Heat Transfer: A Practical Approach 2nd

Students are assumed to have completed their basic physics and calculus sequence.

The completion of first courses in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics,

and differential equations prior to taking heat transfer is desirable. The relevant

concepts from these topics are introduced and reviewed as needed.

In engineering practice, an understanding of the mechanisms of heat transfer

is becoming increasingly important since heat transfer plays a crucial role

in the design of vehicles, power plants, refrigerators, electronic devices, buildings,

and bridges, among other things. Even a chef needs to have an intuitive

understanding of the heat transfer mechanism in order to cook the food “right”

by adjusting the rate of heat transfer. We may not be aware of it, but we already

use the principles of heat transfer when seeking thermal comfort. We insulate

our bodies by putting on heavy coats in winter, and we minimize heat

gain by radiation by staying in shady places in summer. We speed up the cooling

of hot food by blowing on it and keep warm in cold weather by cuddling

up and thus minimizing the exposed surface area. That is, we already use heat

transfer whether we realize it or not.