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In thermodynamics, the heat transfer coefficient or film coefficient, or film effectiveness, is the proportionality constant between the heat flux and the thermodynamic driving force for the flow of heat (i.e., the temperature difference, ΔT ). It is used in calculating the heat transfer, typically by convection or phase transition between a ...
Physical law relating heat loss to temperature difference. In the study of heat transfer, Newton's law of cooling is a physical law which states that the rate of heat loss of a body is directly proportional to the difference in the temperatures between the body and its environment. The law is frequently qualified to include the condition that ...
Thermal conductivity and resistivity. The thermal conductivity of a material is a measure of its ability to conduct heat. It is commonly denoted by , , or and is measured in W·m −1 ·K −1. Heat transfer occurs at a lower rate in materials of low thermal conductivity than in materials of high thermal conductivity.
Nusselt number. In thermal fluid dynamics, the Nusselt number (Nu, after Wilhelm Nusselt [1]: 336 ) is the ratio of total heat transfer to conductive heat transfer at a boundary in a fluid. Total heat transfer combines conduction and convection. Convection includes both advection (fluid motion) and diffusion (conduction).
A hot, less-dense material at the bottom moves upwards, and likewise, cold material from the top moves downwards. Convection (or convective heat transfer) is the transfer of heat from one place to another due to the movement of fluid. Although often discussed as a distinct method of heat transfer, convective heat transfer involves the combined ...
Mixtures may have variable thermal conductivities due to composition. Note that for gases in usual conditions, heat transfer by advection (caused by convection or turbulence for instance) is the dominant mechanism compared to conduction. This table shows thermal conductivity in SI units of watts per metre-kelvin (W·m −1 ·K −1).
Heat transfer is a discipline of thermal engineering that concerns the generation, use, conversion, and exchange of thermal energy (heat) between physical systems. Heat transfer is classified into various mechanisms, such as thermal conduction, thermal convection, thermal radiation, and transfer of energy by phase changes.
Thermal conduction (power) is the heat per unit time transferred some distance ℓ between the two temperatures. κ is the thermal conductivity of the material. A is the cross-sectional area of the object. ΔT is the difference in temperature from one side to the other. ℓ is the length of the path the heat has to be transferred.