Appendix 1: Long Fin Heat Transfer Analysis

/PREP7 1. Select Preprocessor in Main Menu.

/TITLE, Rectangular Fin Example
2. Save file as title ‘Rectangular Fin Example’.
C*** Define Parameters
x0=0 3. Parameters such as geometry and boundary
x1=0.3 conditions are predefined for ease of
y0=0.0025 programming.
y1=0.0025
nx=50
ny=3
xrat=5
htc=80
t_amb=20
t_base=150

C*** Define geometry K command defines a keypoint (KPs).

K,1,x0
K,2,x1
K,3,x1,y1
K,4,,y0

Figure 1: To create KPs, go to Preprocessor >

Modelling > Create > Keypoints > In Active CS, key
in the NPT and X, Y, Z location of the KPs.

A command defines an area by

A,1,2,3,4 connecting KPs.

Figure 2: To create an area, go to

Preprocessor > Modelling > Create >
Areas > Arbitrary > Through KPs,
select all the 4 KPs in clockwise or
anti-clockwise direction and click OK
to define the area.

C*** Subdivide lines using LESIZE LESIZE command specifies divisions and spacing
ratio on unmeshed lines.
LESIZE,1,,,nx,xrat
LESIZE,3,,,nx,1/xrat
LESIZE,2,,,ny
LESIZE,4,,,ny

Figure 3: To create spacing ratio on the unmeshed

lines, go to Preprocessor > Meshing > Size Cntrls >
ManualSize > Lines > Picked Lines, select each of the
lines and insert the predefined number of element
divisions and spacing ratio.

C*** Select element type and ET command defines a local element type from the
material properties element library.

ET,1,55

Figure 3: To define element type for the analysis, go to

Preprocessor > Element Type > Add/Edit/Delete,
select Add > Thermal Mass > Solid > Quad 4node 55
as predefined.

MP command defines a linear material property as a

MP,KXX,1,184 constant or a function of temperature.

Figure 4: To define material property of the fin, go to

Preprocessor > Material Props > Material Models,
select Thermal > Conductivity > Isotropic, insert 184
as the material’s conductivity in X-direction.
AMESH,1 AMESH command generates nodes and area elements
SAVE within areas.
FINI

Figure 5: To create mesh on the area,

go to Preprocessor > Meshing >
Mesh > Areas > Free, select the
respective area to mesh.

/SOLUT Open Solution Tab in main menu.

C*** Select fin surfaces -lines 2 & 3 LSEL command selects a subset of lines.
LSEL,S,,,2,3

Figure 6: To select lines, go to Utilities

Menu > Select > Entities, select option
By Num/Pick, click OK to begin
selecting required Line 2 & 3.

NSLL command selects nodes associated with the

NSLL,,1 selected lines.

Figure 7: To select all nodes associated

with the lines, go to Utilities Menu >
Select > Entities, select option Attached
to, followed by option Lines, all and
click OK.
SF,ALL,CONV,htc,t_amb SF command specifies surface loads on nodes.

Figure 8: To specify the convection boundary

condition, go to Solution > Define Loads > Apply >
Thermal > Convection > On Nodes, select Pick All
and insert heat transfer coeffiecient as the Film
coefficient and ambient temperature as Bulk
temperature.

LSEL,S,,,4 Again, repeat steps as above to select Line 4 and select

NSLL,,1 all the nodes associated with Line 4.

D,ALL,TEMP,t_base D command defines degree-of-freedom (DOF)

constraints at nodes.

Figure 9: To set constant temperature boundary

condition, go to Solution > Define Loads > Apply >
Thermal > Temperature > On Nodes, select Pick All
and select DOFs to be constrained as TEMP only and
insert the base temperature predefined as the load
TEMP value.
LSEL,ALL
NSEL,ALL Again, select all the lines and all the nodes in Utilities
SOLVE Menu > Select to be solved in the analysis.
FINI
Go to Preprocessor > Solution > Solve > Current LS,
click OK to solve for solution.

/POST1 Open General Postproc tab in main menu.

/RATIO,,,20 /RATIO distorts the object geometry by allowing long
narrow sections to be distorted to a more square area
for better display visualization.

Figure 10: To enlarge geometry in Y-direction, go to

Utilities Menu > PlotCtrls > Style > Size and Shape,
insert 20 in RATOY box and click OK.

/CONT specifies the uniform contour values on plot

/CONT,,,t_amb,10,t_base displays.

Figure 11: To set specific contour values, go to

Utilities Menu > PlotCtrls > Style > Contours >
Uniform Contours, insert the predefined intervals as
above.
PLNSOL,TEMP
LPATH,1,2 PLNSOL,TEMP command allow user to view all
temperature on the same plot.

Figure 12: To view results in contour plot, go to

General Postproc > Plot Results > Contour Plot >
Nodal Solu, select DOF Solution and Nodal
PDEF,TCL,TEMP Temperature.
/RATIO
/YRANGE,0,200 PDEF command interpolates an item onto a path. A
/GRID,1 label will be assigned to the resulting path item.
PLPATH,TCL
PRRSOL
FINI