Abaqus Thermal Analysis Workflow
Heat transfer analysis for steady-state or transient temperature distribution. Use when user needs temperature field without mechanical stress.
When to Use This Skill
Route here when user mentions:
- "Heat transfer analysis", "temperature distribution"
- "How hot will it get?", "thermal analysis"
- "Conduction", "convection", "radiation"
- "Heat sink design", "cooling analysis"
- "Steady-state temperature", "transient heating/cooling"
Route elsewhere:
- Thermal stress (temperature causing deformation) →
/abaqus-coupled-analysis - Just stress analysis →
/abaqus-static-analysis - Temperature as initial condition only →
/abaqus-field
Prerequisites
Before thermal analysis:
- Geometry defined
- Thermal conductivity (k) - required for all thermal analysis
- For transient: also need density (ρ) and specific heat (cp)
Workflow: Thermal Analysis
Step 1: Understand User's Goal
Ask if unclear:
- Steady-state or transient? Final equilibrium vs temperature over time?
- Boundary temperatures? Fixed temperature surfaces?
- Convection? Film coefficient and ambient temperature?
- Heat sources? Applied heat flux or internal heat generation?
Step 2: Choose Analysis Type
| User Wants | Analysis Type |
|---|---|
| Final equilibrium temperature | STEADY_STATE |
| Temperature vs time history | TRANSIENT |
| Cool-down or heat-up time | TRANSIENT |
| Just the end result | STEADY_STATE |
Decision rule: Use steady-state unless user needs temperature history or time-dependent behavior.
Step 3: Define Thermal Material Properties
| Property | Required For | Units (SI-mm) |
|---|---|---|
| Conductivity (k) | All thermal | mW/(mm·K) |
| Specific heat (cp) | Transient | mJ/(tonne·K) |
| Density (ρ) | Transient | tonne/mm³ |
Common materials (SI-mm units):
| Material | k | cp | ρ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steel | 50 | 5.0e11 | 7.85e-9 |
| Aluminum | 167 | 9.0e11 | 2.70e-9 |
| Copper | 385 | 3.85e11 | 8.96e-9 |
Step 4: Apply Thermal Boundary Conditions
| BC Type | Use For | Required Inputs |
|---|---|---|
| TemperatureBC | Fixed temperature surface | Temperature value |
| FilmCondition | Convection to ambient | Film coeff, sink temp |
| SurfaceHeatFlux | Heat input | Flux magnitude (mW/mm²) |
| RadiationToAmbient | Radiation cooling | Emissivity, ambient temp |
| BodyHeatFlux | Internal heat generation | Volumetric heat rate |
Minimum requirement: At least one temperature BC or heat flux boundary.
Step 5: Create Heat Transfer Step
| Parameter | Steady-State | Transient |
|---|---|---|
| response | STEADY_STATE | TRANSIENT |
| timePeriod | 1.0 (arbitrary) | Actual duration (s) |
| initialInc | - | Start increment |
| maxInc | - | Largest allowed increment |
| deltmx | - | Max temp change per increment |
Step 6: Mesh with Heat Transfer Elements
| Element | Use |
|---|---|
| DC3D8 | Standard 8-node hex (recommended) |
| DC3D4 | 4-node tet (for complex geometry) |
| DC3D20 | 20-node hex (high accuracy) |
Note: Heat transfer elements (DC*) are different from structural elements (C3D*).
Step 7: Run Analysis and Extract Results
Request these field outputs:
- NT - Nodal temperature
- HFL - Heat flux vector
- RFL - Reaction heat flux
- HFLM - Heat flux magnitude
Validation Checklist
After analysis, verify:
- Temperature range is physically reasonable
- Heat balance: flux in ≈ flux out (steady-state)
- No unexpected hot/cold spots
- Transient: temperature stabilizes by end of analysis
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature oscillation | Large increments in transient | Reduce maxInc or deltmx |
| Non-physical temperature | Unit mismatch | Verify k, cp, ρ units |
| No heat flow | Missing BC or bad region | Check boundary conditions |
| Negative temperature (Kelvin) | Bad setup | Review initial conditions |
Related Skills
/abaqus-coupled-analysis- Thermal + structural (thermomechanical)/abaqus-material- Thermal material properties/abaqus-field- Initial temperature fields
Code Patterns
For API syntax and code examples, see:
