ACCURATE IMPLEMENTATION OF LINE AND DISTRIBUTED SOURCES IN HEAT CONDUCTION PROBLEMS BY THE BOUNDARY-ELEMENT METHOD

This article is concerned with the boundary-element analysis of two- and three-dimensional problems of nonlinear heat conduction. Line and distributed heat sources within the domain are implemented with no need for domain discretization. The boundary integrals developed in 2-D analysis are evaluated analytically, so no numerical integration is required. This enhances the accuracy of the solutions, especially when the geometric boundary of the domain is complex or the body is thin, or in cases where solution in the vicinity of the boundary is required. Accuracy of analysis with analytical integration in comparison with numerical integration is highlighted by an example, and the efficiency of the algorithms for implementation of various kinds of heat sources in 2-D and 3-D are explored through several other examples.