LUMPED CAPACITANCE METHOD

Plane Wall Cylinder Sphere

[ ] Q J
c
hL
Bi
k
=
net rate of heat transfer rate of increase of
into the solid through the internal energy
its boundaries of the solid
( (
( (
=
( (
( (

( )
s p
T
h T T A c V
t

( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
s
p
A h
t
t
c V Bi Fo
0 0 0
T t T T T e T T T e T T T e

= + = + = +
Biot Number
conduction
thermal resistance

convection
thermal resistance
=
c
s
s
L
kA

1
hA
| |
|
\
=
| |
|
\
c
hL
Bi
k
=
Lumped Capacitance is valid for
[ ] Total energy Q J
transfered to a solid
for time from 0 to t
0
Time needed to heat
a solid from T to
current temperature T
( ) ( ) ( )
s s
p p
A A h h
t t t t
c V c V
in s p 0
0 0
Q q t dt h T T t A e dt c V T T 1 e

| |
|
= = = (

|
\

p
0
s
c
T T V
t ln
h A T T

| |
=
|

\
The temperature of
the solid is assumed
spatially uniform
Temperature of a solid
as a function of time
Energy Balance :
d=2r
2 2
s
A d 4 r = =
3
3
d 4
V r
6 3

= =
H
d=2r
s
A dH 2 rH = =
2
2
d
V H r H
4

= =
c
d r
L
6 3
= =
c
d r
L
4 2
= =
h r
Bi
k 3
=
h r
Bi
k 2
=
L
s
A 2HW =
V LHW =
H
W
c
L
L
2
=
h L
Bi
k 2
=
Bi 0.1 <
( ) T t
t
( ) T t
0
T
T

0
T >T cooling

t
( ) T t
T

0
T
0
T <T heating

initial
temperature
initial
temperature
c
s
V
L
A
=
( )
p 0 p
Q c V T T mc T

= = when t
Characteristic
length
5.1
( ) T t
s
A
V
in
q
st
q
The temperature is
a function of time only
Biot Number:
Fourier Number:
p
s
c V
hA

=
Time constant:
in st
q q =
t
T

0
T
0
T
t
Time Constant

p
p
s s
thermal convection
capacitance thermal
resistance
c V
1
c V
hA hA

= =
The lower is the time constant
the faster is the heating of a solid

T ,h

( )
0
T 0 T =
Initial condition:
2
c
t
Fo
L