Exact Solution of One-Dimensional Transient

Conduction Problem

• The non-dimensionalized partial differential equation formulated above together with its boundary and
initial conditions can be solved using several analytical and numerical techniques, including the Laplace or other
transform methods, the method of separation of variables, the finite difference method, and the finite-element
method.

• Here we discuss the method of separation of variables developed by J. Fourier in 1820s and is based on
expanding an arbitrary function (including a constant) in terms of Fourier series. The method is applied
by assuming the dependent variable to be a product of a number of functions, each being a function of a single
independent variable. This reduces the partial differential equation to a system of ordinary differential equations,
each being a function of a single independent variable.

• In the case of transient conduction in a plain wall, for example, the dependent variable is the solution
function u(X, t), which is expressed as u(X, t)= F(X)G(t), and the application of the method results in two ordinary
differential equation, one in X and the other in t.

• The method is applicable if (1) the geometry is simple and finite (such as a rectangular block, a cylinder, or a
sphere) so that the boundary surfaces can be described by simple mathematical functions, and (2) the differential
equation and the boundary and initial conditions in their most simplified form are linear (no terms that involve
products of the dependent variable or its derivatives) and involve only one nonhomogeneous term (a term without
the dependent variable or its derivatives).
 Separation of Variables
• Let us consider the Slab/Convection experiment. Recall that in this case we have:

The heat conduction equation in cylindrical or spherical coordinates can be nondimensionalized in

This makes it very practical to conduct parametric studies and to present results in graphical form.
Recall that in the case of lumped system analysis, we had u f(Bi, Fo) with no space variable.
 Separation of Variables
• First, we express the dimensionless temperature function u(X, t) as a product of a function of
X only and a function of t only as:

• Substituting to:
we have (C)

• all the terms that depend on X are on the left-hand side of the equation and all the terms
that depend on t are on the r the terms that are function of different variables are separated
(and thus the name separation of variables). Considering that both X and t can be varied
independently, the equality in Eq. C can hold for any value of X and t only if it is equal to a
constant. Further, it must be a negative constant that we will indicate by -l2 since a positive
constant will cause the function G(t) to increase indefinitely with time (to be infinite), which
is unphysical, and a value of zero for the constant means no time dependence, which is again
inconsistent with the physical problem. Setting Eq. C equal to -l2 gives:

• whose general solutions are:

• and
 Separation of Variables
Then it follows that there are an infinite number of solutions of the form , and the solution of
this linear heat conduction problem is a linear combination of them,

The constants An are determined from the initial condition

This is a Fourier series expansion that expresses a constant in terms of an infinite series of
cosine functions. Now we multiply both sides of last eq. by cos(lmX), and integrate from X=0 to
X=1. The right-hand side involves an infinite number of integrals of the form:

It can be shown that all of these integrals vanish except when n m, and the coefficient An
becomes:
Separation of Variables
This completes the analysis for the solution of one-
dimensional transient heat conduction problem in a
plane wall. Solutions in other geometries such as a long
cylinder and a sphere can be determined using the same
approach. The results for all three geometries are
summarized in Table.
Note that the solution for the plane wall is also
applicable for a plane wall of thickness L whose left
surface at x =0 is insulated and the right surface at x=L is
subjected to convection since this is precisely the
mathematical problem we solved.
 Approximate Analytical Solutions
• The analytical solutions of transient conduction problems typically involve infinite series, and thus the
evaluation of an infinite number of terms to determine the temperature at a specified location and time.
However, as demonstrated in Table, the terms in the summation decline rapidly as n and thus ln increases
because of the exponential decay function . This is especially the case when the dimensionless time t is
large. Therefore, the evaluation of the first few terms of the infinite series (in this case just the first term)
is usually adequate to determine the dimensionless temperature q. For example, for t> 0.2, keeping the
first term and neglecting all the remaining terms in the series results in an error under 2 percent.
• We are usually interested in the solution for times with t> 0.2, and thus it is very convenient to express
the solution using this one-term approximation, given as:

where the constants A1 and l1 are functions of the Bi number only, and their values are listed in Table
(see next slide) against the Bi number for all three geometries. The function J0 is the zeroth-order
Bessel function of the first kind (see next slide).
Useful Tables
 Approximate Analytical Solutions
• Noting that cos (0)= J0(0)= 1 and the limit of (sin x)/x is also 1, these relations simplify to the next
ones at the center of a plane wall, cylinder, or sphere:

• Comparing the sets of equations above with approximate solution we notice that the
dimensionless temperatures anywhere in a plane wall, cylinder, and sphere are related to the
center temperature by

• which shows that time dependence of dimensionless temperature within a given geometry is the
same throughout. That is, if the dimensionless center temperature q0 drops by 20 percent at a
specified time, so does the dimensionless temperature q0 anywhere else in the medium at the
same time. Once the Bi number is known, these relations can be used to determine the
• temperature anywhere in the medium.
 Graphical Solutions : Heisler Charts
The solutions obtained for 1D non homogeneous problems with Neumann boundary conditions in
Cartesian coordinate systems using the method of separation of variables have been collected and
assembled in the form of transient temperature nomographs by Heisler. The given charts are a very
useful baseline against, which to validate one’s own analytical or numerical computations.

• Indeed, the determination of the constants A1 and l1 usually requires interpolation. For those who
prefer reading charts to interpolating, these relations are plotted and the one-term approximation
solutions are presented in graphical form, known as the transient temperature charts.
• The transient temperature charts shown in next slides for a large plane wall, long cylinder, and
sphere were presented by M. P. Heisler in 1947 and are called Heisler charts.
• There are three charts associated with each geometry: the first chart is to determine the
temperature T0 at the center of the geometry at a given time t. The second chart is to determine
the temperature at other locations at the same time in terms of T0. The third chart is to determine
the total amount of heat transfer up to the time t. These plots are valid for t > 0.2.
Transient temperature and heat transfer charts for a plane wall of thickness 2L initially at a uniform
temperature Ti subjected to convection from all sides to an environment at temperature T∞
with a convection coefficient of h.
Transient temperature and heat transfer charts for a long cylinder of radius ro initially at a uniform
temperature Ti subjected to convection from all sides to an environment at temperature T∞
with a convection coefficient of h.
Transient temperature and heat transfer charts for a sphere of radius ro initially at a uniform
temperature Ti subjected to convection from all sides to an environment at temperature T∞
with a convection coefficient of h.
 Useful Relationship
• Again the temperature of the body changes from the initial temperature Ti to the temperature of
the surroundings T∞ at the end of the transient heat conduction process and the maximum
amount of heat that a body can gain (or lose) is simply the change in the energy content of the
body:

• The amount of heat transfer Q at a finite time t is

• Assuming constant properties, the ratio of Q/Qmax becomes

• Using the appropriate non-dimensional temperature relations based on the one term
approximation for the plane wall, cylinder, and sphere, and performing the indicated integrations, we
obtain the following relations for the fraction of heat transfer in those geometries:

• These Q/Qmax ratio relations based on the one-term approximation are also plotted in Heisler
charts, against the variables Bi and h2at/k2 for the large plane wall, long cylinder, and sphere,
respectively. Note that once the fraction of heat transfer Q/Qmax has been determined from
these charts or equations for the given t, the actual amount of heat transfer by that time can be
evaluated by multiplying this fraction by Qmax.