Heat and Mass Transfer

Full course description

Heat and mass transfer occur if systems are out of equilibrium. For example, a temperature difference will transfer energy in the form of heat from one system to the other. Thermodynamics deals with the amount of heat that will equilibrate the systems. The science of heat and mass transfer concerns the rate or time scales of transfer. It enables one to design household appliances such as air-conditioners and fridges, car engines, computer chips coolers, home insulation, etc. – as to keep or limit temperature differences to a desired range. Similarly, in chemical reactor engineering, heat differences are required to initiate or stop chemical reactions, as well is mass transfer to exchange products and reactants.