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The relation between mesh size and time step in time-dependent study on heat transfer problem

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Dear all,

I am simulating heat transfer problem and when it comes to set up the mesh, is there a limit on the max mesh size according to the time step I set up? Say I compute the heat transfer and want to see the temperature distribution in the material each 1ms, is there a requirement for the mesh size due to this condition (or the velocity that heat travels)?

Thanks.

1 Reply Last Post 2017年3月30日 GMT-4 08:46
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Posted: 8 years ago 2017年3月30日 GMT-4 08:46
Hi,

The realtion between mesh size and time step in transient heat transfer study is defined by the thermal diffusivity. This is the heat propagation "speed" through the material. If the conductivity of the material is quite small, the heat will propagate less into the body and if this depth is of the order of the element size, you will get oscillations in the temperature profile, because you can not capture the solution. The critical time step is a direct result of the non-dimensionalization of the heat transfer by the conduction equation: L=sqrt(k*dt/(rho*Cp)).

See:
pruffle.mit.edu/3.016/Appendices/NonDimensional.pdf

Best regards,
Antoni


Hi, The realtion between mesh size and time step in transient heat transfer study is defined by the thermal diffusivity. This is the heat propagation "speed" through the material. If the conductivity of the material is quite small, the heat will propagate less into the body and if this depth is of the order of the element size, you will get oscillations in the temperature profile, because you can not capture the solution. The critical time step is a direct result of the non-dimensionalization of the heat transfer by the conduction equation: L=sqrt(k*dt/(rho*Cp)). See: http://pruffle.mit.edu/3.016/Appendices/NonDimensional.pdf Best regards, Antoni

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