PROBLEM 5.

104
KNOWN: Plane wall, infinite cylinder and sphere each subjected to a constant surface heat flux.
FIND: The ratio of (i) the actual surface temperature minus the initial temperature, (T
s,act
T
i
), to (ii)
the value of this temperature difference associated with lumped capacitance behavior, (T
s,lc
T
i
), for
each of the three geometries. Criteria associated with (T
s,act
T
i
)/(T
s,lc
T
i
) s 1.1.
SCHEMATIC:
ASSUMPTIONS: (1) One-dimensional conduction, (2) Constant properties, (3) Fo > 0.2.
ANALYSIS: From Table 5.2b, the approximate solutions for all three geometries may be expressed
as
1
"
2
,
( )
s c
s act i c
q L kt
a b
k T T cL

(
= +
(

(1)
where L
c
= L for the plane wall, and L
c
= r
o
for the infinite cylinder and the sphere. The constants a
and b have the following values.
Geometry L
c
a b
Plane wall L 1 1/3
Infinite cylinder r
o
2 1/4
Sphere r
o
3 1/5
For the lumped-capacitance analysis with constant heat flux, we note that in general,
"
,
( )
s s s lc i
q A t cV T T = . Substituting expressions for the surface area and volume of each of the three
geometries results in the general expression,
( )
"
,
/
s lc i s c
T T aq t cL = (2)
where the constant a is the same as in the table above. Solving Eq. (1) for (T
s,act
T
i
) and dividing the
resulting expression by Eq. (2) results in
Continued
T
s
L L
x
T
i
, k, , c
T
s
q
s
r
T
i
, k, , c
r
o
q
s
r
T
i
, k, , c
r
o
q
s
q
s
Plane wall Infinite cylinder or sphere
PROBLEM C5.104 (Cont.)
( )
( )
| |
"
2
,
"
,
1
1
s c
c
s act i c
s lc i s
q L k t
a b cL
k c T T L
b
aFo b
aFo aFo T T aq t

( | |
+
( |
|

( \ .
= = + = +

(3)
Therefore, for the plane wall,
( )
( )
,
,
1
1 1
3
s act i
s lc i
T T
b
aFo Fo T T

= + = +

<
for the infinite cylinder,
( )
( )
,
,
1
1 1
8
s act i
s lc i
T T
b
aFo Fo T T

= + = +

<
for the sphere,
( )
( )
,
,
1
1 1
15
s act i
s lc i
T T
b
aFo Fo T T

= + = +

<
The preceding equations may be solved for the Fourier number associated with (T
s,act
T
i
)/(T
s,lc
T
i
) =
1.1, yielding critical Fourier numbers, Fo
c
= 3.33, 1.25 and 0.667 for the plane wall, infinite cylinder,
and sphere, respectively. Lumped capacitance behavior is exhibited at dimensionless times greater
than Fo
c
.
COMMENTS: (1) The calculated values of the Fourier number are each greater than 0.2. Hence, use
of the approximate solutions for Fo > 0.2 is justified. (2) The dimensionless time at which lumped
capacitance behavior is reached varies with the geometry.