Thermal

Analysis

with

SolidWorks Simulation 2014

Paul M. Kurowski

SDC
P U B L I C AT I O N S

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Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

1: Introduction
Topics covered

Heat transfer by conduction

Heat transfer by convection
Heat transfer by radiation
Thermal boundary conditions
Analogies between thermal and structural analysis
Thermal elements: solids and shells
Scalar and vector entities, presenting results
Steady state thermal analysis
Transient thermal analysis
Linear thermal analysis
Nonlinear thermal analysis

What is Thermal Analysis?

Thermal analysis deals with heat transfer in solid bodies. We approach thermal
analysis from the perspective of a user experienced in structural analysis such as
static, modal, buckling etc. as implemented in SolidWorks Simulation. You will
soon notice that experience in structural analysis is directly transferable to
thermal analysis because of the close analogies between structural and thermal
analyses. The temperature is analogous to displacement in structural analysis,
strain to temperature gradient, and stress to heat flux. Selected analogies are
summarized in Figure 1-1.

Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

Structural Analysis

Thermal Analysis

Displacement [m]

Temperature [K]

Strain [1]

Temperature gradient [K/m]

Stress [N/m2]

Heat flux [W/m2]

Load [N] [N/m] [N/m2] [N/m3]

Heat source [W] [W/m] [W/m2] [W/m3]

Prescribed displacement [m]

Prescribed temperature [K]

Pressure [N/m2]

Prescribed heat flux [W/m2]

Hooks law:

Fouriers law:

Stiffness matrix

Conductivity matrix

Figure 1-1: Analogies between structural and thermal analyses with units in SI
system.
Different system of units may be used except of radiation problems where
temperature is absolute and must be expressed in Kelvins.
The primary unknown in structural analysis is displacement; the primary
unknown in thermal analysis is temperature. This leads to an important difference
between structural and thermal analysis performed with the finite element
method. Displacement, which is a vector and includes both translation and
rotation requires up to six degrees of freedom per node. The number of degrees
of freedom in structural analysis depends on the type of elements, for example
solid elements have three degrees of freedom and shell elements have six degrees
of freedom per node. Two dimensional structural elements have two degrees of
freedom per node. Temperature is a scalar and requires only one degree of
freedom per node, regardless of element type. This makes thermal problems
much easier to solve because thermal models typically have fewer degrees of
freedom as compared to structural models.
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Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

Another, conceptual difference is that thermal analysis is never a static analysis.
If heat flow does not change, then the problem is steady state analysis and not
static because heat flow never stops. If heat flow changes with time, then
problem is called transient.

Mechanisms of heat transfer

Conduction
In a solid body, the energy is transferred from a high temperature region to a low
temperature region. The rate of heat transfer per unit area is proportional to the
material thermal conductivity, cross sectional area and temperature gradient in
the normal direction; it is inversely proportional to the distance (Figure 1-2). This
mode of heat transfer is referred to as conduction:
/
Where:
Heat transferred by conduction [W]
k Thermal conductivity [W/m/K]
Cross sectional area [m2]
Temperature on the hot side [K]
Temperature on the cold side [K]

Distance of heat travel [m]

Conduction is responsible for heat transfer inside a solid body.

Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

TCOLD

THOT

Figure 1-2: Heat transfer by conduction.

Conduction is responsible for heat transfer inside a solid body.
Thermal conductivity is vastly different for different materials as shown in
Figure 1-3.

Thermal conductivity [W/m/K]

Figure 1-3: Thermal conductivity for different materials.

There are five orders of magnitude difference in thermal conductivity between
the best conductors and best insulators.

Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

Convection
Convective heat transfer is the heat flow between a solid body and the
surrounding fluid (either liquid or gas). Convective heat transfer can be either
natural convection where the fluid flow is due to the variation in specific weight
of a hot and cold fluid, or forced convection where the fluid is forced to flow past
the solid body. Therefore, natural convection requires gravity (Figure 1-4), and
forced convection does not require gravity (Figure 1-5). Since fluid (air, water,
steam, oil etc.) is required for heat transfer by convection, this type of heat
transfer cannot happen in vacuum. Heat exchanged by convection is expressed
as:

Where:
Heat transferred by convection [W]
Convection coefficient [W/m2/K]
Surface area [m2]
Surface temperature [K]
- Fluid bulk temperature [K]

- Bulk temperature of fluid in contact with surface

Gravity
Cooler fluid descends

Warmer fluid rises

- Surface temperature

Figure 1-4: Heat transfer by natural convection.

Convective heat transfer can take place only in the presence of fluid and gravity.

Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

Blower

Cold air

Cold air

Forced convection

Natural convection

Figure 1-5: Natural and forced convection.

Forced convection doesnt require gravity.
The magnitude of the convection coefficient strongly depends on the medium
(fluid) surrounding a solid body (Figure1-6).
Convection coefficient

Medium

W/m2/K

Air (natural convection)

5-25

Air/superheated steam

20-300

Oil (forced convection)

60-1800

Water (forced convection)

300-6000

Water (boiling)

3000-60000

Steam (condensing)

6000-120000

Figure 1-6: Convection coefficient for different media.

There are five orders of difference in convection coefficients between different
media and type of convection.

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Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

Radiation
Radiation heat transfer occurs between a solid body and the ambient or between
two solid bodies without presence of any medium (fluid). This is the only type of
heat transfer that occurs in a vacuum. Heat flows by electromagnetic radiation.
The upper limit to the emissive power is a back body radiating heat and is
prescribed by the Stefan-Boltzmann law:

Where:
Heat flux (heat emitted by radiation per unit of area) [W/m2]
Stefan-Boltzmann constant = 5.67x10-9 [W/m2/K4]
Surface temperature [K]
The heat flux emitted by a real surface is less than that of a black body at the
same temperature. It is given as:

where is a radiative property of a surface called emissivity. Values of are in

the range of 0 1 and provide a measure of how well the surface emits
radiative energy in comparison to a black body. It depends strongly on the
surface material and finish. For example a polished aluminum surface has an
emissivity of about 0.05; an oxidized aluminum surface has an emissivity of 0.25.
The emissivity also depends on the temperature of the face emitting heat by
radiation.
In heat transfer by radiation, heat may be radiated out to space by a single body;
it may be exchanged between two bodies or it may be exchanged between two
bodies as well as radiated out to space (Figure 1-7).

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Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

(1)
Heat radiated out to space

(2)
Heat radiated from one body
to another body

(3)
Heat radiated from one body
to another body and to space

Figure 1-7: Different cases of heat transfer by radiation.

If heat is exchanged between two bodies only and not radiated out to space, then
one body must be fully enclosed by the other body (2). Heat gained by radiation
may be radiated out again into space (3).
Having introduced three mechanisms of heat transfer we need to make a very
important statement. With SolidWorks Simulation which uses finite element
method, only heat transfer by conduction is modeled directly. Convection and
radiation are modeled as boundary conditions. This is done by defining
convection and/or radiation coefficients to faces that participate in heat exchange
between the model and the environment.
The next two examples show how a prescribed temperature, convection and heat
load work together to induce heat flow inside a solid body. These examples are
not hands-on exercises. Hands-on exercises will start in chapter 2.
.

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Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

Heat Flow Induced By Prescribed Temperatures

Just like stresses may be caused by prescribed displacement, heat flow may be
induced by temperature differences defined by prescribed temperatures. Consider
the model BRACKET TH with different temperatures defined on two faces as
shown in Figure 1-8. Note that the temperature field establishes itself in the
model but heat flow continues due to temperature gradients. Also notice that no
heat escapes from the model because we have not defined any mechanism to
exchange heat through any surfaces other than the two faces with prescribed
temperatures. This implies that model is perfectly insulated, except for two faces
where prescribed temperatures are defined and may correspond to a situation
where the bracket holding a hot pipe is mounted on a cold surface and heat
escaping through faces exposed to air is negligible.

Back face 20C

Cylindrical face 300C

Figure 1-8: Temperature distribution in the model where heat flow is induced by
prescribed temperatures.
A temperature of 300C is applied to the cylindrical face, and a temperature of
20C is applied to the back face.
Plot in Figure 1-8 uses custom colors (grey substituted for blue) to improve black
and white print quality. Custom colors will be used frequently to present fringe
plots in this book. Custom colors may be defined in Chart Options in plot
settings.

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Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

Heat flow induced by heat load and convection

Heat flow can also be induced by the applied heat load. The unit of heat load
applied to a surface is called heat flux; heat flowing through an imaginary crosssection is also called heat flux. Total heat applied to a volume or face is called
heat power. Notice that since thermal analysis deals with heat flow, a mechanism
for that heat flow to occur must be in place. In the heat sink problem HEAT
SINK01 shown in Figure 1-9 heat enters the radiator model through the base, as
defined by the applied heat power which is a close analogy to force load in
structural analysis. Convection coefficients [W/m2/K], also called film
coefficients, are defined for all remaining surfaces and provide the way to
remove heat from the model. Heat enters the model through the base where heat
power is defined. Heat escapes the model through faces where convection
coefficients are defined.

Heat power
on this face
Heat flux plot

Temperature plot

Figure 1-9: Temperature distribution and heat flux in a heat sink model.
A temperature plot being a scalar quantity can be only shown using a fringe
display. Heat flux is a vector quantity and can be illustrated either by a fringe
plot or vector plot. Notice that arrows coming out of the walls illustrate heat
that escapes the model because of convection.

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Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

The structural analogy of convection coefficients is a bit less intuitive.
Convection coefficients are analogous to elastic support offered by distributed
springs. Just like supports and/or prescribed displacements are necessary to
establish model equilibrium in structural analysis problem, convection
coefficients and/or prescribed temperatures are necessary to establish heat flow in
thermal analysis problem. Indeed, an attempt to run thermal analysis with heat
loads but with no convection coefficients or prescribed temperatures results in an
error similar to the one caused by the absence of supports in structural analysis.

Modeling considerations in thermal analysis

Symmetry boundary conditions can be used in thermal analysis based on the
observation that if symmetry exists in both geometry and boundary conditions,
then there is no heat flowing through a plane of symmetry. After simplifying the
model to in case of single symmetry or to in case of double symmetry
(Figure 1-10), nothing needs to be done to surfaces exposed by cuts. No
convection coefficients defined for those surfaces means that no heat flows
across them.

Full model

model

Figure 1-10: Model DOUBLE SYM with double symmetry can be simplified to
of its size.
No thermal boundary conditions are applied to faces in the plane of symmetry.

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Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

Axisymmetric problems may be represented by 2D models as shown in Figure 111.

Full model

2D cross section along the axis of symmetry

Figure 1-11: Axisymmetric model AXISYM may be represented by a 2D cross

section.
Notice that models DOUBLE SYM (Figure 1-10) and AXISYM (Figure 1-11)
are suitable for analysis of temperature, but because of sharp re-entrant edges,
they are not suitable for analysis of heat flux in the vicinity of the sharp reentrant edges because heat flux there is singular. This is in direct analogy to
sharp re-entrant edges causing stress singularities in structural models.
One you acquire sufficient familiarity with thermal analysis you are encouraged
to analyze models BRACKET TH, HEAT SINK01, DOUBLE SYM and
AXISYM using thermal parameters of your choice.

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Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

Lets wrap up this review with an important observation which will serve as a
guide to all thermal analysis problems. In structural analysis we define a load
path by defining loads and supports. In a heat transfer problem, we define a
mechanism of heat transfer; we must know how heat enters the model, how it
travels through the model and how it exits the model.

Types of thermal analysis

Thermal analysis may be linear or nonlinear, steady state or time-dependent as
shown in Figure 1-12.

Are material properties

or boundary conditions temperature
dependent?

No

Yes

Linear analysis

Nonlinear analysis

Time-dependent?

Time-dependent?

No

Yes

Linear steady state

analysis

No

Linear transient
analysis

Nonlinear steady state

analysis

Yes
Nonlinear transient
analysis

Figure 1-12: Types of thermal analyses.

In linear analysis, the conductivity matrix does not change during the solution
process, in nonlinear analysis it must be modified because material properties
and/or boundary conditions are temperature dependent. In steady state analysis,
material conditions and boundary conditions do not change with time; in time
dependent (transient) they do change.
We will be working with all of types of thermal analyses shown in Figure 1-12.

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Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

Thermal analysis with SolidWorks Simulation

SolidWorks Simulation uses methods of finite element analysis to solve both
structural and thermal problems. CAD models prepared in SolidWorks are
discretized (meshed) into finite elements which type depends on the type of
geometry prepared in SolidWorks. Solid bodies are meshed into solid elements;
Surface bodies are meshed into shell elements; 2D axisymmetric and extruded
models are meshed into corresponding 2D elements. Types of finite elements,
meshing techniques and other mesh specific considerations are discussed in
details in the pre-requisite text Engineering Analysis with SolidWorks
Simulation 2014. Here we limit our review to thermal analysis specific issues.
Elements available in thermal analysis with SolidWorks Simulation are shown
in Figure 1-13. Notice that beam elements are not available in thermal analysis.

3D elements

2D elements
Axisymmetric
elements

Solid elements

Shell elements
Extruded
elements

First order element

Linear (first order)
temperature field
Constant heat flux field
Second order element
Parabolic (second order)
temperature field
Linear heat flux field

Figure 1-13: Elements available in thermal analysis with SolidWorks Simulation.

The majority of analyses use the second order tetrahedral element.

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Thermal Analysis with SolidWorks Simulation 2014

First order elements do not offer any advantages in either structural or thermal
analysis and beam elements are neither applicable nor available in thermal
analysis. Therefore we are left with second order solids and second order shells
to model 3D problems and second order plate elements to model 2D
axisymmetric or extruded problems.
Prior to commencing work with thermal problems, make sure that Solid Bodies
and Surface Bodies are visible in the SolidWorks Feature Manager (Figure 114).

Figure 1-14: Settings of Feature Manager.

To facilitate working with Simulation models make sure that Solid Bodies and
Surface Bodies are always visible.

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