Three types of heat transfer

What are the three types of heat transfer?

Heat transfer is a branch of thermal engineering that deals with the generation, use, transformation and exchange of thermal energy (heat) between physical systems.

Heat transfer is classified into various mechanisms such as heat conduction, heat convection, heat radiation and energy transfer through phase changes.

Engineers also consider mass transfer of various chemical species that are cold or hot to achieve heat transfer.

Although these mechanisms have distinct characteristics, they often occur simultaneously in the same system.

Introduction to three types of heat transfer

Heat travels from one place to another in many ways. Various methods of heat transfer are as follows:

• conduction
• convection
• radiation

Heat is transferred through the three mentioned above. Heat is usually transferred in a combination of these three types and occurs approximately automatically. Consequently, it is important to understand those three phenomena separately.

Consequently, it is important to understand those three phenomena separately. For example, the thermal environment of a building is affected by heat fluxes through the ground (conduction) and through the building envelope (mostly convection and radiation).

What is Conduction?

The process of transferring energy from one particle of a medium to another by the particles being in direct contact with each other.

A region of higher kinetic energy transfers heat energy to a region of lower kinetic energy. Faster particles collide with slower moving particles and as a result, the slower moving particles increase their kinetic energy.

It is a common form of heat transfer and takes place through physical contact. Conduction is also known as heat conduction or heat conduction.

Examples of Trafficking:-

Washing clothes is an example of conduction, where heat is conducted from the iron to the clothes.

Heat is transferred from the hands to the ice cube, resulting in the melting of an ice cube when held in the hands.

Heat conduction through sand on beaches. Enjoy it in summer. Sand is a good conductor of heat.

What is Convection?

Convection refers to a form of heat transfer in which energy transfer occurs within a fluid.

Movement of liquid molecules from regions of higher temperature to regions of lower temperature.

As the temperature of the fluid increases, the volume of the fluid must also increase by the same factor and this effect is called displacement.

Convection Examples

The boiling point of water means that the denser molecules move downwards while the less dense molecules move upwards, resulting in a circular motion of the molecules, thus heating the water.

Warm water around the equator moves towards the poles, while cold water at the poles moves towards the equator.

In warm-blooded animals blood circulation takes place with the help of convection, thereby regulating body temperature.Radiatio

What is Radiation?

Radiant heat is present in our daily life in some form or the other. Thermal radiation is produced by the emission of electromagnetic waves.

These waves carry energy away from the emitting body. Radiation takes place through a vacuum or transparent medium, which may be solid or liquid. Thermal radiation is the result of random motion of molecules in matter.

The movement of charged electrons and protons is responsible for the emission of electromagnetic radiation. Let's learn more about radiation heat transfer.

Radiant heat transfer is measured by a device called a thermocouple. A thermocouple is used to measure the temperature. Sometimes with this device, an error occurs when measuring the temperature through radiant heat transfer.

Example of Radiation:-

Microwave radiation emitted by an oven is an example of radiation.

An example of radiation is ultraviolet rays from the sun.

An example of radiation is the emission of alpha particles when uranium-238 decays to thorium-234.