Introduction to thermal science

for electrical engineers

(MCL142)
Co-ordinated by:
Subhra Datta
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Room III-175
E-mail: subhra.datta@mech.iitd.ac.in
Office Phone: 1054
Teaching Assistants:
Shivam Verma (Ph: 9205441580), Ph: Vikas Jangir (Ph: 6982),
B Arvind (Ph: 9873466612)
What is “Introduction to thermal science for
electrical engineers”?
• What is thermal science?
• Why is it important for electrical engineers?
 What is thermal science?
• Study of energy conversion processes inclusive of heat flow
• Branches:
• Thermodynamics:
• deals with quantities of heat exchanged, not rates
• how to minimize the wastefulness arising from “heat” being associated with
“dissipation”
• cannot predict spatial and temporal variations of the properties affected by heat
transfer
• characterizes feasibility of transformations and the path taken.
• Heat transfer
• deals with rates of heat exchanged
• can predict spatial and temporal variations of the properties affected by heat transfer
• Fluid mechanics
• Combustion
Relative importance of thermal and non-thermal
phenomena?
• Swinging back/forth of a pendulum
• Compression/expansion of an ideal spring
• Charging/discharging of capacitor
• Current through an inductor coil changes
• Electric current conducted through a material medium
• Heat conducted through a material medium
• Rubbing between surfaces of two bodies
“Thermal effects” are macroscopic signature of microscopic
phenomena
 Thermodynamics, temperature and electrical
engineering
• Heat flows from high to low
temperature.
• Sensible heat alters temperature.
• Resistance of a incandescent bulb
filament.

Voltage vs. Current for an incandescent light bulb

 Engineering and thermodynamics

• For an innovator, two important questions:

• Is the proposed transformation possible? Are natural laws
violated?
• Does propose transformation make best use of energy
available.
• Perpetual motion machines of the first and second
kinds
• Perpetual motion machine of the second kind:
• Let us use the practically unlimited thermal energy of water/earth/air to
generate electricity
In life there are no free lunches!
Resistors and thermodynamics

• Resistors dissipate heat.

• More useful “electrical work” leaves as heat and becomes less
useful internal energy of surroundings.
• Rubbing of hard objects: effects of friction.
Need for thermodynamics and heat transfer in
an electrical engineer’s day at office
• Power Systems (motors, generators, transformers, prime mover or
energy resources for generation, energy storage devices,
transducers, power electronics, drives)
• Control Systems (motors, electronics (cooling), drives, analog
circuits, transducers)
• Electronics (digital and analog circuits, power electronics, computers,
cell-phones, digital displays)
• Optics, remote Sensing and space Systems (power electronics
(cooling/heating), sensors, transducers, analog circuits)
• Optics, signal and image Processing (electronics (cooling), sensors,
transducers, analog circuits)
• Electromagnetism, communications, RF/MW engineering
(superconductor cooling for MRI applications, electronics, motors,
generators, cell-phones, microwave ovens, sensors, transducers,
analog circuits)
Need for thermal management of electronics
 Electronics packaging: thermal aspects

 15 C / W

Thermal interface materials

Heat spreaders

Heat exchangers: air/water for cooling

Power engineering: adjusting turbine speed to
changes in generation frequency

 Need for understanding energy transformations in

generation side and factors that control generation.