An international treaty to phase down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are potent greenhouse gases. In thermal engineering, it drives the transition toward low-global-warming-potential (GWP) natural refrigerants and synthetic alternatives.
Kilo Tonnes Of Oil Equivalent
A standardized unit of energy representing the amount of energy released by burning 1,000 tonnes of crude oil, used to compare different energy sources on a common scale.
Kinematic Constraints
Physical restrictions placed on a system to limit its degrees of freedom or movement. In thermal design, they must be carefully engineered to allow necessary thermal expansion while securely holding components in alignment.
Kinematic Mounting Schemes
Precision mounting designs that constrain exactly the six degrees of freedom of a component without over-constraining it. This allows for thermal expansion and contraction without introducing distorting mechanical stresses or losing alignment.
Kinetic Power Density
A metric representing the amount of kinetic energy available per unit of cross-sectional area in a moving fluid flow, such as water or wind. It is crucial for assessing site viability and optimizing turbine rotor designs to achieve maximum energy conversion efficiency.
A phenomenon where gas transport behavior changes because the mean free path of gas molecules is greater than or equal to the pore diameter of the containing medium. This effect is leveraged in nanoporous industrial insulation to drastically reduce gas-phase thermal conduction.