One-Dimensional, Steady-State

Conduction without
Thermal Energy Generation

Chapter Three
Sections 3.1 through 3.4
Methodology

Methodology of a Conduction Analysis

Specify appropriate form of the heat equation.
Solve for the temperature distribution.
Apply Fouriers Law to determine the heat flux.

Simplest Case: One-Dimensional, Steady-State Conduction with No

Thermal Energy Generation.

Common Geometries:
The Plane Wall: Described in rectangular (x) coordinate. Area
perpendicular to direction of heat transfer is constant (independent of
x).
The Tube Wall: Radial conduction through tube wall.
The Spherical Shell: Radial conduction through shell wall.
Plane Wall
The Plane Wall
Consider a plane wall between two fluids of different temperature:

Heat Equation:
d dT
0
(3.1)
k
dx dx

Implications:
Heat flux qx is independent of x.
Heat rate qx is independent of x.
Boundary Conditions: T 0 Ts ,1, T L Ts ,2

Temperature Distribution for Constant :k

T x Ts ,1 Ts ,2 Ts ,1
x
(3.3)
L
Plane Wall (cont.)

Heat Flux and Heat Rate:

Ts ,1 Ts ,2
dT k
qx k (3.5)
dx L
qx kA
dT kA
dx

L
Ts ,1 Ts ,2 (3.4)
T
Thermal Resistances Rt and Thermal Circuits:
q
L
Conduction in a plane wall: Rt , cond (3.6)
kA
1
Convection: Rt ,conv (3.9)
hA
Thermal circuit for plane wall with adjoining fluids:

1 L 1
Rtot (3.12)
h1 A kA h 2 A
T,1 T,2
qx (3.11)
Rtot
Plane Wall (cont.)

Thermal Resistance for Unit Surface Area:

L 1
Rt,cond Rt,conv
k h
Units: Rt W/K Rt m 2 K/W
Radiation Resistance:
1 1
Rt , rad Rt, rad
hr A hr

hr Ts Tsur Ts2 Tsur
2
(1.9)

Contact Resistance:

TA TB Rt,c
Rt,c Rt ,c
qx Ac

Values depend on: Materials A and B, surface finishes, interstitial conditions, and
contact pressure (Tables 3.1 and 3.2)
Plane Wall (cont.) Composite Wall with Negligible
Contact Resistance:

T,1 T,4
qx (3.14)
Rtot

1 1 LA LB LC 1 Rtot
Rtot
A h1 k A k B kC h4 A

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient (U) :

A modified form of Newtons Law of Cooling to encompass multiple resistances
to heat transfer.
qx UAToverall (3.17)

1
Rtot (3.19)
UA
Plane Wall (cont.)

Series Parallel Composite Wall:

Note departure from one-dimensional conditions for k F k.G

Circuits based on assumption of isothermal surfaces normal to x direction or adiabatic

surfaces parallel to x direction provide approximations for . qx