The Heat Transfer Division's objective is to enhance the theory and application of heat transfer in equipment and thermodynamic processes in all fields of mechanical engineering and related technologies.As such, the HTD's scope is of interest to other ASME divisions, as well as other national and international societies.

History

Beginning in the early part of the twentieth century the number of ASME members having a technical interest in the field of heat transfer began to steadily increase. This lead to the formation of a Heat Transfer Professional Group within the Process Industries Division of ASME in 1938. This Group became the Heat Transfer Division in 1941. J.H. Sengstaken was the first Chair of the Professional Group and E.D. Grimson was the first Division Chair.

The Division now enrolls approximately 4500 primary members and 4500 secondary members. The early technical focus of the Division was on those issues related to power - thermophysical properties, insulation, boilers, condensers, heat exchangers and the related heat transfer phenomena. Papers on heat transfer were published as a part of the Transactions of ASME and in some cases, later, in the Journal of Applied Mechanics which was the first ASME journal separate from the transactions. The Division's primary publication, the Journal of Heat Transfer was first published in 1959 under the editorship of J. Jacklitsch. S.P. Kezios served as the Consulting Editor and took over as the first Senior Technical Editor when the position was established in 1963.

The Division initiated Heat Transfer - Recent Contents in 1992 and is a partner with the Electronic & Photonic Packaging Division in the Journal of Electronic Packaging which was first published in 1989. The Division participated in its first major specialists' conference in 1951 at the International Heat Transfer Conference in London. The summer National Heat Transfer Conference became a regular event in 1962. Currently the Division joins with AIChE to sponsor the National Heat Transfer Conference every August and sponsors a technical program at the International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in November. On every fourth year, the year of the International Heat Transfer Conference, the Division joins with AIAA in the Thermophysics and Heat Transfer Conference in June in place of the National Heat Transfer Conference. The Division is instrumental in two awards given to individuals who have distinguished themselves in the field of heat transfer.

The Heat Transfer Memorial Award was established by the Division in 1959 and was first awarded to N. Zuber in 1961. This award was elevated to a Society level award in 1974. The Division joins with AIChE to award the Max Jakob Award which was established in 1961. The first four recipients of this prestigious award were E.R.G. Eckert, L.M.K Boelter, W.H. McAdams, and E. Schmidt. The Division currently has 13 Technical Committees plus a number of supporting committees. Anyone who is interested in becoming active in the Division should contact the appropriate Committee Chair or a member of the Executive Committee.

Upcoming:

IMECE Heat Transfer Student Competition
The Heat Transfer Division sponsors a student competition within the Heat Transfer and Thermal Engineering Track, featuring three award categories:

Best Fundamental Knowledge Paper – Track Wide Award
This award recognizes up to three papers that contribute significantly to the fundamental understanding in the field of Heat Transfer and Thermal Engineering. Up to three awards will be presented, each with $500 and a recognition certificate.

Best Applied Research Paper – Track Wide Award
This award recognizes up to three papers that demonstrate applied research with significant impact to practical applications in the field of Heat Transfer and Thermal Engineering. Up to three awards will be presented, each with $500 and a recognition certificate.

In-Session Best Student Presentation Awards
This category honors outstanding presentation skills and content delivery by students during the conference sessions. Winners in this category will receive a certificate of recognition; however, there is no monetary award associated with this category.
Winners will be announced, and awards will be presented at IMECE 2024 (specific timing to be provided in the final program). To be eligible for the Best Paper awards, papers must be primarily authored by a student, with the student being the first author. The evaluation for the paper awards will be based on the full manuscript submitted and accepted for presentation. For the In-Session Best Student Presentation Awards, assessments will be made based on the quality and effectiveness of the presentation during the conference. All submissions to the Heat Transfer and Thermal Engineering Track that meet the eligibility criteria will be automatically considered for these awards.

Past Webinars

K-8 Webinar: Fundamentals and applications of spreading resistance
https://players.brightcove.net/1711318824001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6323253942112​

K-8 Webinar: Heat transfer in flat-plate boundary layers: the supporting data, the transition region, and a correlation https://players.brightcove.net/1711318824001/2VZfvTSJB_default/index.html?videoId=6316425607112

For more information on this event or upcoming events of K-8 committee please contact Diana Borca-Tasciuc here.

2024 - 2025 Heat Transfer Division Executive Committee
Chair, Subramanyaravi Annapragada
Vice Chair, Milind Jog
Member, at Large, Zhuomin Zhang
Treasurer, PROF Diana-Andra Borca-Tasciuc
Secretary, John Tencer
Past Chair, Sandra Boetcher

The HTD recognizes outstanding individual and organizational technical contributions to the profession through its honors and awards program.

Division Awards

• Max Jakob Memorial Award
• ASME - AIChE Donald Q Kern Award
• Boelter – McAdams Prize
• Distinguished Service Award
• Warren M. Rohsenow Award (sponsored by the K-14 Gas Turbine Heat Transfer Committee)
• K-16 Clock Award (sponsored by the K-16 Heat Transfer in Electronic Equipment Committee and the Electronic & Photonic Packaging Division)

 For all Division Award requests click on link below. If request is 15 or more please contact your Division Administrator directly.

Unit Award Request Form

Society Awards

• Heat Transfer Memorial Award
• Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award

Other Society-Level Awards of Interest

Note the following awards are not administered by the HTD

• James Harry Potter Gold Medal, administered by the Energy Conversion Group
• Melville Medal, administered by the General Awards Committee and the Committee on Honors
• Yeram S. Touloukian Award, administered by the K-7 Committee on Thermophysical Properties of the HTD

Joint Society Awards

• Max Jakob Memorial Award

To view general information on awards, or for nomination information, please visit the ASME Honors & Awards Program website.

Important Award Information For Recipients of Monetary Awards

Please note that honorariums cannot be distributed without receipt of applicable tax forms. If you are a recipient of a monetary award, you will be contacted by ASME staff regarding tax forms you will need to complete, as well as how to submit them to us.

Links to helpful online resources related to the division are below. If you have suggestions for other resources, please contact the division chair or ASME staff.

• ASME Landmarks Program
  Landmarks, sites and collections of historic importance to mechanical engineering are designated by ASME through its History and Heritage Landmarks Program.
• ASME History and Heritage
  ASME fosters the preservation of mechanical engineering innovations used in a wide range of applications through its History and Heritage program.

Other Links of Interest

• IEEE/Components Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Society (CPMT)
• Dr. Goodson's homepage on research on microscale heat transfer