MEGN 471 Example Problem Fall 2016

Example 5: Hot Wire Anemometer

A hot-wire anemometer is a short, thin wire heated
with current that is used to measure an air velocity
Vair in a particular flow direction. The wire is heated
by an electric current I and mounted to large leads
that have low electrical resistance. The wire has the
properties shown in the table and its electrical
resistance Relec depends linearly on temperature Tw.

Relec,T Relec,0 1 Tw T0

fromBernard
deGoMars

Tw for a given I to

The wire can be approximated as uniform

measure convection losses in the wire. Convective h depends
k
h 0.809 air Re0.385
d
d
on Reynolds number:

Property

Value

material

Tungsten

diam., d

5.0m

length, Lx

1.0mm

Relec,20C

2.85

0.0043K-1

air

1.5e-5 m2/s

kair

0.026W/m.K

a) Do a global energy balance to relate V to I assuming a

constant Tw? If the air is at Tair = 20C and the wire is kept
at Tw = 35C, find Vair as a function of I. Assume radiation
losses and conduction to the mount are negligibly small.

b) Assuming the mount is at Tair, write out the governing differential equation to solve for
Tw as a function of x and write the equation for heat lost qcond to the mount. For this
problem, assume Relec,T per unit length is constant at the 35C value.
Solution
a) Draw energy balance for steady state analysis of wire at uniform conditions
qconv dLxqconv

qcond qcond

d2
4

qrad dLxqrad

qgen Lx d2 4 qgen

qcond qcond

x
Lx =1.0mm

Assuming qrad from the surface and qcond at wire ends are negligibly small.
qgen I 2Relec,T I 2Relec,0 1 Tw T0

qconv hAw Tw Tair h Tw Tair dLx

dTw
0 qgen qconv I 2Relec,0 1 Tw T0 h Tw Tair dLx
dt
1 Tw T0 h Tw Tair dLx

dE wire mwC p,w

0 I 2Relec,0

h 0.809

kair
Re0.385
2756Vair0.385
d
d

qconv h Tw Tair dLx 6.94 104Vair0.385

d2
4

MEGN 471 Example Problem Fall 2016

Relec Relec,0 1 Tw T0 3.04

qgen I 2Relec,0 1 Tw T0 3.04I 2

6.94 104Vair0.385 3.04I 2

Here is a plot relating Vair to I for keeping the wire at Tw = 35 C. This plot can allow for
measures of I to give Vair.

b) Draw the energy balance on a x wire for doing the extended surface analysis
assuming Relec is constant. Assume steady state.

qconv,x h Tw Tair dx
d2
qcond,x

4

dq
x
d2
h Tw Tair dx cond,x x
Lx
dx
4

0 I 2Relec,T

x
d2T
d2
h Tw Tair dx k 2 x
Lx
4
dx

Tw Tair

dx

qgen,x I 2Relec,T

0 I 2Relec,T

dqcond,x

qcond,x

4I 2Relec,T

2
d Lxkw

4h
d 2
2
dkw
dx

x
Lx

d2
x
4

MEGN 471 Example Problem Fall 2016

Boundary conditions: at centerline

at interface with mount x0.5L 0
x

qmount 2kw

d
d

dx x0
4
2

d
0 for symmetry
dx
x0

MEGN 471 Example Problem Fall 2016

Example 6: Heat Sink for a Computer Chip
(from 3.146 in book) The amount of heat dissipated from a computer processor chip is
limited by the maximum allowable chip temperature Tc = 75 C. To maximize heat
dissipation, a 4 X 4 array of cylindrical copper pins are metallurgically joined to the outer
surface of a square chip that covers the processor, which is 12.7 mm X 12.7 mm. The
schematic below provides a cross-section through the center of a row of pins.

a) Sketch out the equivalent thermal circuit for the pin-chip-circuit board assembly
using qc as the heat generation of the chip. Assume 1-D steady-state conditions and
that the chip has adequate thermal conductivity to be at a uniform temperature. The
only contact resistance is between the chip and the board; i.e., the pin-chip
connection has no contact resistance.
b) For the conditions prescribed in the schematic above, what is the maximum qc in W
that can dissipated by the chip.