NUMERICAL METHODS
I N HEAT CONDUCTION
So far we have mostly considered relatively simple heat conduction problems
involving simple geometries with simple boundary conditions because
only such simple problems can be solved analytically. But many
problems encountered in practice involve complicated geometries with complex
boundary conditions or variable properties and cannot be solved analytically.
In such cases, sufficiently accurate approximate solutions can be
obtained by computers using a numerical method.
Analytical solution methods such as those presented in Chapter 2 are based
on solving the governing differential equation together with the boundary conditions.
They result in solution functions for the temperature at every point in
the medium. Numerical methods, on the other hand, are based on replacing
the differential equation by a set of n algebraic equations for the unknown
temperatures at n selected points in the medium, and the simultaneous solution
of these equations results in the temperature values at those discrete
points.
There are several ways of obtaining the numerical formulation of a heat
conduction problem, such as the finite difference method, the finite element
method, the boundary element method, and the energy balance (or control
volume) method. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, and
each is used in practice. In this chapter we will use primarily the energy balance
approach since it is based on the familiar energy balances on control volumes
instead of heavy mathematical formulations, and thus it gives a better
physical feel for the problem. Besides, it results in the same set of algebraic
equations as the finite difference method. In this chapter, the numerical formulation
and solution of heat conduction problems are demonstrated for both
steady and transient cases in various geometries.
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