Definitions

Heat transfer: the movement of energy from one body, or medium, to another.

Conduction: heat transfer from contact of two bodies.

Convection: heat transfer resulting from motion of a medium over a surface.

Nusselt Number: dimensionless expression of the ratio of the local heat transfer coefficient to the thermal conductivity.

Prandtl Number: ratio of rate at which momentum is transported to the rate at which thermal energy is transported.

Reynolds Number: ratio of the inertial force to the viscous force.

Natural Convection: heat transfer from a body to or from a fluid without the body or the fluid moving.

Forced Convection: heat transfer from a body to or from a fluid with fluid movement.

Steady State: conditions do not change with respect to time.

Unsteady State: conditions change with time.

Thermal Conductivity: Number that measures the ability of a substances to conduct heat

Heat Transfer Coefficient: constant that relates the heat transfer to the change in temperature

Thermocouple: Instrument that measures temperature

Insulation: Material place around a system that does not let heat escape or enter