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The document describes an experiment to measure the thermal conductivity of fluids. It discusses the theory of thermal conductivity, the experimental apparatus which consists of a heated plug inside a water-cooled jacket with a small gap for the fluid, and the procedure to calculate thermal conductivity from temperature measurements. The thermal conductivity of air is determined to be 1.247 W/m∙°C in this experiment.

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حمزة رعد حسن
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15 views5 pages

Objective

The document describes an experiment to measure the thermal conductivity of fluids. It discusses the theory of thermal conductivity, the experimental apparatus which consists of a heated plug inside a water-cooled jacket with a small gap for the fluid, and the procedure to calculate thermal conductivity from temperature measurements. The thermal conductivity of air is determined to be 1.247 W/m∙°C in this experiment.

Uploaded by

حمزة رعد حسن
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Objective :

• Calculate the thermal conductivity of fluids.

Introduction :
Heat transfer is a basic and very important topic that deals with energy and has long
been an essential part of mechanical engineering curricula all over the world. Heat
transfer processes are encountered in a large number of engineering applications.
It is essential for thermal engineers to understand the principles of thermodynamics
and heat transfer and be able to employ the rate equations that govern the amount
of energy being transferred. However, the majority of students perceive these
topics as difficult.

Theory :
Thermal conduction is a very important and a major topic in the study of heat
transfer. Conduction is the transfer of energy from energetic particles of a substance
to the adjacent less energetic ones as a result of interactions between the particles.
Conduction can take place in solids, liquids, or gases. In gases and liquids,
conduction is due to the collision and diffusion of the molecules during their random
motion. The rate of heat conduction is proportional to the area and the temperature
difference, and inversely proportional to the thickness of the material. The constant
of proportionality is the thermal conductivity. Thus, the thermal conductivity, k, of
a material is defined as the rate of heat transfer through a unit thickness of the
material per unit area per unit temperature difference. Therefore, it is a measure of
how fast heat will flow in the material. A large value for thermal conductivity
indicates that the material is a good conductor, while a low value indicates that the
material is a poor conductor or a good insulator, The thermal conductivities of
materials vary with temperature. This variation, for some materials over certain
temperature ranges, is small enough to be neglected. However, in many cases, such
as liquids and gases, the variation of the thermal conductivity with temperature is
significant. Determining the physical properties of substances is an important
subject in many advanced engineering applications. The physical properties of fluids
(liquids and gases), such as thermal conductivity, play an important role in the
design of a wide variety of engineering applications, such as heat exchangers.

Experimental Apparatus :
The test module is a plug and jacket assembly that consists of a cylindrical heated
plug and cylindrical water cooled jacket. The fluid (liquid or gas), whose thermal
conductivity is to be measured, fills a small radial clearance between the heated
plug and the water cooled jacket. It should be noted that the clearance is made small
in size so as to prevent natural convection in the fluid. The cylindrical plug is made
of aluminum (to reduce thermal inertia and temperature variation) with a built-in
cylindrical heating element and temperature sensor (thermocouple). The
temperature sensor is inserted into the plug close to its external surface. The plug
also has ports for the introduction and venting of the fluid (liquid or gas) whose
thermal conductivity is to be measured.
The plug is placed in the middle of the cylindrical water jacket. The water jacket is
constructed from brass and has a water inlet and drain connections. A
thermocouple is also fitted to the inner sleeve of the water jacket. The sketch of
apparatus shown in figure 1

Figure 1: Sketch of the apparatu


Procedure :
The following is a brief summary of the procedure to carry out the calibration of
the unit:
1. Set up the equipment and make the necessary connections;
2. Pass water through the jacket at about 3 liters per minute;
3. Connect the small flexible tubes to the charging and vent unions;
4. Close off the tubing with a pure air sample trapped in the device;
5. Switch on the electrical supply;
6. At intervals, check the temperature of the plug, T1, and jacket, T2, and when
they are stable, record their values and also the voltage

Calculation :

𝑇1 =10℃ , 𝑇2 = 20℃
𝑇1 +𝑇2 10+20
𝑇𝑎𝑣𝑒 = = = 20℃
2 2

2. Find the incidental heat transfer, 𝑄𝑖 , (loss, radiation, etc.) from figure 2 at the
𝑇𝑎𝑣𝑒
𝑄𝑖 =8.421 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑡
3.Calculate the rate of electrical heat input, 𝑄𝑒 , from:
I=0.43 amp
V=220 volt
𝑄𝑒 = 𝐼 × 𝑉 (𝑊 )
𝑄𝑒 = 0.43 ∗ 220 = 94.6 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑡
4.Calculate the rate of heat conducted through the air lamina, 𝑄𝑐 , where the
incidental heat transfer is the difference between the electrical heat input and the
heat conducted through the fluid in the radial clearance, ie:
𝑄𝑖 = 𝑄𝑒 − 𝑄𝑐
𝑄𝑖 = 94.6 − 8.421 = 86.18 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑡

5.Find the thermal conductivity from Fourier’s Law:


∆𝑇
𝑄𝑐 = −𝑘𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝐴
∆𝑟
𝐴 = 𝜋𝐷𝑖 𝐿
Where A is the area, the radial clearance is ∆𝑟=0.5 mm.

𝐴 = 𝜋(0.005)(0.11) = 1.728 ∗ 10−3


𝑄𝑐 86.18
𝐾= = = 1.247𝑤/𝑚. ℃
∆𝑇 20
𝐴 1.728 ∗ 10−3
∆𝑟 57 ∗ 10−4

6.Find the thermal conductivity of the air, kair, at the average temperature in step
1. Temperature-dependent thermal conductivity values for air are found in any heat
transfer textbook, such as Incropera and DeWitt.
𝑄𝑖 =8.421 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑡
Discussion :
1.What liquid has the highest thermal conductivity?
-Water is one of the best choices for liquid cooling applications due to its high heat
capacity and thermal conductivity. It is also compatible with copper, which is one of the
best heat transfer materials to use for your fluid path.

2. The fluid (liquid or gas), whose thermal conductivity is to be


measured, fills a small radial clearance between the heated plug and the
water cooled jacket ?
-It should be noted that the clearance is made small in size so as to prevent natural
convection in the fluid

3. The cylindrical plug is made of aluminum ?


-(to reduce thermal inertia and temperature variation) with a built-in cylindrical heating
element and temperature sensor (thermocouple).

4. It is required in measuring the thermal conductivity of fluids that this


does not perform mass movement (that the fluid remains static to the
external observer) ?
-Another method that will happen in heat transfer is the convection method, In order to
fulfill such a condition, the fluid must be confined between two level walls or two
cylindrical walls. Temperatures are measured on both sides of the fluid and Fourier’s law
of thermal conductivity is applied.

5. Which liquid metal has highest thermal conductivity?


-sodium, In the given options the molten sodium has highest thermal conductivity.

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