Thermal Analysis
Thermal predicts how thermal effects propagate through the model.
Thermal heat transfer is the physical act of thermal energy being exchanged between two systems by dissipating heat. Temperature and the flow of heat are the basic principles of heat transfer. The amount of thermal energy available is determined by the temperature, and the heat flow represents movement of thermal energy.
- Conduction
- Conduction transfers heat via direct molecular collision. An area with greater kinetic energy transfers thermal energy to an area with lower kinetic energy. Higher-speed particles collide with slower speed particles. The slower-speed particles increase in kinetic energy as a result. Conduction is the most common form of heat transfer and occurs via physical contact. Examples would be to place your hand against a window or place metal into an open flame.
- Convection
- When a fluid, such as air or a liquid, is heated and then travels away from the source, it carries the thermal energy along. This type of heat transfer is called convection. The fluid above a hot surface expands, becomes less dense, and rises. At the molecular level, the molecules expand upon introduction of thermal energy. As temperature of the given fluid mass increases, the volume of the fluid must increase by same factor. This effect on the fluid causes displacement. As the immediate hot air rises, it pushes denser, colder air down. This series of events represents how convection currents are formed.
- Radiation
- Thermal radiation generates from the emission of electromagnetic waves.
These waves carry the energy away from the emitting object. Radiation
occurs through a vacuum or any transparent medium (either solid or
fluid). Thermal radiation is the direct result of random movements of
atoms and molecules in matter. Movement of the charged protons and
electrons results in the emission of electromagnetic radiation.
All materials radiate thermal energy based on their temperature. The hotter an object, the more it radiates. The sun is a clear example of heat radiation that transfers heat across the solar system. At normal room temperatures, objects radiate as infrared waves. The temperature of the object affects the wavelength and frequency of the radiated waves. As temperature increases, the wavelengths within the spectra of the emitted radiation decrease and emit shorter wavelengths with higher-frequency radiation.
A video example of running a Thermal analysis can be found here.