Conduction

Definition

The transfer of energy passed directly from molecule to molecule through physical contact, where hotter faster moving molecules transfer energy to cooler slower moving ones.

Conduction demands proximity, meaning the fluid must stay close enough to a surface to interact again and again, and gaps or voids stall heat transfer. At a heat exchanger a thin metal barrier conducts energy between two fluids without letting them mix, and metal’s freely moving electrons make it an excellent conductor. Water’s adhesion lets it spread across heat exchanger tubes and stay close enough for conduction to occur.

Related concepts

Heat Transfer · Heat Exchanger · Radiation

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Part of The Blueprint of Water · 🔥 thermodynamics