Mathematical Modelling and Experimental Study of the Cooling rate of a Hot Fluid in different types of containers 0 0

Abstract

Cooling of heated fluids is one of the critical aspects of the heat transfer and find extensive applications in engineering, science, and everyday life. Newton’s Law of Cooling is the mathematical relation governing the cooling process where the heated body cools down upon being immersed into a cooler environment. The present study concerns itself with the mathematical modelling and experimental study of cooling rate of a hot fluid in different containers. In this experiment, hot water is the fluid used and it is placed in vessels made from different types of material like ceramic, glass, and steel. This experiment was carried out in the humidity box so that the temperature and relative humidity of the surroundings could be kept constant. Fluid temperature was measured at various intervals of time and cooling curves were drawn for different types of containers to determine the cooling characteristics. Data obtained from experiments were evaluated graphically and using log functions to obtain values of cooling constant for various material containers used in the experiment. The graphs revealed that there is almost linear relationship in log form, hence supporting the nature of exponential cooling as predicted by the mathematical function. The cooling constant value (k) for each container was found to vary slightly based on the material used. This study shows the practical application of mathematical modeling to explain physical cooling process and highlights the significance of validation through experimentation for applied mathematics and thermal analysis.