Heat Pumps 101: Three Modes of Heat Transfer John Siegenthaler This is the third in a series of Heat Pump 101 videos from instructor and author, John Siegenthaler, P.E.. “Thermodynamic Basics” was the previous lesson in the series. You can enroll in John’s Heat Pump 101 course for free to learn the very basics of heat pumps in less than an hour. The three modes of heat transfer are: Conduction – heat moves from one solid material to another at a lower temperature Convection – heat moves between fluids or between a solid and a fluid at a lower temperature Thermal radiation – heat movement by electromagnetic radiation emitted by a material and absorbed by a cooler surface These all sound complicated, but if you can remember an example of each, then the concepts are easy to remember. These are important terms that help us understand and talk about the nature of HVAC and how heat pumps work. The next video in this series is covers the ‘natural’ vs. ‘artificial’ processes by which heat is transferred. If you want to see that video now or jump ahead to the others, you can find them all in John Siegenthaler’s free Heat Pump 101 course. Building Science Free Courses Heat Pumps HVAC Design Originally posted on May 23, 2023 Written by John Siegenthaler John Siegenthaler, P.E., is a mechanical engineer and graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a licensed professional engineer, and Professor Emeritus of Engineering Technology at Mohawk Valley Community College. “Siggy” has over 35 years of experience in designing modern hydronic heating systems. He is a hall-of-fame member of the Radiant Professionals Alliance and a presenter at national and international conference on hydronic and radiant heating. John is principal of Appropriate Designs – a consulting engineering firm in Holland Patent, NY. The 3rd edition of his textbook – Modern Hydronic Heating – was released in January 2011. John currently writes about hydronic heating and solar thermal system design for several trade publications. More posts by John