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Basic Airflow

Modes of Heat Transfer
  • Conduction: heat flows from higher temperature region to a lower temperature. This occurs in solid, liquid or gaseous mediums that make physical contact
  • Convection: the combined action of conduction, energy storage and mixing motion
  • Radiation: heat flows from a higher temperature to a lower temperature when bodies are separated in space

 

Pros

Cons

Free Convections

Low cost

High reliability

Low noise

Poor cooling capacity

Conduction (heat sinks)

Low cost

Limited cooling capacity

Forced Convection (fans)

Moderate to good cooling

Medium/high cost

Noise

Reliability

Refrigeration

High cooling capacity

High cost

Reliability

Maintainability

Size