1D Thermal Diusion Equation and Solutions

3.185 Fall, 2003

The 1D thermal diusion equation for constant k , and cp (thermal conductivity, density, specic heat) is almost identical to the solute diusion equation: T 2T q = 2 + t x cp or in cylindrical coordinates: r and spherical coordinates:1 r = t r
2 T

(1)

T = t r

T q r +r r cp r
2 T

(2)

+ r2

q cp

(3)

k The most important dierence is that it uses the thermal diusivity = c in the unsteady solutions, but p the thermal conductivity k to determine the heat ux using Fouriers rst law

qx = k

T x

(4)

For this reason, to get solute diusion solutions from the thermal diusion solutions below, substitute D for both k and , eectively setting cp to one.

1 Most texts simplify the cylindrical and spherical equations, they divide by r and r 2 respectively and product rule the r derivative apart. This gives q T 2T 1 T = + + t r2 r r cp

for cylindrical and T = t

2T 2 T + r2 r r

q cp

for spherical coordinates. I prefer equations 2 and 3 because they are easier to solve.

1D Heat Conduction Solutions 1. Steadystate (a) No generation i. Cartesian equation: d2 T =0 dx2 Solution:
T = Ax + B
Flux magnitude for conduction through a plate in series with heat transfer through a uid boundary layer (analagous to either 1storder chemical reaction or mass transfer through a uid boundary layer): |Tf l T1 | |qx | = 1 L h + k (Tf l is the uid temperature, analagous to the concentration in equilibrium with the uid in
diusion; T1 is the temperature on the side opposite the uid.)
Dimensionless form:
1 q = 1 1 + h where q =
qx L k(Tf l T1 )

and h =

hL k

(a.k.a. the Biot number). d dr dT r dr =0

ii. Cylindrical equation:

Solution:
T = A ln r + B
Flux magnitude for heat transfer through a uid boundary layer at R1 in series with conduc tion through a cylindrical shell between R1 and R2 : |r qr | = iii. Spherical equation: d dr Solution: T = (b) Constant generation i. Cartesian equation: k Solution: T = ii. Cylindrical equation: k Solution: T = d dr dT r + rq =0 dr qr 2 + A ln r + B 4k d2 T +q =0 dx2 qx 2 + Ax + B 2k r
2 dT 1 hR1

|Tf l T2 | 1 2 +k ln R R1 =0

dr

A +B r

iii. Spherical equation: k Solution: d dr r2 dT dr + r2 q =0

qr 2 A + +B r 6k (c) (Diusion only) rstorder homogeneous reaction consuming the reactant, so G = kC i. Cartesian equation: d2 C D 2 kC = 0 dx Solution: k k C = Ae D x + Be D x T = or: C = A cosh k k x + B sinh x D D

ii. Cylindrical and spherical solutions involve Bessel functions, but here are the equations: d dC D r krC = 0 dr dr d 2 dC D r kr2 C = 0 dr dr 2. Unsteady solutions without generation based on the Cartesian equation with constant k and cp : T 2T = 2 t x where =
k cp .

(a) Uniform initial condition T = Ti (or T = T ), constant boundary condition T = Ts at x = 0, semiinnite body; or step function initial condition in an innite body.
Solution is the error function or its complement:
T Ts x = erf Ti Ts 2 T T Ti x = erfc T s Ti 2 T Semiinnite criterion: L 2 2 t

Note: this also applies to a diusion couple, where two bodies of dierent temperatures (or concentrations) are joined at x = 0 and diuse into each other; the boundary condition there is halfway between the two initial conditions. This works only if the (thermal) diusivities are the same. (b) Fixed quantity of heat/solute diusing into a (semi)innite body (same semiinnite criterion as 2a), no ux through x = 0, initial condition T = Ti (or T = T ) everywhere except a layer of thickness if semiinnite or 2 if fully innite where T = T0 . Shorttime solution consists of erfs at the interfaces, like a diusion couple. Longtime solution is the shrinking Gaussian: (T0 Ti ) x2 T = Ti + exp 4t t 3

(c) Uniform initial condition T = Ti , constant boundary condition T = Ts at x = 0 and x = L (or zeroux boundary condition qx = kT /x = 0 at x = L/2), nite body; or periodic initial condition (weve covered sine and square waves) in an innite body. Solution is the Fourier series: 2 2 nx n t T = Ts + (Ti Ts ) an exp sin 2 L L n=0
4 For a square wave or uniform IC in a nite body, an = n for odd n, zero for even n, Ts is the average temperature for a periodic situation or the boundary condition for a nite layer, L is the half period of the wave or the thickness of the nite layer.

The n = 1 term dominates when

2 L2 t

1.

(d) *Uniform initial condition T = T , constant ux boundary condition at x = 0 qx = k dT dx = q0 , semiinnite body (same semiinnite criterion as 2a).
Solution:
q0 t z2 z T = T + 2 exp z 1 erf k 4t 2 t (e) *Uniform initial condition T = T , heat transfer coecient boundary condition at x = 0 qx = k dT dx = h(Tf l T ), semiinnite body (same semiinnite criterion as 2a). Solution: T Tf l x hx h2 t x h t + exp + 2 erfc = erfc k T Tf l k k 2 t 2 t *These solutions are neither covered nor required, but are here for your edication and future reference. 3. Moving body If a body is moving relative to a frame of reference at speed ux and conducting heat only in the direction of motion, then the equation in that reference frame (for constant properties) is: T T 2T q + ux = 2 + t x x cp Note that this is the diusion equation with the substantial derivative instead of the partial derivative, and nonzero velocity only in the xdirection. Recall the denition of the substantial derivative: D u = + Dt t Applied to temperature with uy = uz = 0: DT T T = + ux Dt t x Therefore:
q
DT 2T = 2 + Dt x cp
T t

When this reaches steadystate, so

= 0, then the solution in the absence of generation is T = A + Beux x/