Scientific Research of the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science

TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION IN A CIRCULAR PLATE

HEATED BY A MOVING HEAT SOURCE
Jadwiga Kidawa-Kukla
Institute of Mechanics and Machine Design, Czstochowa University of Technology, Poland
jk@imipkm.pcz.czest.pl
Abstract. This paper concerns the heat conduction problem in a circular thin plate sub-
jected to the activity of a heat source which changes its place on the plate surface with time.
The heat source moves along an circular trajectory round centre of the plate with constant
angular velocity. The solution of the problem is obtained in an analytical form by using the
Greens function method.
Introduction
The solutions of heat conduction problems in circular plates with moving heat
sources are presented in papers [1-3]. An analytical approach to multi-dimensional
heat conduction in composite circular cylinder subjected to generally time-
dependent temperature changes has been presented in paper [1]. Boundary tem-
peratures were approximated as Fourier series. The Laplace transform was adopted
in deducing the solution of the problem. In paper [2] authors develop an integral
transform determineing temperature distribution in a thin circular plate. The plate
is subjected to a partially distributed and axisymmetric heat supply. Authors find
the temperature field analytically by using the finite Fourier and the finite Hankel
transforms. An inverse problem of axially symmetric transient temperature and
deflection of a circular plate is solved in paper [3]. A heat flux is assumed on an
internal cylindrical surface of the plate. The solution of the problem was obtained
by applying the Fourier cosine and the Laplace transforms. A solution to the prob-
lem of heat conduction in a rectangular plate subjected to the activity of a moving
heat source is presented in paper [4]. The heat source moves along an elliptical
trajectory on the plate surface. An exact solution to the problem in an analytical
form is obtained by applying the Greens function method.
This paper presents an analytical solution to the heat conduction problem in
a circular thin plate which is heated by a moving heat source. The temperature of
the plate changes because the heat source moves along circular trajectory on the
plate surface. A solution of the heat conduction problem in an analytical form is
obtained by using the Greens function method.
J. Kidawa-Kukla
72
1. Problem formulation
Consider a circular thin plate of thickness h and radius r = b. This plate is sub-
jected to the activity of a moving heat source. The heat source moves on the plate
surface along a circular trajectory at radius r
0
round centre of the plate with con-
stant angular velocity. The temperature distribution ) , , , ( t z r T of the plate is de-
scribed by the differential equation of heat conduction [5]:

t
T
a
) t , z , , r ( g
k z
T T
r r
T
r r
T

1 1 1 1
2
2
2
2
2 2
2
= + +

(1)
where: ) , , , ( t z r T - temperature, k - thermal conductivity, a - thermal diffusivity,
and ) , , , ( t z r g denotes a volumetric energy generation.
In this study, it is assumed that the thermal energy is provided by the moving
heat source (which moves along a circular trajectory on the plate surface). The
function ) , , , ( t z r g occurring in equation (1) has the form
) ( )) ( ( ) ( ) , , , (
0
h z t r r t z r g = (2)
where characterises the stream of the heat, ( ) is the Dirac delta function, r
0
is
the radius of the circular trajectory along which the heat source moves, ) ( t is the
function describing the movement of the heat source
t t = ) ( (3)
where is angular velocity of the moving heat source.
The differential equation (1) is completed by the following initial and boundary
conditions:
0 ) 0 , , , ( = z r T (4)
)] , , , ( [
0 0
t z b T T
r
T
k
b r
=

=
(5)
] ) , , , ( [ ) , , , (
0 0
t h r T T t h r
z
T
k

= (6)
] ) , 0 , , ( [ ) , 0 , , (
0 0
t r T T t r
z
T
k

= (7)

where
0
is the heat transfer coefficient,
0
T is the known temperature of the sur-
rounding medium.
Temperature distribution in a circular plate heated by a moving heat source
73
2. Solution of the problem
The solution of the problem in an analytical form is obtained by using the prop-
erties of the Greens function (GF). The GF of the heat conduction problem de-
scribes the temperature distribution induced by the temporary, local energy im-
pulse. The function is a solution to the following differential equation [5]:

( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
r
t z ' r
t
G
a z
G G
r r
G
r r
G

1 1 1
2
2
2
2
2 2
2
(8)
The Greens function satisfies the initial and homogeneous boundary condi-
tions analogous to the conditions (4)-(7).
The GF for the considered heat conduction problem may be written in the form
of a series:
( ) ( ) ( ) ' cos , , , , , =

=
m t z r g t z r G
m
m
(9)
Substituting (9) into equation (8) gives

( ) ( ) ( )
r
t z r
t
g
a
g
r
m
z
g
r
g
r r
g
m
m
m m m

2
1 1
2
2
2
2
2
2

=

(10)
The initial and boundary conditions are in the form
0 0 = ) , z , r ( g
m
, 0
0
=
|
|

\
|

=b r
m
m
g
r
g

0
0
0
=
|
|

\
|

= z
m
m
g
z
g
, 0
0
=
|
|

\
|
+

=h z
m
m
g
z
g
(11)
where .
0
0
k

=
The solution of the initial-boundary problem (9)-(11) can be presented in the
form of a series
( ) ( ) ( )

=
=
1 n
n mn m
z t , r t , z , r g (12)
where ) (z
n
are eigenfunctions of the following boundary problem
( ) 0
2
2
2
= +

z
z
n
n

(13)
J. Kidawa-Kukla
74
0
0
0
=
|
|

\
|

= z
n
n
z d
d

, 0
0
=
|
|

\
|
+
=h z
n
n
z d
d

(14)
The functions
n
(z) are expressed as [6]
( ) ... , 2 , 1 , sin cos
0
= + = n z z z
n n n n
(15)
where
n
are roots of the equation
( ) 0 sin cos 2
2
0
2
0
= h h
n n n n
(16)
These functions are pairwise orthogonal so that the following condition is satisfied
( ) ( )

m n Q
m n
dz z z
n
h
m n
for
for 0
0
(17)
where ( ) ( ) ( )
|
|

\
|
+
+ + = =
h
n
n
n
n n n
h
h
h
dz z Q
0
2
2
0
2
0
2
2
0
2 2
sin
2
1
2



(18)
The Dirac function (z ) may be written in the form
( )
( ) ( )

=
=
1 n
n
n n
Q
z
z

(19)
Substituting Eqs. (12) and (19) into Eq. (10) gives

( ) ( ) ( )
r
t r
Q t a r
m
r r r
n
n
n m
n m n
n m n m

2
1 1
2
2
2
2
2

=

|
|

\
|
+

(20)
The initial and boundary conditions are
0 0 = ) , r (
mn
, 0
0
= |

\
|

=b r
mn
mn
r

(21)
In order to solve the problem (20)-(21), the function ) , ( t r
mn
is written in the
form
( ) ( ) ( )

=
=
1 k
nk m mk mn
t T r R t , r (22)
where functions ) (r R
mk
are obtained as solutions of the Bessels equation
( ) 0
1
2
2
2
2
2
=
|
|

\
|
+

r R
r
m
r
R
r r
R
mk mk
mk mk
(23)
Temperature distribution in a circular plate heated by a moving heat source
75
where
mk
are separate constants. Moreover, the following conditions are satisfied
( ) + <

r R lim
mk
r 0
, ( ) ( ) 0
0
= b R b ' R
mk mk
(24)
The solution of equation (23) takes the form
( ) ( ) ( ) r Y C r J C r R
mk m mk m mk

2 1
+ = (25)
where J() denotes the Bessel function of the first kind of order . Using the first
condition (24), C
2
= 0 was received. Therefore the solution of Eq. (25) is
( ) ( ) r J C r R
mk m mk

1
= (26)
Substituting the functions ( ) r R
mk
into the second condition (24) one obtains
( ) ( ) ( ) 0
0 1
= +
mk m mk m mk
b J b m b J b (27)
The equation (27) is then solved numerically with respect to the unknown .
mk

Note that the functions ) (r R
mk
satisfy the orthogonality conditions:
( ) ( )

=
b
' mk m mk m
dr r J r J r
0
0 for k k ' (28)
( ) ( ) ( ) b J b J
b
dr r J r
mk m mk m
mk
b
mk m

1
0
2
2
+

= for k = 1, 2, ... (29)

Hence, taking into account (26) in Eq. (22), the function ) , ( t r
mn
is obtained in
the form
( ) ( ) ( ) =

=1
,
k
nk m mk m mn
t T r J t r (30)
where ( )
( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )

+
+
=
t
mk m mk m
mk m mk
mnk
mk n
e
b J b J
J
b
a
t T
2 2
1

Finally the Greens function G has the form
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ' m cos z t , r
Q
, , ' , , t , z , , r G
m n
n n mn
n
=

=1
1
(31)
The temperature distribution T(r,,z,t) is expressed by the Greens function G as
follows


=
b h
' '
t
dz ) , , , ; t , z , , r ( G ) , , , ( g d d d ) t , z , , r ( T
0
2
0 0 0

(32)
J. Kidawa-Kukla
76
After evaluation of the integrals in the space domain and using Eq. (2) one obtains
the temperature ) , , , ( t z r T in the form

=
t
d ) , h }, ( , r ; t , z , , r ( G ) t , z , , r ( T
0
0
(33)
Substituting the Greens function (31) into Eq. (33) gives

=
=
1 1 1
0
m n k
mnk n n mk mk mnk
) t ( ) h ( ) z ( ) r ( J ) r ( J A
b
a
) t , z , , r ( T
I

(34)
where

) b ( J ) b ( J Q
A
mk m mk m
mk
n
mnk

1
1
+
=
d ) t )( ( [ Exp )) ( ( m cos ) t (
mn n
t
mnk I
+ =

2 2
0

and
mk
are roots of the equation (27). The integrals can be evaluated through
a series expansion [4] or numerically.
Conclusions
In this paper, an analytical model to describe the three-dimensional temperature
field for a circular plate with a heat source which moves over its surface was estab-
lished. The moving heat source causes cyclic heating of various plate areas. The
temperature distribution in the considered plate in an analytical form was obtained
using the time-dependent Greens function.
References
[1] Lu X., Tervola P., Viljanen M., Transient analytical solution to heat conduction in composite
circular cylinder, International Journal Heat and Mass Transfer 2006, 49, 341-348.
[2] Khobragade N.L., Deshmukh K.C., Thermal deformation in a thin circular plate due to a par-
tially distributed heat supply, Sadhana 2005, 30, 555-563.
[3] Khobragade N.L., Deshmukh K.C., An inverse quasi-static thermal deflection problem for a thin
clamped circular plate, Journal of Thermal Stresses 2005, 28, 353-361.
[4] Kidawa-Kukla J., Temperature distribution in a rectangular plate heated by moving heat source,
International Journal Heat and Mass Transfer 2008, 51, 865-872.
[5] Beck J.V., et al, Heat Conduction Using Greens Functions, Hemisphere Publishing Corpora-
tion, London 1992.
[6] Duffy D.G., Greens Functions with Applications - Studies in Advanced Mathematics, Boca
Raton, London, New York 2001.