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The effect of temperature on thermal conductivity is different for metals and nonmetals. In metals, heat conductivity is primarily due to free electrons. Following the Wiedemann–Franz law, thermal conductivity of metals is approximately proportional to the absolute temperature (in kelvins) times electrical conductivity. In pure metals the ...
Thermal conduction is the diffusion of thermal energy (heat) within one material or between materials in contact. The higher temperature object has molecules with more kinetic energy; collisions between molecules distributes this kinetic energy until an object has the same kinetic energy throughout.
Thermal contact resistance is significant and may dominate for good heat conductors such as metals but can be neglected for poor heat conductors such as insulators. [2] Thermal contact conductance is an important factor in a variety of applications, largely because many physical systems contain a mechanical combination of two materials.
In heat transfer, the thermal conductivity of a substance, k, is an intensive property that indicates its ability to conduct heat. For most materials, the amount of heat conducted varies (usually non-linearly) with temperature. [1] Thermal conductivity is often measured with laser flash analysis. Alternative measurements are also established.
Silver, although it is the least resistive metal known, has a high density and performs similarly to copper by this measure, but is much more expensive. Calcium and the alkali metals have the best resistivity-density products, but are rarely used for conductors due to their high reactivity with water and oxygen (and lack of physical strength).
Heat exchangers: In industries like HVAC and chemical processing, heat exchangers use thermal conductance to efficiently transfer heat between fluids. Aerospace : In spacecraft and aircraft, thermal resistance and conductance are critical for managing temperature variations in extreme environments.
When overheating, the temperature of the part rises above the operating temperature. Overheating can take place: if heat is produced in more than expected amount (such as in cases of short-circuits, or applying more voltage than rated), or; if heat dissipation is poor, so that normally produced waste heat does not drain away properly.
Aside from the geometry of the wire, temperature also has a significant effect on the efficacy of conductors. Temperature affects conductors in two main ways, the first is that materials may expand under the application of heat. The amount that the material will expand is governed by the thermal expansion coefficient specific to the material ...