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Experiment 9

This experiment investigates how changing the cross-sectional area of a thermal conductor affects its temperature profile. Three brass bars of equal length but varying widths were connected and heated to different power levels while temperature sensors measured the profile. The results showed that bars with smaller cross-sectional areas had steeper temperature gradients, in agreement with Fourier's law of heat conduction which states that rate of heat transfer is proportional to the temperature gradient and inversely proportional to the area. Increasing the input power also increased the temperature gradients observed.

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Fahad khalid
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101 views

Experiment 9

This experiment investigates how changing the cross-sectional area of a thermal conductor affects its temperature profile. Three brass bars of equal length but varying widths were connected and heated to different power levels while temperature sensors measured the profile. The results showed that bars with smaller cross-sectional areas had steeper temperature gradients, in agreement with Fourier's law of heat conduction which states that rate of heat transfer is proportional to the temperature gradient and inversely proportional to the area. Increasing the input power also increased the temperature gradients observed.

Uploaded by

Fahad khalid
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Experiment 9

‘’To Investigate the effect of change in cross-sectional area on


temperature profile along a Thermal conductor on Conductor Heat
Transfer Unit.’’
1. Objective
To investigate the effect of change in cross-sectional area on temperature profile along a Thermal
conductor on Conductor heat transfer unit.

2. Apparatus:
 Wattmeter
 Brass bars
 Temperature sensors
 Cooling water

3. Theory:
3.1. Heat Conduction
Heat is a form of energy which can be transferred from one point to other when the value of
temperature at the points are different from one another [1]. To understand this, consider you
have a rod with one end at a higher temperature and other end with low temperature. The atoms
at the end of high temperature will experience high energy and this energy will cause them to
move at their respective positions with high amplitude than before. One atom strikes the adjacent
atom in the body and transfers the energy to that atom. In this way energy is transferred to other
end of the rod where temperature is low. This process will continue until the temperature at both
ends gains equal value. This process is called heat conduction.

Figure 1: Heat Conduction through a wall


3.2. Fourier’s law of Heat Conduction
Fourier’s law of heat conduction or just the law of heat conduction states that
“The rate of Heat Transfer through a material is proportional to the area and negative gradient of
the temperature.’’

3.2.1. Equation
dT
Q = -kA
dx
dT
Q is heat transferred, A is the area, is temperature gradient and k are thermal conductivity
dx
coefficient with units Wm−1K−1. Different materials have different value of thermal conductivity.
Like for steel value of k is 64 Wm −1K−1, for copper it is 386 Wm −1K−1 and for air it is 0.027
Wm−1K−1 at 25o.

Figure 2: Fourier's equation of heat conduction through solid body

3.2.2. Assumptions
Few assumptions are made to deduce Fourier’s equation of heat conduction [2]. These
assumptions are:

 We consider steady state condition which means heat conduction remains with the time
and does not vary from time to time.
 No heat generation in the body.
 Temperature gradient remains constant.
 One directional heat flow is assumed.

3.2.3. Equation
dT
Q = -kA
dx
dT
Q is heat transferred, A is the area, is temparature gradient and k is thermal conductivity
dx
coeffeient with units Wm−1K−1. Different materials have different value of thermal conductivity.
Like for steel value of k is 64 Wm −1K−1, for copper it is 386 Wm −1K−1 and for air it is 0.027
Wm−1K−1 at 25o. It can be clearly seen that T and A both are inversely proportional to each other
in the formula.

Figure 3: Fourier's equation of heat conduction through solid body

3.3. Heat Conduction through Different Geometries


We already know that the formula for heat conduction (Fourier’s Law) is:
dT
Q = -kA
dx
When different geometries are placed under the same conditions in a thermal conductivity
environment, the main factor which will case difference in thermal conductivity is their cross-
sectional area. Value of k and Q will remain almost the same for these geometries but the area
will be different in each case and as we keep changing the area, the temperature profile
(gradient) will keep on changing as well. The gradient will change in for different geometries in
their temperature profiles.

Figure 4:General Temperature Profiles


4. Procedure
i. We have three bars of brass which are in contact with each other.
ii. Each bar has length if 30mm and over the total length 9 temperature sensors are placed at
a distance of 10mm from each other.
iii. Start providing input power of 5 watts and note the sensors reading.
iv. Now increase the power to 10 watts and note the readings and then note at 15 watts.
v. Plot the graphs using the noted readings.

5. Observations and Calculations


The experiment is on different power inputs the result is as follows:
Input Power is 40W

Table 1 Temp. VS Position at 40W

x T
0.01 113
0.02 111
0.03 110
0.05 44
0.07 35
0.08 33
0.09 32
120

100

80
Temperature [oC]

60

40

20

0
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08
Bar Length m

 Slope 1 = -150
 Slope 2 = -1875
 Slope 3 = -150

Input Power is 50W

Table 2 Temp. VS Position at 50W

x T
0.01 121
0.02 119
0.03 117
0.05 50
0.07 36
0.08 34
0.09 32
140

120

100
Temperature [oC]

80

60

40

20

0
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08
Bar Length m

 Slope 1 = -200
 Slope 2 = -2025
 Slope 3 = -200

6. Conclusion
Fourier’s law of heat conduction:
δT
q=−KA
δx
1
A∝
δT
δx
According to this formula, the area A and temperature gradient and inversely proportional to
each other. Under the same thermal conductivity, the hat transfer rate depends upon these two
factors. We observe that temperature gradient decreases because body offers resistance. For
small bodies, value of gradient is small due to large surface area, less resistance is offered by the
body to decrease the temperature. Hence the gradient is large.

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