SHAPE FACTOR FOR AN UNDERGROUND VERTICAL INFINITE CYLINDRICAL STRUCTURE

An analysis for steady-state heat transfer between an underground vert ical infinite cylindrical structure and ground is presented, and is us ed as a direct method to evaluate conduction shape factor for the stru cture. Numerical values of the shape factor have been determined after solving the transcendental equation involved here, subject to some va lid approximation, and found to converge to a finite value. The conver gence has also been verified by studying the numerical values of the s hape factor for different length:radius ratio of the cylindrical struc ture and the result is convincing.