Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
5-31-1980
Degree Name
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering - (M.S.)
Department
Chemical Engineering and Chemistry
First Advisor
John E. McCormick
Second Advisor
Edward Charles Roche, Jr.
Third Advisor
Gordon Lewandowski
Abstract
Unsteady-state heat conduction in a cylinder of finite dimensions with constant physical and thermal properties was analyzed with the finite element method. Symmetry of the cylinder and application of Newman's method reduced the problem to two independent one-dimensional problems. Finite element equations for the axial and radial dimensions were developed utilizing Galerkin's method of weighted residuals. Crank-Nicholson approximations were used for time derivatives. A computer program was written for solution of the finite element equations.
Solutions obtained were conditionally stable; dependent on the value of the ratio KΔt/ρCpl2. For values of the ratio less than 1/3, errors in solutions at small times result. For values of the ratio greater than 2.0, very large errors result. The magnitude of the errors increase with increasing values of the ratio. For proper values of the ratio KΔt/ρCpl2, finite element solutions converge to the analytical solutions by increasing the number of finite elements in the problem.
Recommended Citation
Bernard, Richard F., "Analysis of unsteady-state heat conduction in a cylinder with the finite element method" (1980). Theses. 2071.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/theses/2071
