One-Dimensional, Steady-State

Conduction without
Thermal Energy Generation
Chapter Three
Sections 3.1 through 3.4

Methodology

Methodology of a Conduction Analysis

Specify appropriate form of the heat equation.

Solve for the temperature distribution.

Apply Fouriers law to determine the heat flux.

Simplest Case: One-Dimensional, Steady-State Conduction with No Thermal Energy

Generation.

Common Geometries:
The Plane Wall: Described in rectangular (x) coordinate. Area
perpendicular to direction of heat transfer is constant (independent of x).
The Tube Wall: Radial conduction through tube wall.
The Spherical Shell: Radial conduction through shell wall.

Plane Wall

The Plane Wall

Consider a plane wall between two fluids of different temperature:

Heat Equation:
d dT
k 0
dx dx

(3.1)

Implications:
Heat flux qx is independent of x.

Heat rate qx is independent of x.

Boundary Conditions: T 0 Ts ,1, T L Ts ,2

Temperature Distribution for Constant k :

x
T x Ts ,1 Ts ,2 Ts ,1
L

(3.3)

Plane Wall (cont.)

Heat Flux and Heat Rate:

dT k
qx k
Ts ,1 Ts ,2
dx L
dT kA
q x kA

Ts ,1 Ts ,2

dx
L

T
Thermal Resistances Rt
and Thermal Circuits:
q

L
Rt ,cond
Conduction in a plane wall:
kA
Convection:

Rt ,conv

1
hA

(3.5)

(3.4)

(3.6)

(3.9)

Thermal circuit for plane wall with adjoining fluids:

Rtot

1
L
1

h1 A kA h 2 A

qx

T,1 T,2
Rtot

(3.12)

(3.11)

Plane Wall (cont.)

Thermal Resistance for Unit Surface Area:

L
1
Rt,cond
Rt,conv
k
h
Units: Rt K/W
Rt m 2 K/W

Radiation Resistance:
1
Rt , rad
hr A

Rt, rad

1
hr

2
hr Ts Tsur Ts2 Tsur

(1.9)

Contact Resistance:

Rt,c

TA TB
qx

Rt ,c

Rt,c
Ac

Values depend on: Materials A and B, surface finishes, interstitial conditions, and
contact pressure (Tables 3.1 and 3.2)

Plane Wall (cont.)

Composite Wall with Negligible

Contact Resistance:

qx

Rt Rtot

T,1 T,4
Rt

(3.14)

Rtot
1 1 LA LB LC 1

A h1 k A k B kC h4
A

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient (U) :

A modified form of Newtons Law of Cooling to encompass multiple resistances
to heat transfer.
(3.17)
q x UAToverall
Rtot

1
UA

(3.19)

Plane Wall (cont.)

Series Parallel Composite Wall:

Note departure from one-dimensional conditions for k F kG .

Circuits based on assumption of isothermal surfaces normal to x direction or

adiabatic surfaces parallel to x direction provide approximations for qx .

Tube Wall

The Tube Wall

Heat Equation:
1 d
dT
(3.23)
kr

0
r dr
dr
What does the form of the heat equation tell us about the variation of qr with
r in the wall?
Is the foregoing conclusion consistent with the energy conservation requirement?
How does qr vary with r ?

Temperature Distribution for Constant k :

Ts ,1 Ts ,2 r
T r
ln Ts ,2
ln r1 / r2 r2

(3.26)

Tube Wall (Cont.)

Heat Flux and Heat Rate:

dT
k
qr k

Ts,1 Ts,2
dr r ln r2 / r1
qr 2 rqr

2 k
Ts ,1 Ts ,2

ln r2 / r1

qr 2 rLqr

2 Lk
Ts ,1 Ts ,2

ln r2 / r1

Conduction Resistance:
ln r2 / r1
Rt ,cond
2 Lk
ln r2 / r1

Rt ,cond
2 k

Units K/W
Units m K/W

Why is it inappropriate to base the thermal resistance on a unit

surface area?

(3.27)

(3.28)

Tube Wall (Cont.)

Composite Wall with

Negligible Contact
Resistance

qr

T ,1 T ,4
Rtot

UA T ,1 T ,4
(3.30)

Note that
UA Rtot 1
is a constant independent of radius.
But, U itself is tied to specification of an interface.
U i Ai Rtot

(3.32)

Spherical Shell

Spherical Shell

Heat Equation
1 d 2 dT
r
0
2 dr
dr
r

What does the form of the heat equation tell us about the variation of
qr with r ? Is this result consistent with conservation of energy?
How does qr vary with r ?

Temperature Distribution for Constant k :

T r Ts ,1 Ts ,1 Ts ,2

1 r1/ r

1 r1 / r 2

Spherical Shell (cont.)

Heat flux, Heat Rate and Thermal Resistance:

dT
k
2
Ts,1 Ts,2
dr r 1/ r1 1/ r2
4 k
qr 4 r 2qr
Ts ,1 Ts ,2

1/
r

1/
r
1 2
qr k

Rt ,cond

1/ r1 1/ r2

4 k

Composite Shell:
T
qr overall UAToverall
Rtot
UA Rtot 1 Constant
U i Ai Rtot

Depends on Ai

(3.35)

(3.36)

Problem: Thermal Barrier Coating

Problem 3.23: Assessment of thermal barrier coating (TBC) for protection

of turbine blades. Determine maximum blade temperature
with and without TBC.

Schematic:

Problem: Thermal Barrier (Cont.)

ANALYSIS: For a unit area, the total thermal resistance with the TBC is
R tot, w h o1 L k Zr R t,c L k In h i1

R tot,w 103 3.85 104 104 2 10 4 2 10 3 m 2 K W 3.69 10 3 m 2 K W

With a heat flux of

q w

T,o T,i
1300 K

3.52 105 W m 2
R tot, w
3.69 103 m 2 K W

the inner and outer surface temperatures of the Inconel are

Ts,i(w) T,i q w h i 400 K 3.52 105 W m 2 500 W m 2 K / W 1104 K

Ts,o(w) T,i 1 h i L k In q w 400 K 2 10 3 2 10 4 m 2 K W 3.52 105 W m 2

1174 K

Problem: Thermal Barrier (Cont.) 3

Rtot
,wo ho L k In hi

T ,o T ,i
qwo

,wo
Rtot

3.20 10

hi 1212 K
Ts,i( wo ) T ,i qwo
Ts ,o( wo ) T ,i

1 hi L

1293 K
k In q wo

Problem: Radioactive Waste Decay

Problem 3.62: Suitability of a composite spherical shell for storing

radioactive wastes in oceanic waters.

Problem: Radioactive Waste Decay

R conv 1/ 4 0.312 m 2 500 W/m 2 K

R tot 0.00372 K/W.

0.00166 K/W