A forced convection heat transfer capability is now available in ALGOR's steady-state heat transfer analysis products to consider the effects of fluid flow when solving for temperature distribution. Engineers can perform a fluid flow analysis and then consider the velocity results as part of a direct convection load in a heat transfer analysis. The heat transfer results specify temperature distribution for both the fluid and solid components in systems such as fan- or water-cooled CPUs and heat exchangers.

Here's how it works:

• Run a steady or unsteady fluid flow analysis on the model.
• In the ALGOR user interface, click on the checkbox to include fluid convection effects in a steady-state heat transfer analysis and browse to specify the location of the fluid velocity results.
• Run the heat transfer analysis to directly apply these results and determine the temperature profile for both the fluid and solid components of the model.

The ability to predict how flow will affect temperature distribution in fluid and solid model components is useful when analyzing systems that require cooling from fans or water and those that operate at extremely high temperatures for functions like transporting molten metal or liquefied plastic. Engineers can determine what fluid flow velocity is necessary to produce the desired temperature distribution and prevent parts of a system from failing.

For pricing, to learn more about our products or to make suggestions regarding future software enhancements, click here. Also, read about recent product developments in the News Bulletins section of our web site.