1.1.Heat

Unit 1 - Fundamentals of Heat and Thermodynamics

1.1.Heat
Heat is a form of energy which gives the sensation of warmth or hotness.
When heat is added to a material or a substance, the following changes takes place.
  • Increase in temperature
  • The substance may melt or vaporize.
  • Change in Radiation.
Importance of heat transfer
In the modern technology heat transfer has gained importance in almost every field of Engineering.The laws which govern heat transmission are very important to the engineer in the design,construction,testing and operation of heat exchange apparatus.Electrical engineers apply their knowledge of heat transfer to the design of cooling systems of transformers,motors and generators.Chemical engineers are concerned with the evaporation,condensation,heating and cooling of fluids.The architect or civil engineers concerned mainly with the erection of structures,learned sufficient heat transfer theory to insulate the buildings properly.The power engineer in the design of ever more efficient central power stations sought understanding the action of steam generators and condensers and the means of preventing heat loss from the piping system .The Mechanical engineer deals with problems of heat transfer in the fields of internal combustion engines,refrigeration and air conditioning,nuclear reactors,rocket propulsion and space vehicles. Every engineer will be confronted from time to time with the question of how to transmit heat in the most effective way,or how to protect a construction most efficiently against heat losses or gains.In recent years,the facts and theories on heat transfer have become more unified and therefore more like a separate technology in its own right.
Last modified: Monday, 22 August 2011, 9:28 AM