Topic outline
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Why is an understanding of heat transfer necessary?
The operation of active or passive heating systems (such as solar hot water or passive solar bui) are based on the principles of heat transfer. Heat pumps are commonly used in modern heating and cooling systems and their design is based upon the principles of thermodynamics. Therefore, an understanding of these processes is important.
Study tips
This unit consists of a series of compact study notes and self-test questions. You are recommended to study the unit in the following sequence:
- Tackle the pre-test questions, where available, to gauge your prior knowledge. This will indicate whether you need to concentrate on a particular unit.
- From the "Syllabus" page, work through the study notes sequentially. Make sure that you understand any worked examples.
- Where available, you may wish to tackle the self-test questions as they occur in the sequence. If you encounter difficulties, return to the study notes and focus on the relevant topics before re-visiting the self-test.
Objectives
After completing this topic, you should understand:
- The concepts of mass transport, conduction, convection and radiation.
- How the heat transfer coefficient relates to practical heat transfer problems.
- Energy conservation and the first and second laws of thermodynamics.
- The Carnot cycle and entropy in the context of heat transfer.
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