Transient Conduction Lab

MAE 4310 Heat Transfer Laboratory

Section 3 Group 2

Caleb Herup, Alex Parrott, Alexander Rutsch

ABSTRACT
The Biot number is a ratio of thermal resistances that determines if the lumped capacitance
method is valid for transient thermal systems. The purpose of this lab was to determine the effect
of various parameters on the validity of the lumped capacitance model. Specimen shape, size, and
material, as well as the fluid temperature and convective heat transfer coefficient were examined
through experimental data collection and COMSOL simulation to determine the degree of effect
that each parameter had. It was determined that the specimen characteristics as well as the
convective heat transfer coefficient all had significant impact on the Biot number, and therefore
the validity of lumped capacitance. Fluid temperature was determined to have a minimal impact
on the Biot number for temperatures between 50 to 95.
INTRODUCTION
Not all forms of heat transfer occur at a steady state condition. Often the rate of heat transfer
will vary with time. This is especially true when a solid with a certain temperature is suddenly
exposed to ambient convection at a much different temperature. Because convection cools the
surface of the object so quickly, it is possible that the surface of the solid has a much different
temperature than the temperature at some internal point. The principle of transient conduction
governs this temperature difference.[1]
A solids shape, size, and material properties, as well as the convection rate all play a role
in determining transient conduction behavior. Unfortunately, modeling a system in transient
conduction is virtually impossible to do exactly. There are a couple approximate methods however
that can be used to determine general system behavior. The focus of this lab was on the Lumped
Capacitance method. Lumped Capacitance assumes that when compared to the temperature
difference between the solids surface and the surrounding fluid thats causing convection, the
temperature differences are negligible. Whenever this assumption is valid, the following equation
is also valid:[1]

() = + (0 ) (1)
Where () is the objects temperature as a function of time, is the temperature of the
surrounding fluid, 0 is the objects initial temperature, is time, and is a ratio of material
properties. is defined by the following equation:[1]

= (2)

Where is the density of the material, is the volume, is the specific heat, is the convective
heat transfer coefficient, and is the surface area of the solid.
Lumped Capacitance is only valid when the temperature distribution within the solid is
negligible compared to the temperature difference between the surface and the surrounding fluid.
Another way to state this concept is to say that an objects resistance to heat transfer within itself
is negligible compared to the resistance to heat transfer from the surface to the surrounding fluid.
There is a dimensionless number that helps to quantify when this assumption is valid. This number
is known as the Biot number and is quantified as follows:[1]

= = (3)

Where is the convective heat transfer coefficient, is the thermal conductivity of the material,

and is the volume to surface area ratio ( ). For Lumped Capacitance to be considered valid, a

Biot number of 0.1 or less is generally required. The purpose of this lab was to determine the
validity of the Lumped Capacitance method for a series of cases, and to determine the effect of
shape, size, and material properties on the validity of Lumped Capacitance.[1]
METHOD
[Insert experimental method here]
Three separate COMSOL simulations were generated to examine the effect of differing
parameters on lumped capacitance validity. The first simulation evaluated spheres of differing
diameters in identical fluid conditions. The normalized center temperature with respect to time
was examined for each sphere, as well as the temperature distribution within each sphere at a time
of three minutes.
The second simulation focused on varying the convective heat transfer coefficient for
identical spheres and identical fluid temperatures. The normalized center temperature with respect
to time was evaluated to determine the effect of the convective heat transfer coefficient on the
validity of lumped capacitance.
Finally, the third simulation varied fluid temperature with identical convective heat transfer
coefficients and identical spheres. The normalized center temperature was plotted with respect to
time to determine the effect of fluid temperature on the validity of lumped capacitance.
RESULTS
Experimental Results
[Insert experimental results here]
COMSOL Results
 Figure X: Normalized center temperature of different sized spheres
As seen in the figure above, normalized center temperatures vary widely with time when
the sphere size is changed. The smallest of them, sphere one, approaches a normalized temperature
of zero very quickly. This indicates that the center temperature approaches quickly, indicating
a lower Biot number. As the sphere size increases, the time it takes for the normalized center
temperature to approach zero increases drastically. From the figure it would follow that sphere one
is valid for a lumped capacitance model at three minutes, sphere two is marginally valid, and a
lumped capacitance analyzation for sphere three is invalid.
Such claims are validated in the following figure, where the temperature is plotted with
respect to distance from the spheres center. Observe the following distributions:
 Figure X: Temperature distribution within different sized spheres at three minutes
Lumped capacitance is considered valid when the temperature difference from the center
to the surface of a solid is negligible. At three minutes, sphere one has an unnoticeable temperature
difference, indicating the validity of lumped capacitance. Sphere three has a variance of nearly
15, and lumped capacitance is confirmed to be invalid. Sphere two is more difficult to decide
on the validity of lumped capacitance. At three minutes, there is a noticeable temperature
difference, but it is only 1. Lumped capacitance will prove decently accurate, and for most
applications should give reasonably close results.
The convective heat transfer coefficient also has a great impact on the Biot number, and by
extension, the validity of lumped capacitance. If the convective heat transfer coefficient was too
high relative to the thermal conductivity, surface temperature would change rapidly, and outstrip
the ability of internal conduction to change the center temperature to match. This would lead to
significant temperature distribution in the solid, and the lumped capacitance model would be
invalid. A COMSOL simulation was run that varied the convective heat transfer coefficient for a
given sphere, and plotted the change in surface temperature with time. The results are shown in
the figure below:
Figure X: Normalized center temperature versus time for different convective heat transfer
coefficients
 For a high convective heat transfer coefficient, the normalized
internal temperature of the sphere approaches zero very quickly. This is
due to the degree of heat flux at the surface. For a dramatic heat flux,
surface temperature spikes quickly, creating a very large temperature
difference between the surface and the center of the sphere. This in
turn creates a large conduction heat flux that makes the center
temperature rise quickly. It would follow then that for a large convective
heat transfer coefficient, lumped capacitance would be invalid initially,
but steady state would be reached quickly. Conversely, for a low
convective heat transfer coefficient, surface temperature would change
slowly, and the difference between internal and surface temperature
would be minimal. Therefore, lumped capacitance is more likely to be
valid, even though the system takes longer to reach steady state
conditions. Lower convective heat transfer coefficients allow internal
temperatures to keep pace with surface temperatures, allowing for the
lumped capacitance model to be used during analysis.
The final COMSOL simulation examined the effects of fluid temperature on the validity
of lumped capacitance. The following figure displays the internal temperatures with respect to time
for three different fluid temperatures:
 Figure X: Normalized center temperatures for different fluid temperatures
All three curves are very similar, indicating that the validity of lumped capacitance is
mostly independent of fluid temperature. Given the slight discrepancies between the various
temperatures, it is possible that extreme fluid temperatures could affect the validity of lumped
capacitance, but it is clear that the value of the convective heat transfer coefficient as well as object
size impact internal temperature distributions far more.
The following tables constitute a quantitative analysis of the results with respect to the Biot
Number for each scenario:
Material Shape Characteristic Thermal Convective Heat Fluid Biot
Length (m) Conductivity Transfer Temperature Number
(W/m*K)[2] Coefficient (C)
(W/m2*K)
Brass Sphere .0075 111 750 80 .050676
Brass Sphere .0167 111 750 80 .112613
Brass Sphere .0500 111 750 80 .337838
Brass Sphere .0075 111 100 80 .006757
Brass Sphere .0075 111 5000 80 .337838
Brass Sphere .0075 111 750 50 .050676
Brass Sphere .0075 111 750 95 .050676
Table X: Biot Number analysis for COMSOL simulations
Material Shape Characteristic Material Material Convective Fluid Time
Length (m) Density Specific Heat Transfer Temperature Constant
(kg/m3)[2] Heat Coefficient (C) (s)
Capacity, (W/(m2*K)
Cp
(J/kg*K)[2]
 Brass Sphere .0075 8530 380 750 80 32.414
Brass Sphere .0167 8530 380 750 80 72.031
Brass Sphere .0500 8530 380 750 80 216.093
Brass Sphere .0075 8530 380 100 80 243.105
Brass Sphere .0075 8530 380 5000 80 4.8621
Brass Sphere .0075 8530 380 750 50 32.414
Brass Sphere .0075 8530 380 750 95 32.414
Table X: Thermal Time Constant analysis for COMSOL simulations

CONCLUSION
[See copied abstract below to get started]
The Biot number is a ratio of thermal resistances that determines if the lumped capacitance
method is valid for transient thermal systems. The purpose of this lab was to determine the effect
of various parameters on the validity of the lumped capacitance model. Specimen shape, size, and
material, as well as the fluid temperature and convective heat transfer coefficient were examined
through experimental data collection and COMSOL simulation to determine the degree of effect
that each parameter had. It was determined that the specimen characteristics as well as the
convective heat transfer coefficient all had significant impact on the Biot number, and therefore
the validity of lumped capacitance. Fluid temperature was determined to have a minimal impact
on the Biot number for temperatures between 50 to 95.
REFERENCES
1) Moushon, Mitchell. MAE 4310 Heat Transfer Laboratory. 17 February 2017. Lab
Notes.

2) Bergman, Theodore, et al. Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer. John Wiley and
Sons, n.d. Book.

APPPENDICES
[Insert necessary appendices here. Probably none necessary]