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Mechanisms of Heat Transfer II

Mechanisms of Heat Transfer II

In convection, thermal energy is carried by the large-scale flow of matter. Ocean currents and large-scale atmospheric circulation, which result from the buoyancy of warm air and water, transfer hot air from the tropics toward the poles and cold air from the poles toward the tropics. The Earth’s rotation interacts with those flows, causing the observed eastward flow of air in the temperate zones. Convection dominates heat transfer by air, and the amount of available space for the airflow...

Mechanisms of Heat Transfer I

Mechanisms of Heat Transfer I

Just as interesting as the effects of heat transfer on a system are the methods by which the heat transfer occur. Whenever there is a temperature difference, heat transfer occurs. It may occur rapidly, such as through a cooking pan, or slowly, such as through the walls of a picnic ice box. So many processes involve heat transfer that it is hard to imagine a situation where no heat transfer occurs. Yet, every heat transfer takes place by only three methods: conduction, convection, and radiation.

Mechanisms of Heat Transfer

Mechanisms of Heat Transfer

Heat transfer between the human body and its environment occurs through four main mechanisms: conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation.
Conduction, accounting for approximately 3% of body heat loss at rest, is the process of exchanging heat between molecules of two materials in direct contact. This can result in both heat loss and gain. For instance, when the body is submerged in water, which conducts heat 20 times more effectively than air, it can either lose or gain significant heat.

Mechanism of heat transfer

Mechanism of heat transfer

Understanding heat transfer mechanisms is essential for understanding how our bodies maintain balance in different environmental conditions. When the environment is thermoneutral, the body is in a state of balance, neither using nor releasing energy to maintain its core temperature. However, when the environment is not thermoneutral, the body employs four heat transfer mechanisms to maintain homeostasis: conduction, convection, evaporation, and radiation. These mechanisms facilitate heat...

Design Example: Flow Through a Fire Extinguisher

Design Example: Flow Through a Fire Extinguisher

A fire extinguisher that uses pressurized water relies on fluid dynamics principles to generate a high-velocity stream capable of suppressing flames. The water is stored at a much higher pressure inside the extinguisher than the surrounding atmosphere. This pressure difference forces the water to flow rapidly when the extinguisher is activated, and the behavior of the water as it exits the nozzle can be understood using fundamental equations of fluid dynamics.
The key to understanding how the...

Thermal Stress

Thermal Stress

If the temperature of an object is changed while it is prevented from expanding or contracting, the object is subjected to stress. The stress is compressive if the object expands in the absence of constraint and tensile if it contracts. This stress resulting from temperature change is known as thermal stress. It can be quite large and can cause damage. To avoid this stress, engineers may design components so they can expand and contract freely. For instance, on highways, gaps are deliberately...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires

Published on: November 14, 2017

FireStem2D--a two-dimensional heat transfer model for simulating tree stem injury in fires.

Efthalia K Chatziefstratiou¹, Gil Bohrer, Anthony S Bova

¹Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. chatziefstratiou.1@osu.edu

|July 30, 2013

Summary

FireStem2D predicts tree stem heating and injury from forest fires. This enhanced model improves predictions of fire-induced tree mortality and injury by simulating heat transfer and moisture loss.

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Last Updated: May 9, 2026

Wind Tunnel Experiments to Study Chaparral Crown Fires

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Published on: November 14, 2017

Comparative Study of Simulation of Temperature Rise in Ring Main Unit

Comparative Study of Simulation of Temperature Rise in Ring Main Unit

Published on: July 5, 2024

Area of Science:

Forestry science
Fire ecology
Computational modeling

Background:

Wildfires pose significant threats to forest ecosystems, causing substantial tree mortality and injury.
Accurate prediction of tree response to fire is crucial for forest management and conservation.
Existing models often lack the spatial resolution to capture complex heat transfer dynamics within tree stems.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce and evaluate FireStem2D, a novel physically-based, two-dimensional model for predicting tree stem heating and injury.
To enhance the prediction of fire-induced tree mortality and injury by incorporating detailed thermodynamic processes.
To provide a tool for understanding and forecasting the impact of wildland fires on diverse tree species and sizes.

Main Methods:

Development of a two-dimensional, physically-based model of stem thermodynamics.
Numerical parameterization and evaluation using laboratory stem-heating experiments on 52 tree sections from 25 trees.
Virtual sensitivity analysis to assess the impact of uneven heating and height variations using field data from low-intensity and crown fires.

Main Results:

FireStem2D accurately simulates laboratory stem-heating experiments, capturing key variables like moisture loss, temperature profiles, bark charring, and necrotic depth.
Sensitivity analyses reveal the significant effects of uneven heating and height on predicted stem injury.
The model demonstrates improved capabilities over previous one-dimensional approaches.

Conclusions:

FireStem2D offers a significant advancement in predicting forest fire impacts on trees.
The model provides a robust framework for understanding complex stem heating dynamics and their consequences.
This tool can aid forest managers in assessing fire risk and planning mitigation strategies for different tree species and fire regimes.