Thermodynamics of heating

Abstract

Heat transfer is a mature science, and so is thermodynamics. They are almost 200 years old having developed largely independently until the 1980s. Maturity comes from the usefulness and success of the thermal sciences. This review uses the thermodynamics of heat transfer to focus on aspects that are usually not discussed in physics: performance, purpose, function, objective and direction of evolutionary design. The article illustrates the unity of the thermal sciences discipline (heat transfer + thermodynamics + constructal law), and uses the opportunity to correct a few recent interpretations of the thermodynamics of heat transfer regarding dissipative engines and energy storage.