Finite

element
method
Prof. Jinwoo Lee

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 Heat Transfer
13
Chapter Objectives
✓ To derive the basic differential equation for one-dimensional heat conduction
✓ To include heat transfer by convection in the one-dimensional heat transfer
model
✓ To derive the one-dimensional finite element formulation for heat transfer by
conduction and convections
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 13. Introduction
• Non-Structural Problems
➢ In this chapter we will consider heat-transfer problems.
➢ Many non-structural problems exist such as seepage through
porous media, torsion of shafts, and magnetostatics.
➢ We will cover some
of these in later
chapters and can
be treated by the
same form of
equations (but with
different physical
characteristics) as
that for heat
transfer.

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 13.1 Derivation of the Basic Differential Equation

• Basic Differential Equation (1-D Without Convection)

➢ Consider the control volume in Figure 13-2.
➢ By conservation of energy, we have:
➢ or

➢ Ein is the energy entering the control volume, ΔU is the

change in stored energy, qx is the heat conducted into the
control volume, qx +dx is the heat conducted out of the control
volume, t is time, Q is the internal heat source, and A is the
cross-sectional area perpendicular to heat flow

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 13.1 Derivation of the Basic Differential Equation

• (Cont.)
➢ By Fourier’s law of heat conduction:
➢ where Kxx is the thermal conductivity in the x direction,
T is the temperature, and dT/dx is the temperature
gradient
➢ Similarly:

➢ Using a two-term Taylor series the equation becomes:

➢ The change in stored energy can be expressed by:

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 13.1 Derivation of the Basic Differential Equation

• (Cont.)
➢ Dividing by Adxdt and simplifying, we have the one-
dimensional heat conduction equation as:

➢ For steady state, any differentiation with respect to time

is equal to 0 and the above equation is equal to zero.
➢ For constant thermal conductivity and steady state the
equation becomes:
➢ Boundary conditions
are of the form:

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 13.1 Derivation of the Basic Differential Equation

• Basic Differential Equation (2-D Without Convection)

➢ Consider the control volume in Figure 13-4 for 2-D heat
conduction.

➢ In a manner similar to the 1-D case, for steady-state we

have:

➢ The boundary conditions are illustrated in Figure 13-5

and are described by the equations:

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 13.2 Heat Transfer with Convection
• Heat Transfer with Convection
➢ For a conducting solid in contact with a fluid, there will be a
heat transfer taking place between the fluid and solid surface
when a temperature difference occurs. This is called
convection.
✓ Forced convection occurs when the fluid is in motion through an
external pumping action.
✓ Natural or free convection occurs through the buoyancy forces
created within the fluid by the temperature differences within it.

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 13.2 Heat Transfer with Convection
• Basic Differential Equation (1-D With Convection)
➢ Consider the control volume in Figure 13-6.

➢ From conservation of energy we have:

where the variables are the same as before

and
where h is the heat transfer or convection coefficient, T is the
temperature of the solid surface at the interface, T∞ is the temperature
of the fluid, P denotes the perimeter around the cross-sectional area

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 13.2 Heat Transfer with Convection
• (Cont.)
➢ Substituting in, dividing by A dx dt, and simplifying, we obtain the
differential equation for 1-D heat conduction with convection as:

➢ The possible boundary conditions can be on temperature,

temperature gradient, and/or loss of heat by convection from the
ends of the one-dimensional body, as shown in Figure 13-7
previously.

➢ The boundary condition for the problem of heat conduction with

convection is:

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13.3 Typical Units for Heat Transfer

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13.3 Typical Units for Heat Transfer
13.3 Typical Units for Heat Transfer
 13.4 1-D Finite Element Formulation
• Step 1 & Step 2: Choose a Temperature Function

➢ The finite element method is useful in predicting the temperature

distribution and thermal stresses in a body.
➢ The basic element to be used with nodes 1 and 2 is shown in
Figure 13-8 (a) below similar to the bar element.
➢ We choose the temperature function T within each element as
shown in Figure 13-8(b).
where t1 and t2 are the nodal temperatures and are the shape
functions

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 13.4 1-D Finite Element Formulation
• Define the Temperature Gradient/Temperature
Relationships
➢ The temperature gradient matrix {g}, analogous to the strain
matrix, is given by:

➢ where [B] is obtained by substituting the temperature function into

the temperature gradient matrix and differentiating with respect to
x.

➢ Using the shape function equations we have:

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 13.4 1-D Finite Element Formulation
• Define the Heat Flux/Temperature Gradient
Relationships

➢ The heat flux/temperature gradient relationship is given by:

where the material property matrix is now given by:

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 13.4 1-D Finite Element Formulation
• Derive the Element Conduction Matrix and
Equations

➢ To derive the element equations we use an approach similar to that of

minimizing potential energy functional.
➢ The total heat potential energy is given by:
where:

➢ U is the total internal heat energy, ΩQ is the total energy from the heat
source, Ωq is the total energy from the heat flux, and Ωh is the total
energy from heat convection.
➢ S2 and S3 are separate surfaces areas over which heat flow (flux) q* and
convection loss are specified.

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 13.4 1-D Finite Element Formulation
• (Cont.)
➢ Writing in matrix form we get:

➢ Substituting in, using the fact that the nodal temperatures {t} are
independent of the general coordinates, and differentiating to
minimize we obtain:

➢ Simplifying we obtain:

➢ Where the forces matrices are defined by:

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 13.4 1-D Finite Element Formulation
• (Cont.)
➢ The term fQ is of the same form as the body-force term and fq and fh
are similar to surface tractions (distributed loading) in the stress
analysis problem.
➢ From the formulation of element equations of the form ,
we have the element conduction matrix for the heat transfer
problem as:

➢ where the first and second integrals are the contributions of

conduction and convection, respectively
➢ Substituting and integrating we find that the [k] matrix is:

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 13.4 1-D Finite Element Formulation
• (Cont.)
➢ On simplifying and assuming Q, q*, and product HT∞ to be constant,
the force matrix terms are:

➢ Adding the terms we obtain the force matrix to be:

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 13.4 1-D Finite Element Formulation
• Assemble the Element Equations to Obtain the
Global Equations
➢ We obtain the global conduction matrix using the same procedure
as for the structural problem (direct stiffness matrix as described in
Section 2.4) as:

➢ The global force matrix is the sum of all element heat sources
given by:

➢ The global equations are:

➢ The nodal temperature boundary conditions were given earlier and
can be applied here.
➢ The procedure used for solution is similar to that for the stress
analysis problem.

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 13.4 1-D Finite Element Formulation
• Examples
➢ Example problems 13.1 – 13.5 in the text apply the concepts we
just reviewed.
➢ This problems go through the process of determining temperature
distributions for scenarios like those shown in the figures below.

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