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Mechanical Engineering vocabulary · Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer

Convection

Meaning in mechanical engineering, with examples

/kənˈvɛkʃən/nounCommon term

In mechanical engineering, convection means: Heat transfer between a surface and a moving fluid such as air or water, or within the fluid as it flows. It can be natural, or forced by a fan or pump.

In Turkish: taşınım, konveksiyon

How it is used

Used in heat transfer calculations, HVAC and electronics cooling. Natural (free) convection happens because warm fluid rises; forced convection uses a fan or pump. Engineers use the convection heat transfer coefficient h, in W/(m²·K).

Example sentences

  1. Natural convection is not enough to cool the cabinet, so we added a fan.

  2. Forced convection over the fins removes most of the heat from the motor.

Common collocations

  • natural convection
  • forced convection
  • convection coefficient
  • convection heat transfer
  • heat transferThe movement of thermal energy from a hotter place to a colder one. It happens in three ways: conduction, convection and radiation.
  • thermal conductivityA material property that shows how easily heat passes through a material by conduction, measured in W/(m·K). Copper conducts heat very well; insulation foam does not.
  • heat exchangerA device that transfers heat from one fluid to another without mixing them, for example from hot oil to cooling water through metal plates or tubes.
  • ventilationSupplying fresh outdoor air to a space and removing stale or polluted air, either naturally through openings or mechanically with fans.

More terms: Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer

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