Fully coupled thermal-electrical-structural analysis

A fully coupled thermal-electrical-structural analysis:

  • is performed when coupling between the displacement, temperature, and electrical potential fields makes it necessary to obtain solutions for all three fields simultaneously;

  • requires the existence of elements with displacement, temperature, and electrical potential degrees of freedom in the model;

  • allows for transient or steady-state thermal solutions, static displacement solutions, and steady-state electrical solutions;

  • can include thermal interactions such as gap radiation, gap conductance, and gap heat generation between surfaces (see Thermal contact properties);

  • can include electrical interactions such as gap electrical conductance (see Electrical contact properties);

  • cannot include cavity radiation effects but may include radiation boundary conditions (see Thermal loads);

  • takes into account temperature dependence of material properties only for the properties that are assigned to elements with temperature degrees of freedom;

  • neglects inertia effects; and

  • can be transient or steady state.

The following topics are discussed:

Related Topics
Defining an analysis
Fully coupled thermal-stress analysis
Coupled thermal-electrical analysis
In Other Guides
*COUPLED TEMPERATURE-DISPLACEMENT
Configuring a fully coupled, simultaneous heat transfer, electrical, and structural procedure

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