Application of the finite element technique to the thermal analysis of a conductive medium subjected to electrical loading

Abstract

A procedure for evaluating the thermal response of a conductive medium subjected to electrical loading has been developed. The procedure utilizes the finite element technique for determining both the electrical and the thermal response of the medium. An intermediate Fortran program is used to calculate the localized power generated within the medium based on electrical field intensities and current densities computed in the finite element electrical analysis. The localized power generated within the medium is then formatted by the Fortran program so that it may be used as heat input into the finite element thermal analysis. The technique was applied to a simple rectangular flat plate structure and also to a complex structure representing a fusible terminal. Steady-state and transient solutions were obtained and the effect of including temperature-dependent material properties was investigated. Where applicable, mathematical and experimental analyses were performed to verify results of the finite element solutions.