MECH 3980 experiment 423: radiation and free convection

EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
An electrical heating element is installed inside a pressure vessel. Thermocouples measure
the temperature of the heating element and the vessel wall. The pressure inside the vessel can be
reduced with a vacuum pump or increased with the laboratory compressed air supply. A system
schematic appears below.

The heating element exchanges heat with its surroundings (air and walls) by radiation and
free convection. Evacuating the air makes radiation dominate because convection requires a
medium (air) to transfer heat between the heating element and the vessel walls.
The heating element is a horizontal cylinder with length 142 mm and diameter 6.35 mm. It is
suspended near the center of the tank by its lead wires.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
Part 1: measure heating element and tank wall temperature for varying pressure and constant
electrical power.
1. Close valves 1 and 2.
2. Open valve 4.
3. Turn pump on.
4. Set the handle in valve 3 to the left (so the compressed air supply is connected to the system).
5. Open the master valve for the compressed air supply (on laboratory wall).
6. Turn the heater power control knob until the heater input voltage is in the 9-10 V range.
7. Wait until the tank pressure reaches its minimum value (approximately 2-4 torr absolute
pressure).
8. Wait until the element temperature and tank wall temperature reach steady state.
9. Record data.
10. Close valve 4. Maintain the pump turned on.
11. Open / close valve 2 to increase pressure inside the tank.
12. Wait until the element temperature and tank wall temperature reach steady state.
13. Record data.
14. Repeat steps 11-13 as needed.

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Part 1 shut-down procedure:
1. Close valve 2.
2. Open valve 1.
3. Set the handle in valve 3 downward so the compressed air bleeds into the atmosphere.
4. Close the master valve for the compressed air supply (on laboratory wall).
5. Once the tank pressure equals atmospheric pressure, open valve 4 and turn pump off.

Part 1 checks:
1. Do not allow the heater element temperature to exceed 200 C.
2. Do not increase the tank pressure beyond 5 kPa gage (about 105 kPa absolute).
3. Do not turn off the pump while it is drawing a vacuum. Check there is an uninterrupted path
between the atmosphere and the pump before turning it off.

Part 2: measure heating element and tank wall temperature for constant atmospheric pressure
and varying electrical power.
1. Open valve 1.
2. Check the tank is at atmospheric pressure.
3. Adjust the electrical power input to the heater.
4. Wait until the element temperature and tank wall temperature reach steady state.
5. Record data.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 as needed.

Part 2 checks:
1. Do not allow the heater element temperature to exceed 200 C.
2. The pump and the compressed air supply are not used in this part of the experiment.

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 DATA SHEET

Atmospheric pressure [kPa]

Atmospheric temperature [C]

Part 1: constant electrical power for varying pressure

Nominal p 4 torr 90 kPa 80 kPa 50 kPa 10 kPa 10 kPa
(guideline) absolute vacuum vacuum vacuum vacuum gage
Actual p

T element [C ]
T vessel [C]
Voltage [V]
Current [A]

Part 2: constant atmospheric pressure for varying electrical power

Nominal voltage
2V 4V 6V 8V 10 V
(guideline)
Actual voltage [V]
Current [A]
T element [C ]
T vessel [C]