NAME ______________________ LAB SECTION __________ DATE __________

ME 4751 - TRANSIENT HEAT TRANSFER

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this experiment is to investigate transient temperature variation of a vertical
flat plate subject to natural convection and radiation. Both experimental and analytical
methods will be employed in the study. The role of natural convection and radiation heat
transfer will be examined using the lumped capacitance method in a simplified numerical
analysis of plate cooling.

APPARATUS
The apparatus for this experiment is shown in Figure 1. The test plate assembly consists of
an electrical heating element sandwiched between the two aluminum plates. The plates
have a width of 176 mm (6.94 in.) and a height of 657 mm (25.88 in.); refer to Figure 2.
The mass of the test assembly is 3.13 kg and the total thickness is 11.1 mm (0.44 in.).
Power is initially supplied to the heating element in order to elevate the plate assembly
temperature above that of the surroundings. Thereafter the element is turned off, and the
plate is allowed to cool. The plate assembly is surrounded by a large wooden box (open at
the top and bottom) which prevents air currents in the room from affecting the plate
cooling, and serves as an extensive environment for the purposes of the radiation heat
transfer model. Thermocouples are mounted on the plate assembly in order to record the
transient temperature variation. An 8-channel thermocouple data acquisition system is used
to convey these data for subsequent analysis and modeling.

THEORY
After the power to the heating element has been turned off, the plate will begin to cool by
a combination of natural convection and radiation heat transfer. At any time there may be
a spatial variation of temperature within the plate assembly. However under special
conditions the spatial temperature variation is negligible, even though the overall
temperature is changing with time. When this is the case, the problem can be modeled
using the lumped capacitance approach. This approach is adequate when the following Biot
number criterion is met

heff Lc
Bi = ≤ 0.1 (1)
k

where ‘Bi’ is the dimensionless Biot number, ‘heff’ is the combined convection/radiation
heat transfer coefficient, ‘Lc’ is a characteristic dimension associated with the problem, and
‘k’ is the effective thermal conductivity of the plate/heater assembly. This criterion is
assumed to be satisfied in the present analysis, i.e., at all times the plate assembly is space-
wise isothermal. For the cooling process, a first law energy balance on the plate can be
expressed as

dT
-(q conv +q rad ) = mc dt (2)

where ‘qconv’ is convection heat transfer rate, ‘qrad’ is the radiation heat transfer rate, ‘m’ is
the mass of the plate assembly, ‘c’ is the effective specific heat of the plate assembly, and

ME 4751 Fall 2018 S. Idem

q rad = hrad A(T-T∞ ) (3)

where ‘ T ’ is the environment temperature, and ‘A’ is the surface area of both plates. The
radiation heat transfer coefficient ‘hrad’ is defined as follows

hrad = σε(T+T∞ )(T 2 +T∞2 ) (4)

where ‘σ’ is Stefan-Boltzmann’s constant and ‘ϵ’ is the plate emissivity. Newton’s law of
cooling can be used to model convection heat transfer

q conv = hconv (T-T∞ ) (5)

The average surface heat transfer coefficient for convection may be obtained from an
empirical correlation. Therein

NuL k fluid
hconv = (6)
L

where ‘NuL’ is the dimensionless Nusselt number, ‘kfluid’ is the thermal conductivity of air,
and ‘L’ is the height of the plate. For natural convection on a uniform temperature vertical
flat plate, an appropriate correlation is given by

2
1/6
0.387R L
NuL = {0.825+ 8/27 } (7)
0.492 9/16
[1+( ) ]
Pr

where ‘Pr’ is the Prandtl number of air, and the dimensionless Rayleigh number ‘RaL’ is
defined as

gβ(T-T∞ )L3
RaL = (8)
να

In this instance ‘g’ is the acceleration of gravity, ‘β’ is the volumetric thermal expansion
coefficient of air, ‘ν’ is kinematic viscosity of air, and ‘α’ is the thermal diffusivity of air.
All air properties are evaluated at the instantaneous film temperature

Tf = 12(T+T∞ ) (9)

The combined heat transfer coefficient is given by

heff = hrad + hconv (10)

Hence by Equation 2 the transient plate assembly temperature is determined by the

ME 4751 Fall 2018 S. Idem

This equation can readily be solved by numerical methods.

LABORATORY PROCEDURE
1. Turn on the power switch to the heating element and adjust the power level. Start the
data acquisition and allow the plate assembly to achieve a temperature of
approximately 325 K. Turn off the power supply and allow the plate assembly to cool.
2. Measure the transient plate temperature at each location using the data acquisition
system. Likewise record the instantaneous temperature of the air inside the enclosure.
Acquire these data at an interval of one minute. Terminate the measurements when the
plate is in thermal equilibrium with the surroundings.
3. Use the spreadsheet program which uses the lumped capacitance method as outlined
above to compare to the experimental data.

RESULTS
1. Perform a sample hand calculation of the Nusselt number at one prescribed test
condition on a separate sheet of paper (provided below); your instructor will provide
the appropriate air thermal properties.
2. Using data from the data acquisition software plot the measured plate assembly
temperature (K) variation as a function of time (min). Use the average temperature of
the plate in plotting the results. Carefully label and scale the graph; include the graph
with this report.
3. Use the spreadsheet program to predict the temperature variation of the plate with
time. Employ property data for the plate assembly as provided by the instructor.
Graphically compare these values with the experimental data. Carefully label and
scale the graph; include the graph with this report.
4. By means of the spreadsheet program, adjust the value of the plate surface emissivity
over a prescribed range (ε = 0.9, 0.8, 0.7) to examine the effect of radiation on transient
heat transfer; otherwise use the same input data as in part (2). Graphically compare
these results to the experimental data. Carefully label and scale the graph; include the
graph with this report.

ME 4751 Fall 2018 S. Idem

Figure 2. Plate assembly

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ME 4751 Fall 2018 S. Idem