Mechanical Engineering Department

Third year
Heat and mass transfer (2)
Sheet 6

1- What is visible light? How does it differ from the other forms of
electromagnetic radiation?
2- What is thermal radiation? How does it differ from the other forms of
electromagnetic radiation?
3- How does microwave cooking differ from conventional cooking?
4- A radio station is broadcasting radio waves at a wavelength of 200 m.
Determine the frequency of these waves.
5- What is a blackbody? Does a blackbody actually exist?
6- Consider a 20-cm x 20-cm x 20-cm cubical body at 1000 K suspended in
the air. Assuming the body closely approximates a blackbody, determine
(a) the rate at which the cube emits radiation energy, in W, and (b) the
spectral blackbody emissive power at a wavelength of 4 µm.
7- The temperature of the filament of an incandescent lightbulb is 3200 K.
Treating the filament as a blackbody, determine the fraction of the
radiant energy emitted by the filament that falls in the visible range. Also,
determine the wavelength at which the emission of radiation from the
filament peaks.
8- Determine the view factors associated with an
enclosure formed by two concentric spheres.
Then determine the thermal radiation from 2 to
1 if T1=1200 K and T2=780 K.
 Mechanical Engineering Department
Third year
Heat and mass transfer (2)
Sheet 6

9- Consider the 5-m x 5-m x 5-m cubical furnace

whose surfaces closely approximate black
surfaces. The base, top, and side surfaces of the
furnace are maintained at uniform temperatures
of 800 K, 1500 K, and 500 K, respectively.
Determine (a) the net rate of radiation heat
transfer between the base and the side surfaces,
(b) the net rate of radiation heat transfer between the base and the top
surface, and (c) the net radiation heat transfer from the base surface.
10- Two very large parallel plates are maintained at uniform
temperatures T1= 5800 K and T2= 500 K and have emissivities 0.2 and
0.7, respectively. Determine the net rate of radiation heat transfer
between the two surfaces per unit surface area of the plates.
1 Visible light is a kind of electromagnetic wave whose wavelength is between 0.40 and 0.76 μm . It
differs from the other forms of electromagnetic radiation in that it triggers the sensation of seeing in the
human eye.

2 Thermal radiation is the radiation emitted as a result of vibrational and rotational motions of
molecules, atoms and electrons of a substance, and it extends from about 0.1 to 100 μm in wavelength.
Unlike the other forms of electromagnetic radiation, thermal radiation is emitted by bodies because of their
temperature.

3 Microwaves in the range of 102 to 105 μm are very suitable for use in cooking as they are reflected
by metals, transmitted by glass and plastics and absorbed by food (especially water) molecules. Thus the
electric energy converted to radiation in a microwave oven eventually becomes part of the internal energy
of the food with no conduction and convection thermal resistances involved. In conventional cooking, on
the other hand, conduction and convection thermal resistances slow down the heat transfer, and thus the
heating process.

4 A radio station is broadcasting radiowaves at a wavelength

of 200 m. The frequency of these waves is to be determined.
Analysis The frequency of the waves is determined from
c c 2.998 × 10 8 m/s
λ= ⎯
⎯→ v = = = 1.5 × 10 6 Hz
v λ 200 m

5 A blackbody is a perfect emitter and absorber of radiation. A blackbody does not actually exist. It
is an idealized body that emits the maximum amount of radiation that can be emitted by a surface at a given
temperature.
6 An isothermal cubical body is suspended in the air. The rate at which the cube emits radiation energy
and the spectral blackbody emissive power are to be determined.
Assumptions The body behaves as a black body.
Analysis (a) The total blackbody emissive power is determined from Stefan-Boltzman Law to be
As = 6a 2 = 6(0.2 2 ) = 0.24 m 2
E b (T ) = σT 4 As = (5.67 × 10 −8 W/m 2 .K 4 )(1000 K) 4 (0.24 m 2 ) = 1.36 × 10 4 W
(b) The spectral blackbody emissive power at a wavelength of 4
μm is determined from Plank's distribution law,
C1 3.743 × 10 8 W ⋅ μm 4 /m 2
E bλ = = 20 cm
⎡ ⎛C ⎞ ⎤ ⎡ ⎛ 1.4387 × 10 4 μm ⋅ K ⎞ ⎤ T = 1000 K
λ5 ⎢exp⎜⎜ 2 ⎟⎟ − 1⎥ (4 μm) ⎢exp⎜
5 ⎟ − 1⎥
⎣ ⎝ λT ⎠ ⎦ ⎜ μ ⎟ ⎥
⎣⎢ ⎝ ( 4 m)(1000 K) ⎠ ⎦ 20 cm
= 10.3 kW/m ⋅ m 2
20 cm

7 The temperature of the filament of an incandescent light bulb is given. The fraction of visible
radiation emitted by the filament and the wavelength at which the emission peaks are to be determined.
Assumptions The filament behaves as a black body.
Analysis The visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum extends from λ 1 = 0.40 μm to λ 2 = 0.76 μm .
Noting that T = 3200 K, the blackbody radiation functions corresponding to λ 1T and λ 2 T are determined
from Table 11-2 to be
λ 1T = (0.40 μm)(3200 K) = 1280 μmK ⎯
⎯→ f λ1 = 0.0043964
λ 2 T = (0.76 μm)(3200 K) = 2432 μmK ⎯
⎯→ f λ 2 = 0147114
. T = 3200 K
Then the fraction of radiation emitted between these two wavelengths becomes
f λ2 − f λ1 = 0.14711424 − 0.0043964 = 0.142718 (or 14.3%)
The wavelength at which the emission of radiation from the filament is maximum is
2897.8 μm ⋅ K
(λT ) max power = 2897.8 μm ⋅ K ⎯
⎯→ λ max power = = 0.905 mm
3200 K

11-7
8 EXAMPLE 13–1 View Factors Associated with Two Concentric
Spheres
Determine the view factors associated with an enclosure formed by two con-
r1
centric spheres, shown in Fig. 13–10.
r2

SOLUTION The view factors associated with two concentric spheres are to be
1 determined.
2 Assumptions The surfaces are diffuse emitters and reflectors.
Analysis The outer surface of the smaller sphere (surface 1) and inner surface
FIGURE 13–10 of the larger sphere (surface 2) form a two-surface enclosure. Therefore, N 5 2
The geometry considered in and this enclosure involves N 2 5 22 5 4 view factors, which are F11, F12, F21,
Example 13–1. and F22. In this two-surface enclosure, we need to determine only
1
2 N(N 2 1) 5 12 3 2(2 2 1) 5 1

view factor directly. The remaining three view factors can be determined by
the application of the summation and reciprocity rules. But it turns out that
we can determine not only one but two view factors directly in this case by a
simple inspection:

F11 5 0, since no radiation leaving surface 1 strikes itself

F12 5 1, since all radiation leaving surface 1 strikes surface 2

Actually it would be sufficient to determine only one of these view factors by

inspection, since we could always determine the other one from the summa-
tion rule applied to surface 1 as F11 1 F12 5 1.
The view factor F21 is determined by applying the reciprocity relation to sur-
faces 1 and 2:

A1F12 5 A2F21

which yields

A1 4pr 21 r1 2
F21 5 F12 5 315 a b
A2 4pr 22 r2

Finally, the view factor F22 is determined by applying the summation rule to
surface 2:

F21 1 F22 5 1
and thus
r1 2
F22 5 1 2 F21 5 1 2 a b
r2

Discussion Note that when the outer sphere is much larger than the inner
sphere (r2 @ r1), F22 approaches one. This is expected, since the fraction of
radiation leaving the outer sphere that is intercepted by the inner sphere will
be negligible in that case. Also note that the two spheres considered above do
not need to be concentric. However, the radiation analysis will be most accu-
rate for the case of concentric spheres, since the radiation is most likely to be
uniform on the surfaces in that case.
9
EXAMPLE 13–6 Radiation Heat Transfer in a Black Furnace
2 T2 = 1500 K
Consider the 5-m 3 5-m 3 5-m cubical furnace shown in Fig. 13–19, whose sur-
faces closely approximate black surfaces. The base, top, and side surfaces of the
furnace are maintained at uniform temperatures of 800 K, 1500 K, and 500 K,
3
respectively. Determine (a) the net rate of radiation heat transfer between the base
T3 = 500 K
and the side surfaces, (b) the net rate of radiation heat transfer between the base
and the top surface, and (c) the net radiation heat transfer from the base surface.

SOLUTION The surfaces of a cubical furnace are black and are maintained at
1
uniform temperatures. The net rate of radiation heat transfer between the base T1 = 800 K
and side surfaces, between the base and the top surface, and from the base
surface are to be determined. FIGURE 13–19
Assumptions The surfaces are black and isothermal. The cubical furnace of black surfaces
Analysis (a) The geometry involves six surfaces, and thus we may be tempted considered in Example 13–6.
at first to treat the furnace as a six-surface enclosure. However, the four side
surfaces possess the same properties, and thus we can treat them as a single
side surface in radiation analysis. We consider the base surface to be surface
1, the top surface to be surface 2, and# the side
# surfaces #to be surface 3. Then
the problem reduces to determining Q1 S 3, # Q1 S 2, and Q1.
The net rate of radiation heat transfer Q1 S 3 from surface 1 to surface 3
can be determined from Eq. 13–19, since both surfaces involved are black, by
replacing the subscript 2 by 3:
#
Q1 S 3 5 A1F1 S 3s(T 41 2 T 43)

But first we need to evaluate the view factor F1 S 3. After checking the view
factor charts and tables, we realize that we cannot determine this view factor
directly. However, we can determine the view factor F1 S 2 from Fig. 13–5 to
be F1 S 2 5 0.2, and we know that F1 S 1 5 0 since surface 1 is a plane. Then
applying the summation rule to surface 1 yields
F1 S 1 1 F 1 S 2 1 F1 S 3 5 1
or
F1 S 3 5 1 2 F1 S 1 2 F1 S 2 5 1 2 0 2 0.2 5 0.8
Substituting,
#
Q1 S 3 5 (25 m2)(0.8)(5.67 3 1028 W/m2·K4)[(800 K)4 2 (500 K)4]
5 394 kW
#
(b) The net rate of radiation heat transfer Q1 S 2 from surface 1 to surface 2 is
determined in a similar manner from Eq. 13–19 to be
#
Q1 S 2 5 A1F1 S 2s(T 41 2 T 42)
5 (25 m2)(0.2)(5.67 3 1028 W/m2·K4)[(800 K)4 2 (1500 K)4]
5 21319 kW
The negative sign indicates that net radiation heat transfer is from surface 2
to surface 1. #
(c) The net radiation heat transfer from the base surface Q1 is determined from
Eq. 13–20 by replacing the subscript i by 1 and taking N 5 3:
# 3 # # # #
Q1 5 a Q1 S j 5 Q1 S 1 1 Q1 S 2 1 Q1 S 3
j 51

5 0 1 (21319 kW) 1 (394 kW)

5 2925 kW
Again the negative sign indicates that net radiation heat transfer is to surface 1.
That is, the base of the furnace is gaining net radiation at a rate of 925 kW.
10 EXAMPLE 13–7 Radiation Heat Transfer between Parallel Plates
Two very large parallel plates are maintained at uniform temperatures T1 5
800 K and T2 5 500 K and have emissivities e1 5 0.2 and e2 5 0.7, respec-
tively, as shown in Fig. 13–25. Determine the net rate of radiation heat trans-
e1 = 0.2
1 fer between the two surfaces per unit surface area of the plates.
. T1 = 800 K
Q12
e 2 = 0.7 SOLUTION Two large parallel plates are maintained at uniform temperatures.
2 T2 = 500 K The net rate of radiation heat transfer between the plates is to be determined.

FIGURE 13–25
The two parallel plates Assumptions Both surfaces are opaque, diffuse, and gray.
considered in Example 13–7. Analysis The net rate of radiation heat transfer between the two plates per
unit area is readily determined from Eq. 13–38 to be
#
# Q12 s(T 41 2 T 42) (5.67 3 1028 W/m2·K4)[(800 K)4 2 (500 K)4]
q 12 5 5 5
A 1 1 1 1
1 21 1 21
e1 e2 0.2 0.7 CHAPTER 13
2
5 3625 W/m
Discussion Note that heat at a net rate of 3625 W is transferred from plate 1
to plate 2 by radiation per unit surface area of either plate.