EXAMPLE 5–1 Steady Heat Conduction in a Large Uranium Plate
Consider a large uranium plate of thickness L 4 cm and thermal conductivity
k 28 W/m · °C in which heat is generated uniformly at a constant rate of
g· 5 106 W/m3. One side of the plate is maintained at 0°C by iced water
while the other side is subjected to convection to an environment at T 30°C
with a heat transfer coefficient of h 45 W/m2 · °C, as shown in Figure 5–18.
Considering a total of three equally spaced nodes in the medium, two at the
boundaries and one at the middle, estimate the exposed surface temperature of
the plate under steady conditions using the finite difference approach.