These sample models demonstrate the groundbreaking new features in Version 9.0 and include print and video tutorials illustrating the very straightforward workflow. The heatsink model demonstrates conduction with solid objects using the Boundary Element Method, and includes simple objects representing a basic heat source, silicon wafer, and circuit board. The Pipe Hanger model represents a common thermal problem of ducts and pipes conveying hot liquids - thermal protection of the supporting hardware. The clamp and pipe hanger are not connected to the pipe through the meshing process but rather using Face to Face conduction, saving the user time and allowing for contact resistance. To see these features setup in action, you can view a Video Tutorial of each model and print out a PDF of the tutorial to guide you through each step in detail.

FACE to FACE Conduction Example: Pipe Hanger

Pipe Hanger

Face to Face conduction allows us to quickly mesh the individual parts in a CAD program and then easily connect them thermally without further mesh editing. The purpose of this tutorial is to understand how Face to Face conduction is setup and executed. Face to Face conduction allows parts with disconnected meshes to be thermally connected and supports contact resistance. In this example, we are simulating a pipe hanger clamped around a duct carrying hot gas inside. Face to Face conduction will be setup to enable conduction from the pipe to the pipe clamp, and once again from the clamp to the hanger strap.

SOLID OBJECT Example: Heatsink

Some objects for thermal analysis can be represented using planar mesh geometry, such as a single plane representing a flat wall or one side of a hollow box. The "thickness" of the planar geometry can be parametrically input.

Planar Geometry

However, other objects with large interior solid volumes and low relative surface areas are better represented by an exterior boundary mesh "filled" with solid materials.

The use of solid objects provides an alternative to planar conduction which often better captures the 3-dimensional conductive pathways. Boundary Element Solids therefore takes a very simple hollow mesh from CAD and mathematically "fills" it with a Solid Object. Version 9 of our software is unique in that the user does not have to supply solid meshed interior geometry. Only a simple closed surface mesh is needed. Solid Object surface geometry therefore defines the part boundaries to the environment or other solid objects. The exterior surface mesh for a part which is open to convective or radiative heat transfer is called a Solid Face part. Objects constructed with more than one material would employ more than one Solid Face part separated by mesh interior surfaces called Solid Interface parts.

In this sample model we represent a heat source connected to a heatsink above and a wafer and circuit board below. The individual objects are separated from one another by a few millimeters in space to make it easy to see and select each part. Conduction from part-to-part is enabled using Face to Face conduction. The conductive pathways have already been setup. We will make several parts into solid objects and then run the simulation. Interior temperatures will be examined using a clipping plane.

To view these as tutorials for ThermoAnalytics software, visit our Tutorials Page. To open the models (works only with version 9.0 software or later), you may download the pipe hanger source files or the heatsink source files.