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Thursday, September 2, 2010
Solar Energy And Heat

Heat transfer and solar energy

Solar heating systems incorporate several principles on the conversion of solar energy into solar thermal energy, as well as the physical behavior of heat. The primary principle that people need to know more about include solar home heating, which involves getting solar energy and transforming it into heat. You will better appreciate solar heating systems and solar energy as a whole by knowing how the process works. Here is some more info.

About solar collectors

A solar energy collector does just that, collects solar light energy that is converted into heat. This is a simple process. The sunlight first passes easily through a glazed glass surface and is absorbed by a material underneath. The light excites the molecules in the material thus generating heat. The glazed glass then traps the heat, this is known as the green house effect. Once the heat is produced it is ready to be put to use.

Heat Principles

The word heat is basically what's produced when molecules of a substance move rapidly. It's the movement of molecules that create the heat, and is what happens when solar thermal energy in the form of light waves hits an object. The laws of nature state that heat is always moving from areas of higher heat to areas of lower heat. This is the process known as heat transfer.

If 2 objects are set right next to each other and each were at different temperatures, the cooler object would warm up while the warmer object cooled down. This an example of heat transfer and its proportional to the differences in temperatures. The more the difference in heat, the faster heat transfer takes place.

Heat Movement Assessment

The three types of heat transfer or movement is conduction, convection and radiation. Conduction is simply where one object touches another and the heat is passed from high to low. Convection heat transfer is when a flowing medium such as water or air transfers heat. While radiation involves direct transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves.

Choosing which application

Knowing the types of heat transfer helps you decide which method will work best for your situation. Choosing the correct application for your circumstance ensures you stay warm during those long cold winter months.

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