Workshop 6.

Transient Thermal Analysis

Transient Thermal Analysis
Workshop 6.2 - Goals Workshop Supplement

• In this workshop, we will analyze the electrically heated base

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

typical of consumer steam irons like the one shown below.

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Transient Thermal Analysis
Workshop 6.2 - Assumptions Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Assumptions:
• The heating element contacts and transfers heat to
the base using the pattern shown here
• Upon initial startup a heat flux of 0.001 W/mm2 is
applied until a steady state is reached
• Heating follows a 30 second step cycle of 0 to 0.003
W/mm2 after steady state is reached
• The analysis will begin with the steady state solution
and proceed through the cyclic loading described
above

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Transient Thermal Analysis
Workshop 6.2 - Start Page Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

From the launcher start Simulation.
• Choose “Geometry > From File . . . “
and browse to the file “Iron.x_t”.

• When DS starts, close the Template

menu by clicking the ‘X’ in the corner
of the window.

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Transient Thermal Analysis
Workshop 6.2 - Preprocessing Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Change the part material to
“Polyethylene”:
1. Highlight “Part1” 1
2. In the Detail window “Material” field
“Import . . .”
3. “Choose” material “Stainless Steel”

4
4. Set the working units to (mm,
kg, N, C, s, mV, mA) “Tools > August 26, 2005

Units” menu choose Inventory #002266

WS6.2-5
Transient Thermal Analysis
Workshop 6.2 - Environment Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

5. Select surface representing the heating
element on the face of the iron

5
6. “RMB > Insert > Heat Flux”.

7. Set “Magnitude” field to 0.001 W/mm2

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Transient Thermal Analysis
. . . Workshop 6.2 - Environment Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

8. Select the bottom surface (opposite the heat
flux side) and 6 side surfaces of the iron (7
faces)
8
9. “RMB > Insert > Convection”
10. Change to “Temperature Dependent”

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10

11. Choose “Import” in the correlation field 11

12. Select “Stagnant Air – Vertical Planes1”
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13. Set ambient temperature to 20 deg. C

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 Transient Thermal Analysis
. . . Workshop 6.2 - Environment Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

14. Select the 2 surfaces surrounding the
heated surface 14

15. “RMB > Insert > Convection”

16. Change to “Temperature Dependent”

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16

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17. Choose “Import” in the correlation field 17
18. Select “Stagnant Air – Vertical Planes”
19. Set ambient temperature to 40 deg. C

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Transient Thermal Analysis
Workshop 6.2 - Solution Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Add temperature and total heat flux results.
20. Highlight the Solution branch.
21. “RMB > Insert > Thermal > Temperature”, repeat
for total heat flux
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21

22. Solve

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Transient Thermal Analysis
Workshop 6.2 - Results Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

A review of the results shows the
maximum steady state temperature is
approximately 51.7 degrees C
• The worksheet view of the environment
shows that an energy balance has been
achieved
– Convection1 + Convection2 ≈ 5.2 W
– Applied Load = 0.001W/mm2 * Area
• Area ≈ 5276 mm

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Transient Thermal Analysis
Workshop 6.2 – Transient Solution Workshop Supplement

23. Highlight the “Temperature” result, RMB > “Generate Transient

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Environment with Initial Condition”

23

• The result is, the steady state

environment is duplicated and the
new branch automatically setup as a
thermal transient run
– Notice the new branch contains an
“initial condition” branch and a
“transient settings” branch
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Transient Thermal Analysis
Workshop 6.2 – Transient Setup Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

24. Begin the transient setup by specifying an
end time of 180 seconds for the analysis in
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the toolbar

25. Inspection of the initial condition details

shows no action is required. The steady
state (non-uniform) temperature result
from the “Environment” branch is mapped
to the transient branch

25

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Transient Thermal Analysis
. . . Workshop 6.2 - Transient Setup Workshop Supplement

26. Highlight “Heat Flux” in the Thermal Transient

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

branch
26

27. In the heat flux detail change “Define As” to

“Load History”
28. In the “History Data” field choose “New Load
History . . . “

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Transient Thermal Analysis
. . . Workshop 6.2 - Transient Setup Workshop Supplement

• The Engineering Data application will open and a new “Heat Flux vs.

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Time” chart/graph will be created
• Enter the time and load data as shown on the next page

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Transient Thermal Analysis
. . . Workshop 6.2 - Transient Setup Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

29. Enter time and load information as described in the problem
statement
– 30 second increments
– 0.003 W/mm2 Heat Flux

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 Transient Thermal Analysis
. . . Workshop 6.2 - Transient Setup Workshop Supplement

30. Highlight the “Transient Settings” branch

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

31. Toggle off all items but “Heat Flux” in the “Visible” and “Active” columns
of the Timeline Legend Control

30

Notice the automatic time

steps are based on the end
time:
Initial = ET/100, Min =
ET/1000, Max = ET/10
Leave time steps as default August 26, 2005
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Transient Thermal Analysis
. . . Workshop 6.2 - Transient Setup Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Toggling off all but the heat flux allows easier inspection of the timeline
chart in this case
• Since the heat flux is the only load defined as a “non-constant” it will have
the only influence on the placement of the automatic step resets

Reset points

As expected, each
reset point coincides
with an inflection
point on the load
history

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Transient Thermal Analysis
Workshop 6.2 - Transient Results Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

32. Solve the thermal transient
branch 32

• When the solution is complete,

results can be reviewed just as
with steady state solutions
33. Highlight the quantity of interest
to plot

33

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. . . Workshop 6.2 - Transient Results Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

34. To review results from specific time points, LMB in the timeline chart to
locate the time of interest
35. RMB > Retrieve Results

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Transient Thermal Analysis
. . . Workshop 6.2 - Transient Results Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Notice, when a new time point is selected in the
time line, the result detail is displayed in red
until the results matching the time selection are
retrieved

• Plotting the “Global Maximum” temperature

from the Solution Information branch shows
the model has not reached a cyclic equilibrium

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Transient Thermal Analysis
. . . Workshop 6.2 - Transient Results Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Using the Probe Tool allows individual parts of the
model to be evaluated over time
• Multiple Probes can be plotted on the same graph

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Single Probe Multiple Probes WS6.2-21