PE 252: Heat Transport Processes

(The Concept of Thermal Resistance)

S. Adjei, Ph.D.
 LECTURE OBJECTIVES
• Define thermal resistance
• Apply the concept of thermal resistance to steady state heat transfer
problems
• Define thermal resistance for different geometries conducting heat
• Define thermal resistance for convection heat transfer
• Define thermal resistance for radiation heat transfer
• Define the overall heat transfer coefficient, U

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• In heat transfer analysis, we are often interested in the rate of heat transfer
through a medium under steady conditions.
• Such problems can be solved easily without involving any differential
equations by the introduction of thermal resistance concepts in an analogous
manner to electrical circuit problems.
• Thermal Resistance is a shortcut to solve heat transfer problems.

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Analogous manner to electrical circuit problems;
ü thermal resistance = electrical resistance
ü temperature difference = potential difference
ü heat transfer rate = electric current

𝑇1 − 𝑇2
𝑄̇ = 𝑘𝐴
𝐿

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 Assumptions
• Steady state
• 1 dimensional
• No heat generation
• Thermal conductivity is not a function of temperature

• In summary;

The heat transfer rate using the concept of thermal resistance is defined as:
∆𝑇
𝑄̇ =
𝑅

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Thermal Resistance for Conduction

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• Plane wall
"#(%! &%" )
̇
𝑄! = −
(

• Rearranging:
,̇
𝑇) -𝑇* = #$
%

(
R = "#

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• Cylinder

"#$%('! ('" )
̇
𝑄! = #"
*+(# )
!

• Rearranging:

!"
!"( )
!#
R=
%&'(

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• Sphere
𝑇) − 𝑇%
𝑄̇ = 4𝜋𝑘𝑟) 𝑟%
𝑟% − 𝑟)
• Rearranging:

+̇
𝑇) -𝑇% = $%&!#!"
!" '!#

," -,#
R=
.&/,# ,"

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Thermal Resistance for Convection
𝑄̇ = ℎ𝐴(𝑇0 − 𝑇1 )

)
R=
23

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• Consider steady state one- dimensional heat transfer through a cylindrical or
spherical layer that is exposed to convection on both sides to fluids at
temperatures 𝑇-) and 𝑇-* with heat transfer coefficient ℎ) and ℎ* , respectively.

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• Note that the surface area at which convection occurs is 2 𝜋𝑟𝐿 for cylinder
and 4 𝜋𝑟 * for sphere

For a cylinder

Hollow cylinder with convective surface conditions

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For a sphere

) 0!&'" )
Rtotal= + +
./0"! 1" ./0! 0" 2 ./0!! 1!

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 Thermal Resistance for Radiation
• 𝑄̇ = 𝜀𝜎𝐴(𝑇3. − 𝑇-. )

• 𝑄̇ = 𝜀𝜎𝐴(𝑇3* + 𝑇-* )( 𝑇3 − 𝑇- ) ( 𝑇3 + 𝑇- )

• 𝜀𝜎(𝑇3* + 𝑇-* )( 𝑇3 + 𝑇- )= hrad

• hrad = radiation heat transfer coefficient

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 Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient, U
• Overall heat transfer due to conduction and convection is usually expressed in
terms of overall heat transfer coefficient, U.

𝑄̇

𝑄̇ = UA∆𝑻 ̇ 𝑄=
𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑒:
∆𝑇
𝑅

,
Rt =
UA 15
Application

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 Thermal Resistance Network
• Plane Wall With Convection on Both Sides

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Thermal Resistances in Parallel

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Tutorial

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1. A furnace wall is composed of three layers in series, 10 cm firebrick (k=1.560
W/m.k), followed by 23 cm of kaolin insulating (k=0.073 W/m.k) and finally 5 cm
of masonry brick (k= 1 W/m.k). The temperature of the inner wall surface is
1370 K and the outer surface is at 360 K. Take the cross-sectional area to be
1 m2.

b. What are the temperatures at the contacting surfaces?

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2. Consider a 0.8 m high and 1.5 m wide double-pane window consisting of two 4-mm-thick
layers of glass (k = 0.78 W/m.°C) separated by a 10-mm wide stagnant air space (k= 0.026 W/m.
°C). The room temperature is 20 °C while the temperature of the outdoors is -10 °C.

a. Determine the steady rate of heat transfer through this double pane window.
b. Determine the temperature of its inner surface (T1).
Take the convective heat transfer coefficients on the inners and outer surfaces of the window to be
h1 = 10 W/m2.°C. and h2 =40 W/m2 .°C which includes the effect of radiation

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3. House wall with two 1.2 cm layer of fiber insulating board (thermal
conductivity of 0.048 W/m2.°C), 8 cm layer of fiberglass pink (k = 0.046
W/m.°C) and 1 cm layer of brick (k = 0.069 W/m.°C). Convection heat
transfer of h= 15 W/m2.°C at 𝑇! = -20 °C on the outside and h= 8 W/m2.°C
at 𝑇! = 15 °C on the inside . What is the rate of heat loss per unit area.

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It is a series problem

convection T∞, 𝒊 - conduction L1-conduction L2- conduction L3-conduction L4- convection T ∞,o

L1= L3= 1.2 cm; thermal conductivity, k = 0.048 W/m.°C

Fiberglass pink, L2 = 8 cm; thermal conductivity, k = 0.046 W/m.°C

Brick, L4 = 10 cm; thermal conductivity, k = 0.069 W/m.°C

𝑇-,5 = 15 °C, h= 8 W/m2.°C

𝑇-,6 = -20 °C, h= 15 W/m2.°C

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 2 2
Rconv, i = 3 4 = 562 = 0.125
!

7" 9.92;
Rcond 1 = 48"
= 269.9<5
= 0.25

7# 9.95
Rcond 2 = 48#
= 269.9<=
= 1.7391

7 9.92;
Rcond 3 = 48$ = 269.9<5 = 0.25
$

7% 9.92
Rcond 4 = 48%
= 269.9=>
= 0.1449

2 2
Rconv, o = 3& 4
= 2?62
= 0.0667

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 ∆𝑇
𝑄̇ =
Σ𝑅

Σ𝑅 = 2.575

)7&(&*8)
̇
𝑄= = 13.59 W/m2
*.7:7

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4. A furnace wall is made up of three layers of moulding 25cm, 10 cm and
15 cm in series, with thermal conduction of 1.65, 2.82 and 9.2 W/ mK
respectively. The cross-sectional area of the wall is 1 m2. The inside is
"
exposed to gases at 1250 °𝐶, with convection coefficient of 25 @ and the
# $
inside surface is at 1100 °𝐶 and the outside surface is exposed to air at 25
"
°𝐶 with convection coefficient of 12 @
# $

• Determine the heat transfer rate.

• Compute the intermediate temperatures
• The overall heat transfer coefficient, U

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35
• Rate of heat transfer
𝑇-) − 𝑇) 1250 − 1100
𝑄̇ = = = 3750 𝑊
𝑅5 0.04

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Value for thermal resistances
) )
• 𝑅4 = = = 0.04 °𝐶/𝑊
32( )×%6
'# 7.%6
• 𝑅) = = = 0.1515 °𝐶/𝑊
3/# )×).96
'" 7.)
• 𝑅% = = = 0.035 °𝐶/𝑊
3/" )×%.:%
') 7.)6
• 𝑅; = = = 0.0163 °𝐶/𝑊
3/) )×<%
) )
• 𝑅= = = = 0.083 °𝐶/𝑊
32* )×)%

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• Intermediate temperatures

𝑇2 − 𝑇;
𝑄̇ = ̇ A
⟹ 𝑇; = 𝑇2 = 𝑄𝑅
𝑅2
𝑇; = 1100 − 3750×0.1515
𝑻𝟐 = 531.8 °𝐶

C% DC'#
̇
𝑄= E ̇ G
⟹ 𝑇< = 𝑇F; + 𝑄𝑅
&
= 25 + (3750×0.083)
𝑻𝟒 = 337.4°𝐶

𝑇I − 𝑇<
𝑄̇ = ̇ I
⇒ 𝑇I = 𝑇< + 𝑄𝑅
𝑅I
= 337.4 + 3750×0.0163
𝑻𝟑 = 398.5 °𝐶

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2. Overall heat transfer coefficient , U

𝑅𝑡?
)
U= ; #
= ?
(

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 Note
• Series arrangement:
𝑄̇ = 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒
∆𝑇 ≠ 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒
R ≠ same
Cross-sectional area=same
• Parallel arrangement
𝑄̇ ≠ 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒
∆𝑇 = 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒
R ≠ same
Cross-sectional area 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑒 same

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 Multilayered Cylinders and Spheres
• Thermal resistance network for heat transfer through a three-layered composite
cylinder (replace thermal resistance with that of spherical for spherical
composite) with convection on both sides.

Temperature distribution for a composite cylindrical wall

For Cylinder:
( ( ( 𝐴! = 2𝜋𝑟! L
2 KL((# ) KL(($ ) KL((% ) 2
Rtotal = + "
+ #
+ $
+
3" 4" ;O78" ;O78# ;O78$ 3# 4# 𝐴" = 2𝜋𝑟" L 41
42
• Steam at T∞1= 320°C flows in a cast iron pipe (k = 80 W/m·°C) whose inner and
outer diameters are D1 = 5 cm and D2 = 5.5 cm, respectively. The pipe is
covered with 3-cm-thick glass wool insulation with k = 0.05 W/m·°C. Heat is
lost to the surroundings at T∞2 = 5°C by natural convection and radiation, with
a combined heat transfer coefficient of h2 = 18 W/m2·°C. Taking the heat
transfer coefficient inside the pipe to be h1 = 60 W/m2·°C.
a. Determine the rate of heat loss from the steam per unit length of the pipe.
b. Determine the temperature at the interface between the pipe and
insulation, T2.

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• 𝐴$ = 2𝜋𝑟$ L = 2 𝜋 (0.025 m)(1 m) = 0.157 m2
• 𝐴% = 2𝜋𝑟% L = 2 𝜋 (0.0575 m)(1 m) = 0.361 m2
$ $
$ ()( % ) ()( & ) $
$# $%
Rtotal = + + +
& # '# ,-./# ,-./% & % '%

- -
• Rconv,i = = = 0.106 °𝐶/𝑊
.0/0 01 2 1.-45
1 2.45
67( 2) 67( 2.5 )
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• Rpipe,1 = = = 0.002 °𝐶/𝑊
:;<=0 :;2-2>1
1 5.45
67( 6) 67(2.45)
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• Rins,2 = = = 2.35 °𝐶/𝑊
:;<=2 :;2-21.14
- -
• Rconv,o = = = 0.154 °𝐶/𝑊
.2/2 -> 2 1.?0-
• Total Resistance = 2.61 °𝐶/𝑊

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• Rate of heat loss per unit length

𝑇F2 − 𝑇F;
𝑄̇ =
𝑅𝑡

I;9D?
̇
𝑄 = ;.=2 = 121 W

• T2 = 306.93 °𝐶

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