FINITE ELEMENT METHOD APPLIED TO TRANSIENT TWO-DIMENSIONAL HEAT TRANSFER WITH CONVECTION AND RADIATION BOUNDARY CONDITIONS

The transient two-dimensional heat conduction analysis was prepared by use of a variational principle applicable to linear initial value problems and finite element synthesis. This provided for the use of arbitrary geometry, combination of orthotropic materials, and general boundary conditions. Applicable recent literature was reviewed. Stability and oscillation characteristics of transient two-dimensional heat conduction analysis were established for both finite element and finite difference techniques. The finite difference method was more conservative than the finite element method in both stability and oscillation. Numerical results were computed for several typical gun tube problems with forced convection and thermal radiation boundary conditions. Excellent agreement was obtained with exact solution as well as with explicit and implicit finite difference solutions. Several recommendations have been made to increase accuracy and generality, and to lessen restrictions implied in the techniques. (Author)