Thermal, Environmental, and Comfort Concepts

1.1 THERMAL CONCEPTS

Thermal, Environmental, and Comfort Concepts

Heat

Heat is the agitation or motion of atoms and molecules. It is thermal energy in motion. Heat always flows
from a substance at a higher temperature to the substance at a lower temperature, raising the
temperature of the lower temperature substance and lowering the temperature of the higher temperature
substance.
Quantity of heat (Q) is measured in British thermal units (Btu) and joules.
1 Btu = 1055 joules (J)
= 0.293 watt-hour (W-hr)
= 252 calories (c)
The heating (calorific) value of a fuel, including food, is the quantity of heat produced by its combustion
under specified conditions.
Gross (or high, upper) Heating Value
The gross or high heating value is the amount of heat produced by the complete combustion of a unit
quantity of fuel.

• The gross or higher heating value is obtained when (1) all products of the combustion are cooled down to the temperature before
the combustion and (2) the water vapor formed during combustion is condensed
• In thermodynamics, the term standard heat of combustion corresponds to Gross heating value.
• The net or lower heating value is obtained by subtracting the latent heat of vaporization of the water vapor formed by the
combustion from the gross or higher heating value.
• Just remember, water will have a cooling effect when evaporated.
Thermal, Environmental, and Comfort Concepts

Temperature

Temperature (T) is the measure of the average kinetic energy associated with the chaotic microscopic
motion of atoms and molecules within a substance. It is the measure of the intensity of the heat. The
temperature of an object determines the sensation of warmth or coldness felt from contact with it.
Common temperature scales are Fahrenheit (°F) and Celsius (°C). They are defined by using the point at
which ice melts and water boils at the standard atmospheric pressure.

In engineering and scientific computations (i.e. ideal gas laws), it is often necessary to express
temperature on an absolute temperature or thermodynamic temperature scale.

Ideal Gas  pV = mRT

Thermal, Environmental, and Comfort Concepts

Density

Mass density ρ of a substance is the mass per unit volume. Density is expressed in units of pounds per
cubic foot (lb/ft3) or kilograms per cubic meter (kg/m3).

• Why does ice float on water?

• If it takes higher energy to heat solids than liquid, then why does it take lower
energy to heat ice than water?
Thermal, Environmental, and Comfort Concepts

Specific Heat Click Youtube Video: Heat Capacity

• Specific heat (c) is defined scientifically as the amount of heat that must be added or removed from
one kilogram or pound of substance to change its temperature by one degree.

• The unit of specific heat in the engineering system is Btu per pound per degree temperature change
(Btu/lb °F) or Joules per pound per degree temperature change (J/kg °C).

• Specific heat capacity (C) is defined as the amount of heat required to change the temperature of a
specific volume of substance one degree.
Thermal, Environmental, and Comfort Concepts

Sensible and Latent Heat

• Sensible heat is the heat associated with change in temperature of a substance.

• Latent heat is the release or storage of heat associated with change in phase of a substance, without a
change in the substance’s temperature.
• Latent heat of vaporization is required when a substance changes from a liquid to a gaseous state.
• Latent heat of fusion occurs when a substance is converted from a liquid to a solid state

In an open pot when water is boiling, are you

adding sensible heat?
Thermal, Environmental, and Comfort Concepts

Power

• Power is defined as the measure of energy consumed over a period of time. When energy is extracted,
converted into a useful form, and used in an application, power is the result.
• When referring to electricity, the watt (W) is used to define power. Oftentimes the watt is written with
a prefix K that is equal to a kilowatt (kW) or one thousand watts.