Chapter 12

Thermal Analysis
Chapter 12 – Thermal Analysis
Overview
• In this chapter, we will describe the specifics of a thermal analysis.

• The purpose is two-fold:

– To reiterate the general analysis procedure.
– To introduce you to thermal loads and boundary conditions
Chapter 12 – A. Preprocessing
Geometry
Geometry

• Can either be created within ANSYS or imported.

• Include details to improve results:

– Goal is to sufficiently model the thermal mass of the structure.
– Convection loads requires areas be correctly modeled.
– Heat generation loads requires the volumes be correctly modeled.
Chapter 12 – A. Preprocessing
Meshing
• Element type
• The table below shows commonly used thermal element types.
• The nodal DOF is: TEMP.

Commonly used thermal element types

2-D Solid 3-D Solid 3-D Shell Line Elements
Linear PLANE55 SOLID70 SHELL57 LINK31, 32, 33, 34
SHELL131
Quadratic PLANE77 SOLID90 SHELL132
PLANE35 SOLID87

• Material properties
– Minimum requirement is Kx, thermal conductivity for steady state
analysis.
– Setting preferences to “thermal” limits the Material Model GUI to
display only Thermal properties.

• Real constants / Section properties

– Primarily needed for shell and line elements.
 Chapter 12 – B. Solution
Overview
• Thermal loading conditions can be:
Temperatures Regions of the model where temperatures are known.

Heat flow Points where the heat flow rate is known.

Heat flux Surfaces where the heat flow rate per unit area is known.

Convections Surfaces where heat is transferred to (or from)

surroundings by means of convection. Input consists of
film coefficient h and bulk temperature of the surrounding
fluid Tb.

Heat generation Regions where the volumetric heat generation rate is

known.

Adiabatic surfaces “Perfectly insulated” surfaces where no heat transfer takes

place.

Radiation* Surfaces where heat transfer occurs by means of radiation.

Input consists of emissivity, Stefan-Boltzmann constant,
and optionally, temperature at a “space node.”
* Not covered in this course
Chapter 12 – B. Solution
Nodal Coordinate System
• Unlike the structural analysis displacement and force boundary
conditions, the analogous thermal analysis temperature and heat
flow boundary conditions are not dependent on the nodal
coordinate system.
Chapter 12 – B. Solution
Temperature Constraints
Temperature Constraints

• Used to specify a known temperature in the model.

• To apply displacement constraints :

– Main Menu > Solution > Define Loads > Apply >
Thermal > Temperature
• Choose where you want to apply the
constraint.
• Pick the desired entities in the graphics
window.
• Then enter the temperature value. Value
defaults to zero.
– Or use the D family of commands: DK, DL,
DA, D.
Chapter 12 – B. Solution
Concentrated Heat Flow
• To apply a heat flow, the following information is needed:
– node or keypoint number (which you can identify by picking)
– heat flow magnitude (which should be consistent with the system of
units you are using)

Use:
– Main Menu > Solution > Define Loads > Apply > Thermal > Heat Flow
– Or the commands FK or F
 Chapter 12 – B. Solution
Heat Flux
Heat Flux:

• To apply heat flux:

– Main Menu > Solution > Define
Loads > Apply > Thermal > Heat flux
• Choose where you want to
apply the heat flux-- usually on
lines for 2-D models, on areas
for 3-D models.
• Pick the desired entities in the
graphics window.
• Then enter the heat flux values.
• Or use the SF family of
commands: SFL, SFA, SFE,
SF.
Chapter 12 – B. Solution
Convections
Convective Loads

• To apply a convection:
– Main Menu > Solution > Define Loads > Apply
> Thermal > Convection
• Choose where you want to apply the
convection -- usually on lines for 2-D
models, on areas for 3-D models.
• Pick the desired entities in the graphics
window.
• Then enter the film coefficient and bulk
temperature values.
• Or use the SF command family:
SFL, SFA, SFE, SF.
Chapter 12 – B. Solution
Heat Generation
Heat Generation

• To apply heat generation:

– Maine Menu > Solution > Define Loads >
Apply > Thermal > Heat Generation
• Choose where you want to apply
the heat generation-- usually on
areas for 2-D models, on volumes
for 3-D models.
• Pick the desired entities in the
graphics window.
• Then enter the heat generation
values.
• Or use the BF family of
commands: BFL, BFA, BFE, BF.
Chapter 12 – B. Solution
Adiabatic Surfaces

• Adiabatic Surfaces
– “Perfectly insulated” surfaces where no heat transfer takes place.
– This is the default condition, i.e, any surface with no boundary
conditions specified is automatically treated as an adiabatic surface
Chapter 12 – B. Solution
Modifying and Deleting Loads
Modifying and Deleting Loads

• To modify a load value, simply reapply the load

with the new value.

• To delete loads:
– Main Menu > Solution > Define Loads > Delete
– When you delete solid model loads, ANSYS also
automatically deletes all corresponding finite element
loads.
Chapter 12 – B. Solution
Solutions Options
Steady State vs. Transient Analysis

• A steady state analysis assumes that the loading conditions have

“settled down” to a steady level, with little or no time dependency.

• A transient analysis conditions that are changing with time.

• For example, consider the analysis of a clothes iron which takes 1

minute to reach a constant temperature

– The analysis of the clothes iron for the first 1 minute of operation would be
transient.
– After a constant temperature is reached, the analysis would be steady state.
Chapter 12 – C. Postprocessing
Review Results

• Reviewing results of a thermal analysis generally involves:

– temperature distribution
– thermal gradient distribution
– thermal flux distribution
Chapter 12 – C. Postprocessing
…Review Results
Temperature Distribution:

• To plot temperature contours

– General Postproc > Plot Results > Contour Plot > Nodal Solution > Temperature
– Or use the PLNSOL command.
Chapter 12 – C. Postprocessing
…Review Results
Thermal Gradients:

• To plot thermal gradient contours:

– General Postproc > Plot Results > Contour Plot > Nodal Solu or PLNSOL command
– General Postproc > Plot Results > Contour Plot > Element Solu or PLESOL command
Chapter 12 – C. Postprocessing
…Review Results
Thermal Flux:

• To plot thermal gradient contours:

– General Postproc > Plot Results > Contour Plot > Nodal Solu or PLNSOL command
– General Postproc > Plot Results > Contour Plot > Element Solu or PLESOL command
Chapter 12 – C. Postprocessing
…Review Results
Reaction Forces

• The sum of the reaction heat flows must balance the sum of the
applied heat flows

• Best viewed as a listing:

– General Postprocessor > List Results > Reaction Solution or PRRSOL
command
Chapter 12 – C. Postprocessing
Verify Results
It is always a good idea to do a “sanity check” and make sure that
the solution is acceptable. What you need to check depends on
the type of problem you are solving, but here are some typical
questions to ask:

• Do FEA results agree hand calculations or experimental data?

• Is the temperature solution correct? Check the FEA temperature

solution first since FEA heat fluxes are second order results.

• Do the reaction heat flows balance the applied heat flows?

• Where is the maximum heat flux located?

– If it is at a singularity, such as a point load or a re-entrant corner, the
value is generally meaningless.
Chapter 12 – C. Postprocessing
…Verify Results
• Is the mesh adequate?
– This is always debatable, but you can gain confidence in the mesh by
using error estimation.
– Other ways to check mesh adequacy:
• Plot the element solution (unaveraged stresses) and look for
elements with high heat flux gradients. These regions are
candidates for mesh refinement.
• If there is a significant difference between the nodal (averaged) and
element (unaveraged) heat flux contours, the mesh may be too
coarse.
• Similarly, if there is a significant difference between
PowerGraphics and full graphics heat flux, the mesh may be too
coarse.
• Re-mesh with twice as many elements, re-solve, and compare the
results. (But this may not always be practical.)
Chapter 12 – D. Workshop
Workshop
• Refer to your Workshop Supplement for instructions on:
W12. Axisymmetric Pipe with Fins