Motivation: 

In the subject of heat transfer, we are primarily interested in heat, which is the form of  energy than can be transferred from one system to another (or one part of a body to another)  as a result of temperature difference. The subject of heat transfer deals with the rates of such  energy transfers.

Heat transfer is not only an extremely relevant subject in engineering industries, but also an  inherently fascinating part of engineering and physical sciences. The main focus of this  course will be to acquire an understanding of heat transfer effects and to developing the skills  needed to predict heat transfer rates. Let us have a look at the value of this knowledge and  what the applications are.  

Classification of heat transfer  problems: In the  engineering design  of  any  heat transfer  equipment or system, the activities can be classified in to main items: (1) rating and (2)  sizing. “Rating” deals with the determination of heat transfer rate for a given system for a  specified set of conditions, while “sizing” deals with the determination of the size of a system  for a specified heat transfer performance