ME 312 SPRING 2017 - EXPERIMENT 3

A METHOD FOR MEASURING EMISSIVITY OF A SURFACE

OBJECTIVE
The emissivity (ε) of a material is a dimensionless quantity which describes the relative ability of its surface to
emit energy by radiation. It is the ratio of the emissive power of a particular surface to that of a blackbody at
the same temperature. A true blackbody would have an emissivity, ε = 1 while any real object would have an
emissivity, ε < 1. This experiment describes a method for measuring the emissivity of a real surface. In this
method, the emissivity of a real surface is calculated by using the knowledge of the heat flux passing through
the two concentric gray surfaces and their respective temperatures.

THEORY
Since a gray surface emits less energy than the black surface at a given temperature, a gray surface can be
modeled as a black and a fictitious layer distributed over the surface. The fictitious layer adds a thermal
1−𝜀
resistance of ( ) in the path of the radiant energy and reduces the amount of radiant heat flux.
𝐴𝜀

Long concentric surfaces can be treated like parallel surfaces. For large parallel gray surfaces in close proximity
when the space between them is highly evacuated, the net radiation heat transfer between two surfaces whose
temperatures are T1 and T2 can be found from the following relation (Eqn 13.23 in Incropera et al., 7th edition)

 T 4   T24
q12  1
(1)
1  1 1 1 2
 
A11 A1 F12 A2 2
where σ is the Stephan Boltzmann constant, and 1 A1 F12 = 1 A2 F21 is the surface resistance between two
surfaces with surface areas of A1 and A2 respectively.

Note that the conservation of energy for the surface with area, A1 requires that q12  q1 where q1 is the rate
of heat removal from this surface. If q2 is the heat supplied to surface with area A2 then the conservation of
energy argument requires that the following equation holds.
q12  q1   q2 (2)

For the evacuated, annular space between two concentric infinite cylinders, the view factor is given as F12  1,
. Also, when the same material is used same emissivity can be assumed (  2   1   ) , thus the Eq.1 can be
reduced to :

 A1 T 4  T24 
q12  1
(3)
1 A 1 
 1   1
 A2   
The area ratio  A1 A2  can be replaced by the radius ratio  rc  r1 r2  when cylindrical bodies are concerned.

 A1 T 4  T24 
q1 2  1
(4)
1
1  rc   rc

Finally, the emissivity of the surfaces can be found from Eq.(4) in terms of the net heat flow rate per unit outer
′′ 𝑞
surface area of the inner cylinder (𝑞1→2 = 1→2 ) as:
𝐴1
 1  rc 
 (5)
 T 4  T24 
1
 rc
q ''12

EXPERIMENTAL EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION

The components of the experimental set-up include two stainless steel concentric horizontal cylinders, various
instruments for measuring the cylinders’ temperatures, and a power supply for the heater. The annular space
between the cylinders is highly evacuated by a vacuum pump. The lengths of the cylinders are about 480 mm,
the inner diameter of the outer cylinder is 80 mm, and the outer diameter of the inner cylinder is 21 mm.
A nichrome (Nickel-chrome) wire heater passes through the inside of the inner cylinder. The ends of the annular
space between cylinders are insulated to prevent the heat loss and the cylinders are mounted on a frame. A
photograph of the experimental set-up and the schematic of the cross-section of the concentric cylinders used
in the experiment are presented in Figure 1 and Figure 2 respectively.

Figure 1. Views of the experimental test set-up

𝒒𝟏→𝟐 Outer cylinder, T2, A2

Inner cylinder, T1, A1

Heater

Figure 2. Schematic of the cross-section of the concentric cylinders used in the experiment

The electrical power is supplied by a regulated AC power supply and the output of the supply is fed to a
variable transformer to select the level of heating. The power input is calculated by measuring the potential
difference and the current by a voltmeter and an ammeter respectively. The surface temperatures of the inner
and the outer cylinders are measured at four points on each cylinder surface using calibrated copper-constantan
thermocouples. Thermocouple voltage readings are measured by a digital multimeter with a resolution of a 0.01
mV.
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
The following steps will be performed before the students arrive at the lab by the lab assistants to prepare the
setup for experiments:

 Switch ON the electric supply.

 Adjust the Continuously Variable Voltage Auto-Transformer to supply a particular voltage to the heating
element.
 Wait for steady state conditions to be attained.

The following steps will be performed by the students during the experiment

 Record the voltage and the current supplied to the heating element.
 Record the temperatures at four points on the inner cylinder surface and four points on the outer cylinder
surface (Please note that although the surface temperatures are measured at four points, the average of these
readings will be taken as the surface temperature.)

CALCULATIONS:
 Heat supply rate to inner cylinder q1 2 ,
 Heat supply rate per unit area to inner cylinder q ''1 2
 Outer surface temperature of inner cylinder T1
 Inner surface temperature of outer cylinder T2
 Emissivity of the surfaces  .

REPORT
In your report
1. Comment on the results and possible reasons for discrepancies,
2. Discuss the possible sources of errors in the experiment,
3. Discuss the assumptions made during the experiment and their effects on the results in detail.
 ME 312 Experiment 3 Data Sheet
A METHOD FOR MEASURING EMISSIVITY OF A SURFACE

Name & Surname:

ID Number:
Lab Group:

Voltage V
T(°C) = 23.46 x T(mV) + 2.35
Current A

Experimental Data
Inner Outer
T (mV) T (°C) T (mV) T (°C)
Cylinder Cylinder
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4

Calculations Cylinder Properties

Power W Length: 480 mm
q1-2 W Do: 80 mm
q"1-2 W/m² Di: 21 mm
Tinner °C Stainless Steel
Touter °C
ɛ