Laboratory Report of

Multiphase
Thermodynamics
(B49CE)
Heat Loss from Pipes

By Retriana Maharani [H00205565]

1. Objectives
The objectives of this experiment is to find the rate at which the heated rod cools
down within a bank of rods and by itself and also to plot the cooling curves and use
the curves to find the coefficient of heat transfer for the heat rod at various positions.

2. Introduction
Heat exchanger has several types but the main forms are: parallel flow, counter-flow
and cross-flow. In this experiment, the heat transfer rate associated with the cross flow
of air across a cylindrical copper rod at various velocities has been investigated. The
aim of the experiment is to determine the heat transfer coefficient under cross flow
forced convection conditions. The real life application for forced convection are for
example, car radiator or air cooled heat exchangers.

3. Basic Theory
Convection refers to heat transfer that will occur between a surface and a moving or
stationary fluid when they are at different temperatures. The convection heat transfer
mode were made by random molecular motion and by the bulk motion of fluid within
the boundary layer. The convection can be classified according to the nature of the
flow. Forced convection occurs when the fluid flows across the boundary of an object
with the movement cause by external forces such by a fan, a pump or atmospheric
winds. In other words, free or natural convection is induced by buoyancy forces
which is due to density differences caused by temperature variations in the fluid.
Example for free convection would be a a hot components on a vertical array of
circuit boards in air.

4. Equipment
The equipment used for this experiment are consist of a cross flow heat exchanger,
copper cylindrical rod, the control-instrumentation unit (electric heater) and a
stopwatch. This exchanger demonstrated the heat exchange by forced convection. The
fixed electric fan on the equipment will draw air through a duct. The working section
part is transparent and it includes holes for insertion of the heated rod and aluminum
rods. It is arranged at right angles to the airflow. The aluminum rods and heated rod
will be inserted into the chosen positions which in this case is for heated rod will be
put in column 1 and column 4. Then the fan will be run and the air valve will be
adjusted to a selected position. The heated rod was heated by the heater compartment
in the control and instrumentation unit which is heated by an electric heater and it is
also includes a temperature control system to keep the temperature steady.

Figure 1. Heat Exchanger for Forced Convection Equipment

5. Experiment Procedure
a. The rods were fitted into the working section (except for the upstream centre
position in column 1). The position in column 1 was left free and ready for the
heated rod.
b. The control and instrumentation unit was switched on and the heated rod was
inserted into its heater compartment.
c. Heater Power was switched on.
d. The valve was fully open (100%).
e. The fan was switched on the ambient air temperature (T1) was recorded.
f. The heated rod from its heater compartment was removed and was fitted into the
working section. Then, the temperature of the heated rod (T2) in intervals of ten
seconds until 150 seconds was recorded.
g. The experiment was repeated with air valve open at 50% and 30%.
h. The experiment was also repeated with the heated rod in 1st and 4th column.
i. Finally, the fan and the heater power switch were switched off.
j. The control and instrumentation unit were also switched off.

6. Data & Results

The heated rod used in here has a length of 95 mm and an internal diameter of
12.5mm. Below here is an useful data needed to calculate the heat transfer coefficient.
Useful data
Thermal Conductivity of air
Gas constant of air

x
R

Dynamic Viscosity of air at room temperature

0.0259
287
18.2E106

Specific Heat Capacity of air at low pressure and room temp.

Cp

1004.5

Specific Heat Capacity of copper at room temperature

Internal diameter of Heated Rod
Length of Heated Rod

c
Di
L
(L x
Di)
m

380
0.0125
0.095
0.001187
5
0.10499

Area of Heated Rod

Mass of Heated Rod

The results from the experiment has six set of data since the experiment was repeated doing
three different kinds of opening valve which is 100% , 50% and 30% each for 1 st and 4th
column. The heat transfer coefficient was found by using this derivation of equation below:
q = A1 ( T 2T 1 ) (1)
and a over a period of time (dt), the temperature change (dT) :
q dt =m c dT (2)
Substitute (2) to (1),
A1
dT
=
dt
(T 2T 1 ) mc

J/ms
K
J/kgK
kg/m
s
J/kg
K
J/kg
K
m
m
m2
kg

 A 1 t
mc
Then after that, the value of can be found from
mc
=2.3026 x
xM
A1
log e ( T 2T 1 )loge ( T 0 T 1 ) =

For valve open 100%

All Rods Fitted/One Rod Fitted
Heated Rod in Column =
Ambient Air Temperature T1 =
Valve position =
Ti =

1
298.15 K
100%
350.1 K

Heated Rod (T2)

T2 - Ti (T)

seconds
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150

K
350.1
343.6
332.6
324.7
317.5
311.6
307.8
304.4
301.8
299.8
298.4
297.2
296.5
295.8
295.4
295.1

K
0.0
-6.5
-17.5
-25.4
-32.6
-38.5
-42.3
-45.7
-48.3
-50.3
-51.7
-52.9
-53.6
-54.3
-54.7
-55.0

= 7.924
W/m2 K
log(T2-T1)

T2-T1

1.72
1.66
1.54
1.42
1.29
1.13
0.98
0.80
0.56
0.22
-0.60
-

51.95
45.45
34.45
26.55
19.35
13.45
9.65
6.25
3.65
1.65
0.25
-0.95
-1.65
-2.35
-2.75
-3.05

Column 1 with Valve 100%

f(x) =

Column 1 with Valve 100%

All Rods Fitted/One Rod Fitted

Heated Rod in Column
Ambient Air Temperature T1 =
Valve position =
Ti =
Heated Rod
t
(T2)
seconds
K
0
350.1
10
345.4
20
339.2
30
333.3
40
328.1
50
323.6
60
319.6
70
316.2
80
313.2
90
310.8
100
308.8
110
307.0
120
305.5
130
304.2
140
303.2
150
302.1

Linear (Column 1 with Valve 100%)

4
298.15 K
100%
350.1 K
T2 - Ti (T)
K
0.0
-4.7
-10.9
-16.8
-22.0
-26.5
-30.5
-33.9
-36.9
-39.3
-41.3
-43.1
-44.6
-45.9
-46.9
-48.0

= 2.964
W/m2 K

log(T2-T1)

T2 - T1

1.72
1.67
1.61
1.55
1.48
1.41
1.33
1.26
1.18
1.10
1.03
0.95
0.87
0.78
0.70
0.60

52.0
47.3
41.1
35.2
30.0
25.5
21.5
18.1
15.1
12.7
10.7
8.9
7.4
6.1
5.1
4.0

Column 4 with Valve 100% Open

f(x) = - 0.01x + 1.76

Column 4 with Valve 100% Open

Linear (Column 4 with Valve 100% Open)

For valve open 50%

All Rods Fitted/One Rod Fitted
Heated Rod in Column =
Ambient Air Temperature T1 = Air
Valve position =
Ti =

= 4.311
1
W/m2 K
298.15 K
50%
350.1 K

Heated Rod (T2)

T2 - Ti (T)

seconds
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150

K
350.1
344.8
336.7
329.6
322.8
318.6
314.2
310.7
308.0
305.8
303.9
302.5
301.3
300.4
299.6
299.0

K
0
-5.3
-13.4
-20.5
-27.3
-31.5
-35.9
-39.4
-42.1
-44.3
-46.2
-47.6
-48.8
-49.7
-50.5
-51.1

log(T2-T1)

T2 - T1

1.72
1.67
1.59
1.50
1.39
1.31
1.21
1.10
0.99
0.88
0.76
0.64
0.50
0.35
0.16
-0.07

51.95
46.65
38.55
31.45
24.65
20.45
16.05
12.55
9.85
7.65
5.75
4.35
3.15
2.25
1.45
0.85

Column 1 with Valve 50% Open

f(x) = - 0.01x + 1.84

Column 1 with Valve 50% Open

All Rods Fitted/One Rod Fitted

Heated Rod in Column
Ambient Air Temperature T1 = Air
Valve position =
Ti
Heated Rod
t
T2 - Ti (T)
(T2)
seconds
K
K
0
349.5
0.0
10
345.7
-3.8
20
340.6
-8.9
30
335.7
-13.8
40
331.4
-18.1
50
327.4
-22.1
60
323.5
-26.0
70
320.3
-29.2
80
317.7
-31.8
90
315.2
-34.3
100
313.0
-36.5
110
311.2
-38.3
120
309.5
-40.0
130
308.1
-41.4
140
306.8
-42.7
150
305.7
-43.8

Linear (Column 1 with Valve 50% Open)

= 2.017 W/
4
m2 K
298.15 K
50%
349.5 K
log(T2-T1)

T2 - T1

1.71
1.68
1.63
1.57
1.52
1.47
1.40
1.35
1.29
1.23
1.17
1.12
1.05
1.00
0.94
0.88

51.4
47.6
42.5
37.6
33.3
29.3
25.4
22.2
19.6
17.1
14.9
13.1
11.4
10.0
8.7
7.6

Column 4 with Valve 50% Open

f(x) = - 0.01x + 1.74

Column 4 with Valve 50% Open

Linear (Column 4 with Valve 50% Open)

For valve open 30%

All Rods Fitted/One Rod Fitted
Heated Rod in Column
Ambient Air Temperature T1 = Air
Valve position =
Ti

1
298.15
30%%
350

Heated Rod (T2)

T2 - Ti (T)

seconds
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150

K
350.0
345.7
339.7
334.7
329.2
324.5
320.6
317.3
314.3
311.9
309.6
307.8
306.3
305.0
303.8
302.7

K
0
-4.3
-10.3
-15.3
-20.8
-25.5
-29.4
-32.7
-35.7
-38.1
-40.4
-42.2
-43.7
-45.0
-46.2
-47.3

= 2.549
W/m2 K
K
K

log(T2-T1)

T2 - T1

1.71
1.68
1.62
1.56
1.49
1.42
1.35
1.28
1.21
1.14
1.06
0.98
0.91
0.84
0.75
0.66

51.9
47.6
41.6
36.6
31.1
26.4
22.5
19.2
16.2
13.8
11.5
9.7
8.2
6.9
5.7
4.6

Column 1 with Valve 30% Open

f(x) = - 0.01x + 1.76

Column 1 with Valve 30% Open

Linear (Column 1 with Valve 30% Open)

All Rods Fitted/One Rod Fitted

Heated Rod in Column
Ambient Air Temperature T1 = Air
Valve position =
Ti =
Heated Rod
t
T2 - Ti (T)
(T2)
seconds
K
K
0
350.5
0.0
10
348.5
-2.0
20
344.1
-6.4
30
340.1
-10.4
40
336.5
-14.0
50
332.6
-17.9
60
329.3
-21.2
70
326.3
-24.2
80
323.6
-26.9
90
321.0
-29.5
100
318.4
-32.1
110
316.8
-33.7
120
314.9
-35.6
130
313.2
-37.3
140
311.7
-38.8
150
310.2
-40.3

4
298.15 K
30%
350.5 K
log(T2-T1)
1.72
1.70
1.66
1.62
1.58
1.54
1.49
1.45
1.41
1.36
1.31
1.27
1.22
1.18
1.13
1.08

= 1.566
W/m2 K

T2 - T1
52.4
50.4
46.0
42.0
38.4
34.5
31.2
28.2
25.5
22.9
20.3
18.7
16.8
15.1
13.6
12.1

Column 4 with Valve 30% Open

f(x) = - 0x + 1.75

Column 4 with Valve 30% Open

Linear (Column 4 with Valve 30% Open)

Discussion
According to two graphs each represent the data or what happened in column 1 and 4
when the valve is fully open and 50% the heat transfer coefficient have a quite large
differences. This may happen due to the heat loss when the forced convection
happened. The reason for column 1 has a higher heat transfer coefficient is because
the location of column 1 is almost directly after the inlet while column 4 has a barrier
before it which is column 2 and 3 and the heat is already loss when it reached the
column 4. The same thing also happened when the valve is 30% open. The only thing
that can be found is that the heat transfer coefficient value differences for column 1
and 4 are not that high. This may happen because of the valve opening, it means that
the flow is reduced and the heat loss may also be reduced.
Conclusions
This experiment shows how heat transfer coefficient changed with a varied air valve
opening from 100%, 50% and 30% and it is also depends on which columns or the
location of the column. Column 4 is a bit far than Column 1 from the inlet in which it
will have less heat loss and also heat transfer coefficient. Depends on the opening, the
valve with fully open will have higher heat transfer coefficient than half open or 30%
open. There might be some error found in the value of experiment, it may be found
because of the timing for stopwatch not exactly the same as when turning on the
heater or the reading from the equipment might also be going too fast when it was the
time to read the value of T.

7. References

1. engel, Yunus A., Heat Transfer: A Practical Approach, 2nd edition, McGrawHill,
New York, 2003.