Heat transfer is the study of how fast heat moves, by conduction through solids, convection to moving fluids and radiation between surfaces. Thermodynamics says how much energy changes hands; heat transfer says how long it takes and how big the surface must be.
How to use these lessons: They teach methods, not answers to assigned problems. Work each example yourself first, then compare your steps with ours.
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The 2027 Engineer Edition planner — dated and undated, for classes, labs and projects.
A first course starts with steady conduction, adds convection at surfaces, and then moves to transient problems, heat exchangers and radiation. The thermal resistance network ties them together.
Sketch the heat path and draw it as a resistance network before you write an equation. Check the units of k and h, keep temperatures in kelvin for radiation, and look up fluid properties at the right temperature. Convection correlations use the Reynolds number from fluid mechanics, and energy balances come from thermodynamics.
Thermodynamics deals with equilibrium states and how much energy moves between them. Heat transfer deals with the rate at which it moves, which sets sizes, times and temperatures.
Thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and differential equations. Most programmes take it in the third year.
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