heat transfer

Energy moving between

Heat transfer is the movement of thermal energy from one place to another, typically from a hotter object or region to a cooler one.

The three main mechanisms are conduction (through direct contact), convection (through fluid movement), and radiation (through electromagnetic waves).

The term appears in physics, engineering, and everyday contexts: The house loses heat through poor insulation, Heat transfer from the engine keeps the cabin warm.

thermodynamics

entropy

Quantified chaos in systems

isothermal · phase change · second law · irreversibility · exothermic · endothermic

convection

fluid flow

Liquid in motion

thermals · updraft · eddy · airflow · ventilation · boiling · steaming · chimney effect · natural convection · draft

radiation

electromagnetic

Involving electric and magnetic fields

solar · sunlight · blackbody · Stefan-Boltzmann law · emissivity · wavelength · spectrum · reflected · transmitted · absorptivity

conduction

contact

Communication or physical touch

  • solidFirm matter state
  • metalHard conductive solid
  • copperReddish-brown metallic element

aluminum · iron · silver · electrons · interface · insulator · semiconductor · diffusion · crystal structure · steady-state

engineering

insulation

Thermal transfer prevention

  • coolantTemperature-regulating fluid
  • HVACIndoor climate management
  • finsSwimming appendages

condenser · evaporator · R-value · regenerator · cooling tower

Categories
Opposites
thermal process direction

heat transferthermal insulation

Material preventing heat transfer

insulation · heat retention · thermal barrier · R-value

energy exchange vs. energy containment

heat transferclosed system

Exchange-free bounded region

dynamic process vs. static state

heat transferthermal equilibrium

Equal temperature throughout system

temperature

Family

heat, heated, transfer, radiant, heating, heater, reheat, radiate, thermal

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