CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SERIES: HEAT TRANSFER

SOLVED PROBLEMS

A hollow metal sphere is heated so that the inside wall temperature is 300 F. The sphere has
an internal diameter of 6-in and is 2-in thick. What is the heat loss from the sphere if the outer
surface is maintained at 212 F? The thermal conductivity of the metal is 8 BTUft/hft2F.

Source: Chemical Engineering Review Manual by Randall Robinson

SOLUTION:

Mode of Heat Transfer: Conduction through a hollow sphere

q dT
=k
A dx

A=4 r 2

q dT
=k
4r 2
dr

ro To
dr
q 2 =4 k dT
r ri T i

q ( r1 r1 )=4 k (T T )
o 1
o i

4 k r o r i ( T oT i )
q=
( r ir o )

ENGR. RONNIE V. FLORES Page 1

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SERIES: HEAT TRANSFER
SOLVED PROBLEMS

BTU ft

q=
(
4 8
h ft 2 F )( 125 ft)( 123 ft )( 212300) F
( 123 125 ) ft
BTU
q=5,529.20
h

ENGR. RONNIE V. FLORES Page 2