Dept.

of Chemical Engineering
course 424508 E

Thermal and Flow Engineering Lab

Ron Zevenhoven
exam 17-3-2010

Transport Processes 2009

Transportprocesser 2009

EXAM March 17 2010

This exam contains six questions: three that give 6 points, two that give 9 points and one
that gives 12 points. The goal is to reach a maximum 30 points, while 13 points is enough to
pass the course. Note that also points for your homework (max. 10 + points) will be added.
Select three or four questions from these, do not hand in answers for more than four
questions.
You can select whichever four questions you like as to collect points even though it can add
up to more (or less) than 30 points.
The total score gives the final result according to 13 p. = 1; 16 p. = 2; 20 p. = 3; 23
p. = 4, 27 p. = 5. The amount of credits for this course is 4 sp.
719.

Consider exercise 3.5.1 in the course

x=L
book, p. 80 and p. 83. The concentration
of a dye in a coating on a paper is
modeled as a plane source. A result given
x=b
(equation 3.124) for the concentration
x=0
profile C(x,t) is based on the dye as a
plane source at distance x = b from the
paper surface, and putting a non-existing
source at x = -b (in the paper) as to make
sure that c/x = 0 for x = 0. This accounts for the fact that no dye can go into the paper.

For this result it was assumed that the coating is thick, so that L b.
a.

For somewhat longer times, however, the dye will reach the surface of the coating
at x = L. Like for x = 0 it holds also for x = L that c/x = 0. Extend the equation
(3.124) with one extra term so that it corrects for the situation at x = L and allows
for calculations at longer times.

b.

Using the result from a.), calculate the moment t (in seconds) at which the
concentration at x = L is the same as at x = 0; which means C(0,t) = C(L,t). (It is
assumed that that means that the concentration is then more or less evenly
distributed over the coating thickness L.)
For simplification, note that L - b L + b L since L >> b, and also L2 >> b2.
(2 + 4 = 6 p.)

2/5

720. Consider the one-dimensional steady-state heat transfer in the thin cooling fin shown in the
figure below.

The temperature profile in the cooling fin is described by: T = a + b y + c y2 + d y3.

The wall heat flux at y = 0 is qw = - dT/dy|y=0.
Temperature measurement data exists for T2, T3, T4 and T5 while also qw is known.
Show that an expression for temperature T1 ( = a) based on T2, T3, T4 and qw can be given to
be:

T1 =

q y
1
4
18T2 9T3 + 2T4 + 6 w
+ (O ( y ) )

11

where O(..) implies order of magnitude.

Advice: express T2, T3 and T4 as function of y (where T3 is at y = 2y, etc.), and also use the
boundary condition at y = 0 to express a, b, c and d in terms of the Ti and qw.
(6 p.)
721. In a plate of solid material a chemical reaction proceeds that releases heat as a function of
temperature. The plate has thickness L (m) and temperatures T1 (K) and T2 (K) on either
sides, as shown in the Figure. The heat generated by the chemical reaction equals QR = cT
(W/m3), with constant c. The thermal conductivity of the solid material is (W/mK); this
and all other material properties may be assumed to be independent of temperature. No
velocity field is present; the problem may be considered 1-dimensional and stationary.
a. Starting with general equation for heat transfer, show that the heat transfer process can
be described by

d2 T

+ cT = 0
dx 2
with T( x = 0) = T1 ;

T( x = L) = T2

b. Show that this can be solved to yield

T2 T1 cos L

c

+ T1 cos x c
T( x ) =
sin x

sin L

T( x ) T1
and give the expression for
.
T2 T1
(2 + 4 = 6 p.)

3/5

722.

If a substance is injected continuously into a fluid flow that

has a uniform velocity V in direction x, i.e. v = (V,0,0), then
this substance will disperse as a result of diffusion and
convection processes. For example, the dispersion of stack
gases with wind direction x, see Figure.
With the injection point at (x,y,z) = 0, and radial coordinate
r in the y,z-plane (so that r2 = y2 + z2), using cylinder
coordinates the mass transfer process can be described by

2c 1 c
c

= D 2 +

x
r

with boundary conditions :

x 0, all r : t Q = 2r x D
r

x < 0, all r : c = 0;
r = , all x : c = 0

z
where D is the diffusion coefficient of the injected substance
in the flowing medium. Here, tQ is the amount of injected
material that is found in a round slice centered around the
x-axis with thickness x = Vt.

y
r
x

With t = x/V, this is similar to non-stationary diffusion with a source Q: during a short
time t =x/V, a pulse with strength Qt is injected into such a slice, which can be
described with the expression for a 2-dimensional solution for a source Qt/x per
meter. (Neglecting diffusion in x-direction implies that all injected material stays in the
slice in which it was injected.)
a.

Show that this approach gives the following expression for the concentration field
c(x,r) for x 0
c ( x, r ) = c ( x , y , z ) =

Q
1

V 4D x

y2 + z2
r 2
Q

exp
=

exp

x
x
4D
4Dx
4D
V
V
V

This is applied to the dispersion of a small amount of hydrochloric acid (HCl) in a wide
water channel. Consider a case where 1 g/s HCl is injected through a 0.05 m diameter
injection tube into a 3 m wide, 3 m deep water flow with uniform velocity 0.5 m/s. The
molecular diffusion coefficient for HCl in the water is D = 2.610-9 m2/s, but in order to
take into account turbulence a diffusion coefficient D = 110-4 m2/s is assumed.
b.
c.

Show that diffusion in the flow (= x) direction can be neglected (Pe >> 1).
Give the expression for the HCl concentration, c, along the axis through the
injection point, c(x, r = 0) and calculate c(x = 1, r = 0), which is at 1 m from the
injection point.

(continues on next page)

4/5

d.

Calculate, for x = 1 m, the sideways dispersion distance, r* (m), for which the
concentration c(x = 1, r = r*) is equal to 1% of the axial concentration c(x = 1, r = 0).
(4 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 9 p.)

723.

Consider a tall concrete support column with square

cross-section (0.3 m x 0.3 m) that is used in a building
structure. During a fire it is heated up on the two sides x
= 0 and y = 0; the fire with temperature Tf = 1050C
gives a homogeneous heat flux q = 34.5 kW/m2 on these
two sides. At the start of the fire the temperature in the
concrete column is Ti = 20C.

0.3 m
0.3 m
$
y
x
FIRE

Data for the concrete: thermal conductivity = 1,76 W/(mK), density = 2400 kg/m3,
specific heat capacity cp = 1200 J/(kgK), a = 6,1 10-7 m2/s.
a. For reasons of fire safety it is necessary to know after how much time a temperature of
520 C is reached at the concrete surface, which will occur first at the point x = 0, y = 0.
Calculate this time, in seconds. Use the Additional course material slides 32-36, but
note again that the initial temperature at the start is not = 0 but is equal to Ti.
b. In the column, at 7.5 cm from the outside, 4 steel support bars give extra strength. The
temperature of this should stay below 420C for safety reasons. Consider here the steel
bar at (x = 0.075 m, y = 0.075 m), indicated with $ since this will be heated up most
and fastest.
Calculate the time at which the temperature would be 420C at the steel support bar
$, assuming that the surface temperature for the sides x = 0 and y = 0 is equal to the
temperature of the fire, 1050C. (Neglect the relatively short time needed to reach this
temperature at these sides).
(3 + 6 = 9 p.)

724

on next page

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724. In a process small spheres of Teflon with a diameter D = 5 mm are produced. These spheres
must be cooled from a uniform temperature 60C to a maximum temperature (at the centre
of the particle) of 12C. This is done by dropping the particles through a large column of
water that has a uniform temperature Tw = 10C. The particles move downwards through
this water at a velocity v = 0.44 m/s. An engineer claims that a column height H equal to 5
m is enough but this must be verified.
Data for Teflon: thermal conductivity = 0,3 W/(mK), density = 2200 kg/m3, specific

heat capacity cp = 1000 J/(kgK), a = 1,36 10-7 m2/s. All these are constants.
For the heat transfer coefficient particle water: = 7200 W/(m2K)
a. Check if the main resistance for heat transfer is on the inside or at the outside of the
particle (by calculating the Bi number = (D/6)/ for a sphere). If the heat resistance
inside >> the heat resistance outside the particle can it then be assumed that the
temperature at the particle surface is equal to Tw? If so, use that under b.), below.
b. Calculate the time necessary for reaching a temperature of 12C at the centre of the
particle, r = 0, where r = the radial coordinate inside the particle.
For this:
b1:

Show that the expression to be solved is

T a 2 T
r
=
t r 2 r r

and give the initial conditions at t = 0, and the boundary

conditions for t > 0, at r = 0 and at r =R, where R = D/2 is the
radius of a particle.
This case is similar (but not identical!!) to 1) the case in the course
material section 2.3.1; to 2) the case in the course material 2.9.3/2.10.3,
with m = 0 and temperature instead of concentration (heat instead of
mass transfer), the time dependent part of the solution; and to 3) the
course material example in 3.5.3/3.6.3, without the (heat) source q.
Note the boundary conditions!
b2:

Give an expression for T(r,t) for the temperature inside a polymer particle at t > 0.
Use the method of eigenfunctions and eigenvalues.

b3:

Using only the first eigenvalue in the result given under b2, calculate how much
time is needed for the temperature at r = 0 to reach the value T = 12C.

Note : sin(x ) x 1 (x )3 for small x ; so that

lim sin(r )
=
r
r 0

c. Calculate how much height of 10C water column is needed, and check if the suggested
column height H = 5 m is enough.
d. Is it preferable to use a Laplace transform method for solving this problem? If not, why
not?
(1 + (1 + 3 + 5) + 1 + 1 = 12 p.)

end.