A steady-state thermal analysis calculates the effects of steady thermal loads on a system or component. Engineer/analysts often perform a steady-state analysis before performing a transient thermal analysis, to help establish initial conditions. A steady-state analysis also can be the last step of a transient thermal analysis, performed after all transient effects have diminished.

You can use steady-state thermal analysis to determine temperatures, thermal gradients, heat flow rates, and heat fluxes in an object that are caused by thermal loads that do not vary over time. Such loads include the following:

A steady-state thermal analysis may be either linear, with constant material properties; or nonlinear, with material properties that depend on temperature. The thermal properties of most material do vary with temperature, so the analysis usually is nonlinear. Including radiation effects also makes the analysis nonlinear.