PROBLEM3.

58
KNOWN: Electric current flow, resistance, diameter and environmental conditions
associated with a cable.
FIND: (a) Surface temperature of bare cable, (b) Cable surface and insulation temperatures
for a thin coating of insulation, (c) Insulation thickness which provides the lowest value of the
maximum insulation temperature. Corresponding value of this temperature.
SCHEMATIC:
ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Steady-state conditions, (2) One-dimensional conduction in r, (3)
Constant properties.
ANALYSIS: (a) The rate at which heat is transferred to the surroundings is fixed by the rate
of heat generation in the cable. Performing an energy balance for a control surface about the
cable, it follows that
g
E q =

or, for the bare cable, ( ) ( )

2
e i s
I R L=h D L T T . t

' With
( )
( )
2 2 4
e
q =I R 700A 6 10 / m 294 W/m,

' ' = O = it follows that

( )
( )
s
2
i
q 294 W/m
T T 30 C+
h D
25 W/m K 0.005m
t
t

'
= + =

s
T 778.7 C. =

<
(b) With a thin coating of insulation, there exist contact and convection resistances to heat
transfer from the cable. The heat transfer rate is determined by heating within the cable,
however, and therefore remains the same.
( )
s s
t,c
t,c
i
i i
i s
t,c
T T T T
q=
1 R
1
R
h D L
D L h D L
D T T
q =
R 1/ h
t
t t
t

=
''
+
+

'
'' +
and solving for the surface temperature, find
( )
2 2
s t,c
i
q 1 294 W/m m K m K
T R T 0.02 0.04 30 C
D h 0.005m W W t t

(
' (
'' = + + = + + (
(
(


s
T 1153 C. =

<
Continued
PROBLEM3.58 (Cont.)
The insulation temperature is then obtained from
s i
t,c
T T
q=
R

or
( )
2
t,c
i s t,c
i
W m K
294 0.02
R
m W
T T qR 1153 C q 1153 C
D L 0.005m t t

''
= = =

i
T 778.7 C. =

<
(c) The maximum insulation temperature could be reduced by reducing the resistance to heat transfer
from the outer surface of the insulation. Such a reduction is possible if D
i
< D
cr
. From Example 3.6,
cr
2
k 0.5 W/m K
r 0.02m.
h
25 W/m K

= = =

Hence, D
cr
= 0.04m > D
i
= 0.005m. To minimize the maximum temperature, which exists at
the inner surface of the insulation, add insulation in the amount
( )
o i cr i
0.04 0.005 m D D D D
t=
2 2 2

= =
t = 0.0175m. <
The cable surface temperature may then be obtained from
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
s s
2
t,c
cr i
i cr
2
T T T 30 C
q =
R ln D / D 1
ln 0.04/0.005 0.02 m K/W 1
D 2 k h D
W
0.005m 2 0.5 W/m K
25 0.04m
m K
t t t
t t
t

'
=
''

+ +
+ +

Hence,
( )
s s
T 30 C T 30 C W
294
m 1.27+0.66+0.32 m K/W 2.25 m K/W

= =


s
T 692.5 C =

Recognizing that q = (T
s
- T
i
)/R
t,c
, find
( )
2
t,c
i s t,c s
i
W m K
294 0.02
R
m W
T T qR T q 692.5 C
D L 0.005m t t

''
= = =

i
T 318.2 C. =

<
COMMENTS: Use of the critical insulation thickness in lieu of a thin coating has the effect of
reducing the maximum insulation temperature from 778.7C to 318.2C. Use of the critical
insulation thickness also reduces the cable surface temperature to 692.5C from 778.7C with no
insulation or from 1153C with a thin coating.