Educational Apparatus to Demonstrate 1-D

Conductive Heat TransferDavid OlneyTodd JacksonEdward Turfitt

Charles PueschelIan AbramsonAlysha Helenic

Project 13623

Project DescriptionCreate an educational apparatus to

demonstrate 1-dimensional conductive heat transfer and allow students the ability to measure and calculate the thermal conductivity of a material using the concept of Fourier’s Law.

High-Level Customer Needs

• Enhance student experience and demonstrate core heat transfer topics from Continuum Mechanics I

• Equipment must be compact, mobile, durable, and reproducible

• Equipment must be safe for users and observers and and the lab must be able to be replicable multiple times in a lab period

• Equipment must demonstrate steady state heat conduction, allow for data to be collected manually, and provide the means to calculate the thermal conductivity or a variety of samples

Selection of Engineering Specifications

Team Roles• Team Lead – David Olney• Engineering Lead – Todd Jackson• Physical Build – Edward Turfitt, Ian

Abramson, and Todd Jackson• Programming and Electrical – Charles

Pueschel and David Olney• Documentation – Alysha Helenic

System Design

Pros• Visual• Compatible with different

length and diameter samples

• Pressure can be applied on both the heater and cooler

• Compatible with multiple insulations

Heater DiskCooler Plate

Temp Sensor ThermocouplesInsulation Variable

Orientation Vertical

AutoCAD Model

Subsystem Components

Heater: Insulated Sheet Heater Cooling: Cold Plate

Temperature SensorsData Collection

Design Summary

Initial System TestingTesting Parameter Value

Sample 8” long 1” diameter copper rodPower Supply 19.9 V, 1.48 A

Cold Plate Water with set point of 20.6 C Samples Insulation None

Measure ResultsTime to Steady State 30 minutes

Temperature Difference 41 C

Thermal Conductivity 442 W/(m*K)

Difference from Actual +13%

Schedule Comparison

• Original Budget: $1,200

• Final Cost: $1,040.30

• Difference: $159.70• Savings from:• Donations• Waived tax

• Design Verification took longer than expected (until week 13)

• Continuously obtained parts throughout semester as needed

Budget Comparison

Opportunities and Suggestions for Future Work

• Further testing to prove reproducibility of results

• Add a dial to directly control temperature of heater

• Integrate pressure sensors into the temperature sensors to control quality of contact between sensor and sample

• A way to hold pastes or liquids in order to test the conductivity of materials that are not solid

Temperature Dial

“Boat” to Test Non-Solids

Project Self-Evaluation

• If we were to redo the semester, we would have done more building and programming earlier to allow more time for testing the whole system

• Overall the group worked well together and everyone completed the work they were responsible for on time

Acknowledgements

Rochester Institute of Technology Chemical Engineering Department for their funding for this project.

Paul Gregorius and Karuna Koppula for their funding and support for this project

Michael Antoniades for his guidanceReginald Rogers and Patricia Taboada-Serrano

for their advice at the reviews.