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Module 2 :

“Diffusive” heat and mass transfer

Lecture 16:

Cooling of a Sphere in contact with

a Well-Stirred Fluid & Heat

Conduction in Solids with

Interfacial Resistance

NPTEL , IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Saikat Chakraborty, Department of Chemical Engineering 
 

 
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A. Cooling of a Sphere in contact with a Well-Stirred

Fluid

∧
Consider a fluid of volume vf, density ρ f , heat capacity C p f , and initially at temperature

∧
T0. Let’s assume that the sphere of volume vs, density ρ s , heat capacity C ps , and initially

at temperature T1.

Assumptions

1. Well-mixed fluids
 
2. No external heat transfer resistance

Find the temperature of fluid as a

function of time (Tf (t)).

Governing equations are

For sphere

∂θ s 1 ∂ ⎛ 2 ∂θ s ⎞
= 2 ⎜ξ ⎟ (1)
∂τ ξ ∂ξ ⎝ ∂ξ ⎠

NPTEL , IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Saikat Chakraborty, Department of Chemical Engineering 
 

 
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For fluid

∂θ f 3 ∂θ s
=− (2)
∂τ B ∂ξ ξ =1

⎛ ∧
⎞
⎜ v f ρ f C pf ⎟
Where B = ⎝ ⎠
⎛ ∧
⎞
⎜ vs ρ s C ps ⎟
⎝ ⎠

The initial and boundary conditions are

At τ = 0 ⇒ θ s = 0
At ξ = 1 ⇒ θ s = θ f
At ξ = 0 ⇒ θ s = finite

Considering the dimensionless quantities

T1 − Ts T −T r αt
θs = , θ f = 1 f , ξ = , τ = s2
T1 − T0 T1 − T0 R R

It will be convenient to solve eqn. (1) using Laplace transform

Therefore

1 d ⎛ 2 dθ s ⎞
pθ s = ⎜ξ ⎟ (3)
ξ 2 dξ ⎝ dξ ⎠

And eqn. (2) gives

NPTEL , IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Saikat Chakraborty, Department of Chemical Engineering 
 

 
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3 dθ s
pθ f − 1 = − (4)
B dξ ξ =1

The solution to eqn. (3) is

C D
θs = sinh pξ + cosh pξ (5)
ξ ξ

The second term on right hand side is equal to zero since θ s is finite at ξ = 0 .

Substituting eqn. (5) into eqn. (4), we get

θf =
1
p
+3
C
Bp
(
sinh p − p cosh p ) (6)

To determine C, equate θ s = θ f at ξ = 1 . Using eqn. (5) & (6), we get

θf =
1
⎧
⎪
+ 3⎨
( )
1 − p tanh p ⎫
⎪
(7)
⎬
p ⎪⎩ ( 3 − Bp ) p tanh p − 3 p ⎪⎭

The inverse transform yields

B ∞ exp ( −bk 2τ )
θf = + 6B∑ 2 2 (8)
1+ B k =1 B bk + 9 (1 + B )

3b
where bk are the roots of tan b =
3 + Bb 2

NPTEL , IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Saikat Chakraborty, Department of Chemical Engineering 
 

 
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Note that

⎛ T fluid − T0 ⎞
1. At thermal equilibrium (1 + B ) ⎜ ⎟ =1.
⎝ T1 − T0 ⎠

2. This plot can be used to determine α s .

3. Tf was obtained w/o the need to solve for Ts ( (ξ ,t )

NPTEL , IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Saikat Chakraborty, Department of Chemical Engineering 
 

 
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B. Heat Conduction with Interfacial Resistance

Consider a finite slab of thickness 2b with initial temperature T0. Assuming, convection

losses at both faces of the slab with heat transfer coefficient h into a medium at

temperature T∞.

The unsteady state heat conduction equation in one dimension in y-direction is given by

∂T ∂ 2T
=α 2 (9)
∂t ∂y

Where α is the thermal diffusivity

Defining dimensionless quantities

θ=
( T − T∞ ) , η = y , τ = α t ,
( T0 − T∞ ) b b2
 
Fig.15.1. Heat transfer through slab

Biot number: It is a dimensionless number used in unsteady state heat transfer

calculations. It relates the heat transfer resistance inside and at the surface of the body.

Mathematically it can be defined as

External heat transfer hb

If Bi>1 indicates that system is internal heat transfer controlled

NPTEL , IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Saikat Chakraborty, Department of Chemical Engineering 
 

 
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If Bi<1 indicates that the system is external heat transfer controlled

Also, rate of heat transfer is given by

⎛ ∂T ⎞
q = −k ⎜ ⎟ =h (T∞ − T ) (10)
⎝ ∂y ⎠ y =± b

Using dimensionless quantities eqn. (9) becomes

∂θ ∂ 2θ
=α 2 (11)
∂τ ∂η

And from eqn. (10) and definition of Biot number

∂θ
= Biθ (12)
∂η

Solution of problem given by eqn. (11) is

∞
2 Bi cos β nη
θ =∑ (
exp − β n 2τ ) (13)
n =1 (β n
2 2
)
+ Bi + Bi cos β n

where βn are the positive roots of β tanβ=Bi.

NPTEL , IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Saikat Chakraborty, Department of Chemical Engineering 
 

 
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Fig.15.2. Surface temperature (θs) versus logm τ

Fig.15.3. Center temperature (θc) versus logm τ

NPTEL , IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Saikat Chakraborty, Department of Chemical Engineering 
 

 
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Heat flux at interface

∂T k ∞
2 Bi 2
q0 = − k = (T0 − T∞ ) ∑ 2 (
exp − β n 2τ ) (14)
∂y y =± b
b (
n =1 β n + Bi + Bi )
2

Rearranging, we get

∞
q0 2 Bi
q* = =∑ exp − β n 2τ ( ) (15)
(
h (T0 − T∞ ) n =1 β n + Bi + Bi
2 2
)

For finite slab with interface resistance

y ⎛ hb h2 ⎞ ⎛ y h ⎞
θ = erf + exp ⎜ + 2 at ⎟ erfc ⎜ + at ⎟ (16)
4α t ⎝ k k ⎠ ⎝ 4α t k ⎠

h2
Here 2
at = τ Bi 2
k

( )
q* = exp Bi 2τ erfc Bi τ ( ) (17)

NPTEL , IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Saikat Chakraborty, Department of Chemical Engineering 
 

 
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NPTEL , IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Saikat Chakraborty, Department of Chemical Engineering