1

Midterm Exam
CHE 210 Heat and Mass Transfer
Feb 14, 2011
Prof. Radisic
Solutions

1 Page (8.5 by 11) double-sided of notes allowed
2 hr
Out of 20 pt

Name:_______________________________________

Problem #1 (3pt): A cartridge electrical heater is shaped like a cylinder of length
L=200mm and outer diameter D=20mm. Under normal operating conditions the heater
dissipates 2kW while submerged in water flow that is at 20
o
C and provides a convection
heat transfer coefficient of h=5000W/m
2
K. Neglecting heat transfer from the ends of the
heater determine its surface temperature Ts. If the water flow is inadvertently terminated
while the heater continues to operate, the heater surface is exposed to air that is also at
20
o
C but for which h=50 W/m
2
K. What is the corresponding surface temperature? What
are the consequences of such an event?























2













3
Problem #2 (4pt): The composite wall of an oven consist of three materials, two of
which are of known thermal conductivity, k
A
=20W/mK and k
c
=50 W/mK, and known
thickness, L
A
=0.30m and L
c
=0.15m. The third material, B, which is sandwiched
between materials A and C is of known thickness, L
B
=0.15m, but unknown thermal
conductivity k
B
.


Under steady-state operating conditions, measurements reveal an outer surface
temperature of T
s,o
= 20C, an inner surface temperature of T
s,I
=600C and an oven air
temperature of T

=800C. The inside convection coefficient h is known to be 25

W/m
2
K. What is the value of k
B
?
























4
















5
Problem #3 (6pt): A nuclear fuel element of thickness 2L is covered with a steel
cladding of thickness b. Heat generated within the nuclear fuel at a rate of q is removed
by a fluid at T

, which adjoins one surface and is characterized by a convection

coefficient h. The other surface is well insulated, and the fuel and steel have thermal
conductivities of k
f
and k
s
, respectively.




a) Obtain an equation for the temperature distribution T(x) in the nuclear fuel.
Express your results in terms of q, k
f
, L, b, k
s
, h, and T

.

b) Sketch the temperature distribution T(x) for the entire system.























6





7











8
Problem #4 (7pt): A thermal energy storage unit consists of a large rectangular channel,
which is well insulated on its outer surface and encloses alternating layers of the storage
material and flow passage




Each layer of the storage material is an aluminum slab of width the 0.5m, which is at an
initial temperature of 25C. Consider conditions for which the storage unit is charged by
passing a hot gas through the passages, with the gas temperature and the convection
coefficient assumed to have constant values of T

=600C and h= 100W/m

2
K throughout
the channel. Assume that the storage element is well insulated from the top and the
bottom so all of the heat transfer would only occur on the sides.

What is the temperature of the object at t=970s?

Derive an equation to calculate the total energy transfer occurring in time t between the
hot gas and the aluminum storage material. Determine total heat transferred in 970s per
0.1m
2
of surface available for heat transfer.

Assume that aluminum has the following properties:
k=231W/mK
Cp=1033 J/kgK
=2702kg/m
3