CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2024/2025

TUTORIAL 4: Overall Heat Transfer

Q1: The rate of heat loss through a unit surface area of a window per unit temperature difference between the indoors
and the outdoors is called the U-factor (or the overall heat transfer coefficient). The value of the U-factor ranges
from about 1.25 W/m2·°C for low-e (low emissivity) coated, argon-filled, quadruple-pane windows to 6.25
W/m2·°C for a single-pane window with aluminium frames. Determine the range for the rate of heat loss
through a 1.2-m x 1.8-m window of a house that is maintained at 20°C when the outdoor air temperature is -
8°C.

Q2: The wall of a bakery oven is built of insulating brick 10 cm thick and of thermal conductivity 0.22 Jm-1s-1.oC-1.
Steel reinforcing members penetrate the brick, and their total area of cross-section represents 1% of the inside
wall area of the oven.
If the thermal conductivity of the steel is 45 Jm-1s-1oC-1, calculate:
(a) the relative proportions of the total heat transferred through the wall by the brick and by the steel
(b) the heat loss for each m2 of oven wall if the inner side of the wall is at 230oC and the outer side is at 25oC.

Q3: A refrigerator door of area 0.6 m2 consists of 25 mm of lagging on top of a thin metal sheet. The film heat transfer
coefficients inside and outside the refrigerator are 10.0 and 15.0 W m−2 K−1, respectively, and the thermal
conductivity of the lagging is 0.25 W m−1 K−1. If the working temperature of the refrigerator is 0◦C and ambient
temperature is 20◦C, determine the heat flow through the refrigerator door and the temperature of the inside
surface of the door.

Q4: Air at 2 atm and 200◦C flows inside a 1-in schedule 80 steel pipe [inner diameter (di) = 1.135 in; outer diameter
(do) = 0.975 in] with h = 65 W/m2 · ◦C. A hot gas with h = 180 W/m2 · ◦C flows across the outside of the pipe at
400◦C. The thermal conductivity of the steel pipe, k = 43 W/m2 · ◦C. Calculate the overall heat-transfer coefficient.

Q5: An engineer was assigned to design an air to air plate heat exchanger for heat treatment of a food product. During
the heat treatment, the inside temperature in the heat exchanger is 100 oC and outside temperature is 20oC.
The plate heat exchanger with area 2 m2 and wall thickness 0.1 mm is needed, it can be made in polypropylene
PP, aluminium or stainless steel. The thermal conductivity for polypropylene is 0.1 W/mK, aluminium is 205
W/mK, and stainless steel is 16 W/mK, respectively. Assume the convective heat transfer coefficient for air at
inside and outside of the heat exchanger is 50 W/m2K. Suggest the best material to be used to construct the
heat exchanger.

Q6: Heat is generated by an industrial furnace in a chemical plant. The furnace wall is of three layers, first layer of
insulation brick of 12 cm thickness of conductivity 0.6 W/mK. The face (1m2) is exposed to gases at 870°C with
a convection coefficient of 110 W/m2K. This layer is backed by a 10 cm layer of firebrick of conductivity 0.8
W/mK. There is a contact resistance between the layers of 2.6 × 10–4 m2 °C/W. The third layer is the plate
backing of 10 mm thickness of conductivity 49 W/mK. The contact resistance between the second and third
layers is 1.5 × 10–4 m2 °C/W. The plate is exposed to air at 30°C with a convection coefficient of 15 W/m2K.
Determine the heat flow, the surface temperatures and the overall heat transfer coefficient.
CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2024/2025

Q7: Hot water at 90◦C flows on the inside of a 2.5-cm-ID steel tube [k = 36 W/m.oC] with 0.8-mm wall thickness at a
velocity of 4 m/s. Palm oil at 20◦C is forced across the tube at a velocity of 7 m/s.
The convective heat transfer coefficient of the fluid in the inner and outer of the pipe is respectively 20 000
W/m2.oC and 1167 W/m2.oC.
Calculate the overall heat-transfer coefficient for this arrangement.

Q8: Water at an average temperature of 110OC and an average velocity of 3.5 m/s flows through a 5-m-long stainless
steel tube (k = 14.2 W/m.OC) in a boiler. The inner and outer diameters of the tube are Di = 1.0 cm and Do = 1.4
cm, respectively. If the convection heat transfer coefficient at the outer surface of the tube where boiling is
taking place is ho = 8400 W/m2.OC. The thermal conductivity and convection heat transfer coefficient of water
at 110OC is respectively 0.682 W/m2.OC and 23 324 W/m2.OC.
(a) Determine the overall heat transfer coefficient Ui of this boiler based on the inner surface area of the tube.
(b) Repeat part (a) by assuming a fouling factor Rf, i = 0.0005 m2. OC/W on the inner surface of the tube.

Q9: In a condenser steam flows outside the tubes of radii 59 mm and 54 mm and sea water flows inside the tubes.
The thermal conductivity of the tube material is 60 W/m.K. The steam and water temperatures are below 50°C.
The convection coefficient on the steam side is 12000 W/m2 .K and the value on the water side is 650 W/m2.K.
(a) Calculate the values of overall coefficients based on the outside areas.
(b) Also determine the percentage error involved in neglecting (i) conduction resistance (ii) fouling on the inside
and outside and conduction and (iii) considering only the water side resistance.
Note: The fouling factors are given as following:
• sea water below 52°C = 0.0000877 K.m2/W
• steam = 0.0000877 K.m2/W
(c) Calculate the values of overall coefficients based on the inside areas.
CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2024/2025

SUGGESTED SOLUTION:
Q1: Assumptions: (i) Steady operating conditions exist. (ii) Heat losses associated with the infiltration of air through
the cracks/openings are not considered.
The rate of heat transfer through the window can be determined from:

where Ti and To are the indoor and outdoor air temperatures, respectively, Uoverall is the U-factor (the overall
heat transfer coefficient) of the window, and Awindow is the window area.

Substituting,
Maximum heat loss: Qwindow, max = (6.25 W/m2 ⋅°C)(1.2×1.8 m2 )[20 − (−8)]°C = 378 W
Minimum heat loss: Qwindow, min = (1.25 W/m2 ⋅°C)(1.2×1.8 m2 )[20 − (−8)]°C = 76 W

The rate of heat loss through windows of identical size is in the range of 76 – 378 W, which may differ by a
factor of 5, depending on how the windows are constructed.

Q2: (a) Q = k A ∆T /x, we know that T is the same for the bricks and for the steel.
Also x, the thickness, is the same.
Consider the loss through an area of 1 m2 of wall (0.99m2 of brick, and 0.01 m2 of steel):
For brick,

For steel,

Therefore, qb /qs = 0.48

(b)Total heat loss:

Therefore percentage of heat carried by steel,

% Q = (923/1369) x 100
= 67%

Q3: The thermal resistance of the air film on the inside of the refrigerator is equal to the reciprocal of the relevant
heat transfer coefficient, that is, 0.10 m2 KW−1.
Similarly for the air film on the outside, the thermal resistance is 1/15 = 0.0667 m2KW−1.
The thin metal sheet will present very little resistance to the flow of heat and therefore only the insulation
need be considered.
The conductive resistance is thus 0.025/0.25 = 0.10 m2KW−1.
The overall temperature difference is that between the air on the inside and the air outside the refrigerator,
that is, 20 K.
Hence the rate of heat transfer through the door is:

Q = 45 W
CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2024/2025

The rate of heat transfer from the refrigerator door to the inner air by convection is:
Q = h A (T1 - Tinner )
45 = 10 × 0.60 (T1 − 0)
therefore the surface temperature, T1 = 7.5◦C.

Q4: For the pipe of 1 m length:

𝑙𝑛(𝑟𝑜 ⁄𝑟𝑖 ) ln⁡(1.1315/0.957)
𝑅𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑙 = 2𝜋𝑘𝐿
= 2𝜋(45⁡𝑊⁄𝑚2 𝐶 )(0.0254𝑚/𝑖𝑛)⁡= 1.176 x10-3 oC/W
1𝑚
𝑅𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣,ℎ𝑜𝑡⁡𝑎𝑖𝑟 = (65𝑊⁄ ⁡= 0.2014 oC/W
𝑚2 𝐶 )𝜋(0.957𝑖𝑛)(0.0254𝑚/𝑖𝑛)
1𝑚
𝑅𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣,ℎ𝑜𝑡⁡𝑔𝑎𝑠 = (180𝑊⁄ 2 )𝜋(1.1315𝑖𝑛)(0.0254𝑚/𝑖𝑛)⁡= 0.0529 oC/W
𝑚 𝐶
1
𝑈𝐴 = (1.176𝑥10−3 )+0.2014+0.0529⁡= 3.9127W/oC
3.9127⁡𝑊/𝐶
𝑈𝑖 = ⁡= 51.23 W/m2 · ◦C
𝜋(0.957𝑖𝑛)(1𝑚)(0.0254𝑚/𝑖𝑛)

Q5: The individual resistances are evaluated:

Ri = Rconv,1 = 1/hc A = 1/ (50 W/m2.K x A m2) = 0.02/A K/W
Rplate = Rcond = x/kmetal A = (1 x 10-4 m)/(kmetal x A m2)
Ro = Rconv,2 = 1/hc A = 1/ (50 W/m2.K x A m2) = 0.02/A K/W

Rtotal = Rconv,1 + Rcond + Rconv,2

U = 1/ ARTotal = 1/ (0.04 m2K/W + ((1 x 10-4 m)/(kmetal)) m2K/W)

For polypropylene with thermal conductivity, kmetal = 0.1 W/mK:

U = 1/ (0.04 m2K/W + ((5 x 10-5 m)/(0.1 W/m.K)) m2K/W) = 24.7 W/m2.K
So, Q = UA ∆T = (24.7 W/m2.K)(2 m2)(100 – 20oC) = 3952 W

For aluminium with thermal conductivity, kmetal = 205 W/mK:

U = 1/ (0.04 m2K/W + ((5 x 10-5 m)/(205 W/m.K)) m2K/W) = 25.0 W/m2.K
So, Q = UA ∆T = (25.0 W/m2.K)(2 m2)(100 – 20oC) = 4000 W

For stainless steel with thermal conductivity, kmetal = 16 W/mK:

U = 1/ (0.04 m2K/W + ((5 x 10-5 m)/(16 W/m.K)) m2K/W) = 25.0 W/m2.K
So, Q = UA ∆T = (25.0 W/m2.K)(2 m2)(100 – 20oC) = 4000 W

Therefore, aluminium or stainless steel is suitable to be used as the material to construct the plate heat
exchanger.

Q6:

Using:
CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2024/2025

The resistances (°C/W) are: Taking A = 1.0 m2,

Since Q = UA ΔT, where U is the overall heat transfer coefficient.

Since A = 1 m2,

Since A = 1 m2, the surface temperatures can be determined by:

Q7: Pipe nearly constant temperature:

qconv=hA∆T = h(2∏rL) ∆T,

qrad = σA ε(Ts4- Tsurr4)

qtotal = qconv + qrad = 1005 W + 898 W = 1903 W

qtotal = 1903 = (0.6)(4175)∆Tw
∆Tw = 0.76oC
∆Tw (exit)= 82-0.76 = 81.2oC
CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2024/2025

Q7: For unit length of the pipe, the thermal resistances:

RTotal = 2.74 x 10-4 + 16.36 x 10-4 + 0.0103 = 0.01221oC/W.m

From UA=1/RTotal,
𝑈𝐴 1
= = 81.9
𝑚⁡𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 0.01221

Since Routside is the largest, the overall heat transfer coefficient is based on the outer area:
The outer surface area:

Uo = 81.9/0.0836 = 979.7 W/(m2.oC)

Q8 (a): The total resistance of this heat exchanger is then determined from:

RTotal = 0.00157 C/W

Q8 (b): The thermal resistance of heat exchanger with a fouling factor of 0.0005 m2 . C/W is determined from:
CH2035 FOOD ENGINEERING 2 SEMESTER 1, 2024/2025

Q9: (a) The fouling resistance:

The overall heat transfer coefficient, Uo = 491.44 W/m2 K.

In this case it may be noted that all the resistances other than that due to inside convection coefficient are 2 orders
of magnitude lower.

(b) (i) Leaving conduction resistance:

Uo = 513.40 W/m2.K, % change: 4.47%

(ii) Leaving out fouling and conduction resistances:

Uo = 566.8 W/m2 K, % change: 15.4%

(iii) Considering only water side resistance,

Uo = 594.88 W/m2 K; % change: 21%

In this case the waterside resistance is controlling, as it forms 80% of the total.

(c) Overall heat transfer coefficient based on inside area:

The value is higher in proportion to the area ratio.