AE A403/603 Arctic Engineering Heat Transfer Primer 10/16/2015

Conduction, Convection, and Radiation

after PTC MathCAD ebook on College Physics, based on Schaum's Outline: Theory and
Problems of College Physics, 8th ed., 2004. McGraw-Hill

Introduction Heat energy transfer occurs by conduction, convection, and radiation.

Conduction occurs when heat energy moves through a material as a result

of collisions between the molecules of the material. The hotter a substance,
the higher the average kinetic energy of its molecules. When a temperature
difference exists between materials in contact, the higher-energy molecules
in the warmer substance transfer energy to the lower-energy molecules in
the cooler substance when molecular collisions occur between the two.
Heat energy thus flows from hot to cold.

Consider the slab of material shown in the figure below. Its thickness is L,
and its cross-sectional area is A. The temperatures of its two faces are T1
and T2 , so the temperature difference across the slab is DT = T1 T2 .
The quantity DT/L is called the temperature gradient. It is the rate of
change of temperature with distance.

The quantity of heat DQ transmitted from face 1 to face 2 in time Dt is given

by

= k A
Q T
t L

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where k depends on the material of the slab and is called the thermal
conductivity of the material. In the SI, k has the unit W/m-K, and DQ/Dt is in
J/sec (i.e., W). Other units sometimes used to express k are related to
W/m-K as follows:

cal watt 1 BTU in watt

1 = 418.68 and = 0.08 K
sec cm K m K 2 m K
hr ft

The table below presents Thermal Conductivities of common materials.

Material Thermal Conductivity k Emissivity e

(Watt/m-K) (unitless)
Air 0.080 -
Aluminum 210 0.04
Brass 105 0.03
Concrete 1.1 0.6
Copper 403 0.02
Dry Wall 0.48 -
Glass 0.84 0.94
Iron 80 0.3
Insulation Board 0.05 -
Plastic 0.050 0.9
Steel 42 0.07

* Adapted from Donald R. Pitts and Leighton E. Sissom, Heat Transfer,

Schaum's Outline Series (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1977).

THE THERMAL RESISTANCE (or R value) of a slab is defined by the

heat-flow equation in the form

A T L
= where R=
Q
t R k

Its SI unit is m2 K/W. (Take care not to confuse this symbol R with the
symbol for the universal gas constant of the ideal gas law.)

For several slabs of the same surface area in series, the combined R value
is

R = R 1 + R 2 + R 3 + ... + RN

where R1,..., are the R values of the individual slabs.

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CONVECTION of heat energy occurs when a warm material is transported

so as to displace a cooler material. Typical examples are the flow of warm
air from a register in a heating system and the flow of warm water in the Gulf
Stream.

RADIATION is the mode of transport of heat energy through a vacuum and

the empty space between molecules. It is an electromagnetic wave
phenomenon.

A blackbody is a body that absorbs all the radiant energy falling on it. At
thermal equilibrium, a body emits as much energy as it absorbs. Hence, a
good absorber of radiation is also a good emitter of radiation.

Suppose a surface of area A has absolute temperature T and radiates only

a fraction e as much energy as would a blackbody surface. Then e is called
the emissivity of the surface, and the energy per second (i.e., the power)
radiated by the surface is given by the Stefan-Boltzmann law:

4
= A T
Q
t

where s = 5.6710-8 W/m2-K4 is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant, and T is

the absolute temperature. The emissivity of a blackbody is unity. The table
below presents emissivities of common materials.

Material Thermal Conductivity k Emissivity e

Watt/m-K) (unitless)
Air 0.080 -
Aluminum 210 0.04
Brass 105 0.03
Concrete 1.1 0.6
Copper 403 0.02
Dry Wall 0.48 -
Glass 0.84 0.94
Iron 80 0.3
Insulation Board 0.05 -
Plastic 0.050 0.9
Steel 42 0.07

* Adapted from Donald R. Pitts and Leighton E. Sissom, Heat Transfer,

Schaum's Outline Series (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1977).

All objects whose temperature is above absolute zero radiate energy. When
an object at absolute temperature T is in a region where the temperature is
To, the net energy radiated per second by the object is

= A T - To
4 4

Q
t

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