Thermal Analysis Simulation Services

SimuTech Group provides thermal analysis simulation services for both solid and fluids systems as well as for interactions between these systems. We have expertise in simulating the thermal behavior of metallic, composite, and polymeric components and assemblies.

Thermal Analysis and Simulation for Effective Thermal Management

Finite element analysis (FEA) studies frequently focus on thermal response. Thermal simulations can be integrated with structural simulations to provide detailed temperature maps, heat flow vectors as well as thermally induced strains and resulting thermal stresses.

Modern engineering is increasingly focused on thermal management, particularly in light of the ongoing push toward electrification. Temperature is frequently a primary concern for applications such as printed circuit boards, electronics enclosures, batteries and under-hood electronic sensors.

Our Thermal-Structural simulation capabilities include conduction, forced convection, natural convection, internal (cavity) radiation, conjugate heat transfer and thermally induced stress.

Comprehensive Insights with Thermal Analysis in Engineering

Thermal analysis is used in industry for the management of various temperatures. For example, designers and OEMs may need to know:

How hot does a component get?
How quickly does the component heat up or cool down?
Are the operational temperatures within allowable limits?

Temperature may or may not be a concern, but there are certainly secondary effects due to temperature differences in a structure including:

Thermal distortion
Thermal stress
Material properties and performance may be temperature dependent
Phase change

Typical applications are:

Component junction temperatures on printed circuit boards
Optical distortion due to thermally induced displacements
Casting processes

These types of analyses can all be addressed with various Ansys software which can utilize the heat transfer mechanisms including conduction, convection, and radiation. Both steady state and transient simulations are commonly performed.

Recent Thermal Analysis, Heat Transfer and Thermal Stress Consulting Projects

Power Generation Ducting Structure

Combined CFD with FEA to predict temperature distributions on high temperature ducting internal support structure .

Ammonia Plant Outlet Header Thermal Failure Investigation

Analysis of ammonia plant outlet header assembly to investigate cracking of pipe lining refractory.

Battery Charging Case

Thermal analysis of battery charging case accounting for internal radiation and varying environmental conditions.

High Voltage Switch

Combined electromagnetic / thermal analysis of switch to account for joule heating.

Thermoelectric Generator

Transient response of energy harvesting system. Thermoelectric Power Generation (TEG) of 14.4v unit analyzed, and enhanced.

Computer Chips

Determination of temperature distribution and heat flux with varying environmental conditions.

Electronics Enclosure

Determination of temperature curves during high and low power settings with device charging.

Power Plant Tube Wall Shielding Plate

Optimization of design to maintain temperatures and stresses in defined acceptable range.

Power Generating Device

Thermal optimization via electronics cooling simulations using conjugate heat transfer.

Advanced Thermal Simulation Techniques with Ansys

Ansys Mechanical is a general-purpose finite element code used for both structural and thermal simulations. It has the capability to include the three heat transfer mechanisms as shown below in this example that calculates the heat up rate in a beverage for a chilled versus a room temperature glass.

Figure 1: Simple Transient Thermal Simulation in Ansys Mechanical

Figure 2: Simple Transient Thermal Animation in Ansys Mechanical

Ansys Mechanical also has the capability to account for phase change (solid/liquid) by incorporating the latent heat of fusion into the material properties. This is used for forging operations or even for more common applications such as the time for ice cubes to freeze.

Figure 3: Transient Thermal Simulation with Phase Change in Ansys Mechanical

Figure 3: Transient Thermal Animation with Phase Change in Ansys Mechanical

Ansys Mechanical can not only calculate resultant temperatures, but those temperatures can be mapped onto a structural model to predict thermal distortion and stress as shown in this example for a powered-component and ball grid array:

Figure 4: Thermal-to-Structural Evaluation in Ansys Mechanical

Ansys Icepak is another option in the Ansys suite of simulation tools that can perform thermal simulations with conduction, convection, and radiation. One of the differences between Icepak and Mechanical is that Icepak solves both the continuity equations for flow and the energy equation for temperature. Icepak’s genesis was in the electronics industry, and it has a many features specific to this industry, such as:

Printed circuit board characterization
Built-in libraries for fans, heat sinks, etc
Multi-resistor mathematical networks to characterize simple or Delphi components
Evaluation of component junction temperatures

This simple example below shows an operating fan blowing air through a manifold and across a heat sink with applied power underneath.

Figure 5: Conjugate Heat Transfer Example in Ansys Icepak

Optimize Thermal Performance with Expert Simulation Support

Leverage the power of Ansys thermal simulations to predict, analyze, and optimize your product’s temperature performance during the design cycle. Partner with SimuTech’s experienced engineers to gain critical insights that drive better design decisions and reduce costly physical testing. Contact us today to get started!