Thermal Systems

In considering a control system for

the domestic central heating system
we need a model for how the output
of the system, i.e. the temperature of
a room, depends on a change to the
heat input to room.
Likewise, for a process control
system where we have a heater used
to change the temperature of a liquid,
we need a model relating the
temperature of the liquid to the heat
input.

Thermal systems
have two basic
building blocks,
resistance and
capacitance
(Figure 8.17).
Thermal resistance
The thermal resistance R is the resistance
offered to the rate of flow of heat q (Figure
8.17(a)) and is defined by:
where T
1
- T
2
is the temperature
difference through which the heat
flows.

For heat conduction through a solid we have
the rate of flow of heat proportional to the
cross-sectional area and the temperature
gradient.
Thus for two points at temperatures T1 and T2
and a distance L apart:
with k being the thermal
conductivity. Thus with this mode
of heat
transfer, the thermal resistance R
is L/Ak.

For heat transfer by convection between two
points, Newton's law of cooling gives:
where (T
2
T
1
) is the temperature
difference, h the coefficient of
heat transfer and A the surface area
across which the temperature
difference is. The thermal resistance
with this mode of heat transfer
is thus l/Ah.
Thermal capacitance
The thermal capacitance (Figure 8.17(b)) is a
measure of the store of internal energy in a
system. If the rate of flow of heat into a
system is q1 and the rate of flow out q2 then
the rate of change of internal energy of the
system is q1 q2. An increase in internal
energy can result in a change in temperature:
change in internal energy = mc x change in
temperature
where m is the mass and c the specific heat capacity. Thus
the rate of change of internal energy is equal to mc times the rate of
change of temperature.

Hence:
This equation can be written as:
Where the Capacitance C =
mc.
Example
Develop a model for the simple thermal
system of a thermometer at temperature T
being used to measure the temperature of a
liquid when it suddenly changes to the higher
temperature of TL (Figure8.18).

When the temperature changes there is heat flow
q from the liquid to the thermometer. The thermal
resistance to heat flow from the liquid to the
thermometer is:
Since there is only a net flow of heat
from the liquid to the thermometer the
thermal capacitance of the
thermometer is:

Substituting for q gives:
which, when rearranged gives:
This is a first-order differential equation.
Example
Determine a model for the temperature of a room
(Figure 8.19) containing a heater which supplies
heat at the rate q1 and the room loses heat at the
rate q2.
We will assume that the air in the room is at a
uniform temperature T.
If the air and furniture in the room have a
combined thermal capacity C, since the energy
rate to heat the room is q1 q2, we have:

If the temperature inside the room is T and
that outside the room To then
where R is the thermal resistance of
the walls. Substituting for q2
gives:
Hence:
This is a first-order differential equation.