Heat transfer rate refers to the quantity of heat energy transferred per unit of time between two substances or systems due to a temperature difference. Heat transfer can occur through three main mechanisms: conduction, convection, and radiation.
Where:
- Q is the heat transfer rate (in watts or joules per second)
- k is the thermal conductivity of the material (in watts per meter per kelvin)
- A is the cross-sectional area through which heat is transferred (in square meters)
- ΔT is the temperature difference across the material (in kelvin or Celsius)
- d is the thickness of the material (in meters)