VM-WB-MECH-006

VM-WB-MECH-006
Heater with Nonlinear Conductivity

Overview

Reference:	Arpaci, V. S. (1966). Conduction Heat Transfer. Addison-Wesley Book Series. (p. 130).
Solver(s):	Ansys Mechanical
Analysis Type(s):	Nonlinear Static Thermal Analysis
Element Type(s):	Solid

Test Case

A liquid is boiled using the front face of a flat electric heater plate. The boiling temperature of the liquid is 212°F. The rear face of the heater is insulated. The internal energy generated electrically may be assumed to be uniform and is applied as internal heat generation.

Find the maximum temperature and maximum total heat flux.

Material Properties

Geometric Properties

k = [0.01375 * (1 + 0.001 T)] BTU/s in°F

Radius = 3.937"

Thickness = 1"

Front face temperature = 212°F

Internal heat generation = 10 BTU/s in³

Temperature (°F)

Conductivity (BTU/s in°F)

1.419e-002

1000

2.75e-002

Analysis Assumptions and Modeling Notes for Ansys Mechanical

The following figure shows the finite element model in Ansys Mechanical:

Figure 6: Ansys Mechanical Schematic

Results Comparison for Ansys Mechanical

Results	Target	Mechanical	Error (%)
Maximum Temperature (°F)	476	480.58	0.96
Maximum Total Heat Flux (BTU/s in²)	10	9.9998	-0.0021