03 – Modeling of

Thermal Systems
Osberth De Castro
Facultad de Ingeniería. Programa de Ingeniería Electrónica.
Sistemas Dinámicos / Control 1
Based on:
System Dynamics, by K. Ogata
Joel Dawson, course materials for 6.302 Feedback Systems, MIT, 2007
 Temperature

• Conduction: Surface contact.

• Convection: fluid movement.

• Radiation:
Prof. Osberth De Castro
 Conduction

q : rate of heat flow

q = Temperature

Prof. Osberth De Castro

 Mathematical Model
•  
Temperature 
• Thermal Resistance R
• Thermal Capacitance C
• Heat flow Rate: q

Prof. Osberth De Castro

 Thermal Resistance
•  
Cross Section área of material ()
Material Thermal conductivity. ()
Distance between points.

Prof. Osberth De Castro

 Thermal Resistance
•  
Then

Prof. Osberth De Castro

 Thermal Capacitance
•Measure
  of storage for internal enegy

Given the rate of internal enegy,

Mass of material
Specific heat Capacity
Rate of change of temperatura over time.

Prof. Osberth De Castro

 Thermal Resistance
  𝜃2 −𝜃1 𝑆𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑖= 𝑉
•𝑞=
𝑅 𝑅

In this case,  is the room temperature, used for reference. It’s constant.
a
http://lpsa.swarthmore.edu/Systems/Thermal/SysThermalIntro.html

Prof. Osberth De Castro

 Thermal Capacitance

•  
Measure of store for internal
enegy
Given the rate of internal enegy,

Thermal Capacitance
Mass of material
Specific Heat Capacity
Rate of change of temperatura over
time.
  𝑑 𝜃1 (𝑡 )
𝑞 𝑖 (𝑡 )=𝐶 1
𝑑𝑡
In this case, a is the room temperature, used for reference. It’s constant, so
it can be ignored by the derivative. We are using initial conditions = 0.
Prof. Osberth De Castro
 Complete Thermal Model
 

In this case, a is the room temperature, used for reference. It’s constant, so it can be
ignored by the derivative. We can also use a= 0 (right).
Prof. Osberth De Castro
 Complete thermal model by conduction
𝑅  𝑇
𝜃 𝑖 (𝑡) 𝑅  𝑇 𝜃 𝑜 (𝑡) 𝜃 𝑜 (𝑡) 𝜃 𝑖 (𝑡) 𝜃 𝑜 (𝑡)
𝐶  𝑇 𝜃 𝑖 (𝑡) 𝐶  𝑇 G(s)

•  

Prof. Osberth De Castro

 Activity
• Search for air and water thermal
coefficients (k, C).
• Estimate room thermal
characteristics (for air and water).

Prof. Osberth De Castro

 Simple Examples
• Bulb on a closed room.
• Closed Water heater.
• Fluids with inputs and outputs:

Prof. Osberth De Castro

 Modeling examples
Sistema Físico Modelo eléctrico

http://lpsa.swarthmore.edu/Systems/Thermal/SysThermalIntro.html

Prof. Osberth De Castro