Different Modes of Heat Transfer

Thermodynamics is a field in the science of physics that examines the transfer of heat energy. There are two primary types of heat transfer: conduction and convection. Materials that can conduct heat are known as conductors, while materials which do not conduct heat, but can keep heat energy into one place, are called insulators. A third and more uncommonly used -- despite it being the simplest -- method of heat transfer is radiation.
  1. Radiation Heat Transfer

    • Heat transfer via radiation is defined as the simple movement of heat by way of electromagnetic waves. A practical example of radiative heat transfer is a thermos bottle. A closed thermos bottle will have a vacuum of air inside of it between the inner and outer parts of the container. Eventually, the heat outside the bottle is transferred via radiation through the vacuum, finally hitting the material that's stored in the thermos.

    Convection Heat Transfer

    • A practical and everyday example of convective heat transfer is boiling a pot of water. Hot fluids rise up from the cooler and denser fluids around it, until the entire fluid container has absorbed the heat and has a uniform temperature. Warmer fluids are less dense than colder fluids, so they rise to the top of the fluid container, which is the principle behind the term "rolling boil" in cooking and recipes. Applying heat to the bottom or sides of a fluid container is a way of transferring heat to it in a convective manner.

    Conductive Heat Transfer

    • Conductive heat transfer occurs when two bodies of matter -- fluid, for example -- are placed in contact with one another so heat flows from one to another. Nonconductive materials such as wood and glass are often used to insulate material from conductive heat transfer. Low-density materials like foam plastic are also good insulators. Insulators are an important part of conductive heat transfer because their placement prevents heat energy from moving in certain directions.

    Dependencies

    • In radiative heat transfer, there needs to be an absence of an intervening medium in order for it to work. Thus, there cannot be any insulators between the heat source and material to be heated when trying to conduct the energy radiatively. For convective heat transfer to work, there needs to be a difference in temperature between the surface of something and a moving fluid. Conductive heat transfer doesn't have any such dependencies, in that the heat energy is transferred directly through the solid or fluid. The only caveat with conductive heat transfer is not all materials are good heat conductors.

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