HEAT TRANSFER LABORATORY MANUAL

EXPERIMENT NO: 1

Title: Thermal conductivity of metal rod.

Aim: 1) To determine the thermal conductivity of a given metal rod.

2) To study the variation of thermal conductivity with respect to temperature

Prerequisites: Thermodynamics, Fluid mechanics, Thermal conductivity, Fourier law.

Learning Objective:

1) To determine the thermal conductivity of given bar at various temperature.

2) To plot the temperature distribution along the length of Bar.

Theory:
Thermal conductivity is the physical property of the material denoting the ease
with a particular substance can accomplish the transmission of thermal energy by
molecular motion. Thermal conductivity of material is found to depend on the chemical
composition of the substance or substance of which it is a composed, the phase (i. e. gas,
liquid or solid) in which it exists, its crystalline structure if a solid, the temperature and
pressure to which it is subjected, and whether or not it is a homogeneous material.

Mechanism of thermal energy conduction in metals:

Thermal energy may be conducted in solids by two modes:
1. Lattice Vibrations.
2. Transport by free electrons.

In good electrical conductors a rather large no. of free electrons moves about in
the lattice structure of the material. Just as these electrons may transport electric charge,
they may also carry thermal energy from a high temperature region to a low temperature
region. In fact, these electrons are frequently referred as the electron gas. Energy may
also be transmitted as vibration energy in the lattice structure of the material. In general,
however this latter mode of energy transfer is not as large as the electron transport and it
is for this reason that good electrical conductors are almost always good heat conductors
viz. Copper, Aluminium and Silver. With increase in the temperature, however the

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increased lattice vibrations come in the way of transport by free electrons & for most of
the pure metals the thermal conductivity decreases with increase in the temperature.

Experimental Setup:

The apparatus consists of a metal bar one end of which is heated by electric heater
while the other projects inside a cooling water jacket. The middle portion of the bar is
insulated with asbestos filled in a cylindrical shell concentric to the rod. The temperature
of the bar is measured at three different sections with six numbers of thermocouples,
while radial temperature distribution is measured with four separate thermocouples. Two
thermocouples are also provided at the inlet & exit of the cooling water jacket. The
heater is provided with a dimmer-stat to control the heat input. Water under constant
head is circulated through the jacket and its temperature rise & flow rate are measured.

Fig.1 Thermal conductivity of copper metal rod

Specifications:
1. Length of the metal rod under study: L = 315 mm
2. Diameter of the metal rod: D = 25.4 mm = 2.54 cm
3. Distance between two thermocouples fitted on the rod = 63mm
4. No. of thermocouple mounted on the Bar (Positions are shown fig. 2) = 6
5. No. of thermocouples in the insulation shell (shown in fig. 2) = 4
6. Heater coil (Bald type): Nichrome wire.
7. Water jacket diameter = 90mm
8. Dimmer stat for heater coil = 2A
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9. Voltmeter range = 0 to 300 volts.

10. Ammeter range = 5 Amps.
11. Insulation material: Asbestos (k=0.166 W/mk)
12. Measuring flask for water flow rate = 600 ml

Precautions:
1. Keep the Dimmer stat at zero position before switch on power supply.
2. Increase the voltage gradually.
3. Operate selector switch of temperature indicator gently.
4. Do not exceed 100 volts so as to avoid fluctuating result.

Procedure:
1. Keep the dimmer-stat at minimum voltage position. Switch ON the electric supply.
2. Adjust the dimmer-stat to supply a voltage of 80 to 120 volts to the heating coil.
Maintain this constant throughout the experiment.
3. Start the cooling water supply.
4. Wait for steady state to be attained.
5. Note down the readings in the observation table as given below.
6. Note the mass flow rate of water in kg/s.

Observations:

1. Voltmeter reading (V) =__________Volts.

2. Ammeter reading (I) = ___________Amps.
3. Time required filling the volume of 600 ml = ___________s

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Observation Table:

Temperature after every 10 min of time interval

Thermocouple Position
0 10 20 30 40 50

T1

T2

T3

T4

T5

T6

T7

T8

T9

T10

T11

T12

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Calculations:
Draw a graph of Temperature vs. Length of rod with suitable scale.

A
B

Length of tube
dt
Find the slopes at three different sections.
dx

dT
| = ______________________/m
dx AA

dT
| = ______________________/m
dx BB

dT
| = ______________________/m
dx CC

1) Heat carried away by circulating water is,

Q = mCPw (T12 T11 ) = Q CC = ______________________W
Where,
w Volume of water
m = = _____________________ kgs
t
CPw = Specific heat of water at constant pressure = 4.18 kJ/kgK
2) Heat Conducted at Section C-C

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dT
Q = k c . A. |
dx CC

Heat carried away by circulating water = Heat Conducted at Section C-C

dT
mCPw (T12 T11 ) = k c . A. |
dx CC

k c = ___________________W/mk

3) Heat conducted at section B-B

dT
Q BB = k B . A. | = Q CC + radial heat lost between (BB CC)
dx BB

T9 T10
= Q CC + ln(r2 r1 )
2Lkins

Where, k ins = 0.166 W/mk &r1 = 50mm , r2 = 100 mm

k B = ___________________W/mk

dT
Q BB = k B . A. | = ________________________W
dx BB

4) Heat conducted at section A-A

dT
Q AA = k A . A. | = Q BB + radial heat lost between (AA BB)
dx AA

T7 T8
= Q BB + ln(r2 r1 )
2Lkins

k A = ___________________W/mk

dT
Q AA = k A . A. | = ________________________W
dx AA

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Result:
The thermal conductivity of a metal rod at sections:

A-A = _______________W/mk

B-B = _______________W/mk

C-C = _______________W/mk

Conclusion:
1) Purpose of providing insulation:-
Thermal conductivity is calculated by using Fourier law of unidirectional heat flow by
conduction. The heat flow from rod is axial as well as radial by putting insulation of
rod. We minimize and negligible heat loss through radial side and heat is flowing
unidirectional.
2) Purpose of estimating conductivity at different temperature:
Section AA, BB & CC along the rod are at different temperature hence the
conductivity is different.
3) Conductivity of metal depends on:
a) Availability of free electrons
b) Lattice vibration
4) Value of thermal conductivity decreases as temperature increases.
a) At section A-A
K=-------------- W/mk
x=----------------- m
b) At section B-B
K=-------------- W/mk
x=--------------- m
c) At section C-C
K=-------------- W/mk
x=--------------- m

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Text Books
1. Y.A. Cengel and A.J. Ghajar, Heat and Mass Transfer Fundamentals and
Applications, Tata
McGraw Hill Education Private Limited.
2. S.P. Sukhatme, A Textbook on Heat Transfer, Universities Press.

Reference Books
1. S.P. Venkatesan, Heat Transfer, Ane Books Pvt. Ltd.
2. Holman, Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer, McGraw Hill publication.
3. P.K. Nag, Heat & Mass Transfer, McGraw Hill Education Private Limited.
4. M. Thirumaleshwar, Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer, Pearson Education
India.
5. R.C. Sachdeva, Fundamentals of Engineering Heat and Mass Transfer, New Age
Science.

Review Questions

1. What is heat conduction?

2. What is thermal conductivity?

3. What is fundamental law of heat conduction?

4. State Fourier Law

5. What is potential for heat conduction?

6. What is effect of temperature on thermal conductivity of metals?

7. What is effect of temperature on thermal conductivity of non-metals?

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