FEA for 2D Thermal Fields

Solved Examples

Dr. Sarat Singamneni

The 2m square plate is maintained at 100 0C at the left end
and the right end looses heat due to convection, with h =
20 W/m2 0C. The other two surfaces are insulated. The
free stream temperature is 50 0C. The coefficients of
thermal conductivity are Kx = Ky = 25 W/m0C. Assuming
a thickness of 1m, calculate the temperature distribution
within the plate using the finite element approach.
Finite elements

Element Nodal Connectivity

No
1 2 3
1 1 2 5
2 1 5 4
3 4 5 3
4 2 3 5
Element Conductivity Matrix
x1 y1 x2 y2 x3 y3
Element 1
0 0 2 0 1 1
A1 = 1 m2
-1 1 0 Kx 0 25 0
D
B1 = -1 -1 2 0 Ky 0 25

1 1 12 .5 0 12 .5
Kc1 tAB1T DB1
1X 1
1 1 25 0 1 1
0 25 1 1
0
Kc1 0 12 .5 12 .5 Kh1 0
2X 2
0 2 2 12 .5 12 .5 25

1 2 5
12.5 0 -12.5
KE1 = 0 12.5 -12.5
-12.5 -12.5 25
Assembling into the overall matrix

1 2 3 4 5

12.5 0 0 0 -12.5

0 12.5 0 0 -12.5

0 0 0 0 0
K1 =
0 0 0 0 0

-12.5 -12.5 0 0 25
 Element Conductivity Matrix
x1 y1 x2 y2 x3 y3
Element 2
A2 = 1 m2
0 0 1 1 0 2

-1 2 -1 Kx 0 25 0
B2 = D
-1 0 1 0 Ky 0 25

1 1 12 .5 12 .5 0
2 0 25 0 1 2 1
Kc 2 tAB 2T DB 2
1 X 1
2X 2 0 25 1 0 1
Kc 2 12 .5 25 12 .5 Kh2 0
1 1 0 12 .5 12 .5

1 5 4
12.5 -12.5 0
KE2 = -12.5 25 -12.5
0 -12.5 12.5
Assembling into the overall matrix

1 2 3 4 5

12.5 0 0 0 -12.5

0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0
K2 =
0 0 0 12.5 -12.5

-12.5 0 0 -12.5 25
 Element Conductivity Matrix
x1 y1 x2 y2 x3 y3
Element 3
0 2 1 1 2 2
A3 = 1 m2
-1 0 1 Kx 0 25 0
B3 = D
1 -2 1 0 Ky 0 25

1 1 12 .5 12 .5 0
0 2 25 0 1 0 1
Kc3 tAB 3T DB3
1 X 1
2X 2 0 25 1 2 1
Kc 3 12 .5 25 12 .5 Kh3 0
1 1 0 12 .5 12 .5

4 5 3
12.5 -12.5 0
KE3 = -12.5 25 -12.5
0 -12.5 12.5
Assembling into the overall matrix

1 2 3 4 5

0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0

0 0 12.5 0 -12.5
K3 =
0 0 0 12.5 -12.5

0 0 -12.5 -12.5 25
 Element Conductivity Matrix
x1 y1 x2 y2 x3 y3
Element 4
A4 = 1 m2
2 0 2 2 1 1

1 1 -2 Kx 0 25 0
B4 = D
-1 1 0 0 Ky 0 25

1 1 12 .5 0 12 .5
1 X 1 1 1 25 0 1 1 2
Kc 4 tAB 4T DB 4 Kc 4 0 12 .5 12 .5
2X 2 0 25 1 1 0
2 0 12 .5 12 .5 25

2 1 0
20 X 2 X 1 KE4 = Kc4+Kh4
Kh 4 1 2 0
6
0 0 0 2 3 5
25.83 6.67 -12.5
6.67 25.83 -12.5
-12.5 -12.5 25
Assembling into the overall matrix

1 2 3 4 5

0 0 0 0 0

0 25.83 6.67 0 -12.5

0 6.67 25.83 0 -12.5

K4 =
0 0 0 0 0

0 -12.5 -12.5 0 25
Overall Conduction Matrix

K = K1+K2+K3+K4

25 0 0 0 -25
0 38.33 6.67 0 -25
0 6.67 38.33 0 -25
0 0 0 25 -25
-25 -25 -25 -25 100
The force vector

f2 1 1000
20 X 50 X 2 X 1
f 4 f3 1
1000
f 2 0 0
5
The Final Matrix Expression

25 0 0 0 -25 t1 F1

0 38.33 6.67 0 -25 t

2 1000

0 6.67 38.33 0 -25 t3 1000
t F
0 0 0 25 -25 4 2
-25 -25 -25 -25 100 t5 0
Using the known temperature boundary conditions

1 0 0 0 0 t1 100

0 38.33 6.67 0 -25 t

2 1000

0 6.67 38.33 0 -25 t3 1000
0 0 0 1 0 t 100
4
0 -25 -25 0 100 t5 5000

Upon inversion and multiplication:

t1 100

t
2 69.33

t3 69.33
t 100
4
t5 84.62
Example 2
The 4mX2m plate is maintained at 100 0C at the top
surface. The other three surfaces are insulated. A uniform
heat source of Q = 1000 W/m3 acts over the whole plate .
The coefficients of thermal conductivity are Kx = Ky = 25
W/m0C. Assuming a thickness of 1m, calculate the
temperature distribution within the plate using the finite
element approach.

t1 180
t


2 180

t 3 = 100
t
4 100

t 5
161.33
Finite elements

Element Nodal Connectivity

No
1 2 3
1 1 2 5
2 1 5 4
3 4 5 3
4 2 3 5
 Element Conductivity Matrix
x1 y1 x2 y2 x3 y3
Element 1
0 0 4 0 2 1
A1 = 2 m2
-1 1 0 Kx 0 25 0
D
B1 = -2 -2 4 0 Ky 0 25

1 2 15 .625 9.375 25 .0
Kc1 tAB1T DB1
1X 2
1 2 25 0 1 1 0
0 25 2 2 4
Kc1 9.375 115 .625 25 .0 Kh1 0
4X 4
0 4 25 .0 25 .0 50 .0

1 2 5
15.625 9.375 -25.00
KE1 = 9.375 15.625 -25.00
-25.00 -25.00 50.00
Assembling into the overall matrix

1 2 3 4 5

15.625 9.375 0 0 -25.00

9.375 15.625 0 0 -25.00

0 0 0 0 0
K1 =
0 0 0 0 0

--25.00 -25.00 0 0 50.00

Overall Conduction Matrix

K = K1+K2+K3+K4

31.2500 9.3750 0.00 -9.3750 -31.2500

9.3750 31.2500 -9.3750 0.00 -31.2500
0.00 -9.3750 31.2500 9.3750 -31.2500
-9.3750 0 9.3750 31.2500 -31.2500
-31.2500 -31.2500 -31.2500 -31.2500 125.0000
 The force vector

f1 1 666 .67 f1 1 666 .67

1000 X 2 X 1 1000 X 2 X 1
f1 f 2 1
666 .67 f
2 5f 1
666 .67
f 3 1 666 .67 f 3 1 666 .67
5 4

f4 1 666 .67 f2 1 666 .67

1000 X 2 X 1 1000 X 2 X 1
f3 f5 1
666 .67 f
4 3f 1
666 .67
f 3 1 666 .67 f 3 1 666 .67
3 5

1333.33
1333.33
F f1 f 2 f 3 f 4
1333.33

2666.70
 The Final Matrix Expression

31.25 9.375 0 -9.375 -31.25 t1 1333.33

9.375 31.25 -9.375 0 -31.25 t

2 1333.33

0 -9.375 31.25 9.375 -31.25 t3 1333.33
t 1333.33
-9.375 0 9.375 31.25 -31.25 4
-31.25 -31.25 -31.25 -31.25 125 t5 2666.67
Using the known temperature boundary conditions
t3=100 0C and t4=100 0C

31.25 9.375 0 0 -31.25

t1 2270.83

t
2270.83
9.375 31.25 0 0 -31.25 2

0 0 1 0 0 t3 100.00
t 100.00
0 0 0 1 0 4
-31.25 -31.25 0 0 125 t5 8916.7

Upon inversion and multiplication:

t1 180.0002

t
2 180.0002

t3 100.0000
t 100.0000
4
t5 161.3337