Heat transfer is a result of the spatial variation of temperature within a medium, or within adjacent media, in which thermal energy may be stored, converted to or from other forms of energy and work, or exchanged with the surroundings. Heat transfer occurs in many natural and engineered systems. As an engineering discipline, heat transfer deals with the innovative use of the principles of thermal science in solving the relevant technological problems. This introductory textbook aims to provide undergraduate engineering students with the knowledge (principles, materials, and applications) they need to understand and analyze the heat transfer problems they are likely to encounter in practice. The approach of this book is to discuss heat transfer problems (in the search for innovative and optimal solutions) and engineering analyses, along with the introduction of the fundamentals and the analytical methods used in obtaining solutions. Although the treatment is basically analytical, empiricism is acknowledged because it helps in the study of more complex geometries, fluid flow conditions, and other complexities that are most suitably dealt with empirically.

A combination of descriptive and analytical discussions are used to enable students to understand and articulate a broad range of problems.