INME 4236

THERMAL SCIENCES LABORATORY

Uncertainty Analysis Example

Prepared by: Dr. Orlando E. Ruiz

Problem: An experiment is performed to determine the heat generation rate in a heating element by
measuring the voltage drop across the element and the surface temperature. The power source used has
a range of 0 - 15 VDC with ±0.2% of reading error. The temperature is measured using an Omega type
K thermocouple which has an error of ±2.2 °C. The heating element is shaped as a cylinder with a
diameter of 1 mm and a length of 5 cm. The heating element is made of tungsten which an electrical
resistivity at 20 °C (ρo) of 5.6 μΩ*cm. The electrical resistivity is a function of temperature that can be
determined based on the following model,
=o [1 T −T o ] ,
where ρo is the electrical resistivity at the reference temperature To (20 °C), T is the actual temperature
and α is the temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity, which has a value of 0.0045 Ω*cm/°C for
tungsten. The experimental data collected in the laboratory experiment is shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Experimental Data

Data point Voltage (V) Temp (C)
1 2.48 131.9
2 2.44 131.18
3 2.41 131.32
4 2.38 130.9
5 2.5 131.37
6 2.62 132.09
7 2.5 131.53
8 2.62 132.04
9 2.42 130.79
10 2.56 131.25
11 2.47 132.18
12 2.32 130.94
13 2.51 131.65
14 2.58 132.16
15 2.61 131.64
average 2.49 131.53
count 15 15
standard dev 0.09 0.47
Solution:
The heat generation rate in the heating element is a result of Joule heating due to the electrical current
that flows through the material. The heat generation rate is equivalent to the power dissipated which is,
2
V
Ė gen = ,
R
where V is the voltage in volts and R is the electrical resistance in ohms (Ω). The electrical resistance
of the cylindrical heating element is calculated as follows,
L L
R= = ,
A / 4 D 2
where ρ is the electrical resistivity, A is the cross sectional area, L is the cylinder length and D is the
cylinder diameter. Recall that the electrical resistivity is a function of temperature and as a result the
electrical resistance also depends on temperature. The heat generation rate is then,
2 2 2
A V / 4 D  V
Ė gen = = ,
L  L ao  T
where ao = ρo - α To = 5.51 x 10-6 Ω*cm for tungsten.
The average heat generation rate can be determine using the average values of voltage and temperature
readings from Table 1,
2 2
̇  / 40.001 m  2.49 V 
E gen= =15.96 W .
0.05 m −6
[ 5.51x10 0.0045∗10 131.53] 
−6

To determine the uncertainty in this value, we must determine the error propagation. The power source
component error is 0.2% of reading error. This value depends on the actual reading. A conservative
estimate would be to use the maximum component error which would be 15 * ±0.002 = ±0.03 volts.
The data scatter error is determined using the standard deviation of the voltage readings and the T
Student distribution value for a 95% confidence interval and with 14 degrees of freedom (t95%,14 =
2.145),
uscatter ,V =t 95 , 14  V =2.145∗0.09=0.193Volt .
This error is combined with the component error to produce the power source uncertainty,
uV =  u cu scatter , V =  0.03 0.193 =0.195Volt .
2 2 2 2

The expected values of voltage for the power source are expected to be in the following interval,
V = V ±u V =2.49±0.195 Volts .
The same analysis can be used to assess the uncertainty in the temperature readings. The instrument
error for a K type thermocouple is ±2.2 °C. The data scatter error due to the process is determined
using the standard deviation of the temperature readings from Table 1 as follows,
o
uscatter ,T =t 95 ,14 T =2.145∗0.47=1.01 C .
Combining the component and the data scatter error, we can determine the temperature readings
uncertainty as follows,
uT = u c u scatter , T =  2.2 1.01 =2.42 C .
2 2 2 2 o

The expected values of temperature for the heating element surface are expected to be in the following
interval,
o
T =T ±uT =131.53±2.42 C
To determine the uncertainty in the heat generation rate, we must perform the error propagation
analysis. The Kline-Mc Clintock analysis technique will be used. First the sensitivity indexes are
determined using the analytical expression for the heat generation rate as a function of voltage and
temperature. The voltage sensitivity index is determined using the average voltage and temperature
readings as follows,
∂ Ė gen  D 2 V W
V = = =12.82 .
∂V 2 L ao  T Volt
The temperature sensitivity index is determined using the following expression,
∂ Ė gen D
2
V
2
W
T = =− =−0.0118 o .
∂T 4 L ao  T  2
C
The uncertainty associated with the heat generation rate is determined as follows,
u Ė=  V uV  T uT  =  12.82∗0.195 −0.0118∗2.42 =2.5 W .
2 2 2 2

Finally, we can declare that the heat generation rate for this heating element during the experiment was
within the following interval, Ė gen = E ̇ ±u =15.96±2.5 W .
gen Ė