Heat in history Isaac Newton and Heat Transfer

Abstract

An attempt is made to provide historical perspectives on the influences of Newton's law of cooling (1701) on the development of heat transfer theory. Newton's cooling law provides the first heat transfer formulation and is the formal basis of convective heat transfer. The cooling law was incorporated by Fourier (1822) as the convective boundary condition (Biot number) in his mathematical theory of heat conduction. The decisive step in the application of the concept of heat transfer coefficient occurred with the publication of the “basic law of heat transfer” by Nusselt in 1915. Newton's law is valid only for forced convection with constant physical properties. The close relationships for various heat transfer theories are pointed out. Heat transfer phenomena can also be classified based on the relationship between surface heat flux and temperature difference as a driving force.