1

Chapter 4 Transient heat conduction

4-1 introduction
In this chapter we will study
- Lumped system method
- Use Lumped system method to solve some transient heat conduction
problems


T
time
2
4-1 Lumped system method
The Boit number
A plate has thermal conductivity k, thickness L, and temperatureT
1
at the
left-hand side. The right-hand side temperature is T
2
and it is under
convection boundary condition with heat transfer coefficient h and ambient
temperature T

.





Under steady state,


If hL/k is much smaller than unity, T
1
T
2
will be much small than T
2
T

The temperature inside the plate is approximately uniform or constant.
The Boit number, Bi is defined as

Theoretically, if Bi is equal to 0, T
1
= T
2
.
T
1

T
2

T

1 2
1 2
2
( )
T T
Q kA hA T T
L

= =
1 2 2
( )
hL
T T T T
k

=
hL
Bi
k
=
L
kA
T
1
T
2
T

1
hA
3
4-1 Lumped system method
If Boit number is less than 0.1, . It is reasonable to
assume the temperature in the plane wall is approximately constant. For
an arbitrary shaped solid with no unique thickness the characteristic
length L is defined as



For a sphere of diameter d,

Note V is the volume of the object and A is the area which is responsible
to heat transfer. If part of the surface area is insulated, that part cannot
be counted as heat transfer area.





No insulation part Two ends are insulated


. . ..
Volume
L
heat transfer surface area
=
1 2 2
T T T T

3
2
1
1
6
6
d
V
L d
A d
t
t
= = =
4
4-2 Temperature variation of an object without internal heat generation
A device, initially, has a temperature T
i
in an oven. It is suddenly taken out
from the oven and put it in a fluid medium with temperature T

and
convection heat transfer coefficient h. The device has a mass m and
specific heat c. During a time interval dt, the amount of heat loss by
convection is equal to the change of internal energy of the device.

T is the instant temperature of the solid at time t and A is the heat transfer
area.
Rearranging the above equation



Integrating over the time
interval from 0 to t

is called time constant.

( ) ( ) hA T T dt mcdT mcd T T

= =
( ) d T T
hA
dt
T T mc

hA t
t
mc
i
T T
e e
T T
t

= =

hA
mc
= t
time
T
i


T

dT
5
4-3 Temperature variation of an object with internal heat generation
An electronic device has mass m, specific heat c, surface area exposed to
the fluid medium A. It is initially in equilibrium with the ambient temperature
T

. Suddenly, the device is energized and initiates a constant heat

generation. The energy balance relationship is


Rearranging


The initial and steady state conditions




The general solution consists of two parts;

- the complementary solution and the particular solution. it is obtained from


b is the integration constant
( ) ( )
in in
dT dT
Q mc hA T T mc Q hA T T
dt dt

= + =
( )
( )
in
Q d T T mc Q d
T T
hA dt hA dt hA
u
t u

= + =
0, 0
,
s
t
t T T
u
u

s =
=
0 ln ln ln
t
c c c
c c c
c
d d dt t t
b be
dt b
t
u u u
t u u u
u t t t

+ = = = + = =
T
time
T

T
s

6
4-3 Temperature variation of an object with internal heat generation
- The particular solution


The general solution is
when t = 0, T = T

and =0



When time is very long, the rate of heat generation is equal to the heat
dissipation


T
s
is the steady state operation temperature


in
p
Q
hA
u =
( )
in s
Q hA T T

=
t
in
Q
be
hA
t
u

= +
(1 )
t
in
Q
e
hA
t
u

=
in
Q
b
hA
=
T
s

T

Time t
7
Example 4-1 thermocouple
Given conditions : A thermocouple, d = 1mm, k = 35W/mK, = 8500kg/m
3
,
c = 320J/kgK, h = 210W/m
2
K,
Find : time when the thermocouple to read 99% of the (T

- T
i
)






Solution
- The Boit number



the Lumped system method is applicable

hL
Bi
k
=
0.99(T

- T
i
)
T

T
i

Time t
0.01(T

- T
i
)
3
2
1
210 0.00016
6
0.00016 0.1
6 35
d
V d x
L m Bi
A d
t
t
= = = = =
8
The time constant



The time to reach 1% error



Conclusion: this means that when you use this thermocouple to measure
temperature under these conditions, you still get 1% error after 10 sec of
waiting. For smaller error, you need to wait longer.


2.16
0.01 10sec
t t
i
T T
e e t
T T
t

= = =

3
2
1 1
8500 (0.001) 320
6 6
2.16
210
d c x x
mc
s
hA h d
t
t
t
= = = =
9
Example 4-2 Temperature variation of a semiconductor device
Example 2 An electronic device generates 4W of heat when it is energized
has dimensions 10mm x 10mm x 1mm. The device is mounted on a low
thermal conductivity epoxy glass printed circuit board. The heat transfer rate
form the device to the board can be neglected. Direct air cooling has to be
applied to maintain the operation temperature of the device to below to the
manufacturers recommended value. The convection heat transfer coefficient is
400 W/m
2
K. The thermo physical properties of the device are thermal
conductivity =20W/mK, specific heat= 4kJ/kgK, and density= 2000kg/m
3
. The
initial temperatures of the device and the ambient fluid temperature are 30
o
C.
Determine
(a) The time constant of the device
(b) The steady state operation temperature
The temperature of the device after 5 sec when the power is on.

Assumptions
- Constant thermo physical properties
- Radiation effect is neglected
Solutions
10
Example 4-2 Temperature variation of a semiconductor device
- Calculate the Boit number


Lumped system method is applicable
(a) The time constant



(b) The steady state operation temperature



The temperature after 5 sec operation



After the power is switched off, the temperature will reduce gradually.

2000(0.01 0.01 0.001)4000 0.8
14.3sec
400(0.01 0.01 4 0.01 0.001) 0.056
mc Vc x x
hA hA x x x

t = = = = =
+
4
30 101.4
0.056
o
s i
Q
T T C
hA
= + = + =
5
14.3
5
4
(1 ) 30 (1 ) 51.4
0.056
t
o
i
Q
T T e e C
hA
t

= + = + =
T
s

T

Time t
0.1 0.1 0.001 400 0.001
0.02 .02 0.1
0.1 0.1 4 0.1 0.001 20
c
c i
hL V x x x
L B
A x x x k
= = ~ = = =
+
11
Review
Lumped system method
Boit number


Temperature variation of an object with internal heat generation



Temperature variation of an object without internal heat generation

hL
Bi
k
=
. . ..
Volume
L
heat transfer surface area
=
( )
in
dT
Q mc hA T T
dt

= + (1 )
t
in
Q
T T e
hA
t

=
( )
dT
hA T T mc
dt

=
'
'
hA t
t
mc
i
T T
e e
T T
t

= =