Lesson 5

PROBLEMS ON CONDUCTION THROUGH HOMOGENOUS/COMPOSITE WALL,

HAVING VARIABLE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY, CONDUCTION THROUGH A

HOLLOW SPHERE

5.1 Problems
Q. 1: The brick work of a terrace is built up of layers laid of fire clay and red brick and the
space between the two layers of brick work is filled with crushed diatomite brick. The fire
clay is 120 mm thick. The thickness of the diatomite filling is 50 mm and thickness of the red
brick layer is 250 mm. The thermal conduction of these three materials are 0.93, 0.13, 0.7
W/m�C. What should be the thickness of red brick layer of the brick work which is to be laid
without the diatomite filling between the two layers so that the heat flux through the brick
work remain constant.
Solution:
Heat conduction with diatomite filling

Heat flux without diatomite filling

q1 = q2

0.385 + 0.357 =
�x = 0.5194 m
or x = 519.4 mm
Q. 2: The wall of a steam boiler furnace which is not fitted with waterfalls is made up of a
layer of foamed fire clay of thickness 125 mm and a layer of red brick 500 mm thick. The two
layers fit each other tightly. The wall temperature inside boiler furnace is 1100�C and
outside is 50�C. The thermal conductivity of foamed fire clay is (0.28 + 0.00025 t) and that
of red brick is 0.7W/m�C. Calculate the amount of heat lost from 1 m2 of the furnace wall by
conductance. Also find the temperature of in furnace layer.
Solution:
 = 575�C

�= 0.412 W/m�C
Amount of heat lost q

q = 1032.45 kj/m2

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t2 = 1100 � 11032.45 x 0.303

t2 = 787.17�C
Q. 3: The thickness of the layer of red brick in the wall of boiler furnace setting, considered in
previous problem, is to be reduced by 2 times. The space between the two layers of the setting
is filled with crushed diatomite whose thermal conductivity λ = 0.113 + 0.0002 W/m�C.
What should be the thickness of diatomite filling to ensure the same loss of heat with inside
and outside wall temperature remaining same as in previous problem.
Solution:

= 0.245 W/m�C

q is same
∴ q 1st case = q 2nd case

x = 0.874 m or x = 87.4 mm
Q. 4: A steam pipe line of diameter d1/d2 = 100/110 mm with λ1 = 50 W/m�C is covered
with two layer of insulation of equal thickness i.e. 50 mm. Temperature of inner surface is t1 =
250�C and temperature of outside surface is t4 = 50�C. Determine loss of heat through
insulation from length of 1 m of pipeline and interface temperature.
Solution:
λ2 = 0.06 W/m�C λ3 = 0.12 W/m�C
d1 = 100 mm d2 = 110 mm
d3 = 210 mm d4 = 310 mm

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t2 = 249.9�C

If the layers are interchanged:

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Q. 5: A steam pipe line with 160/170 mm in diameter covered with layer of insulation of δ =
100 mm with thermal conductivity depending on temperature in following way - λins = 0.062
(1+0.36 � 10-2t) W/m�C. Determine amount of heat loss from length of 1 m of pipeline and
temperature of its inner surface if temperature of outer is 300�C. Temperature of outer
surface of insulation should not exceed 50�C. λ for pipe line is 50 W/m�C.
Solution:

= 175�C

q1 = 204.59 kcal/m-hr
λinst = 0.062 {1 + 3.63 x 10-2(1.75)}
= 0.062 (1.635)
 = 0.10137 W/�C

Q. 6: A steam pipe line of 170/160 mm in diameter covered with layer of insulation thickness
of 1st layer is 30 mm and that of 2nd is 50 mm. Thermal conductivity of pipe insulating are 50,
8.15 and 0.008 respectively. Inner temperature is 300�C outer temperature is 50�C.
Determine quantity of heat lost per unit length and also find layer contact temperature.
Solution:
δ1 = 30 mm δ2 = 50 mm
d2 = 170 x 10-3 d1 = 160 x 10-3
d3 = d2 + 60 mm d4 = d3 + 100 mm
= 230 x 10-3 = 330 x 10-3 m
λ1 = 50 kcal/m-hr-�C
λ2 = 0.15 kcal/m-hr-�C
λ3 = 0.008 kcal/m-hr-�C

= 240 kcal/m-hr

Then

= 222.8
Q. 7: A steam pipe line of 150/160 mm in diameter is covered with layer of heat insulating
material of thickness 100 mm. Thermal conductivity of tube is 50 W/m�C or kcal/m-hr-�C
and λins,mat = 0.09 kcal/m-hr-�C. Temperature of pipeline inside surface is 400�C and
temperature of the outside surface of insulating surface is 50�C. Find loss of heat from
length of 1m of pipeline and temperature at interface of insulation.
Solution:
d1 = 150 x 10-3 m d2 = 160 x 10-3 m
d3 = 360 x 10-3 m

Q. 8: A reinforced concrete smoke stack with an inner diameter d2 = 800 mm, outer diameter
d3 = 1300 mm must be lined with a refractory on the inside. Determine the thickness of the
refractory lining and the temperature of outer surface of the smoke stake (tw3) under the
conditions that the loss of heat from length of 1 m of the smoke stack must not exceed 2000
W/m and the temperature of the inner surface of the reinforced concrete smoke stack (t wr)
should not exceed 200�C. The temperature of the inner surface of lining is t w1 = 425�C. The
thermal conductivity of the lining material λ1 = 0.5W/m�C and of concrete λ2 = 1.1W/m�C.
Solution:
For lining,
d2 = 800 mm
Q = 2000 W/m
t1 = 425�C t2 = 200�C
λ1 = 0.5 W/m�C
 Thickness of lining = δ = �
t2 = 200�C
d2 = 800 mm
d3 = 1300 mm
q = 2000 W/m
λ2 = 1.1 W/m�C
t3 = temperature of outer surface of smoke stack.

5.2 Conduction through a Hollow Sphere

Let us consider the flow of heat through wall of hollow sphere with inner radius r1 and outer
radius r2. The sphere is made up of homogeneous material of constant thermal conductivity
(λ).
The inner and outer surfaces are kept at constant temperatures t1 and t2. Let us assume that t1 >
t2.
Temperature varies only in the direction of radius. The wall is limited by concentric spherical
isothermal surfaces. Let us take a thin layer between two spherical surfaces with a radius r and
let us assume that thickness of surface is infinitesimally small = dr.
The surface of this layer is thermal. Now let us apply Fourier�s law. The amount of heat

flowing through that layer per hour Q = -λF �

= - λ (4πr2) �kcal/hr.
(Fig 5.1: Homogeneous spherical wall)
This is the governing differential equation.
On separating the variables and integrating, we can have the solution.
Subjecting this general solution to the boundary conditions.
r = r1, t = t1 and r = r2 t = t2
We get the particular solutions,

On subtracting

From this solution, we can determine Q

Where δ = thickness of wall = �

These equations can be used to calculate heat conduction through a hollow spherical wall.
Inserting the value of C and the value of Q, we can obtain the temperature distribution curve.
tx = temperature at any location in a spherical wall.

This equation of temperature curve is that of hyperbola. Therefore, the distribution of

temperature in a spherical wall is represented by a hyperbola