Heat transfer analysis is a problem of major significance in a vast range of industrial applications. These extend over the fields of mechanical engineering, aeronautical engineering, chemical engineering and numerous applications in civil and electrical engineering. If one considers the heat conduction equation alone the number of practical problems amenable to solution is extensive. Expansion of the work to include features such as phase change, coupled heat and mass transfer, and thermal stress analysis provides the engineer with the capability to address a further series of key engineering problems. The complexity of practical problems is such that closed form solutions are not generally possible. The use of numerical techniques to solve such problems is therefore considered essential, and this book presents the use of the powerful finite element method in heat transfer analysis. Starting with the fundamental general heat conduction equation, the book moves on to consider the solution of linear steady state heat conduction problems, transient analyses and non-linear examples. Problems of melting and solidification are then considered at length followed by a chapter on convection. The application of heat and mass transfer to drying problems and the calculation of both thermal and shrinkage stresses conclude the book. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the basic concepts introduced. This book is the outcome of the teaching and research experience of the authors over a period of more than 20 years.

This book introduces the finite element method applied to the resolution of industrial heat transfer problems. Starting from steady conduction, the method is gradually extended to transient regimes, to traditional non-linearities, and to convective phenomena. Coupled problems involving heat transfer are then presented. Three types of couplings are discussed: coupling through boundary conditions (such as radiative heat transfer in cavities), addition of state variables (such as metallurgical phase change), and coupling through partial differential equations (such as electrical phenomena). A review of the various thermal phenomena is drawn up, which an engineer can simulate. The methods presented will enable the reader to achieve optimal use from finite element software and also to develop new applications.

This introductory text presents the applications of the finite element method to the analysis of conduction and convection problems. The book is divided into seven chapters which include basic ideas, application of these ideas to relevant problems, and development of solutions. Important concepts are illustrated with examples. Computer problems are also included to facilitate the types of solutions discussed.

This textbook begins with the finite element method (FEM) before focusing on FEM in heat transfer and fluid mechanics.

Heat transfer is the area of engineering science which describes the energy transport between material bodies due to a difference in temperature. The three different modes of heat transport are conduction, convection and radiation. In most problems, these three modes exist simultaneously. However, the significance of these modes depends on the problems studied and often, insignificant modes are neglected. Very often books published on Computational Fluid Dynamics using the Finite Element Method give very little or no significance to thermal or heat transfer problems. From the research point of view, it is important to explain the handling of various types of heat transfer problems with different types of complex boundary conditions. Problems with slow fluid motion and heat transfer can be difficult problems to handle. Therefore, the complexity of combined fluid flow and heat transfer problems should not be underestimated and should be dealt with carefully. This book: Is ideal for teaching senior undergraduates the fundamentals of how to use the Finite Element Method to solve heat transfer and fluid dynamics problems Explains how to solve various heat transfer problems with different types of boundary conditions Uses recent computational methods and codes to handle complex fluid motion and heat transfer problems Includes a large number of examples and exercises on heat transfer problems In an era of parallel computing, computational efficiency and easy to handle codes play a major part. Bearing all these points in mind, the topics covered on combined flow and heat transfer in this book will be an asset for practising engineers and postgraduate students. Other topics of interest for the heat transfer community, such as heat exchangers and radiation heat transfer, are also included.

Over the past several years, significant advances have been made in developing the discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for applications in fluid flow and heat transfer. Certain unique features of the method have made it attractive as an alternative for other popular methods such as finite volume and finite elements in thermal fluids engineering analyses. This book is written as an introductory textbook on the discontinuous finite element method for senior undergraduate and graduate students in the area of thermal science and fluid dynamics. It also can be used as a reference book for researchers and engineers who intend to use the method for research in computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer. A good portion of this book has been used in a course for computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer for senior undergraduate and first year graduate students. It also has been used by some graduate students for self-study of the basics of discontinuous finite elements. This monograph assumes that readers have a basic understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer and some background in numerical analysis. Knowledge of continuous finite elements is not necessary but will be helpful. The book covers the application of the method for the simulation of both macroscopic and micro/nanoscale fluid flow and heat transfer phenomena.

Fundamentals of the Finite Element Method for Heat and Mass Transfer, Second Edition is a comprehensively updated new edition and is a unique book on the application of the finite element method to heat and mass transfer. • Addresses fundamentals, applications and computer implementation • Educational computer codes are freely available to download, modify and use • Includes a large number of worked examples and exercises • Fills the gap between learning and research