Objectives

- To use radial heat conduction to calculate the thermal conductivity (k) of a brass specimen

-To understand the factors and parameters that effect the rate of heat transfer.

Introduction and Theory

Heat transfer is a typical occurrence that happens frequently in daily life. It is a crucial subject in
engineering and the field of environmental physics, but even more so in the natural sciences.
Understanding heat transfer is crucial for the different energy-saving strategies that can be used. To
save money on home heating, for instance, one must maximise insulation and reduce heat transfer.
On the other side, the process by which heat is transmitted from an object's hotter end to its colder
end is known as conduction. The term "thermal conductivity" refers to an object's capacity to
transfer heat, and it is represented by the letter k. Heat naturally moves from a hotter body to a
colder body along a temperature gradient. For instance, heat is transferred from an electric stove's
hotplate to the bottom of a pan that comes into touch with it. Temperature disparities within a body
or between bodies that are not subject to an opposing external driving energy source gradually
diminish over time as thermal equilibrium is reached, resulting in a more constant temperature.
Heat moves through and inside the body as it conducts heat. In contrast, when heat is transferred
through thermal radiation, it frequently occurs between bodies that are geographically apart.
Additionally, a combination of conduction and radiation can be used to transfer heat. Combinations
of molecular vibrations and collisions, phonon propagation and collisions, and diffusion and collisions
of free electrons mediate conduction in solids. Conduction occurs in gases and liquids as a result of
molecule collisions and diffusion during random molecular motion. Heat transfer by electromagnetic
radiation is conceptually separate from heat conduction through microscopic diffusion, collisions of
material particles, and phonons since photons in this context do not collide with one another. The
processes of thermal radiation, convection, and occasionally mass transfer are all included in the
engineering sciences as forms of heat transfer. In most cases, more than one of these processes
takes place in a certain circumstance.

Background Theory

Temperature gradients in cylindrical and spherical systems frequently occur primarily in the radial
direction, making them suitable for one-dimensional treatment. A typical illustration is the hollow
cylinder, which is depicted in Figure 1. Its inner and outer surfaces are exposed to fluids at various
temperatures.
The centre portion of a circular brass plate (the heat source) has the electrical heating element
bonded to it for radial conduction. The cooling water passes through the plate's edge, which serves
as a heat sink for dissipating heat. In order to imitate radial heat conduction, the other plate surfaces
are adequately insulated. The brass plate has a radius r= 7,10,20,30,40,50mm. A simple mimic
diagram for heat conduction along an well insulated cylindrical rod is shown as below:

Apparatus
 Procedure

1. Setup for an experiment on radial heat conduction and a schematic

representation of the apparatus' design are presented in Figure 1.
2. The switch at the front is turned on
3. Switch on the cooling water and set the water flow to 1.5 litres per
minute. With the use of a measuring cylinder and timer, the actual flow
can be verified.
4. Heater Voltage should be set at 12 volts. Set the selector switch to
position V and adjust the voltage control potentiometer on the top of the
panel metre to 12 volts.
5. Heater Voltage should be set at 12 volts. Set the selector switch to
position V and adjust the voltage control potentiometer on the top of the
panel metre to 12 volts.
6. The same procedure as before should be used to set the heater voltage
to 21 volts. Repeat the above values once the HT12 has stabilised.
7. Similar to earlier, set the heater voltage to 21 volts. Recheck the data
above when the HT12 has stabilised.

Data & Result

VOLTS AMP (A) Q (W) T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

(V)

V I W °C °C °C °C °C °C

12.0 1.88 22.56 41.9 40.3 33.1 25.1 27.9 27.8

17.0 2.63 44.71 56.0 53.5 39.3 30.2 29.2 29.3

21.0 3.23 67.83 69.2 69.1 46.7 32.9 30.6 31.2

23.0 3.53 81.19 80.9 77.3 50.7 34.4 31.3 32.2

Radius (mm) 7 10 20 30 40 50
Calculating the Thermal Conductivity for each

The equation below is used:

r6
k=[Q ln ] / [ 2πL(T1-T6)
r1
Calculating k when it is 12.0V , 1.88A and 22.56W

0.05
k= 22.56 ln / 2π(0.032)(41.9-27.8)
0.007
=15.65

Calculating k when it is 17.0V, 2.63A and 44.71W

0.05
k= 44.71 ln / 2π(0.032)(56.0-29.3)
0.007
=16.37

Calculating k when it is 21.0V, 3.23A and 67.83W

0.05
k=67.83 ln / 2π(0.032)(69.2-31.2)
0.007
=17.45

Calculating k when it is 23.0V, 3.53A and 81.19W

0.05
k= 81.19 ln / 2π(0.032)(80.9-32.2)
0.007
=16.44

Calculating the percentage different between the theoretical value and experimental value

The theoretical value of k is 126/m °C)

Measured Value−True Value

Percentage Error= x 100%
True Value
Calculating percentage error when it is 12V, 1.88A and 22.56W

15.65−126
x100%=87.58%
126
Calculating percentage error when it is 17V, 2.63A and 44.71W

16.37−126
x100%=87%
126
Calculating percentage error when it is 21V, 3.23A and 67.83W

17.45−126
x100%=86.15%
126
Calculating percentage error when it is 23.0V, 3.53A and 81.19W
 16.44−126
x 100 % =86.95%
126

Voltage (V) Thermal Conductivity,k Percentage Error of Thermal

Conductivity,%e
12 15.65 87.58
17 16.37 87
21 17.45 86.15
23 16.44 86.95

Graph of Temperature against radius for 12.0V and 1.88A

Temperature (°C) against Radius (mm)

45
40
35
Temperature (°C)

30
25
20
15
10
5
0
7 10 20 30 40 50
Radius (mm)

Graph of Temperature against Radius for 17.0V and 2.63 A

Temperature (°C) against Radius (mm)

60

50
Temperature (°C)

40

30

20

10

0
7 10 20 30 40 50
Radius (mm)
Graph of Temperature against Radius for 21.0V and 3.23A

Temperature (°C) against Radius (mm)

80
70
60
Temperature (°C)

50
40
30
20
10
0
7 10 20 30 40 50

Radius (mm)

Graph for Temperature against Radius for 23.0V and 3.53A

Temperature (°C) against Radius (mm)

90
80
70
Temperature (°C)

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
7 10 20 30 40 50
Radius (mm)
Analysis and Discussion

The thermal conductivity of brass, k brass is 126W/m°C. Based on Fourier’s law, the
accuracy of the calculated thermal conductivity should be increased by using R1/T1 and R6/T6 as
temperature difference is the highest at these extreme differences in radius. However, the highest
accuracy of thermal conductivity for radial conduction is R1/T1 and R5/T5 in this experiment due to
the data obtained.

There are few factors that affect the rate of the heat conduction. Initially, the greater
the difference in temperature between the ends of the bar, the greater the rate of thermal energy
transfer, so more heat is transferred. The heat ,Q is proportional to the difference in temperature.
Secondly, bar twice as wide conducts twice the amounts of heat. In general, the amount of heat co
ducted, Q is proportional to the cross- sectional area. Subsequently, the longer the bar, the less heat
that will make it all the way through. Therefore, the conducted heat is inversely proportional to the
length of the bar. Last but not least, the amount of heat transfer, Q depends on the amount of the
time that passes, T. Hence, the heat, Q is proportional to the radius.

Based from the graph of temperature against radius, the temperature is inversely
proportional to the radius. The greater the difference between the two radius, the lower the
temperature. The greater the difference in temperature between the two end bar, the greater the
rate of thermal energy transfer, so more heat is transferred. The temperature also decrease because
as the longer the radius of end bar, the resistance will increase. Due to the temperature gradient, it
shows that the thermal conductivity of brass specimen at 12V, 17V, 21V and 23V has high
percentage of accuracy of brass specimen is 21 V of the heater voltage.

Conclusion

The Fourier rate equation is used to the radial flow of heat through a thicn wall cylinder.
The conductivity of the material was determined from a knowledge of the heat flow radially through
the disk, the thickness of the disk and the change in temperature between two radii in the disk.
Hence, the thermal conductivity of a brass specimen was determined by using radial heat
conduction. The objectives of this experiment was achieved. In conclusion, it was found that the
Fourier’s Law explained the behaviour of the temperature in the radial heat conduction. The
temperature gradient was found decreasing as the radius increasing from 7mm to 50mm