Taibah University College of Engineering

Mechanical Engineering Quiz (1)/2021 (2nd term)

Heat transfer (ME-327) Time Allowed: 60 minutes

 Be neat and organized. Make sure your answers are legible.

 This examination consists of three pages. Point values for each problem are indicated to the right.
 If you think that something is missing with one of the problems below, please state your concern in your exam
books. Please circle your final answer.

Please Attempt the Following Questions: (15 points)

Question # 1 (3 points)

1. How does the science of heat transfer differ from the science of thermodynamics? (1 points)

Thermodynamics deals with the amount of heat transfer as a system undergoes a process from
one equilibrium state to another. Heat transfer, on the other hand, deals with the rate of heat
transfer as well as the temperature distribution within the system at a specified time.

2. What are the mechanisms of heat transfer? How are they distinguished from each other? (1
points)

The mechanisms of heat transfer are conduction, convection and radiation. Conduction is the
transfer of energy from the more energetic particles of a substance to the adjacent less energetic
ones as a result of interactions between the particles. Convection is the mode of energy transfer
between a solid surface and the adjacent liquid or gas which is in motion, and it involves
combined effects of conduction and fluid motion. Radiation is energy emitted by matter in the
form of electromagnetic waves (or photons) as a result of the changes in the electronic
configurations of the atoms or molecules.

3. Consider heat conduction through a wall of thickness L and area A. Under what conditions
will the temperature distributions in the wall be a straight line? (1 points)

The temperature distribution in a plane wall will be a straight line during steady and one
dimensional heat transfer with constant wall thermal conductivity.

Dr. Khaled. Harby 1-3

Taibah University College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Quiz (1)/2021 (2nd term)
Heat transfer (ME-327) Time Allowed: 60 minutes

Question # 2 (12 points)

1. A1200-W iron is left on the ironing board with its base exposed to the air. About 90 percent of
the heat generated in the iron is dissipated through its base whose surface area is 150 cm2, and
the remaining 10 percent through other surfaces. Assuming the heat transfer from the surface to
be uniform, determine; (4 points)
(a) the amount of heat the iron dissipates during a 2-hour period, in kWh,
(b) the heat flux on the surface of the iron base, in W/m2, and
(c) the total cost of the electrical energy consumed during this 2-hour period. Take the unit cost
of electricity to be $0.07/kWh.

Analysis (a) The amount of heat the iron dissipates during a 2-h period is
Q = Q t = (12
. kW)(2 h) = 2.4 kWh

(b) The heat flux on the surface of the iron base is

Q base = (0.9)(1200 W) = 1080 W

Q base 1080 W
q = = = 72,000 W / m 2
Abase 0.015 m2

(c) The cost of electricity consumed during this period is

Cost of electricity = (2.4 kWh)  ($0.07 / kWh) = $0.17

2. Consider a composite structure shown below. The thermal conductivities are: k2 = k4 = 70

W/mK, k3 = 190 W/mK, k1=k5 = 130 W/mK, and k6 = 120 W/mK and air temperature on the left
side is 26 ºC, and on the right side is 98 ºC. Convection coefficient is h = 22 W/m2K on both
sides. The thermal contact conductance at the interface between layers 2 and 3 is measured to be
8,000 W/m2·K (4 points)

a) Construct the thermal circuit model,

b) Find the total thermal resistance of the composite wall,
c) What is the rate of heat transfer through the composite?

Dr. Khaled. Harby 2-3

Taibah University College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Quiz (1)/2021 (2nd term)
Heat transfer (ME-327) Time Allowed: 60 minutes

3. A 3-m internal diameter spherical tank made of 2-cm-thick stainless steel (k = 15 W/m·K) is
used to store iced water at T1 = 0°C. The tank is located in a room whose temperature is T2 =
22°C. The walls of the room are also at 22°C. The outer surface of the tank is black 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 h1 = 80 W/m2·K and h2= 10 W/m2·K, respectively. Determine; (4 points)

(a) Draw the thermal resistance

(b) the rate of heat transfer to the iced water in the tank and
(c) the amount of ice at 0°C that melts during a 8-h period
(d) If we are doubling the thickness of the spherical tank, the interface temperature will increase
or decrease?

Analysis (a) The inner and the outer surface areas of sphere are
Ai = Di 2 =  (5 m) 2 = 78.54 m 2 Ao = Do 2 =  (5.03 m) 2 = 79.49 m 2
We assume the outer surface temperature T2 to be 5°C after comparing convection heat transfer
coefficients at the inner and the outer surfaces of the tank. With this assumption, the radiation heat
transfer coefficient can be determined from
hrad =  (T2 2 + Tsurr 2 )(T2 + Tsurr )
= 1(5.67  10 −8 W/m 2 .K 4 )[(273 + 5 K ) 2 + (273 + 30 K ) 2 ](273 + 30 K)(273 + 5 K )] = 5.570 W/m 2 .K
The individual thermal resistances are

Dr. Khaled. Harby 3-3

Taibah University College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Quiz (1)/2021 (2nd term)
Heat transfer (ME-327) Time Allowed: 60 minutes

1 1
Rconv ,i = = = 0.000159 C/W
hi A (80 W/m 2 .C)(78.54 m 2 )
r −r (2.515 − 2.5) m
R1 = R sphere = 2 1 = = 0.000013 C/W
4kr1 r2 4 (15 W/m. C)(2.515 m )(2.5 m )
1 1
Rconv ,o = = = 0.00126 C/W
ho A (10 W/m 2 .C)(79.49 m 2 )
1 1
R rad = = = 0.00226 C/W
hrad A (5.57 W/m 2 .C)(79.54 m 2 )
1 1 1 1 1
= + = + ⎯⎯→ Reqv = 0.000809 C/W
Reqv Rconv ,o R rad 0.00126 0.00226
Rtotal = Rconv ,i + R1 + Reqv = 0.000159 + 0.000013 + 0.000809 = 0.000981 C/W
Then the steady rate of heat transfer to the iced water becomes
T − T 2 (30 − 0)C
Q = 1 = = 30,581W
Rtotal 0.000981 C/W
(b) The total amount of heat transfer during a 24-hour period and the amount of ice that will melt
during this period are
Q = Q t = (30.581 kJ/s)(24  3600 s) = 2.642  10 6 kJ
Q 2.642  10 6 kJ
mice = = = 7918 kg
hif 333 .7 kJ/kg

Check: The outer surface temperature of the tank is

Q 30,581 W
Q = hconv + rad Ao (T1 − Ts ) → Ts = T1 − = 30C − = 5.3C
hconv + rad Ao (10 + 5.57 W/m 2 .C)(79.54 m 2 )
which is very close to the assumed temperature of 5C for the outer surface temperature used in the
evaluation of the radiation heat transfer coefficient. Therefore, there is no need to repeat the
calculations.
c)
d)

☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺
Good luck
Assoc Prof. Khaled Harby

Dr. Khaled. Harby 4-3