Heat Conduction Through Iron Rod

Open Model

This example shows the usage of thermal blocks for developing a model of a long iron rod that is heated with a heat source through face A. Face B and the outer cylindrical surface are open to atmosphere and subjected to forced heat convection. The rod is made of iron, is 20 cm in length and 2.25 cm in diameter. Two thermal models of the rod are considered.

In the Rod model, the rod is treated as a single thermal mass. There is one convective heat transfer element for the single cylindrical surface and two equally divided conductive heat transfer elements for the two halves of the rod.

The Segmented Rod model represents the rod as a set of 20 elements connected in series. Each element has the same structure as the Rod model, with 1/20-th of the overall thermal mass, one convective heat transfer element for the single cylindrical surface of the element, and two equally divided conductive heat transfer elements for the two halves of the element.

The temperature of every fifth element in the Segmented Rod is plotted with the temperature measured in the Rod model. The plot shows the temperature distribution along the Segmented Rod model, which can be compared to the temperature in the single element Rod model.

Heat Conduction Through Iron Rod

Model

Segmented Rod Subsystem

Segments Set 1 Subsystem

Simulation Results from Scopes