Motivation and Highlights

Motivation:
In this course, we are primarily interested in heat, which is the form of energy than can be
transferred from one system to another as a result of temperature difference. The science that
deals with the rates of such energy transfers is called Heat Transfer.
Why do we need to undertake a detailed study on heat transfer? After all, we can
determine the amount of heat transfer for any system undergoing any process using
thermodynamic analysis alone. The reason is that thermodynamics is concerned with the
amount of heat transfer as a system undergoes a process from one equilibrium state to
another, and it gives no indication about how long the process should take or what is the
mode of heat transfer. But engineers are more concerned with the rate of heat transfer than
the amount. For example, it is relatively simple to calculate, using principle of
thermodynamics, the amount of heat that is transferred when water in a thermos flask cools
from 90 ºC to 60 ºC. But a typical user is more interested in knowing how quickly the liquid
in the thermos bottle cools, and an engineer who designs the thermos tries to understand the
mode of heat transfer and then designs the bottle appropriately for low rates of heat transfer.

Relevance of heat transfer:

In the vernacular of the time, heat transfer is indeed a relevant subject, not to mention an
inherently fascinating part of engineering sciences. We will devote much time to acquire an
understanding of heat transfer effects and to developing the skills needed to predict heat
transfer rates. What is the value of this knowledge and to what kinds of problems may be
applied?
Heat transfer phenomenon plays an important role in many industrial and
environmental problems. As an example, consider the vital area of energy production and
conversion. There is not a single application in this area that does not involve heat transfer
effects in some way. In the generation of electrical power, whether it is through nuclear
fission or fusion, the combustion of fossil fuels, magneto hydrodynamic processes, or the use
of geothermal energy sources, there are numerous heat transfer problems that must be solved.
These problems involve conduction, convection, and radiation processes and relate to the
design of systems such as boilers, condensers, and turbines. One is often confronted with the
need to maximize heat transfer rates and to maintain the integrity of material in high
temperature environments.
On a smaller scale there are many heat transfer problems related to the development
of solar energy conversion systems for space heating, as well as for electric power
production. Heat transfer processes also affect the performance of propulsion systems, such
as the internal combustion, gas turbine, and rocket engines. Heat transfer problem arise in the
design of conventional space and water heating systems, in the design of conventional space
and water heating systems, in the design of incinerators and cryogenic storage equipment, in
the cooling of electronic equipment, in the design of refrigeration and air conditioning
systems, and in many manufacturing processes. Heat transfer is also relevant to air and water
pollution and strongly influences local and global climate.

Highlights:
Classification of heat transfer problems: The heat transfer problems typically encountered in
practive can be broadly classified into two groups: (1) rating and (2) sizing problems. The
rating problems deal with the determination of heat transfer rate for an existing system at a
specified temperature difference. The sizing problems deal with the determination of the size
of a system in order to transfer heat at a specified rate for a specified temperature difference.
In other words, rating problems deal with an analysis of a given system, while sizing
problems deal with the design of a new system for a specified performance.
Experimental vs. analytical studies: A heat transfer process or equipment can be studied
either experimentally (testing and taking measurements) or analytically (by analysis or
calculations). The experimental approach has the advantage that we deal with the actual
physical system (or a scaled down model), and the desired quantity is obtained by
measurement, within the limits of experimental error. However, this approach is time
consuming, expensive and often impossible. For example, the system we are analyzing may
not be existing (at the design stage) and hence measurement approach will not be practical at
all. The analytical approach (including computational modeling) has the advantage that it is
fast and inexpensive, but the results obtained are subject to numerical accuracy and the
validity of the assumptions and idealization made in the analysis.
Modeling in heat transfer: Over the years, modeling has gradually evolved to become a cost-
effective alternative to experimentation with respect to engineering design in many cases.
The development of advanced computational tools in heat transfer and the increase in
computing power which roughly doubles every two years has contributed immensely to the
feasibility of solving realistic engineering problems. With modeling approach, the lead time
in design and development of equipment can be considerably reduced.
How does modeling work?
The description of most scientific problems involve expressions that relate the changes in
some key variables to each other. Usually, the smaller the increment chosen in the changing
variables, the more accurate is the description. In the limiting case of infinitesimal or
differential changes in variables, we obtain differential equations that provide precise
mathematical formulations for the physical principles and laws by representing the rates of
changes as derivatives. Hence, the differential equations are used