Thermal Elements

Jake Blanchard
Spring 2008

Thermal Elements
These

elements calculate temperatures

in solids
There are 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D elements
All have just 1 DOF per node
Properties are thermal conductivity (k)
for steady state analysis and density ()
and heat capacity (cp) for transient
analyses
Boundary conditions can be
temperatures, heat fluxes, or radiation
Volumetric heating is also possible

Thermal Elements in ANSYS

LINK

31 radiation link
LINK 32 2-D conduction bar
LINK 33 3-D conduction bar
LINK 34 convection link
PLANE 35 6 node triangle
PLANE 55 4 node quad
PLANE 75 4 node axisymmetric-harmonic
element
PLANE 77 8 node quad
PLANE 78 8 node axisymmetric-harmonic
element

More Thermal Elements

SOLID

70 8 node solid
SOLID 87 10 node tetrahedral
element
SOLID 90 20 node hexahedral
element
SHELL 57 4 node
SHELL 131 4 node layered
element
SHELL 132 8 node layered
element

Real Constants
Area,

heat transfer coeff., and

emissivity for links
None for planar and solid
elements
Thickness for shell element
(not layered)
Use Sections for layered
elements

In-Class Problems

T=0 C

k1=1

W/m-K
k2=20 W/m-K

1
T=100 C
1
cm

2
10 cm

In-Class Problems

T=0 C

k1=1

W/m-K
k2=20 W/m-K

q=104 W/m2
1
cm

2
10
cm

In-Class Problems
h=1000
W/m2-K
Tb=50 C

k1=1

W/m-K
k2=20 W/m-K

q=104 W/m2
1
cm

2
10
cm

In-Class Problems
T=50 C
k1=1

W/m-K
k2=20 W/m-K
Channels are 3
cm in diameter

1
cm
q=104 W/m2

2
cm

15
cm
10
cm

h=1000
In-Class Problems
k1=1

W/m-K
k2=20 W/m-K
Channels are 3
cm in diameter

1
cm
q=104 W/m2

W/m2-K
Tb=50 C
2
2
cm
15
cm
10
cm