ME 341A: Heat and Mass Transfer 2023-24-II

Homework #3
(due on 03/02, before lecture)
Problem #1
A planar shielding of thermal conductivity, 𝑘, for a nuclear reactor is exposed to gamma radiation, which
results in heat generation according to equation: 𝑞!""" = 𝑞#""" 𝑒 $%& , where 𝑎 and 𝑞#""" are constants. Using the
relationship for 𝑞!""" , determine an expression for the steady-state temperature distribution in this shield if
the wall is 𝐿 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑠 thick and its left-hand (𝑥 = 0) and right-hand (𝑥 = 𝐿) faces are maintained at
temperatures 𝑇' and 𝑇( , respectively.

Problem #2
Passage of an electric current through a
long conducting cylindrical rod of radius,
T¥
𝑟) , and thermal conductivity, 𝑘*+, , results
in uniform volumetric heating at a rate,
𝑞""" . This conducting rod is wrapped in an
electrically non-conducting cladding
material of outer radius, 𝑟+ , and thermal
conductivity, 𝑘- , in which there is no heat
generation. Convection cooling is
provided by the flow of fluid around the
cladding material, having a convection
coefficient, ℎ, and at a temperature, 𝑇. .
For steady-state conditions, determine temperature distributions, as functions of radius, in both the rod
and the cladding. Please ensure that the final expressions are in terms of the heat transfer coefficient, ℎ.

Problem #3
Suppose that a long pipe of negligible thickness is carrying a hot
fluid with a temperature, 𝑇) = 80 °𝐶 . The pipe radius is 𝑟) =
3 𝑐𝑚. Air at 𝑇. = 20 °𝐶 is naturally flowing at the outer surface
of the pipe such that ℎ = 5 𝑊/𝑚( ∙ 𝐾. You are trying to assess the
worthiness of adding an insulation layer (𝑘)/0 = 0.19 𝑊/𝑚 ∙ 𝐾)
around the pipe to save heating cost.
(a) Find the critical thickness (𝑡- ) and sketch the conduction,
convection, and total thermal resistances as functions of insulation
thickness (Draw all three curves on a single plot).
(b) Due to space limitations, the maximum thickness of insulation that can be applied is 1 𝑐𝑚. Is it a good
idea to insulate the pipe? Explain using relevant heat loss calculations.

Madanan
 ME 341A: Heat and Mass Transfer 2023-24-II
Problem #4
A spherical tank for storing saturated liquid oxygen is to be made from stainless steel of 0.75 𝑚 outer
diameter and 6 𝑚𝑚 wall thickness. The boiling point and latent heat of vaporization of liquid oxygen are
90 𝐾 and 213 𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔, respectively. The tank is to be installed in a large compartment whose temperature
is to be maintained at 240 𝐾. Design a thermal insulation system that will maintain the oxygen losses due
to boiling below 1 𝑘𝑔/𝑑𝑎𝑦.

Problem #5
Turbine blades mounted to a rotating disc in
𝑇4)5
a gas turbine engine are exposed to a gas
stream that is at 𝑇. = 1200 °𝐶 and maintains
a convection coefficient, ℎ = 250 𝑊/𝑚( ∙ 𝐾
over the blade. The blades, which are
manufactured from Inconel 625 (a high
temperature alloy with 𝑘 = 20 𝑊/𝑚 ∙ 𝐾 ),
have a length of 50 𝑚𝑚. The blade cross-
sectional area is uniform at 𝐴- = 6 ×
10$1 𝑚( and their perimeter is 𝑃 =
110 𝑚𝑚. A proposed blade cooling scheme 𝑇2
involves routing air through the blade
supporting disc, such that the temperature at
Source: www.siemens.com
the base of the blade (where the blade meets
the supporting disk) is 𝑇2 = 300 °𝐶. If the maximum allowable blade temperature is 1050 °𝐶, is this
cooling scheme satisfactory? Also analyze this scenario separately, by assuming the following conditions:
a. The rate of conduction is equal to the rate of convection at the blade tip
b. The blade tip is adiabatic
c. The blade can be approximated as very long
Assume one-dimensional conduction under steady-state conditions.
Problem #6
Derive an expression for the steady-state temperature distribution inside a spherical shell, of thermal
conductivity, 𝑘, having 𝑟+ and 𝑟) as the outer and internal radius, respectively. The rate of volumetric heat
generation should be taken as 𝑞""" , and the outer wall temperature should be taken as 𝑇3 . The final
expression should be in terms of the given quantities only.

Madanan