National Institute of technology
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Monsoon 2024-25
ME2201E PRINCIPLES OF HEAT TRANSFER
TUTORIAL 1
1. Consider a large plane wall of thickness L=0.4 m, thermal conductivity k= 2.3 W/m °C, and
surface area A =20 m2. The left side of the wall is maintained at a constant temperature of
T1= 80 °C while the right side loses heat by convection to the surrounding air at 𝑇∞ = 15°C
with a heat transfer coefficient of h= 24 W/m2 °C. Assuming constant thermal conductivity
and no heat generation in the wall, (a) express the differential equation and the boundary
conditions for steady one-dimensional heat conduction through the wall, (b) obtain a
relation for the variation of temperature in the wall by solving the differential equation,
and (c) evaluate the rate of heat transfer through the wall.
2. Consider the base plate of a 800-W household iron with a thickness of L =0.6 cm, base
area of A =160 cm2, and thermal conductivity of k =20 W/m °C. The inner surface of the
base plate is subjected to uniform heat flux generated by the resistance heaters inside.
When steady operating conditions are reached, the outer surface temperature of the
plate is measured to be 85°C. Disregarding any heat loss through the upper part
of the iron, (a) express the differential equation and the boundary conditions for steady
one-dimensional heat conduction through the plate, (b) obtain a relation for the variation
of temperature in the base plate by solving the differential equation, and (c) evaluate the
inner surface temperature.
3. A spherical container of inner radius r1= 2 m, outer radius r2= 2.1 m, and thermal
conductivity k=30 W/m °C is filled with iced water at 0 °C. The container is gaining heat by
convection from the surrounding air at T=25 °C with a heat transfer coefficient of h=18
W/m2 °C. Assuming the inner surface temperature of the container to be 0°C, (a) express
the differential equation and the boundary conditions for steady one-dimensional heat
conduction through the container, (b) obtain a relation for the variation of temperature in
the container by solving the differential equation, and (c) evaluate the rate of heat gain to
the iced water.
4. When a long section of a compressed air line passes through the outdoors, it is observed
that the moisture in the compressed air freezes in cold weather, disrupting and even
completely blocking the air flow in the pipe. To avoid this problem, the outer surface of
the pipe is wrapped with electric strip heaters and then insulated.
Consider a compressed air pipe of length L=6 m, inner radius r1= 3.7 cm, outer radius
r2=4.0 cm, and thermal conductivity k=14 W/m °C equipped with a 300-W strip heater. Air
is flowing through the pipe at an average temperature of −10 °C, and the average
convection heat transfer coefficient on the inner surface is h=30 W/m2°C. Assuming 15
percent of the heat generated in the strip heater is lost through the insulation, (a) express
the differential equation and the boundary conditions for steady one-dimensional heat
conduction through the pipe, (b) obtain a relation for the variation of temperature in the
pipe material by solving the differential equation, and (c) evaluate the inner and outer
surface temperatures of the pipe.
5. In a food processing facility, a spherical container of inner radius r1= 40 cm, outer radius
r2 =41 cm, and thermal conductivity k= 1.5 W/m °C is used to store hot water and to keep
it at 100°C at all times. To accomplish this, the outer surface of the container is wrapped
with a 500-W electric strip heater and then insulated. The temperature of the inner
surface of the container is observed to be nearly 100 °C at all times. Assuming 10 percent
of the heat generated in the heater is lost through the insulation, (a) express the
differential equation and the boundary conditions for steady one-dimensional heat
conduction through the container, (b) obtain a relation for the variation of temperature in
the container material by solving the differential equation, and (c) evaluate the outer
surface temperature of the container. Also determine how much water at 100 °C this tank
can supply steadily if the cold water enters at 20°C.
6. Consider a long solid cylinder of radius r0 =4 cm and thermal conductivity k=25 W/m °C.
Heat is generated in the cylinder uniformly at a rate of 𝑔̇ 0 =35 W/cm3. The side surface of
the cylinder is maintained at a constant temperature of Ts =80 °C. The variation of
temperature in the cylinder is given by
Based on this relation, determine (a) if the heat conduction is steady or transient, (b) if it
is one-, two-, or three-dimensional, and (c) the value of heat flux on the side surface of
the cylinder at r=r0 .
7. In a nuclear reactor, 1-cm-diameter cylindrical uranium rods cooled by water from outside
serve as the fuel. Heat is generated uniformly in the rods (k=29.5 W/m °C) at a rate of 7×
107 W/m3. If the outer surface temperature of rods is 175 °C, determine the temperature
at their center.
8. Consider a homogeneous spherical piece of radioactive material of radius r0= 0.04 m that
is generating heat at a constant rate of 𝑔̇ 0 = 4 ×107 W/m3. The heat generated is dissipated
to the environment steadily. The outer surface of the sphere is maintained at a uniform
temperature of 80 °C and the thermal conductivity of the sphere is k=15 W/m °C.
Assuming steady one-dimensional heat transfer, (a) express the differential equation and
the boundary conditions for heat conduction through the sphere, (b) obtain a relation for
the variation of temperature in the sphere by solving the differential equation, and (c)
determine the temperature at the center of the sphere.
9. The roof of a house consists of a 3–cm-thick concrete slab (k =2 W/m °C) that is 15 m wide
and 20 m long. The convection heat transfer coefficients on the inner and outer surfaces
of the roof are 5 and 12 W/m2 °C, respectively. On a clear winter night, the ambient air is
reported to be at 10°C, while the night sky temperature is 100 K. The house and the
interior surfaces of the wall are maintained at a constant temperature of 20°C. The
emissivity of both surfaces of the concrete roof is 0.9. Considering both radiation and
convection heat transfers, determine the rate of heat transfer through the roof, and the
inner surface temperature of the roof.
If the house is heated by a furnace burning natural gas with an efficiency of 80 percent,
and the price of natural gas is Rs. 50/therm (1 therm =105,500 kJ of energy content),
determine the money lost through the roof that night during a 14-h period.
10. Water is boiling in a 25-cm-diameter aluminum pan (k =237 W/m °C) at 95 °C. Heat is
transferred steadily to the boiling water in the pan through its 0.5-cm-thick flat bottom at
a rate of 800 W. If the inner surface temperature of the bottom of the pan is 108 °C,
determine (a) the boiling heat transfer coefficient on the inner surface of the pan, and (b)
the outer surface temperature of the bottom of the pan.
11. A 4-m-high and 6-m-wide wall consists of a long 18-cm 30-cm cross section of horizontal
bricks (k =0.72 W/m °C) separated by 3-cm-thick plaster layers (k =0.22 W/m °C). There
are also 2-cm-thick plaster layers on each side of the wall, and a 2-cm-thick rigid foam (k
=0.026 W/m °C) on the inner side of the wall. The indoor and the outdoor temperatures
are 22 °C and −4 °C, and the convection heat transfer coefficients on the inner and the
outer sides are h1=10 W/m2 °C and h2 =20 W/m2 °C, respectively. Assuming one-
dimensional heat transfer and disregarding radiation, determine the rate of heat transfer
through the wall.
12. A 50-m-long section of a steam pipe whose outer diameter is 10 cm passes through an
open space at 15 °C. The average temperature of the outer surface of the pipe is measured
to be 150 °C. If the combined heat transfer coefficient on the outer surface of the pipe is
20 W/m2 °C, determine (a) the rate of heat loss from the steam pipe, (b) the annual cost
of this energy lost if steam is generated in a natural gas furnace that has an efficiency of
75 percent and the price of natural gas is $0.52/therm (1 therm =105,500 kJ), and (c) the
thickness of fiberglass insulation (k =0.035 W/m °C) needed in order to save 90 percent of
the heat lost. Assume the pipe temperature to remain constant at 150 °C.
13. A 5-m-internal-diameter spherical tank made of 1.5-cm-thick stainless steel (k =15 W/m ·
°C) is used to store iced water at 0 °C. The tank is located in a room whose temperature is
30 °C. The walls of the room are also at 30 °C. The outer surface of the tank is black
(emissivity 𝜀=1), and heat transfer between the outer surface of the tank and the
surroundings is by natural convection and radiation. The convection heat transfer
coefficients at the inner and the outer surfaces of the tank are 80 W/m2 °C and 10 W/m2
°C, respectively. Determine (a) the rate of heat transfer to the iced water in the tank and
(b) the amount of ice at 0 °C that melts during a 24 h period. The heat of fusion of water
at atmospheric pressure is hif =333.7 kJ/kg.
14. A 2-mm-diameter and 10-m-long electric wire is tightly wrapped with a 1-mm-thick plastic
cover whose thermal conductivity is k =0.15 W/m °C. Electrical measurements indicate
that a current of 10 A passes through the wire and there is a voltage drop of 8 V along the
wire. If the insulated wire is exposed to a medium at T =30°C with a heat transfer
coefficient of h =24 W/m2 °C, determine the temperature at the interface of the wire and
the plastic cover in steady operation. Also determine if doubling the thickness of the
plastic cover will increase or decrease this interface temperature.
15. A 5-mm-diameter spherical ball at 50 °C is covered by a 1-mm-thick plastic insulation (k
=0.13 W/m °C). The ball is exposed to a medium at 15 °C, with a combined convection and
radiation heat transfer coefficient of 20 W/m2 °C. Determine if the plastic insulation on
the ball will help or hurt heat transfer from the ball.