Practice Problems

Fox and McDonald, “Introduction to fluid dynamics”, John Wiley & Sons, 2008, 8 th edition [
2.57, pg-50]
1. Fluids of viscosities μ1 = 0.15 Ns/m2 , μ2 = 0.5 N s/m2 , and μ3 = 0.2 Ns/m2 are contained
between two plates (each plate is 1 m2 in area). The thicknesses are h1 = 0.5 mm, h2 =
0.25 mm, and h3 = 0.2 mm, respectively. Find the steady speed V of the upper plate and
the velocities at the two interfaces due to a force F = 100 N. Plot the velocity distribution.

Answer: Vupper plate = 0.483 m/s ; V23 = 0.383 m/s ; V12 = 0.333 m/s

Fox and McDonald, “Introduction to fluid dynamics”, John Wiley & Sons, 2008, 8th
edition [ 2.86, pg-53]

2. In a food industry process, carbon tetrachloride at 20°C flows through a tapered nozzle
from an inlet diameter Din = 50 mm to an outlet diameter of Dout. The area varies linearly
with distance along the nozzle, and the exit area is one-fifth of the inlet area; the nozzle
length is 250 mm. The flow rate is Q = 2 L/min. It is important for the process that the
flow exits the nozzle as a turbulent flow. Does it? If so, at what point along the nozzle
does the flow become turbulent?

Answer: Yes, 186 mm

Fox and McDonald, “Introduction to fluid dynamics”, John Wiley & Sons, 2008, 8th
edition [ 2.54, pg-50]
3. Problem No 2.54

Answer: 13.7 mm ; Fo = -172 N; Fi = 63.4 N

Holman, J. P., “Heat Transfer”, McGraw Hill, 1997, 10th edition [2.9 pg-62]

4. A steel tube having k =46W/m・ ◦C has an inside diameter of 3.0 cm and a tube wall
thickness of 2 mm. A fluid flows on the inside of the tube producing a convection
coefficient of 1500W/m2 C on the inside surface, while a second fluid flows across the
outside of the tube producing a convection coefficient of 197 W/m2 ◦C on the outside
tube surface. The inside fluid temperature is 223◦C while the outside fluid temperature is
57◦C. Calculate the heat lost by the tube per meter of length.
Answer: 3017 W/m
 Holman, J. P., “Heat Transfer”, McGraw Hill, 1997, 10th edition [2.17 pg-62]
5. A hollow sphere is constructed of aluminium with an inner diameter of 4 cm and an outer
diameter of 8 cm. The inside temperature is 100◦C and the outer temperature is 50 C.
Calculate the heat transfer.
Answer: 9.41 W

Holman, J. P., “Heat Transfer”, McGraw Hill, 1997, 10th edition [5.16 pg-267]

6. Air flows over a flat plate at a constant velocity of 20 m/s and ambient conditions of 20
kPa and 20°C. The plate is heated to a constant temperature of 75°C, starting at a distance
of 7.5 cm from the leading edge. What is the total heat transfer from the leading edge to a
point 35 cm from the leading edge?
Answer: 208.6 W

Holman, J. P., “Heat Transfer”, McGraw Hill, 1997, 10th edition [8.29 pg-467]

7. A 50-cm-square vertical plate is maintained at a constant surface temperature of 127°C

on both sides and placed in a large chamber containing air at 1.7 atm and 27°C. The walls
of the large chamber are maintained at 22°C and the surface of the vertical plate is
blackened on both sides so that its emissivity is 1.0. Calculate the total heat lost by both
sides of the vertical plate, expressed in watts.
Answer: 864.5 W

Bird Stewart and Lightfoot, “Transport Phenomena”, John Wiley & Sons 2nd Edition,[2A.3 pg
62]
8. A horizontal annulus, 27 ft in length, has an inner radius of 0.495 in. and an outer radius
of 1.1 in. A 60% aqueous solution of sucrose (C12H22011) is to be pumped through the
annulus at 20°C. At this temperature the solution density is 80.3 lb/ft3 and the viscosity is
136.8 lb,/ft hr. What is the volume flow rate when the impressed pressure difference is
5.39 psi?
Answer: 0.11 ft3/s

Holman, J. P., “Heat Transfer”, McGraw Hill, 1997, 10th edition [2.2 pg-61]
9. A certain material 2.5 cm thick, with a cross-sectional area of 0.1 m2, has one side
maintained at 35°C and the other at 95°C. The temperature at the center plane of the
material is 62°C, and the heat flow through the material is 1 kW. Obtain an expression
for the thermal conductivity of the material as a function of temperature.
Answer:
 Holman, J. P., “Heat Transfer”, McGraw Hill, 1997, 10th edition [2.22 pg-63]
10. A 1.0-mm-diameter wire is maintained at a temperature of 400◦C and exposed to a
convection environment at 40◦C with h = 120 W/m2 ◦C. Calculate the thermal
conductivity that will just cause an insulation thickness of 0.2 mm to produce a “critical
radius.” How much of this insulation must be added to reduce the heat transfer by 75
percent from that which would be experienced by the bare wire?
Answer: 134.5 mm

Holman, J. P., “Heat Transfer”, McGraw Hill, 1997, 10th edition [2.33 pg-64]
11. A circumferential fin of rectangular profile is constructed of stainless steel with k = 43
W/m · ◦C and a thickness of 1.0 mm. The fin is installed on a tube having a diameter of
3.0 cm and the outer radius of the fin is 4.0 cm. The inner tube is maintained at 250◦C
and the assembly is exposed to a convection environment having T∞ = 35◦C and h = 45
W/m2 · ◦C. Calculate the heat lost by the fin.
Answer: 5.08 W

Holman, J. P., “Heat Transfer”, McGraw Hill, 1997, 10th edition [5.88 pg-272]
12. Determine the boundary-layer thickness at Re = 5 × 105 for the following fluids flowing
over a flat plate at 20 m/s: (a) air at 1 atm and 10°C, (b) saturated liquid water at 10°C,
(c) hydrogen at 1 atm and 10°C, (d) saturated liquid ammonia at 10°C, and (e) saturated
liquid Freon 12 at 10°C.
Answer (a) 0.025 m, (b) 0.0023 m, (c) 0.176 m, (d) 6.5 x 10-4m, (e) 3.59 x 10-4 m

Holman, J. P., “Heat Transfer”, McGraw Hill, 1997, 10th edition [5.91, 5.93 pg-273]
13. Air at 1 atm and 300 K blows across a square plate 75 cm on a side that is maintained at
350 K. The free-stream velocity is 45 m/s. Calculate the heat transfer and drag force on
one side of the plate. Also calculate the heat transfer for just the laminar portion of the
boundary layer.
a. If the plate temperature in the above problem is raised to 500 K while
keeping the freestream conditions the same, calculate the total heat
transfer evaluating properties at (a) free-stream conditions, (b) film
temperature, and (c) wall temperature. Comment on the results.
 Answer: 220 W, (a) 12053 W, (b) 8979 W, (c) 6694 W
Holman, J. P., “Heat Transfer”, McGraw Hill, 1997, 10th edition [6.5, pg-314]

14. Water flows in a duct having a cross section 5 × 10 mm with a mean bulk temperature of
20°C. If the duct wall temperature is constant at 60°C and fully developed laminar flow is
experienced, calculate the heat transfer per unit length.
Answer: 394.9 W/m
Holman, J. P., “Heat Transfer”, McGraw Hill, 1997, 10th edition [6.69, pg-319]

15. A small sphere having a diameter of 6 mm has an electric heating coil inside, which
maintains the outer surface temperature at 220°C. The sphere is exposed to an airstream
at 1 atm and 20°C with a velocity of 20 m/s. Calculate the heating rate which must be
supplied to the sphere.
Answer: 7.94 W