Thermal gradients and cycles
Evaluate temperature differences, start-up, shutdown and transients that create expansion, curvature or fatigue.
Thermal · Thermomechanics · CFD
Thermomechanics and CFD for the interactions that govern real system behaviour.
Heat transfer, expansion, thermal stress, pressure, pressure loss and flow — analysed within one coherent chain.
The required outcome: a temperature, flow rate, pressure loss, deformation or operating limit to establish.
The required outcome may be a temperature, flow rate, pressure loss, thermal deformation or operating limit. A balance, correlation or simplified calculation is preferred when sufficient; detailed CFD and thermomechanics are reserved for interactions it cannot represent adequately.
When to use it
When temperatures and flow change the real response.
Analysis becomes useful when a gradient, pressure loss or expansion affects performance, service life or system safety.
Restrained expansion
Understand loads in piping, supports, flanges, welds and interfaces when thermal growth is not free.
Uncertain cooling or ventilation
Check whether flow actually removes heat and identify recirculation or stagnant regions.
Pressure and pressure loss
Connect flow rate, geometry, fittings, area changes and flow regime to system demand.
Mixing and stratification
Assess uniformity, hydraulic short-circuiting, dead zones and local thermal gradients.
Multiphysics interaction
Couple pressure or temperature fields to structural response when the interaction changes the decision.
Analysis chain
From operating conditions to structural response.
Each step must preserve the correct flow, energy balance, temperature and reaction. Thermal stress is only defensible when the temperature field is defensible.
- 01
Operating scenario
Normal, transient, start-up, shutdown, upset or governing combination.
- 02
Boundary conditions
Flow, temperature, pressure, convection, radiation, contact and temperature-dependent properties.
- 03
Flow and heat transfer
Velocity, turbulence, loss, mixing, conduction, convection and exchange with the environment.
- 04
Applied fields
Temperature, pressure and fluid forces transferred to the structural model at an appropriate resolution.
- 05
Response and decision
Expansion, stress, displacement, fatigue, thermal performance and design recommendations.
A credible fluid domain
Mesh and boundary conditions must respect the physics of the actual passage.
Streamlines prove little by themselves. Quality comes from mass and energy conservation, correct wall representation and sensitivity of governing results to important assumptions.
- Inlets, outlets and walls consistent with the real system.
- Mesh refinement near walls, area changes and recirculation zones.
- Turbulence model and properties matched to the regime and decision.
- Mass, pressure and energy balances checked before interpretation.
- Convergence and sensitivity documented for governing results.
Coupling the physics
Use only the level of coupling that can change the decision.
Not every project needs a fully coupled multiphysics model. Coupling is added when interaction between phenomena is strong enough to change the response.
Flow → thermal
Flow rate and convection establish the temperature field in the fluid, walls and components.
Thermal → structural
Temperatures become expansion, curvature, imposed displacement and thermal stress.
Iterative coupling or FSI
When deformation changes the flow or fluid forces govern the structure, the loop is solved at the required level.
Coupling is sequential, iterative or bidirectional only when feedback between phenomena influences the useful results.
Analysis capabilities
The right depth of physics for the question at hand.
Scope can range from a targeted thermal balance to a coupled transient analysis. Models are selected around the mechanisms that govern the system.
Steady thermal
Conduction, convection, radiation, contact resistance and energy balance.
Transient thermal
Heating, cooling, cycling, thermal inertia and response time.
Thermal stress
Expansion, restraints, gaps, contact, plasticity and thermomechanical fatigue.
Internal flow
Piping, ducts, valves, elbows, diffusers, pressure loss and flow distribution.
Ventilation and external flow
Equipment cooling, air circulation, recirculation and environmental heat exchange.
Mixing and stratification
Uniformity, residence time, dead zones and temperature or concentration gradients.
Conjugate heat transfer
Flow and solid conduction solved together when thermal resistances are coupled.
Multiphysics coupling
Sequential or iterative transfer to the structure, with fluid-structure interaction when justified.
Common applications
Equipment and processes where transport phenomena govern performance.
Methods are matched to the scale of the problem, from a local component to a network or complete equipment system.
- Piping and networks
- Ducts and ventilation
- Tanks and enclosures
- Heat exchangers and coils
- Process skids
- Equipment cooling
- Electrical enclosures
- Hot piping and supports
- Mixing and distribution
- Start-up transients
Approach
A traceable analysis chain from scenario to recommendation.
The model is built around balances and interactions that influence the decision, then checked against independent orders of magnitude.
Define the question and scenarios
Required performance, operating regimes, transients, service criteria and failure modes.
Establish data and boundary conditions
Geometry, properties, flow, temperature, pressure, heat exchange and uncertainty.
Select the model depth
Balance, network, 3D thermal, CFD, thermomechanics or multiphysics coupling as required.
Mesh and solve with controls
Mesh quality, convergence, balances, reactions and sensitivity to important assumptions.
Transfer fields when required
Temperature, pressure or fluid forces applied to the structural model without losing relevant mechanisms.
Interpret and recommend
Identify governing mechanisms, compare options and propose practical modifications.
Deliverables
Results usable by design, operations and approval.
Contours and streamlines are supported by the assumptions, balances, indicators and limitations required for a defensible decision.
Basis and balances
Scenarios, properties, boundary conditions, mass and energy balances, criteria and assumptions.
Interpreted results
Flow, pressure, loss, temperature, heat flux, displacement and critical regions connected to physical mechanisms.
Design recommendations
Cooling, insulation, supports, geometry, sequence or operating options, with an engineering report when required.
Frequently asked questions
What should be clarified before building the model.
An initial review often determines whether a targeted calculation is enough or whether detailed CFD or thermomechanical modelling is justified.
Is full CFD always necessary?
No. A balance, network calculation or correlation may be enough. CFD is useful when spatial distribution, recirculation or geometric interaction governs the decision.
Can you work with incomplete operating data?
Yes, provided ranges, assumptions and influential measurements are identified. Scope may include sensitivity analysis instead of artificial precision.
How are temperatures transferred to the structural model?
The field is transferred at a resolution compatible with gradients and structural details. Restraints, contact and gaps are then defined from the real assembly.
Is FSI required for every flow problem?
No. It is reserved for cases where deformation changes the flow or fluid forces and structural dynamics are strongly coupled.
Related services
Connect thermal, fluids, structure and dynamics when the system requires it.
The specialized page remains connected to the complete service offering without forcing the visitor back to the starting point.
Start simply
A temperature, flow rate or deformation that needs an explanation?
Send the drawings, operating data and known conditions. An initial review will define the level of analysis that adds real value.