Heat Transfer

Lab Report

Experiment 6: Study of Radiation Heat Transfer.

Instructor: Mr. Ammar Ahmad

Name: Muhammad Farhan Saleem

Roll #: 04-3-1-024-2017
Group #: G 6
Date of Submission: June 6, 2021

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences,
Nilore, Islamabad, Pakistan.
 Table of Contents
1 Abstract...............................................................................................................3

2 Learning Objectives..............................................................................................3

3 Introduction.........................................................................................................3

4 Experimental Setup..............................................................................................4

5 Theory..................................................................................................................5

5.1 Inverse Square Law for Heat......................................................................................5

5.2 6.4.2 Stefan-Boltzmann Law......................................................................................6

6 Procedure.............................................................................................................6

6.1 General Start up Procedure.......................................................................................6

6.2 Procedure of Experiment...........................................................................................7

7 Observation and Calculations...............................................................................8

 Inverse Square Law........................................................................................................8

 Stephen-Boltzmann Law................................................................................................9

8 Precautions........................................................................................................10

9 Result and Discussion.........................................................................................10

List of Figures
Figure 6-- 4- 1: Radiation heat transfer Apparatus..........................................................................................4
Figure 6-4-2: Schematic of Apparatus.............................................................................................................5
Figure 6-5-1: Inverse square law.....................................................................................................................6
Figure 3- 1 Graph showing dependence of intensity on distance..................................................................9
Figure 7- 2 Graph showing dependence of heat flux on source temperature.............................................10

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1 Abstract
The main objective of this experiment is to study one of the modes of transfer of thermal
energy from conduction, convection and radiation and that one is the radiation process.
We studied basically the laws and principles of radiations including inverse square law
and Stephan Boltzmann law. From the first part of the experiment, we see that the
intensity which is basically the energy per unit time per unit area decrease with the square
of the distance between the source and measuring instrument by measuring the intensity
using thermopile at various distances. The small deviation of the intensity from the
theoretical values may be due to the radiation that come from outside and the energy loss
due to the convection process in the air present between the thermopile and heated plate.
In the second part of the experiment, we measured the intensity variation with the
variation in the temperature of the heated plate and compare the results with the
theoretical results come from Stephan Boltzmann law. The possible errors will be
discussed in the discussion and conclusion part.

2 Learning Objectives
 To understand different laws related to radiation heat transfer
 To observe the validation inverse square law
 To observe the validation of Stefan-Boltzmann law

3 Introduction
Thermal radiation is a mode of heat transfer, which differs significantly from the other
two modes, namely conduction and convection. The fact that radiant energy transfer
occurs across a vacuum is often disturbing to students unless the theory relating to
properties of electromagnetic waves has been presented.
The engineer is not directly concerned with the mechanism by which heat transfer occurs,
sound knowledge of the properties and laws relating to the topic are required.

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Inverse Square Law for Heat – It states that, the intensity of radiation on a surface is
inversely proportional to the square of the distance of the surface from the radiation
source.
Stefan-Boltzmann Law – It states that, the intensity of radiation varies as the fourth
power of the source temperature.
Kirchhoff’s Law - which states that the emissivity of a grey surface is equal to its
absorptivity of radiation received from another surface when in a condition of thermal
equilibrium.
Area Factors – It states that the exchange of radiant energy from one surface to another
is dependent upon their interconnecting geometry, i.e. a function of the amount that each
surface can 'see' of the other.

4 Experimental Setup
Setup name: Radiation Heat transfer Apparatus

Figure 6- -4- 1: Radiation heat transfer Apparatus

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 Figure 6- 4-2: Schematic of Apparatus

5 Theory

5.1 Inverse Square Law for Heat

The total energy dQ from an element dA can be imagined to flow through a hemisphere
of radius r. A surface element on this hemisphere dA 1 lies on a line making an angle φ
with the normal and the solid angle subtended by dA I at dA is dφ1= dA1/r2.
(NOTE: solid angle which is by definition the intercepted area on a sphere divided by r2.)
If the rate of flow of energy through dA 1 is dQ1 then dQ1= iφ dφ1 dA where iφ is the
intensity of radiation in the φ direction. i.e. dQ1 α 1/ r2

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 Figure 6- 5-3: Inverse square law

5.2 6.4.2 Stefan-Boltzmann Law

The Stefan-Boltzmann Law states that: qb= σ (Ts4-Ta4)
Where:
qb = energy emitted by unit area of a black body surface (Wm-2)
(Note: Energy emitted by surface = 3.040 x Reading from radiometer R-refer to
Radiometer Data Sheet for explanation)
σ = Stefan-Boltzmann constant equal to 5.67 x 10-8 (Wm-2 K-4)
Ts= Source temperature and surrounding (K)
Ta= Temperature of radiometer and surroundings (K)

6 Procedure

6.1 General Start up Procedure

1. Ensure that the main switches of the Heat Transfer Apparatus is off.
2. Install the radiometer on the horizontal track. The complete installation is shown
in Figure 1.
3. Connect the heater supply cable to the power output socket of the control box.
4. Connect the radiometer cable to the data logger.
5. Connect the thermocouples of the heater assembly (TH) and three target plates
(TB, TG and Tr) to the control box. Then switch on the control box.

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 6. Check the thermocouple reading from the plate should indicate ambient
temperature.
7. Check the radiometer on the panel indicates zero.
8. Supply power to the heater, TH temperature and the radiometer reading should
increase.
9. As the surface temperature of the heat source increases, observe the readouts of
radiation. The reading should increase.

6.2 Procedure of Experiment

A. Inverse Square Law for Heat
1. Connect one of the thermocouple of the target plates say TP, to the control box
and place the plate on the bench, to record ambient temperature.
2. Position the radiometer on the test track at 800 mm from the heat source.
3. Switch on the power to the heaters using switch on the control box.
4. Monitor TH reading on the control box.
5. When TH value has stabilized or reached to controlled temperature, record TB,
TH, the distance 'x', and the radiometer reading 'R'.
6. Next, move the radiometer position to 700 mm from the heated surface and
monitor the reading on the display panel. When the value has stabilized, record
Tp, TH, the distance 'x', and the radiometer reading 'R'.
7. Repeat the above procedure by reducing the distance by 100 mm until the
radiometer is 300 mm from the heated surface.
B. Stefan-Boltzmann Law
1. Connect one of the thermocouple of the target plates T p to the Control box and
place the plate on the bench, to record ambient temperature.
2. Position the radiometer on the test track at 800 mm from the beat source.
3. Switch on the power to the beaters using the switch on the control box.
4. Monitor TH reading on control box.
5. When TH value has stabilized or reached to controlled temperature, move the
radiometer to 300 mm from the heated plate. The reading of the radiometer should
start to rise. When the value has stabilized, record Tp, TH, the distance 'x', and the
radiometer reading, 'R'.

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 6. Next, move the radiometer to 800 mm from the heated plate again.
7. Repeat the above procedure with an increment of temperatures from PID
controller.

7 Observation and Calculations

 Inverse Square Law

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Intensity ( q ) ∝
( distance )2
constant
Intensity ( q )=
( distance )2
Hence we can write,
¿¿
From above equation theoretical intensity can be found.

Background Radiation reading = R =0.002 mV

Source plate temperature = TP = 130oC
Ambient Temperature of room = TH = 14oC
R(W/m2) = R(mV)*1000*0.1228
Table 1 Inverse Square Law readings data

Theoretical
Distance X Radiometer Instensity of
Intensity Error %
(mm) Reading, R(mV) radiation R(W/m^2)
(W/m^2)

800 0.019 2.0876 1.9859 5.12077295

700 0.023 2.5788 2.5938 0.57971014
600 0.029 3.3156 3.5305 6.08695652
500 0.043 5.0348 5.0839 0.96618357
400 0.068 8.1048 7.9436 2.02898551
300 0.117 14.122 14.1220 0

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 Log (R) Vs. Log(X)
1.0000

0.9000
2 x + x6.1
f(x) = − 1.98 + 6.04
0.8000

0.7000
Log(R)

0.6000

0.5000

0.4000

0.3000

0.2000
2.5000 2.5500 2.6000 2.6500 2.7000 2.7500 2.8000 2.8500 2.9000 2.9500 3.0000
Log (X)
Experimental Linear (Experimental)
Linear (Experimental) Theoretical
Linear (Theoretical)

Figure 3- 4 Graph showing dependence of intensity on distance

 Stephen-Boltzmann Law
q=σ (T s4−T A 4)
σ=5.67*10^-8 W/m^2.K^4
Distance from source = 64 mm
Ambient Temperature =14oC
Table 2 Boltzmann Law data

Source Radiometer Theoretical

Heat Flux
Temperature Ts Reading Heat flux Error %
q(W/m^2)
(oC) R(mV) (W/m^2)

64 1.02 125.255993 346.6222 63.86382417

60 0.96 117.887993 312.5144 62.27758285
55 0.939 115.309193 271.5740 57.54041505
50 0.92 112.975993 232.4637 51.40057767
45 0.864 106.099193 195.1280 45.6258536

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 Flux Vs. (Ts4-Ta4)
400
Experimen
350 tal
Polynomial
300 (Experime
ntal)
250
Heat Flux

Theoretical
200 Linear
(Theoretic
150 al)
100

50

0
3000000000 4000000000 5000000000 6000000000 7000000000

Ts4-Ta4

Figure 7- 5 Graph showing dependence of heat flux on source temperature

8 Precautions
1. DO NOT touch the heater plate while it is hot.
2. Leave the equipment for a sufficient time to cold down the beater plate after
switching off the heater.
3. When assemble the target plates, make sure that the bolt-on thermocouple is
facing the heated surface.

9 Result and Discussion

In this experiment, we studied the two basic principles of the radiation method of heat
transfer. The first one is the inverse square law which state the intensity varies with the
square of the distance. As from Huygens Principles, the radiation emitted from the body
is in the form of spherical wave fronts and we know that the intensity is the energy pass
through a unit area in unit time and we also know that the area of Sphere is 4𝜋𝑅^2, so it
shows that the intensity vary with square of the distance. From the experimental values,

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we see approximately the same pattern with little deviations. In the second part of the
experiment, we see that the intensity varies with the temperature of the source which is
the heated plate in our case but according to the Stephan Boltzmann law, the variation in
the intensity is proportional to the fourth power of temperature in Kelvin scale but the
experimental values deviate from the theoretical values which may be due to the
following reasons.
I. The heated plate was not only the source of heat because according to the basic
principles, but everybody also radiate heat, whenever its temperature becomes
greater than 0 K, so in the room each and every body was a secondary source of
heat.
II. The space between the thermopile and the heated plate was not evacuated, so the
air molecules that come in the path of radiations between plate and thermopile get
energy due to which the density of that air decreases and move upward. In Short,
the energy is loosed due to convection.
III. After some time of the experiment, according to Joules law, the temperature of the
thermopile also increased due to the resistance to current flow and that heat also
contribute in the error.

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