Heat Transfer & Thermodynamics for Buildings and Machines
Specific heat and kWh, conduction through walls with R- and U-values, building heat loss with degree-days, convection and radiation, heat exchanger LMTD, Newton's law of cooling, efficiency, COP and the Carnot limit, and an insulation payback: solve the core heat-transfer problems in SI units in a live spreadsheet that checks every cell. Educational, not a substitute for design codes or an engineer's review.
The first lesson is free — no account needed.
About this course
A heat transfer and thermodynamics course that solves the core problems of buildings and machines in SI units in a spreadsheet, on one fictional workshop, for engineering and building-services students, technicians and energy advisers. You calculate heat in kJ and kWh with Q = m·c·ΔT and heater times, add the R-values of a five-layer wall into a U-value and a heat flow, sum the UA of the building envelope with ventilation for a design heat load and an annual demand from degree-days, compare convective and radiative losses from hot surfaces with Stefan-Boltzmann, size a heat exchanger with the duty and LMTD for counterflow and parallel flow, model a cooling part with Newton's law, compare heat engines and heat pumps with their Carnot limits and work out an insulation payback. Educational only, not a design calculation and no substitute for design codes or an engineer's review. The first lab is free.
Lessons
- Units & Specific Heat: Q = m·c·ΔT in J, kJ and kWhFree
- Conduction Through Walls: R-Values in Series & the U-Value Pro
- Heat Loss of a Building: UA × ΔT, Design Load & Degree-Days Pro
- Convection & Radiation: h·A·ΔT and Stefan-Boltzmann Pro
- Heat Exchangers: Duty, LMTD & Required Area (Counterflow vs Parallel) Pro
- Cooling Curves: Newton's Law of Cooling, the Time Constant & a Chart Pro
- First Law & Efficiency: Heat Engines, Heat Pumps, COP & the Carnot Limit Pro
- Insulation Upgrade Payback: Energy Saved, Cash Flow & a Payback Chart Pro