Tutorial Questions on composite walls

1. Heat flows through a composite slab, as shown below. The depth

of the slab is 1 m. The k (Thermal conductivity) values are in
W/mK. the overall thermal resistance in K/W is:
(a) 17 (b) 21.9 (c) 28.6 (d) 39.2

2. The temperature variation under steady heat conduction across a

composite slab of two materials with thermal conductivities K1 and K2
is shown in figure. Then, which one of the following statements holds?
a) k1>k2 b) k1=k2 c) k1=0 d) k1<k2

3. A stainless steel tube (ks = 19 W/mK) of 2 cm ID and 5 cm OD is

insulated with 3 cm thick asbestos
(ka = 0.2 W/mK). If the temperature difference between the
innermost and outermost surfaces is 600°C, the heat transfer rate per unit length is:
(a) 0.94 W/m (b) 9.44 W/m (c) 944.72 W/m (d) 9447.21 W/m

4. Two insulating materials of thermal conductivity K and 2K are available for lagging a pipe carrying a hot
fluid. If the radial thickness of each material is the same.
(a) Material with higher thermal conductivity should be used for the inner layer and one with lower
thermal conductivity for the outer.
(b) Material with lower thermal conductivity should be used for the inner layer and one with higher
thermal conductivity for the outer.
(c) It is immaterial in which sequence the insulating materials are used.
(d) It is not possible to judge unless numerical values of dimensions are given.
5. A composite wall is made up of two different materials arranged in series of the same thickness and
having thermal conductivities of k1 & k2 respectively. The equivalent thermal conductivity (k) is

a) b) c) d)
6. A composite plane wall shown in Figur 1 has the themal conductivities 0.3k and 3k. The interface
temperature (Ti) will be ……… [CO1] [BL3]
T1
Ti
q
3K 0.3K
T2

L L
 a) b) c) d)
7. Furnace is made of fire brick having thickness x=0.6 m & themal conductivity k=0.8 W/m-K. For the
same heat loss (W/m2) and temparature drop, another meterial having k=0.16 W/m-K will have its
thickness ……………
0.06 m (b) 0.12 m (c) 0.25 m (d) 0.48 m

8. Heat is lost through a brick wall (k =0.72 W/m·K), which is 4 m long, 3 m wide, and 25 m thick at a rate
of 500 W. If the inner surface of the wall is at 22°C, the temperature at the mid-plane of the wall is

(a) 0°C (b) 7.5°C (c) 11.0°C (d) 14.8°C (e) 22°C

Problems:

1. A composite wall is made up three layers of thickness 25 cm, 10 cm and 15 cm of material A, B and C
respectively. The thermal conductivities of A and B are 1.7 W/m K and 9.5 W/m K respectively. The
outside surface is exposed to air at 20oC with a convection coefficient of 15 W/m2 K and the inside is
exposed to gases at 1200oC with a convection coefficient of 25 W/m 2 K and the inside surface is at
1080oC. Determine the unknown thermal conductivity of layer made up of material C.

2. A plane wall of a refrigerated van is made of 1.5 mm steel sheet (kS =25 W/(m K)) at the outer surface,
10 mm plywood (kP = 0.05 W/(m K)) at the inner surface and 20 mm glass wool (kG = 0.01 W/(m K)) in
between the outer and inner surfaces. The temperature of the cold environment inside the van is –15°C,
while the outside surface is exposed to a surrounding ambient at 24°C. The average values of convective
heat transfer coefficients at the inner and outer surfaces of the wall are 12 W/(m K) and 20 W/(m K)
respectively. The surface area of the wall is 0.75 m2. Determine:
(a) The individual components of the thermal resistance to heat flow.
(b) The rate of heat flow through the wall.
(c) The temperatures at
(i) the outer surface of the wall,
(ii) the interface between steel sheet and glass wool,
(iii) the interface between glass wool and plywood, and
(iv) the inner surface of the wall
3. A laboratory furnace wall is constructed of 0.2 m thick fire clay bricks (k =1.0 W/(m K)). The wall is
covered on the outer surface with a thick layer of insulating material (k = 0.07 W/(m K)). The furnace
inner brick surface is at 1250 K and the outer surface of the insulating material is at 310 K. If the
maximum allowable heat transfer rate through the wall of the furnace is 900 W/m 2, how thick must the
insulating layer be? (Ans: 0.059m)

4. The composite wall of an oven (Figure 2.31) consists of three materials, two of which are of known
thermal conductivity, kA = 20 W/(m K) and kC = 50 W/(m K), and known thickness, LA = 0.30 m and LC
= 0.15 m. The third material B, which is sandwiched between the materials A and C, is of known
thickness LB = 0.15 m, but of unknown thermal conductivity kB. Under steady-state operating
conditions, measurements reveal an outer surface temperature of Ts,o = 20°C, an inner surface
temperature of Ts,i = 600°C, and an oven air temperature of T∞ = 800°C. The inside convection
coefficient h is known to be 25 W/(m2 K). Determine the value of kB. [Ans. 1.53 W/(m K)]
5. Consider a section of a brick wall as shown in Figure 2.32. The thermal conductivities of various
materials used, in W/(m° C), are kA = kF = 2, kB = 8, kC = 20, kD =15, kE = 35. The left and right surfaces
of the wall are maintained at uniform temperatures of 600°C and 200°C, respectively. Assuming heat
transfer through the wall to be onedimensional, determine (a) the rate of heat transfer through the wall,
and (b) the temperature drop across the material F. Disregard any contact resistance at the interfaces.
[Ans. (a) 12.74 kW, (b) 79.49°C]