[ASSIGNMENT 1]

INSTRUCTIONS
1.
2.
3.

The assignment must be done in a group, maximum size of 3 members.

The due date is Oct 21, 2016 at 4.00 pm
A penalty will be applied for late submission at the rate of 20 % deduction per day of the
work has been marked.
ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS
1.

A composite wall is comprised of five different materials, arranged as shown in the diagram
below. The thermal conductivity of A, B, C, D and E are 40, 20, 8, 15 and 25 W/mK,
respectively. The area of A = D = E = 0.32 m 2 and B = C= 0.16 m 2. The temperature
entering at wall A is 405 oC and leaving at wall E is 85 oC . Assume one dimensional heat
transfer

B
D

12

14

40

20

a) Sketch the thermal circuit of the system.

(2 marks)
b) What is the rate of heat transfer through the wall?
(6 marks)
c) What are the interface temperature at D and E?
(2 marks)
2.

In a cylinder fuel rod of reactor, heat is generated internally according to equation (1)

r
q q0 1
r1

....

(1)

where ;

q local rate of heat generation per unit volume

r1 outside radius
q 0 rate of heat generated per unit volume at the centerline
The radius of the fuel rod is r1 and the thermal conductivity k is constant. The surface
temperature of the fuel rod is Ts with center temperature of T0. Assuming one-dimensional

[ASSIGNMENT 1]
conduction in the radial direction with steady state heat flow, determine the expression for
the variation of temperature in the fuel rod in terms of k, r, r1,and q0
(8 marks)
3

A plane wall with a thickness of 70 mm and the thermal conductivity of the wall is
250 W/m-K. Conduction occurs only in the x-direction and the temperature distribution is
given as T(x) = a + bx + cx 2 . The temperature of the surface at x = 0 is 150 C. At the
surface of x = L is well insulated. The temperature of the convective fluid at x = 0 is 30 C
and the convection heat transfer coefficient is 650 W/m 2K. If the internal energy generation
is 3 X 105 W/m3 , find the coefficients of a, b and c.
(8 marks)

4.

A large slab of 3.6 m thick which has both of its surfaces kept at 25 C is produced by
pouring a wet concrete in a mould. The hydration process of the concrete generates
internal heat at the rate of 240 W/m3. Develop an expression for the temperature
distribution in the slab and determine the maximum temperature of the concrete at steady
state. The thermal conductivity of the wet concrete is 60 W/mK
(10marks)

5.

Consider steady state two dimensional heat transfers in a solid body whose cross section is
given in figure 1. The thermal conductivity of the body is 220W/mK . The bottom surface
temperature is maintained at Ts = 70C while the top surface is exposed to the fluid at
15 C with convection heat transfer coefficient of 850 W/m 2K. The left and right sides are
insulated. Given T2 = 60.5 C, T3 = 55C and x = y = 1mm. Using energy balance
method:

a) Obtain the finite difference formulation for all the nodes. Simplify the equations.
(11 marks)
b) Determine the unknown temperatures of T1, T6 and T7
(3 marks)

5
insul
atio
n

T =
15 6C

insul
atio
n

2 1

Ts =
70 C
Figure 1