What’s the Difference Between

Conduction, Convection, and

Radiation?
Let’s take a closer look at heat transfer and the three main methods of
deployment.
OCT 30, 2015

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Heat transfer is the physical act of thermal energy being exchanged between
two systems by dissipating heat. Temperature and the flow of heat are the
basic principles of heat transfer. The amount of thermal energy available is
determined by the temperature, and the heat flow represents movement of
thermal energy.

On a microscopic scale, the kinetic energy of molecules is the direct relation to

thermal energy. As temperature rises, the molecules increase in thermal
agitation manifested in linear motion and vibration. Regions that contain
higher kinetic energy transfer the energy to regions with lower kinetic energy.
Simply put, heat transfer can be grouped into three broad categories:
conduction, convection, and radiation.

The
image above, provided by NASA, highlights how all three heat-transfer
methods (conduction, convection, and radiation) work in the same
environment.
Conduction

Conduction transfers heat via direct molecular collision. An area of greater

kinetic energy will transfer thermal energy to an area with lower kinetic
energy. Higher-speed particles will collide with slower speed particles. The
slower-speed particles will increase in kinetic energy as a result. Conduction is
the most common form of heat transfer and occurs via physical contact.
Examples would be to place your hand against a window or place metal into
an open flame.

The process of heat conduction depends on the following factors: temperature

gradient, cross-section of the material, length of the travel path, and physical
material properties. The temperature gradient is the physical quantity that
describes the direction and rate of heat travel. Temperature flow will always
occur from hottest to coldest or, as stated before, higher to lower kinetic
energy. Once there’s thermal equilibrium between the two temperature
differences, the thermal transfer stops.

Cross-section and path of travel both play an important part in conduction.

The greater the size and length of an object, the more energy that’s required to
heat it. And the greater the surface area that’s exposed, the more heat is lost.
Smaller objects with small cross-sections have minimal heat loss.

Physical properties determine which materials transfer heat better than

others. Specifically, the thermal conductivity coefficient dictates that a metal
material will conduct heat better than cloth when it comes to conduction. The
following equation calculates the rate of conduction:

Q = [k ∙ A ∙ (Thot – Tcold)]/d

where Q = heat transferred per unit time; k = thermal conductivity of the

barrier; A = heat-transfer area; Thot = temperature of the hot region; Tcold =
temperature of the cold region; and d = thickness of the barrier.
 A
modern of use of conduction is being developed by Dr. Gyung-Min Choi at the
University of Illinois. Dr. Choi uses spin current to generate spin transfer
torque. Spin transfer torque is the transfer of the spin angular momentum
generated by the conduction electrons to the magnetization of a ferromagnet.
Instead of using magnetic fields, this allows the manipulation of nanomagnets
with spin currents. (Courtesy of Alex Jerez, Imaging Technology Group, The
Beckman Institute)

Convection

When a fluid, such as air or a liquid, is heated and then travels away from the
source, it carries the thermal energy along. This type of heat transfer is called
convection. The fluid above a hot surface expands, becomes less dense, and
rises.

At the molecular level, the molecules expand upon introduction of thermal

energy. As temperature of the given fluid mass increases, the volume of the
fluid must increase by same factor. This effect on the fluid causes
displacement. As the immediate hot air rises, it pushes denser, colder air
down. This series of events represents how convection currents are formed.
The equation for convection rates is calculated as follows:

Q = hc ∙ A ∙ (Ts – Tf)

where Q = heat transferred per unit time; hc = convective heat transfer
coefficient; A = heat-transfer area of the surface; Ts = temperature of the
surface; and Tf = temperature of the fluid.

A space heater is a classic convection

example. As the space heater heats the air surrounding it near the floor, the
air will increase in temperature, expand, and rise to the top of the room. This
forces down the cooler air so that it becomes heated, thus creating a
convection current.

Radiation

Thermal radiation generates from the emission of electromagnetic waves.

These waves carry the energy away from the emitting object. Radiation occurs
through a vacuum or any transparent medium (either solid or fluid). Thermal
radiation is the direct result of random movements of atoms and molecules in
matter. Movement of the charged protons and electrons results in the
emission of electromagnetic radiation.

All materials radiate thermal energy based on their temperature. The hotter
an object, the more it will radiate. The sun is a clear example of heat radiation
that transfers heat across the solar system. At normal room temperatures,
objects radiate as infrared waves. The temperature of the object affects the
wavelength and frequency of the radiated waves. As temperature increases,
the wavelengths within the spectra of the emitted radiation decrease and emit
shorter wavelengths with higher-frequency radiation. Thermal radiation is
calculated by using the Stefan-Boltzmann law:

P = e ∙ σ ∙ A· (Tr4 – Tc4)

where P = net radiated power; A = radiating area; Tr = temperature of the

radiator; Tc = temperature of surroundings; e = emissivity; and σ = Stefan’s
constant.

Emissivity for an ideal radiator has a value of 1. Common materials have lower
emissivity values. Anodized aluminum has an emissivity value of 0.9 while
copper’s is 0.04.

Solar
cell or photovoltaic cell, converts the energy of light into electricity via the
photovoltaic effect. Light is absorbed and excites the electrcon to a higher
energy state and the electric potential is produced by the separation of
charges. Efficiency of solar panels has risen in recent years. In fact, those
currently being produced by SolarCity, a company co-founded by Elon Musk,
are at 22%.

Emissivity is defined as an object’s effectiveness in emitting energy as thermal

radiation. It is the ratio, at a given temperature, of the thermal radiation from
a surface to the radiation from an ideal black surface as determined by the
Stefan-Boltzmann law. Stefan’s constant is determined by constants of nature.
The value of the constant is as follows:
σ = (2 ∙ π5 ∙ k4)/(15 ∙ c2 ∙ h3) = 5.670373 × 10–8 W ∙ m–2 ∙ K–4

where k = Boltzmann’s constant; h = Planck’s constants; and c = speed of light

in a vacuum.