EXAM ADVANCED TRANSPORT PHENOMENA (6PE10)

9.00-12.00 hr, Wednesday 30 October, 2013

Problem 1: 30 points; Problem 2: 40 points; Problem 3: 30 points.

Problem 1
A ceramic spherical particle with initial uniform temperature T0 is suddenly immersed in
a hot flowing fluid with bulk temperature T1. The thermal conductivity of the ceramic
material depends in a non-linear fashion on the temperature T according to the following
expression:

T T0

1 cosh

0
T1 T0
where 0 represents the conductivity at the reference (initial) temperature T0. The external
heat transport resistance can be neglected and furthermore it can be assumed that the
volumetric heat capacity is constant and that heat transport only takes place in the radial
direction.
a) Formulate the partial differential equation and all relevant initial and boundary
conditions which govern the temperature distribution in the ceramic particle (15 points).
b) Solve the partial differential equation and associated initial and boundary conditions
for short contact times using a boundary layer approach and prove that the
(approximate) expression for the heat penetration depth (the thermal boundary layer
thickness) is given by:

2 2 1 cosh( ) 0t
where 0 represents the thermal diffusivity at the reference (initial) temperature T0 (15
points). Hint: Solve for the dimensionless temperature given by the following
expression:
T T0

T1 T0
Furthermore use the following expression for the dimensionless temperature profile
inside the thermal boundary layer:
3
1
( ) 1 3
2
2

Problem 2
A non-Newtonian fluid approaches a thin horizontal flat plate with approach velocity v
(see Figure below). It is known that the rheological behaviour of this fluid is given by the
Ostwald-de-Waele or power-law model:

v
yx m x
y

n 1

vx
y

where m and n represent empirical constants. For the analysis of this flow problem it can
be assumed that steady state conditions prevail and additionally that the fluid is
incompressible. The plate has a large size W in the z-direction.

a) Give all partial differential equations and associated boundary conditions which govern
the velocity distribution vx(x,y) in the fluid. The molecular momentum transport in the xdirection and the energy dissipation can be neglected. (15 points)
b) Solve the partial differential equations formulated for part a) of this problem using a
boundary layer approach and show that the boundary layer thickness (x) is given by the
following expression:
1

280
n 1
3 m
( x)
(n 1)( ) n (v ) n 2 x
2
39

where is the fluid density. Use the following expression for the dimensionless velocity
profile inside the boundary layer:
3
2

1
2

( ) 3
where is the boundary layer co-ordinate. Hint: carefully make use of known (partial)
results obtained for the case of a Newtonian fluid. Show that the obtained expression for
(x) is consistent with the result obtained for a Newtonian fluid. (15 points)
c) Suppose that the fluid approaches the flat plate with a uniform bulk temperature T0
which differs from the uniform and constant surface temperature T1 of the flat plate.
Formulate the partial differential equation and associated boundary conditions governing
the temperature distribution in the fluid. Note that the solution of the relevant equation is
not required here. (10 points)
________________________________________________________________________
Problem 3
A polymer solution flows under the action of gravity in the space confined by two vertical
plates with mutual distance 2d and length L (see figure below).
uniform inlet
temperature T0
x

polymer
solution

2d

walls with uniform

temperature T0

Both plates possess a large size W in the z-direction. The inlet temperature of the polymer
solution and the surface temperature of both plates is uniform and equal to T0. For the
analysis of this problem it can be assumed that the flow is fully developed and in addition
that the longitudinal (i.e. in the x-direction) heat conduction can be neglected. It is known
that the rheological behaviour of the polymer solution can be captured by the Ellis model:

1
dvx
0 1 yx yx

dy

where 0, 1 and represent empirical constants. For the analysis of this flow problem it
can furthermore be assumed tha steady state conditions prevail and additionally that the
flow is incompressible.
a) Derive the expression for the velocity distribution vx(y): (5 points)
b) Formulate the thermal energy equation and associated boundary conditions governing
the temperature distribution in the fluid. (10 points)
c) Solve the thermal energy equation and associated boundary conditions of part b) for the
limiting case that the temperature profile is fully developed and also give the expression
for the corresponding temperature profile. (15 points)