Optimal numerical model of a non-stationary heat transfer through a wall

Abstract

The problems of steady-state and transient heat conduction for a given geometry can be solved analytically and numerically. While the use of analytical solutions is limited, numerical methods can be used to solve heat transfer problems in complex geometries with more intricate boundary conditions, using computer simulations. Complex geometries are discretized to form an efficient numerical mesh for solving the given problem. This paper focuses on the calculation of one-dimensional, transient heat transfer for a wall with a thickness of 4 cm. The wall temperatures are calculated for each mesh node at a given moment in time. Two types of analyses were performed, using FSM analysis (Finite Strip Method) and FEM analysis (Finite Element Method). The former was conducted using Microsoft Excel, while the latter was calculatedusing ANSYS software. A parametric study was performed in order to analyse the influence of spatial and temporal step size on the accuracy of the solution. Finally, the optimal solution was determined to obtain temperature results with the lowest relative error within the wall nodes, while maintaining the efficiency of the computational model.