Forced Convection
A forced convection heat transfer capability is available in ALGOR's steady-state
and transient heat transfer analysis products to consider the
effects of fluid flow when solving for temperature distribution. For example, when air is blown over a surface by a fan, it is termed
forced convection. In contrast, when flow is induced by the heating of a fluid that would otherwise be motionless, such as the heating
of a pot of water on a stove, it is termed natural convection. Both natural and forced
convection can occur simultaneously (mixed) in the same application.
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.
Other applications for forced convection include systems 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.
Engineers performing heat transfer analysis can simply click an option to "Include fluid convection
effects" and specify the location of the fluid velocity results during setup to yield forced convection heat transfer results.
For more information on our forced convection capabilities, see the How
to Couple Fluid Flow and Steady-State Heat Transfer for Forced Convection Tech Tip and the ALGOR User's Guide.
See forced convection capabilities featured in the following software in action replay:
TYPICAL APPLICATIONS
- Computer case cooling
- Cooling/heating system design
- Electric fan simulation
- Fan- or water-cooled central processing unit (CPU) design
- Heat exchanger simulation
- Heat removal
- Heat sensitivity studies
- Heat sink simulation
- HVAC analysis
- Printed Circuit Board (PCB) simulation
- Thermal optimization
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