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CHAPTER 2 TRANSIENT HEAT CONDUCTION

2.3 Semi-Infinite Slab: Radiant Heat Flux on Floor

A high-intensity infrared ceiling heating system is employed to keep a factory floor warm. If the heating
system is switched on with the floor initially at temperature Ti, determine the radiant heat flux intensity on the
floor required to warm the floor surface to a temperature Ts after time t. What is the floor temperature at the
bottom surface of the concrete slab?

Assume that the concrete floor slab is 20 cm thick and that the semi-infinite model applies.

Concrete properties (assume medium density):

1500 density
3

k 1.2 thermal conductivity

c 800 specific heat capacity

k
thermal diffusivity
c

Ti 7 initial floor temperature

final floor surface

Ts 18
temperature after time t

t3

For a semi-infinite slab with constant surface heat flux qs after time t = 0, we have

Ts Ti k
qs = 112.566
2
t
2

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We will determine the temperature at different depths for a semi-infinite model to see how accurate it is for
the present case:

x 0.0 , 0.1 0.5

qs 2 qs x

t x x
T (x) 2 exp
1 erf + Ti
k 4t k
2
t

Examination of the temperature variation with depth at t = 3 hours shows that the heat flux on the surface has
no significant effect below a depth of 0.2 m. Therefore, the present model is satisfactory. Note that if there
was a significant heating of the lower boundary of the slab then heat loss through this boundary would have to
be included in the analysis.

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T (x) ( ) 12

11

10

0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5
x ( )

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