindrical liquid oxygen tank has a diameter of 1.4 m, 7 m long and has hemispherical ends.
The boiling point of liquid oxygen is – 182oC and its latent heat of evaporation is 214 kJ/kg. The
tank is insulated in order to reduce the heat transfer to the tank in such a way that in steady
state the rate of oxygen boil-off should not exceed 14 kg/hr. Calculate the thermal conductivity
of insulating material, if its 8 cm thick layer of insulation is applied and its outside surface is
maintained at 30oC.
[Ans: k = 0.0095 W/m-K ]

(7) A nanofluid (nf) contains a mixture of water as a base fluid (bf) and 𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴2 𝑂𝑂3 as a nanoparticle (p).
Determine the values of 𝑘𝑘𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛 , 𝜌𝜌𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛 , 𝜇𝜇𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛 , 𝑐𝑐𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛,𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛 , 𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝛼𝛼𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛 at a temperature of 300 K and a particle
volume fraction (𝜑𝜑) 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 0.05.
The thermophysical properties of the particles are 𝑘𝑘𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛 = 36 W/m K, 𝜌𝜌𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛 = 3970 kg/m3 , and
𝑐𝑐𝑝𝑝,𝑛𝑛𝑛𝑛 = 0.765 kJ/kg K and water are 𝑘𝑘𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 = 0.613 W/m K, 𝜌𝜌𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 = 997 kg/m3 , 𝑐𝑐𝑝𝑝,𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 = 4.179 kJ/kg K,
and 𝜇𝜇𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 = 855× 10−6 N s/m2 . Comment on your results.
(8) Consider a person with a skin /fat layer of thickness 3 mm and effective thermal conductivity 0.3 W/m K.
The person has a surface area 1.8 m2 and wears snow suit made from silica aerogel insulation with very
low thermal conductivity of 0.014 W/m K. The outer surface of skin/fat layer is exposed to the environment
(air or water) at 10o C, and its inner surface is at a temperature 35o C. The emissivity of the outer surface of
the snow suit is 0.95. What thickness of aerogel insulation is needed to reduce the rate of heat loss to 100 W
in air and water? What are the resulting skin temperatures?
Convection heat transfer coefficient (Air) : 2 W/m2 K
Convection heat transfer coefficient (Water) : 200 W/m2 K.