Chapter 2

Finite Element Equations for Heat Transfer

Abstract Solution of heat transfer problems is considered. Finite element equations
are obtained using the Galerkin method. The conductivity matrix for a triangular
nite element is calculated.
2.1 Problem Statement
Let us consider an isotropic body with temperature-dependent heat transfer. A basic
equation of heat transfer has the following form [15]:

_
q
x
x
+
q
y
y
+
q
z
z
_
+Q = c
T
t
. (2.1)
Here, q
x
, q
y
and q
z
are components of heat ow through the unit area; Q =
Q(x, y, z, t) is the inner heat-generation rate per unit volume; is material density;
c is heat capacity; T is temperature and t is time. According to Fouriers law the
components of heat ow can be expressed as follows:
q
x
= k
T
x
,
q
y
= k
T
y
,
q
z
= k
T
z
,
(2.2)
where k is the thermal-conductivitycoefcient of the media. Substitution of Fouriers
relations gives the following basic heat transfer equation:

x
_
k
T
x
_
+

y
_
k
T
y
_
+

z
_
k
T
z
_
+Q = c
T
t
. (2.3)
13
14 2 Finite Element Equations for Heat Transfer
It is assumed that the boundary conditions can be of the following types:
1. Specied temperature
T
s
= T
1
(x, y, z, t) on S
1
.
2. Specied heat ow
q
x
n
x
+q
y
n
y
+q
z
n
z
= q
s
on S
2
.
3. Convection boundary conditions
q
x
n
x
+q
y
n
y
+q
z
n
z
= h(T
s
T
e
) on S
3
,
4. Radiation
q
x
n
x
+q
y
n
y
+q
z
n
z
= T
4
s
q
r
on S
4
,
where h is the convection coefcient; T
s
is an unknown surface temperature; T
e
is
a convective exchange temperature; is the StefanBoltzmann constant; is the
surface emission coefcient; is the surface absorption coefcient, and q
r
is the
incident radiant heat owper unit surface area. For transient problems it is necessary
to specify an initial temperature eld for a body at the time t = 0:
T(x, y, z, 0) = T
0
(x, y, z). (2.4)
2.2 Finite Element Discretization of Heat Transfer Equations
A domain V is divided into nite elements connected at nodes. We shall write all
the relations for a nite element. Global equations for the domain can be assembled
from nite element equations using connectivity information.
Shape functions N
i
are used for interpolation of temperature inside a nite ele-
ment:
T = [N]{T},
[N] =
_
N
1
N
2
...

,
{T} =
_
T
1
T
2
...
_
.
(2.5)
Differentiation of the temperature-interpolation equation gives the following inter-
polation relation for temperature gradients:

T
x
T
y
T
z

N
1
x
N
2
x
...
N
1
y
N
2
y
...
N
1
z
N
2
z
...

{T} = [B]{T}. (2.6)

2.2 Finite Element Discretization of Heat Transfer Equations 15
Here, {T} is a vector of temperatures at nodes, [N] is a matrix of shape functions,
and [B] is a matrix for temperature-gradient interpolation.
Using the Galerkin method, we can rewrite the basic heat transfer equation in the
following form:
_
V
_
q
x
x
+
q
y
y
+
q
z
z
Q+c
T
t
_
N
i
dV = 0. (2.7)
Applying the divergence theorem to the rst three terms, we arrive at the relations:
_
V
c
T
t
N
i
dV
_
V
_
N
i
x
N
i
y
N
i
z
_
{q}dV
=
_
V
QN
i
dV
_
S
{q}
T
{n}N
i
dS,
{q}
T
=
_
q
x
q
y
q
z

,
{n}
T
=
_
n
x
n
y
n
z

,
(2.8)
where {n} is an outer normal to the surface of the body. After insertion of boundary
conditions into the above equation, the discretized equations are as follows:
_
V
c
T
t
N
i
dV
_
V
_
N
i
x
N
i
y
N
i
z
_
{q}dV
=
_
V
QN
i
dV
_
S
1
{q}
T
{n}N
i
dS
+
_
S
2
q
s
N
i
dS
_
S
3
h(T T
e
)N
i
dS
_
S
4
(T
4
q
r
)N
i
dS.
(2.9)
It is worth noting that
{q} = k[B]{T}. (2.10)
The discretized nite element equations for heat transfer problems have the follow-
ing form:
[C]{

T} +([K
c
] +[K
h
] +[K
r
]){T}
= {R
T
} +{R
Q
} +{R
q
} +{R
h
} +{R
r
},
(2.11)
16 2 Finite Element Equations for Heat Transfer
[C] =
_
V
c[N]
T
[N]dV,
[K
c
] =
_
V
k[B]
T
[B]dV,
[K
h
] =
_
S
3
h[N]
T
[N]dS,
[K
r
]{T} =
_
S
4
T
4
[N]
T
dS,
{R
T
} =
_
S
1
{q}
T
{n}[N]
T
dS,
{R
Q
} =
_
V
Q[N]
T
dV,
{R
q
} =
_
S
2
q
s
[N]
T
dS,
{R
h
} =
_
S
3
hT
e
[N]
T
dS,
{R
r
} =
_
S
4
q
r
[N]
T
dS.
(2.12)
Here, {

T} is a nodal vector of temperature derivatives with respect to time.
2.3 Different Type Problems
Equations for different types of problems can be deducted from the above general
equation:
Stationary linear problem
([K
c
] +[K
h
]){T} = {R
Q
} +{R
q
} +{R
h
}. (2.13)
Stationary nonlinear problem
([K
c
] +[K
h
] +[K
r
]){T}
= {R
Q
(T)} +{R
q
(T)} +{R
h
(T)} +{R
r
(T)}.
(2.14)
2.4 Triangular Element 17
Transient linear problem
[C]{

T(t)} +([K
c
] +[K
h
(t)]){T(t)}
= {R
Q
(t)} +{R
q
(t)} +{R
h
(t)}.
(2.15)
Transient nonlinear problem
[C(T)]{

T} +([K
c
(T)] +[K
h
(T, t)] +[K
r
(T)]){T}
= {R
Q
(T, t)} +{R
q
(T, t)} +{R
h
(T, t)} +{R
r
(T, t)}.
(2.16)
2.4 Triangular Element
Calculation of element conductivity matrix [k
c
] and heat ow vector {r
q
} is illus-
trated for a two-dimensional triangular element with three nodes. A simple triangu-
lar nite element is shown in Figure 2.1. The temperature distribution T(x, y) inside
the triangular element is described by linear interpolation of its nodal values:
T(x, y) = N
1
(x, y)T
1
+N
2
(x, y)T
2
+N
3
(x, y)T
3
,
N
i
(x, y) =
i
+
i
x +
i
y.
(2.17)
Interpolation functions (usually called shape functions) N
i
(x, y) should satisfy the
following conditions:
T(x
i
, y
i
) = T
i
, i = 1, 2, 3. (2.18)
Solution of the above equation system provides expressions for the shape functions:
1
2
3
x
y
Fig. 2.1 Triangular nite element
18 2 Finite Element Equations for Heat Transfer
1
2
x
y
t
L
Fig. 2.2 Integration along an element side
N
i
=
1
2
(a
i
+b
i
x +c
i
y),
a
i
= x
i+1
y
i+2
x
i+2
y
i+1
,
b
i
= y
i+1
y
i+2
,
c
i
= x
i+2
x
i+1
,
=
1
2
(x
2
y
3
+x
3
y
1
+x
1
y
2
x
2
y
1
x
3
y
2
x
1
y
3
),
(2.19)
where is the element area.
The conductivity matrix of the triangular element is determined by integration
over element area A (assuming that the element has unit thickness),
[k
c
] =
_
A
k[B]
T
[B]dxdy. (2.20)
The temperature differentiation matrix [B] has expression
[B] =

N
1
x
N
2
x
N
3
x
N
1
y
N
2
y
N
3
y

=
1
2
_
b
1
b
2
b
3
c
1
c
2
c
3
_
. (2.21)
Since the temperature differentiation matrix does not depend on coordinates, inte-
gration of the conductivity matrix is simple;
[k
c
] =
k
4

b
2
1
+c
2
1
b
1
b
2
+c
1
c
2
b
1
b
3
+c
1
c
3
b
1
b
2
+c
1
c
2
b
2
2
+c
2
2
b
2
b
3
+c
2
c
3
b
1
b
3
+c
1
c
3
b
2
b
3
+c
2
c
3
b
2
3
+c
2
3

. (2.22)
The heat-ow vector {r
q
} is evaluated by integration over the element side, as
shown in Figure 2.2
Problems 19
{r
q
} =
_
L
q
s
[N]
T
dL =
_
1
0
q
s
[N
1
N
2
]
T
Ldt. (2.23)
Here, integration over an element side L is replaced by integration using variable
t ranging from 0 to 1. Shape functions N
1
and N
2
on element side 12 can be ex-
pressed through t:
N
1
= 1 t, N
2
=t. (2.24)
After integration with substituting integration limits, the heat-ow vector equals
{r
q
} = q
s
L
2
_
1
1
_
. (2.25)
Element matrices and vectors are calculated for all elements in a mesh and assem-
bled into the global equation system. After application of prescribed temperatures,
solution of the global equation system produces temperatures at nodes.
Problems
2.1. Calculate matrix [k
h
] describing convection boundary conditions
[k
h
] =
_
L
h[N]
T
[N]dL
for a side of a triangular element (see Figure 2.2).
2.2. Obtain shape functions N
1
, N
2
, N
3
and N
4
for the square element shown below.
1 2
3
x
y
4
L
L
Assume that its size is L = 1 and that shape functions can be represented as N
i
=
a
1
(a
2
+x)(a
3
+y).
2.3. For the square element of the previous problem, estimate the heat-generation
vector
{r
Q
} =
_
V
Q[N]
T
dV.
Use the shape functions obtained in the previous problem.
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