Understanding Thermal Resistance in Heat Transfer: An Analysis and Explanation

[mattyboson12]

Homework Statement

[/B]
Explain how the concept of thermal resistance can be used in the analysis of heat transfer problems

2. The attempt at a solution

So I'm made a few key points but I am not sure if I have answered the question fully:

• Thermal resistance is a heat property and a measurement of a temperature difference by which an object or material resists heat flow
• (Conduction) The heat flow can be modeled by analogy to an electrical circuit where heat flow is represented by current, temperatures are represented by voltages, heat sources are represented by constant current sources, absolute thermal resistances are represented by resistances and thermal capacitors are represented by capacitors.
• Thermal resistance R has the units (m^2*K)/W

 

[Chestermiller]

Homework Statement

[/B]
Explain how the concept of thermal resistance can be used in the analysis of heat transfer problems

2. The attempt at a solution

So I'm made a few key points but I am not sure if I have answered the question fully:

• Thermal resistance is a heat property and a measurement of a temperature difference by which an object or material resists heat flow
• (Conduction) The heat flow can be modeled by analogy to an electrical circuit where heat flow is represented by current, temperatures are represented by voltages, heat sources are represented by constant current sources, absolute thermal resistances are represented by resistances and thermal capacitors are represented by capacitors.
• Thermal resistance R has the units (m^2*K)/W

Your answer looks adequate to me. In an open ended question like this, who knows what the teacher expects?

Chet

 

[CWatters]

Looks ok to me. Although perhaps you could expand on how it might be used in an analysis. Something of the form... If you know ? and ? then the concept of thermal resistance allows you to calculate ?