Amrutvahini College of Engineering, Sangamner

UNIT III Assignment NO 3

2015 Pattern
UNIT 3: (06 hrs)

Thermal Insulation and Transient Heat Conduction

Q.1) What is time constant? What do you mean by Response of Thermo-couple?
Q.2)

Q.3)

or

Q.4)

Q.5)

Q.6) What is Biot number? What is its physical significance? Whether Biot no. is larger
for highly conducting solids or insulators?
Q.7) What is Fourier no.? What is its physical significance?
Numerical on Thermal Insulation
3.1 A steel pipe, 30 cm in outer diameter, carries steam and its surface temperature is 250°C. It
is exposed to ambient air at 30°C. The heat is lost by convection and radiation. The
convective heat transfer coefficient is 22 W/m2.K. Calculate the heat loss from 1 m length of
pipe. If a layer of insulation (k = 0.36 W/m.K), 75 mm thick is applied on the pipe in order
to minimise the heat loss. The cost of heat is ` 200 per 106 kJ. The cost of insulation is `
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8000 per m length. The unit is in operation for 2000 h/year. The cost of capital should be
recovered in two years. Check the economical merits of insulation. Neglect radiation heat
transfer after addition of insulation.
3.2 A 3 cm diameter pipe at 120°C is losing heat by convection at rate of 120 W per metre
length. The surrounding temperature is 30°C. It is required to reduce the heat loss to a
minimum value by providing insulation. The following insulation materials are available :
Insulation 1 : Quantity = 3.15 × 10–3 m3 per metre length of pipe, k1 = 5 W/m.K. Insulation
2 : Quantity = 4 × 10–3 m3 per metre length of pipe, k2 = 1 W/m.K. Examine the better
insulating layer relative to pipe and determine the percentage change in heat transfer from
that arrangement.

3 Numerical on Transient Heat Conduction

Q.1) In a quenching process, a copper plate of 3 mm thick is heated up to 350°C and
then suddenly, it is dropped into a water bath at 25°C. Calculate the time required for
the plate to reach the temperature of 50°C. The heat transfer coefficient on the surface
of the plate is 28 W/m2.K. The plate dimensions may be taken as length 40 cm and
width 30 cm. Also calculate the time required for infinite long plate to cool to 50°C. Other
parameters remain same.
Take the properties of copper as C = 380 J/kg.K, ρ= 8800 kg/m3, k = 385 W/m.K.
Q.2) A solid steel ball 5 cm in diameter and initially at 450°C is quenched in a controlled
environment at 90°C with convection coefficient of 115 W/m 2.K. Determine the time
taken by center to reach a temperature of 150°C. Take thermo-physical properties as
Cp = 420 J/kg.K, ρ = 8000 kg/m3, k = 46 W/m.K.
Q.3) A long thin glass walled, 0.3 cm diameter, mercury thermometer is placed in a
stream of air with convection coefficient of 60 W/m 2.K for measuring transient
temperature of air. Consider cylindrical thermometer bulb consists of mercury only. For
which k = 8.9 W/m.K and α = 0.016 m2/h. Calculate the time constant and time required
for the temperature change to reach half of its initial value.
Q.4) A steel ball of 50 mm diameter and at 900°C temperature is placed in still air at
temperature of 30°C. Calculate the initial rate of cooling of ball in °C/min. Take h = 30
W/m2.K and thermophysical properties of steel as
ρ= 7800 kg/m3, C = 2 kJ/kg.K. Neglect internal thermal resistance.
Q.5) An aluminium sphere weighing 6 kg and initially at temperature of 350°C is
suddenly immersed in a fluid at 30°C with convection coefficient of 60 W/m2.K. Estimate
the time required to cool the sphere to 100°C. Take thermo-physical properties as C =
900 J/kg.K, ρ= 2700 kg/m3, k = 205 W/m.K.
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Q.6) A thermocouple junction is in the form of a 4 mm diameter sphere. The properties

3
of the material are C = 420 J/ , k = 40 W/m.K, unit surface
2
conductance h = 40 W/m .K. The junction is initially at 40°C is inserted in a stream of
hot air at 300°C. Find :
(i) Time constant.
(ii) Thermocouple is taken out from the hot air after 10 seconds and is kept in still air at
30°C. Assuming the heat transfer coefficient in still air as 10 W/m 2.K, find the
temperature attained by junction 20 seconds after removing it from hot air stream.

Q.7) An egg with mean diameter of 4 cm is initially at 25°C. It is placed in boiling water
for 4 min and found to be consumer’s taste. For how long should a similar egg for same
consumer be boiled when taken from refrigerator at 2°C. Use lumped system analysis
and take thermo-physical properties of egg as k = 12 W/m.K, h = 125 W/m2.K, C = 2000
J/kg.K and ρ = 1250 kg/m3.

Q.8) It is proposed to quench the steel balls of bearings, 1 cm in diameter, initially at

400°C is placed in a cold chamber maintained at – 20°C. The steel balls pass through
the chamber on a conveyor belt. Optimum bearing production requires that 75% of initial
thermal energy content of balls above –15°C be removed. How long the balls should be
placed in the chamber? Take
h = 100 W/m2.K, k = 46 W/m.K, Sp. gravity = 7.8, C = 420 J/kg.K.

Q.9) A cylindrical stainless steel ingot (k = 45 W/m.K), 15 cm in diameter and 40 cm

long passes through a treatment furnace, which is 6 m in length. The temperature of
furnace gas is 1300°C. The initial ingot temperature is 100°C. The combined radiant
and convective heat transfer coefficient is 100 W/m2.K. Calculate the maximum speed
with which the ingot should pass through the furnace, if it must attain a temperature of
850°C. Take α = 0.46 × 10-5 m2/s.

Q.10) A mild steel sphere of 15 mm in diameter initially at 625°C is exposed to a current

of air at 25°C with convection coefficient of 120 W/m2.K. Calculate : (i) Time required to
cool the sphere to 100°C. (ii) Initial rate of cooling in °C/s. (iii) Instantaneous heat
transfer rate at the end of one minute after the start of cooling. (iv) Total energy
transferred during first one minute.
Take properties of mild steel as: k = 43 W/m.K, ρ = 7850 kg/m3, C = 474 J/kg.K, α =
0.045 m2/s.

Q.11) A long and wide copper plate of 4.5 cm thick, at initial temperature of 180°C is
held on the water surface so that its one face is in contact with water at 25°C. The other
 Amrutvahini College of Engineering, Sangamner

surface is exposed to air side at 25°C. Unit surface conductance on the water and air
side are 80 and 8 W/m2.K, respectively. Neglecting the radiation losses, heat transfer
from edges and internal temperature gradients, find the time required to cool the plate to
90°C. The properties of the copper are : ρ = 8800 kg/m3, C = 410 J/kg.K, k = 380
W/m.K.
Also find the time required to cool the plate to 90°C, if it is placed in air only.

Transient Temperature by using Charts

Q.1) A 50 mm thick iron plate is initially at 225°C. Its both surfaces are suddenly
exposed to air at 25°C with convection coefficient of 500 W/m 2.K. (i) Calculate the
centre temperature, 2 minute after the start of exposure.
(ii) Calculate the temperature at th e depth of 10 mm from the surface, after 2 minute of
exposure. (iii) Calculate the energy removed from the plate per square meter during this
period.
Take thermo-physical properties of iron plate : k = 60 W/m.K, ρ = 7850 kg/m3, C = 460
J/kg, α = 1.6 × 10–5 m2/s.

Q.2) A long aluminium cylinder 5.0 cm in diameter and initially at 200°C is suddenly
exposed to a convection environment at 70°C with heat transfer coefficient of 525
W/m2.K. Calculate the temperature at the radius of 1.25 cm 1 minute after the cylinder
exposed to the environment.

Q.3) An iron sphere of diameter 5 cm is initially at a uniform temperature of 225°C. It is

suddenly exposed to an ambient at 25°C with convection coefficient of 500 W/m 2.K.
(i) Calculate the center temperature 2 minute after the start of exposure.
(ii) Calculate the temperature at the depth of 1 cm from the surface after 2 minute of
exposure.
(iii) Calculate the energy removed from the sphere during this period.
Take thermo-physical properties of iron plate : k = 60 W/m.K, ρ = 7850 kg/m3, C = 460
J/kg, α = 1.6 × 10–5 m2/s.

GATE Syllabus
Unsteady heat conduction, lumped parameter system, Heisler’s charts,
GATE Questions
Q.1) A steel ball of 10 mm diameter at 1000 K is required to be cooled to 350 K by
immersing it in a water environment at 300 K. The convective heat transfer coefficient is
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1000 W/m2K. Thermal conductivity of steel is 40 W/m-K. The time constant for the
cooling process τ is 16 s. The time required (in s) to reach the final temperature is
__________.
Q.2) Two cylindrical shafts A and B at the same initial temperature are simultaneously
placed in a furnace. The surfaces of the shafts remain at the furnace gas temperature at
all times after they are introduced into the furnace. The temperature variation in the
axial direction of the shafts can be assumed to be negligible. The data related to shafts
A and B is given in the following Table.

Quantity Shaft A Shaft B

Diameter (m) 0.4 0.1
Thermal conductivity (W/m-K) 40 20
Volumetric heat capacity (J/m3−K) 2×106 2×107

The temperature at the centerline of the shaft A reaches 400⁰C after two hours. The
time required (in hours) for the centerline of the shaft B to attain the temperature
of 400⁰C is _______
Q.3 A cylindrical steel rod, 0.01 m in diameter and 0.2 m in length is first heated to
750 oC and then immersed in a water bath at 100 oC. The heat transfer coefficient is
250 W/m2-K. The density, specific heat and thermal conductivity of steel are ρ = 7801
kg/m3, c = 473 J/kg-K, and k = 43 W/m-K, respectively. The time required for the rod to
reach 300 oC is ________ seconds.
Q.4) Biot number signifies the ratio of

(A) convective resistance in the fluid to conductive resistance in the solid

(B) convective resistance in the fluid to conductive resistance in the fluid

(C) inertia force to viscous force in the fluid

(D) buoyancy force to viscous force in the fluid

Q.5) A steel ball of diameter 60 mm is initially in thermal equilibrium at 1030°C in a

furnace. It is suddenly removed from the furnace and cooled in ambient air at 30°C, with
convective heat transfer coefficient h = 20 W/m2K. The thermo-physical properties of
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steel are: density ρ = 7800 kg/m3, conductivity k = 40 W/mK and specific heat c =
600 J/kgK. The time required in seconds to cool the steel ball in air from 1030°C to
430°C is
(A) 519

(B) 931

(C) 1195

(D) 2144
Q.6) A spherical steel ball of 12 mm diameter is initially at 1000 K. It is slowly cooled in
a surrounding of 300K. The heat transfer coefficient between the steel ball and the
surrounding is 5 W/m2 K. The thermal conductivity of steel is 20 W/mK. The temperature
difference between the centre and the surface of the steel ball is
A) large because conduction resistance is far higher than the convective
resistance

(B) large because conduction resistance is far less than the convective
resistance

(C) small because conduction resistance is far higher than the convective
resistance

(D) small because conduction resistance is far less than the convective
resistance

Q.7) The average heat transfer co-efficient on a thin hot vertical plate suspended in still
air can be determined from observations of the change in plate temperature with time as
it cools. Assume the plate temperature to be uniform at any instant of time and radiation
heat exchange with the surroundings negligible. The ambient temperature is 25°C, the
plate has a total surface area of 0.1 m2 and a mass of 4 kg. The specific heat of the
plate material is 2.5 KJ/kgK. The convective heat transfer co-efficient in W/m2K, at the
instant when the plate temperature is 225°C and the change in plate temperature with
time dT/dt = -0.02 K/s, is
(A) 200 (B) 20 (C) 15 (D) 10