ME3122E Heat Transfer

Quiz 2 (Convection)
Time: 7.30pm 8.15pm

Date: 3 November 2014

1. An electric heating element consisting of a horizontal rod of diameter 5 mm is immersed

in a tank of water at 30C. The surface of the rod is maintained at a constant temperature
of 90C. The volumetric thermal expansion coefficient for water is 0.00018 K-1.
Determine the mean free convection heat transfer coefficient for the rod, and hence
calculate the rate of heat transfer per metre length of the rod.
(40 Marks)

Solution
Film temperature = (90 + 30)/2 = 60C.
At T = 60C; = 1/0.001017 = 983.3 kg/m3, = 46310-6 kg/m.s, Pr = 2.97,
k = 0.653 W/m K, = 0.00018 K-1 .

= / = 0.470910-6 m2/s,
g Ts T D3 Pr 9.81 0.00018 90 300.005 2.97
GrD Pr

1.7738 105
2
2

6
v
0.4709 10
3

From Table in Formula Sheet, C = 0.53 and m = .

1
1
hD
0.53GrD Pr 4 0.531.7738 105 4 10.8768
k
h 10.8768 0.653 / 0.005 1420.5 W/m 2 K.

Nu D

q h (DL)(Ts T )

q
h (D)(Ts T ) 1420.5 0.005 (90 30) 1338.8 W/m.
L

2. 1.2 kW of heat is generated uniformly in a thin rectangular plate of length L = 200 mm

and width W = 100 mm. One surface of the plate is perfectly insulated while the other
surface is cooled by water at 30C flowing at 1 m/s parallel to its length. The properties of
water may by assumed to be constant at their values at 50C.
(a) Obtain an expression for the average temperature difference between the plate
and the water along the plate, and show that it is given by

Ts T

qsL
12

0.680kReL Pr

13

where all the symbols have their usual meaning.

(40 Marks)
(b) Hence calculate the average temperature of the plate.
(20 Marks)
Solution:
(a) At T = 50C; = 1/0.001012 = 988.14 kg/m3, = 54410-6 kg/m.s, Pr = 3.54,
k = 0.643 W/m K.

ReL

988.14 1 0.2
3.63286 105 (laminar)
544 106

L
L

1 L
Ts T dx 1 0 qs dx 1 0 qs x dx

0
L
L hx
L k Nu x
1 L
qsx dx
qs

12
13
12
13
0
L 0.453kRe x Pr
0.453Lk u / Pr

Ts T

qs

12

12

0.680kReL Pr

13

x1 2 dx

qsL
2 3 2
12
13
3 x
0.680k u / Pr
0
L

0.453Lk u / Pr
qsL

12

13

qs 1200 / 0.2 0.1 60,000 W/m 2 .

Ts T

60,000 0.2

0.680 0.6433.63286 10

3.54
1

29.9 C
3

Hence the average temperature of the plate = 30 + 29.9 = 59.9 C.