ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a number of simple representative systems in which the temperature distribution and, therefore, heat flow are functions of one space variable only. The heat conduction equation, on the other hand, can also be derived for each specific problem individually from the basic principles. By doing so engineers bring the physics of the problem into each phase of the derivation of the heat conduction equation. The chapter also discusses various one-dimensional steady-state heat conduction problems without heat sources in rectangular, cylindrical, and spherical coordinates. It introduces a number of physical and mathematical facts in terms of representative examples. In addition to the thermal resistances discussed above, two other resistances are often encountered in thermal systems, namely, thermal contact resistance and fouling resistance. Thermal contact resistance depends on several interdependent parameters. The chapter considers typical one-dimensional steady-state heat conduction problems that are idealizations of more involved problems frequently encountered in practice.
