19.4.4 Thermal loads

Products: ABAQUS/Standard  ABAQUS/Explicit  ABAQUS/CAE  

References

Overview

Thermal loads can be applied in heat transfer analysis, in fully coupled temperature-displacement analysis, and in coupled thermal-electrical analysis, as outlined in Prescribed conditions: overview, Section 19.1.1. The following types of thermal loads are available:

  • Concentrated heat flux prescribed at nodes.

  • Distributed heat flux prescribed on element faces or surfaces.

  • Body heat flux per unit volume.

  • Boundary convection defined at nodes, on element faces, or on surfaces.

  • Boundary radiation defined at nodes, on element faces, or on surfaces.

See Applying loads: overview, Section 19.4.1, for general information that applies to all types of loading.

Modeling thermal radiation

The following types of radiation heat exchange can be modeled using ABAQUS:

  • Exchange between a nonconcave surface and a nonreflecting environment. This type of radiation is modeled using boundary radiation loads defined at nodes, on element faces, or on surfaces, as described below.

  • Exchange between two surfaces within close proximity of each other in which temperature gradients along the surfaces are not large. This type of radiation is modeled using the gap radiation capability described in Thermal contact properties, Section 22.2.1.

  • Exchange between surfaces that constitute a cavity. This type of radiation is modeled using the cavity radiation capability available in ABAQUS/Standard and described in Cavity radiation, Section 24.1.1.

Prescribing heat fluxes directly

Concentrated heat fluxes can be prescribed at nodes (or node sets). Distributed heat fluxes can be defined on element faces or surfaces.

Specifying concentrated heat fluxes

By default, a concentrated heat flux is applied to degree of freedom 11. For shell heat transfer elements concentrated heat fluxes can be prescribed through the thickness of the shell by specifying degree of freedom 11, 12, 13, etc. Temperature variation through the thickness of shell elements is described in Choosing a shell element, Section 15.6.2.

Input File Usage:           
*CFLUX
node number or node set name, degree of freedom, heat flux magnitude 

ABAQUS/CAE Usage: 

Load module: Create Load: choose Thermal for the Category and Concentrated heat flux for the Types for Selected Step


Specifying element-based distributed heat fluxes

You can specify element-based distributed surface fluxes (on element faces) or body fluxes (flux per unit volume). For surface fluxes you must identify the face of the element upon which the flux is prescribed in the flux label (for example, Sn or SnNU for continuum elements). The distributed flux types available depend on the element type. Part V, Elements,” lists the distributed fluxes that are available for particular elements.

Input File Usage:           
*DFLUX
element number or element set name, load type label, flux magnitude

ABAQUS/CAE Usage: 

Load module: Create Load: choose Thermal for the Category and Body heat flux for the Types for Selected Step

Distributed surface fluxes in ABAQUS/CAE are always specified as surface-based loads (see below).

Specifying surface-based distributed heat fluxes

When you specify distributed surface fluxes on a surface, the surface that contains the element and face information is defined as described in Defining element-based surfaces, Section 2.3.2. You must specify the surface name, the heat flux label, and the heat flux magnitude.

Input File Usage:           
*DSFLUX
surface name, S or SNU, flux magnitude

ABAQUS/CAE Usage: 

Load module: Create Load: choose Thermal for the Category and Surface heat flux for the Types for Selected Step


Modifying or removing heat fluxes

Heat fluxes can be added, modified, or removed as described in Applying loads: overview, Section 19.4.1.

Specifying time-dependent heat fluxes

The magnitude of a concentrated or a distributed heat flux can be controlled by referring to an amplitude curve. If different magnitude variations are needed for different fluxes, the flux definitions can be repeated, with each referring to its own amplitude curve. See Prescribed conditions: overview, Section 19.1.1, and Amplitude curves, Section 19.1.2, for details.

Defining nonuniform distributed heat flux in a user subroutine

In ABAQUS/Standard a nonuniform distributed flux (element-based or surface-based) can be defined in user subroutine DFLUX (see DFLUX, Section 25.2.3). The specified reference magnitude will be passed into user subroutine DFLUX as FLUX(1). If the magnitude is omitted, FLUX(1) will be passed in as zero.

Input File Usage:           Use the following option to define a nonuniform element-based heat flux:
 
*DFLUX
element number or element set name, SnNU, magnitude

Use the following option to define a nonuniform surface-based heat flux:

*DSFLUX
surface name, SNU, magnitude

For example, for general heat transfer shell elements (Three-dimensional conventional shell element library, Section 15.6.7) a uniform surface flux of 10.0 per unit area on the top face (SPOS) of shell element 100 can be applied by

*DFLUX
 100, SPOS, 10.0

When the variation of the (nonuniform) flux magnitude is defined by means of user subroutine DFLUX, the distributed flux type label SPOSNU is used.

*DFLUX
 100, SPOSNU, magnitude

ABAQUS/CAE Usage: 

Load module: Create Load: choose Thermal for the Category and Surface heat flux or Body heat flux for the Types for Selected Step: select region: Distribution: User-defined


Prescribing boundary convection

Heat flux on a surface due to convection is governed by

where

is the heat flux across the surface,

is a reference film coefficient,

is the temperature at this point on the surface, and

is a reference sink temperature value.

Heat flux due to convection can be defined on element faces, on surfaces, or at nodes.

Specifying element-based film conditions

You can define the sink temperature value, , and the film coefficient, , on element faces. The convection is applied to element edges in two dimensions and to element faces in three dimensions. The edge or face of the element upon which the film is placed is identified by a film load type label and depends on the element type (see Part V, Elements”). You must specify the element number or element set name, the film load type label, a sink temperature, and a film coefficient.

Input File Usage:           
*FILM
element number or element set name, film load type label, , 

ABAQUS/CAE Usage: Element-based film conditions are not supported in ABAQUS/CAE. However, similar functionality is available using surface-based film conditions.
 

Interaction module: Create Interaction: Surface film condition: select region: Film coefficient: and Sink temperature:


Specifying surface-based film conditions

You can define the sink temperature value, , and the film coefficient, , on a surface. The surface that contains the element and face information is defined as described in Defining element-based surfaces, Section 2.3.2. You must specify the surface name, the film load type, a sink temperature, and a film coefficient.

Input File Usage:           
*SFILM
surface name, F or FNU, , 

ABAQUS/CAE Usage: 

Interaction module: Create Interaction: Surface film condition: select region: Film coefficient: and Sink temperature:


Specifying node-based film conditions

A node-based film condition requires that you define the nodal area for a specified node number or node set; the sink temperature value, ; and the film coefficient, . The associated degree of freedom is 11. For shell type elements where the film is associated with a degree of freedom other than 11, you can specify the concentrated film for a duplicate node that is constrained to the appropriate degree of freedom of the shell node by using an equation constraint (see Linear constraint equations, Section 20.2.1).

Input File Usage:           
*CFILM
node number or node set name, nodal area, , 

ABAQUS/CAE Usage: 

Interaction module: Create Interaction: Concentrated film condition: select region: Associated nodal area: Film coefficient: and Sink temperature:


Specifying temperature- and field-variable-dependent film conditions

If the film coefficient is a function of temperature, you can specify the film property data separately and specify the name of the property table instead of the film coefficient in the film condition definition.

You can specify multiple film property tables to define different variations of the film coefficient, , as a function of surface temperature and/or field variables. Each film property table must be named. This name is referred to by the film condition definitions.

A new film property table can be defined in a restart step. If a film property table with an existing name is encountered, the second definition is ignored.

Input File Usage:           For element-based film conditions, use the following options:
 
*FILM PROPERTY, NAME=film property table name 
*FILM   
element number or element set name, film load type label, , film property table name

For surface-based film conditions, use the following options:

*FILM PROPERTY, NAME=film property table name 
*SFILM  
surface name, F, , film property table name

For node-based film conditions, use the following options:

*FILM PROPERTY, NAME=film property table name  
*CFILM
node number or node set name, nodal area, , film property table name

The *FILM PROPERTY option must appear in the model definition portion of the input file.


ABAQUS/CAE Usage: 

Interaction module: Create Interaction Property: Name: film property table name and Film condition
Create Interaction: Surface film condition or Concentrated film condition: select region: Definition: Property Reference and Film interaction property: film property table name


Modifying or removing film conditions

Film conditions can be added, modified, or removed as described in Applying loads: overview, Section 19.4.1.

Specifying time-dependent film conditions

For a uniform film both the sink temperature and the film coefficient can be varied with time by referring to amplitude definitions. One amplitude curve defines the variation of the sink temperature, , with time. Another amplitude curve defines the variation of the film coefficient, , with time. See Prescribed conditions: overview, Section 19.1.1, and Amplitude curves, Section 19.1.2, for more information.

Input File Usage:           Use the following options to define time-dependent film conditions:
 
*AMPLITUDE, NAME=temp_amp
*AMPLITUDE, NAME=h_amp
*FILM, AMPLITUDE=temp_amp, FILM AMPLITUDE=h_amp
*SFILM, AMPLITUDE=temp_amp, FILM AMPLITUDE=h_amp
*CFILM, AMPLITUDE=temp_amp, FILM AMPLITUDE=h_amp

ABAQUS/CAE Usage: 

Interaction module: Create Amplitude: Name: h_amp
Create Amplitude: Name: temp_amp
Create Interaction: Surface film condition or Concentrated film condition: select region: Film coefficient amplitude: h_amp and Sink amplitude: temp_amp


Examples

A uniform, time-dependent film condition can be defined for face 2 of element 3 by

*AMPLITUDE, NAME=sink
 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 0.9
*AMPLITUDE, NAME=famp
 0.0, 1.0, 1.0, 22.0
 …
*STEP
** For an ABAQUS/Standard analysis:
*HEAT TRANSFER
** For an ABAQUS/Explicit analysis:
*DYNAMIC TEMPERATURE-DISPLACEMENT, EXPLICIT*FILM, AMPLITUDE=sink, FILM AMPLITUDE=famp
 3, F2, 90.0, 2.0

A uniform, temperature-dependent film coefficient and a time-dependent sink temperature can be defined for face 2 of element 3 by

*AMPLITUDE, NAME=sink
0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 0.9
*FILM PROPERTY, NAME=filmp
 2.0,  80.0
 2.3,  90.0
 8.5, 180.0
 …
*STEP
** For an ABAQUS/Standard analysis:
*HEAT TRANSFER
** For an ABAQUS/Explicit analysis:
*DYNAMIC TEMPERATURE-DISPLACEMENT, EXPLICIT*FILM, AMPLITUDE=sink
 3, F2, 90.0, filmp

A uniform, temperature-dependent film coefficient and a time-dependent sink temperature can be defined for node 2, where the nodal area is 50, by

*AMPLITUDE, NAME=sink
0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 0.9
*FILM PROPERTY, NAME=filmp
 2.0,  80.0
 2.3,  90.0
 8.5, 180.0
 …
*STEP
** For an ABAQUS/Standard analysis:
*HEAT TRANSFER
** For an ABAQUS/Explicit analysis:
*DYNAMIC TEMPERATURE-DISPLACEMENT, EXPLICIT*CFILM, AMPLITUDE=sink,
 2, 50, 90.0, filmp

Defining nonuniform film conditions in a user subroutine

In ABAQUS/Standard a nonuniform film coefficient can be defined as a function of position, time, temperature, etc. in user subroutine FILM (see FILM, Section 25.2.6) for element-based, surface-based, as well as node-based film conditions. Amplitude references are ignored if a nonuniform film is prescribed.

Input File Usage:           Use the following option to define a nonuniform film coefficient for an element-based film condition:
 
*FILM
element number or element set name, FnNU

Use the following option to define a nonuniform film coefficient for a surface-based film condition:

*SFILM
surface name, FNU

Use the following option to define a nonuniform film coefficient for a node-based film condition:

*CFILM, USER
node number or node set name, nodal area

ABAQUS/CAE Usage: User subroutine FILM is not supported in ABAQUS/CAE.

Prescribing boundary radiation

Heat flux on a surface due to radiation to the environment is governed by

where

is the heat flux across the surface,

is the radiation constant,

is the temperature at this point on the surface,

is an ambient temperature value, and

is the value of absolute zero on the temperature scale being used.

Typically the radiation constant should be defined as

where

is the emissivity of the surface and

is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant.

Heat flux due to radiation can be defined on element faces, on surfaces, or at nodes.

Specifying element-based radiation

To specify element-based radiation within a heat transfer or coupled temperature-displacement step definition, you must provide the ambient temperature value, , and the emissivity of the surface, . The radiation is applied to element edges in two dimensions and to element faces in three dimensions. The edge or face of the element upon which the radiation occurs is identified by a radiation type label depending on the element type (see Part V, Elements”).

Input File Usage:           
*RADIATE
element number or element set name, Rn, , 

ABAQUS/CAE Usage: Element-based radiation is not supported in ABAQUS/CAE. However, similar functionality is available using surface-based radiation.
 

Interaction module: Create Interaction: Surface radiation to ambient: select region: Emissivity: and Ambient temperature:


Specifying surface-based radiation

You can apply the radiation to a surface rather than to individual element faces. The surface that contains the element and face information is defined as described in Defining element-based surfaces, Section 2.3.2. You must specify the surface name; the radiation load type label, R; the ambient temperature value, ; and the emissivity of the surface, .

Input File Usage:           
*SRADIATE
surface name, R, , 

ABAQUS/CAE Usage: 

Interaction module: Create Interaction: Surface radiation to ambient: select region: Emissivity: and Ambient temperature:


Specifying node-based radiation

To specify node-based radiation within a heat transfer or coupled temperature-displacement step definition, you must provide the nodal area for a specified node number or node set; the ambient temperature value, ; and the emissivity of the surface, . The associated degree of freedom is  11. For shell elements where the concentrated radiation is associated with a degree of freedom other than 11, you can specify the required data for a duplicate node that is constrained to the appropriate degree of freedom of the shell node by using an equation constraint.

Input File Usage:           
*CRADIATE
node number or node set name, nodal area, , 

ABAQUS/CAE Usage: 

Interaction module: Create Interaction: Concentrated radiation to ambient: select region: Associated nodal area: Emissivity: and Ambient temperature:


Specifying the value of absolute zero

You can specify the value of absolute zero, , on the temperature scale being used; you must specify this value as model data. By default, the value of absolute zero is 0.0.

Input File Usage:           
*PHYSICAL CONSTANTS, ABSOLUTE ZERO=

ABAQUS/CAE Usage: 

Any module: ModelEdit Attributesmodel_name: Absolute zero temperature:


Specifying the value of the Stefan-Boltzmann constant

If boundary radiation is prescribed, you must specify the Stefan-Boltzmann constant, ; this value must be specified as model data.

Input File Usage:           
*PHYSICAL CONSTANTS, STEFAN BOLTZMANN=

ABAQUS/CAE Usage: 

Any module: ModelEdit Attributesmodel_name: Stefan-Boltzman constant:


Modifying or removing boundary radiation

Boundary radiation conditions can be added, modified, or removed as described in Applying loads: overview, Section 19.4.1.

Specifying time-dependent radiation

The user-specified value of the ambient temperature, , can be varied throughout the step by referring to an amplitude definition. See Applying loads: overview, Section 19.4.1, and Amplitude curves, Section 19.1.2, for details.