Heat Conduction in a Body Subject to an Oscillating Heat Source
Awards: Siemens-Westinghouse Semifinalist and Intel Science Talent Search Semifinalist. A presentation based on this work was awarded first place in the physical sciences category at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium.
Abstract:
This paper investigates the temperature behavior of a copper plate subject to an oscillating heat source at various velocities. This is a relatively novel problem that has not been investigated to a great extent in the literature. Computer simulations and laboratory experiments were performed to model and measure the temperature distribution in the plate. The temperature distribution as a function of the velocity of the heat source was studied. It was hypothesized that the temperature distribution would exhibit an oscillatory behavior. In the laboratory experiment, temperature readings were taken with data acquisition equipment. Computer simulations were conducted using the heat equation. The computer simulations predicted oscillatory behavior at low velocities, and this behavior was confirmed by the experimental results, in agreement with the hypothesis. In addition, the laboratory and computer results show that the absolute rise in temperature during the experiment remained constant at different velocities. Symbolic solutions of the problem were not developed. Further research could address other types of oscillatory behavior, such as simple harmonic motion.
See this paper as a PowerPoint presentation (from the National JSHS).
