Nile University Heat transfer I

School of Engineering and MENG308

Assignment 3
Due date: 19.03.2023

Submission on Moodle

1. Theory check
a. When the thermal conductivity of a medium varies linearly with temperature, is the
average thermal conductivity always equivalent to the conductivity value at the
average temperature?
b. What does the thermal resistance of a medium represent?
c. What is thermal contact resistance? How is it related to thermal contact
conductance?
d. Explain when two resistances are in series and when they are in parallel.
e. What is the critical radius of insulation? How is it defined for a cylindrical layer?
f. Explain how the fins enhance heat transfer from a surface. Also, explain how the
addition of fins may actually decrease heat transfer from a surface.
g. Does the (a) efficiency and (b) effectiveness of a fin increase or decrease as the fin
length is increased?
h.
2. Problems from course book:
a. Problem 2-110
One side of a plate is maintained at a constant temperature of 500 K while the other
side is maintained at 350 K. The thermal conductivity of the plate can be assumed to
vary linearly in that temperature range as 𝑘(𝑇) = 𝑘0 (1 + 𝛽𝑇 ), where 𝑘0 =
18 𝑊/𝑚 · 𝐾 and 𝛽 = 8.7 × 104 𝐾 −1 . Determine the average thermal conductivity of
the plate.

b. Problem 3-17
Consider a person standing in a room at 20°C with an exposed surface area of 1.7 m2.
The deep body temperature of the human body is 37°C, and the thermal conductivity
of the human tissue near the skin is about 0.3 W/m·K. The body is losing heat at a
rate of 150 W by natural convection and radiation to the surroundings. Taking the
body temperature 0.5 cm beneath the skin to be 37°C, determine the skin
temperature of the person. (Neglect any heat generation beneath the skin)

c. Problem 3-24
Consider a 1.2-m-high and 2-m-wide glass window whose thickness is 6 mm and
thermal conductivity is k 5 0.78 W/m·K. Determine the steady rate of heat transfer
through this glass window and the temperature of its inner surface for a day during
which the room is maintained at 24°C while the temperature of the outdoors is 25°C.
Take the convection heat transfer coefficients on the inner and outer surfaces of the
window to be ℎ1 = 10 𝑊/𝑚2 · 𝐾 and ℎ2 = 25 𝑊/𝑚2 · 𝐾, and disregard any heat
transfer by radiation.
Nile University Heat transfer I
School of Engineering and MENG308
Applied Sciences (EAS) Spring 2023
2
d. Problem 3-35
The wall of a refrigerator is constructed of fiberglass
insulation (k = 0.035 W/m·K) sandwiched between two
layers of 1-mm-thick sheet metal (k = 15.1 W/m·K). The
refrigerated space is maintained at 3°C, and the
average heat transfer coefficients at the inner and
outer surfaces of the wall are 4 W/m2·K and 9 W/m2·K,
respectively. The kitchen temperature averages 25°C. It
is observed that condensation occurs on the outer surfaces of the refrigerator when
the temperature of the outer surface drops to 20°C. Determine the minimum
thickness of fiberglass insulation that needs to be used in the wall in order to avoid
condensation on the outer surfaces.

e. Problem 3-69
A 12-m-long and 5-m-high wall is constructed of two layers of 1-cm-thick sheetrock
(k = 0.17 W/m·K) spaced 16 cm by wood studs (k = 0.11 W/m·K) whose cross section
is 16 cm x 5 cm. The studs are placed vertically 60 cm apart, and the space between
them is filled with fiberglass insulation (k = 0.034 W/m·K). The house is maintained at
20°C and the ambient temperature outside is 29°C. Taking the heat transfer
coefficients at the inner and outer surfaces of the house to be 8.3 and 34 W/m2·K,
respectively, determine (a) the thermal resistance of the wall considering a
representative section of it and (b) the rate of heat transfer through the wall.

f. Problem 3-76
Steam at 320°C flows in a stainless-steel pipe (k = 15 W/m·K) whose inner and outer
diameters are 5 cm and 5.5 cm, respectively. The pipe is covered with 3-cm-thick
glass wool insulation (k = 0.038 W/m·K). Heat is lost to the surroundings at 5°C by
natural convection and radiation, with a combined natural convection and radiation
heat transfer coefficient of 15 W/m2·K. Taking the heat transfer coefficient inside the
pipe to be 80 W/m2·K, determine the rate of heat loss from the steam per unit
length of the pipe. Also determine the temperature drops across the pipe shell and
the insulation.

g. Problem 3-103
A 5-mm-diameter spherical ball at 50°C is covered by a
1-mm-thick plastic insulation (k 5 0.13 W/m·K). The ball
is exposed to a medium at 15°C, with a combined
convection and radiation heat transfer coefficient of 20
W/m2·K. Determine if
the plastic insulation on the ball will help or hurt heat
transfer from the ball.

h. Problem 3-130
A hot surface at 100°C is to be cooled by attaching 3-cm-long, 0.25-cm-diameter
aluminum pin fins (k = 237 W/m·K) to it, with a center-to-center distance of 0.6 cm.
The temperature of the surrounding medium is 30°C, and the heat transfer
coefficient on the surfaces is 35 W/m2·K. Determine the rate of heat transfer from
the surface for a 1-m 3 1-m section of the plate. Also determine the overall
Nile University Heat transfer I
School of Engineering and MENG308
Applied Sciences (EAS) Spring 2023
3
effectiveness of the fins.