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Thermal Analysis in SOLIDWORKS

Experiment Findings · July 2024

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32918.15683

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Thermal Analysis in SOLIDWORKS

Logan Miller, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus

Advisor: Dr. Gerald M. Angle II

EMET 496: Indep. Study

Spring 2024
Abstract:

A crucial part of engineering design is thermal analysis, especially when

guaranteeing the performance and dependability of parts and systems exposed to a

range of temperatures. This study explores the topic of thermal analysis in the context

of the computer-aided drawing program called SOLIDWORKS. Engineers can forecast

thermal behavior, spot any problems, and improve models to satisfy performance

standards with the help of this research and analysis tool. By predicting temperatures,

heat fluxes and thermal stresses inside your designs, thermal analysis in

SOLIDWORKS enables you to evaluate material selections, optimize cooling strategies,

and check performance early in the design process. In turn, this tool helps in aiding the

process of designing electronics, diverse types of equipment, and complicated systems

with more ingenuity and dependability. Thermal analysis has numerous and significant

practical applications in SOLIDWORKS. Experts use it to improve the thermal integrity

of electronic equipment, ensuring that components remain at safe working

temperatures, which increases reliability and lifetime. It is used in vehicle design to

optimize vehicle coolant systems and evaluate thermal stresses in important parts like

exhaust manifolds and piston heads. Additionally, in green energy production systems,

SOLIDWORKS thermal analysis aids in the development and improvement of wind

turbines, solar cells, and heat transfer systems, which increases energy savings and

reliability. Various formulas and chart-specified numerical values used in thermal

analysis calculations are included throughout the document. All units explained in this

document are in SI units.

Background Research:

To understand thermal analysis, you must first understand what its definition is.

To keep it simple, thermal analysis is the study of materials when they are put under a

thermal load, and how they change due to these thermal loads. There are a few

formulas used when doing certain calculations. Starting, there is conduction.

Conduction is when a solid body transfers energy from a higher temperature area to a

cooler area. The rate of heat exchange per unit area is related to the material's thermal

conductivity, the cross-sectional area, and the gradient of temperature in the

conventional direction, but is inversely proportional to distance. The formula for

conduction is:

𝑘 ⋅ 𝐴 ⋅ (𝑇𝐻𝑂𝑇 − 𝑇𝐶𝑂𝐿𝐷 )
𝑄𝐶𝑂𝑁𝐷 =
𝐿

Where:

QCOND - Heat transferred by conduction [W]

k – Thermal conductivity [W/m/K]

A - Cross-sectional area [m2]

THOT - Temperature of hot side [K]

TCOLD - Temperature of cold side [K]

L - Distance of heat travel [m]

 Figure 1-1: Heat transfer by conduction.

Next up is convection. Convection is the flow of heat across a solid material and

a fluid surrounding said material. This fluid can be either liquid or gas (like air, water,

vapor, oil, etc.). There are two types of convection, forced convection and natural

convection. Natural convection is when the motion of the fluid is not generated by an

outside force, whereas forced convection is the complete opposite and requires an

outside force to act upon it. The formula for such is:

𝑄𝐶𝑂𝑁𝑉 = ℎ ⋅ 𝐴 ⋅ (𝑇𝑆 − 𝑇𝐹 )

Where:

QCONV - Heat transferred by convection [W]

h - Convection coefficient [W/m2/K]

A - Surface area[m2]

Ts - Surface temperature [K]

TF - Fluid bulk (ambient) temperature [K]

The value of h, also known as the convection coefficient, as mentioned above,

depends on the medium through which the heat flow occurs. Table 1-1 provides all the

different mediums and their corresponding convection coefficient values below. Since a

fluid is needed for convective heat transfer, it cannot happen in a vacuum.

Table 1-1

Medium Convection coefficient [W/m2/K]

Air (natural convection) 5-25

Air/superheated steam 20-300

Oil (forced convection) 60-1800

Water (forced convection) 300-6000

Water (boiling) 3000-60000

Steam (condensing) 60000-120000

Figure 1-2: Natural convection vs. Forced convection.

 Lastly, there is heat transfer by radiation. Heat transfer by radiation happens

between either a single solid material and the surrounding area, or between two solid

materials without a medium present. Radiation is the only type of heat transfer that

requires a vacuum to be completed. The formula for radiation is completed by using the

Stefan-Boltzmann law, where:

𝑞 = 𝜎 ⋅ 𝑇𝑆4

Where:

q - Heat flux (heat emitted by radiation per unit of area) [W/m2]

σ - Stefan-Boltzmann constant = 5.67*10-8 [W/m2/K4]

Ts - Surface temperature [K]

For heat flux emitted or received by a surface that is less than a completely black

body at the same temperature is shown as:

𝑞 = 𝜀 ⋅ 𝜎 ⋅ 𝑇𝑆4

Where:

ε - Radiative property of a surface (emissivity) (values range from 0 ≤ ε ≤ 1)

q - Heat flux (heat emitted by radiation per unit of area) [W/m 2]

σ - Stefan-Boltzmann constant = 5.67*10-8 [W/m2/K4]

Ts - Surface temperature [K]

 Emissivity values will always range from zero to one, where some odd types of

materials may exceed one. This value shows how well a material gives off and receives

radiated energy while being compared to a completely black body. For example,

polished aluminum has an emissivity value of 0.05, while oxidized aluminum has an

emissivity value of 0.25. There are three ways heat is exchanged in radiation. Either

being radiated by a single material, exchanged by two materials, or exchanged by two

materials while also radiating into the open area.

Figure 1-3: Multiple cases of radiation.

Thermal analysis has a lot of uses in many industries. A good example is in the

automotive industry. When automotive designers are creating a vehicle, they need to do

thermal analysis on a lot of parts, such as engine cooling, battery, HVAC system,

interior materials, brake systems, exhaust, and climate control. Studies on these

systems help to make sure the vehicle will withstand the high operating temperatures.

In a book written by Paul M. Kurowski called “Thermal Analysis with

SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2022”, which is the book this report is based on, has many
exercises for the reader to work through. These step-by-step exercises help to take the

reader from a basic understanding of thermal analysis to a higher level of understanding

and thought. The book also explains the ability to create vector plots on a thermal

analysis to show which way the heat is travelling in an object. It goes through exercises

that are connected by glue. It also goes through exercises with floor ducts and how heat

radiates from said ducts

Methodology:

Diving into the study, we will be using RaspberryPiZeroW.sldpt as our circuit to analyze

with SOLIDWORK’s thermal analysis tool. Firstly, open the part in SOLIDWORKS. From

there, you will navigate to the simulation tab on the top ribbon and select “New Study”

as shown in Figure 2-1.

Figure 2-1: Selecting a new study

 From there, the menu on the right side will change to show the different types of

studies that can be completed. Select the “Thermal” option located in the Advanced

Simulation section of the menu. Once that is completed, you will now be able to access

different thermal options that can be put on the part. Select “Thermal Loads” at the top

of the screen, and from there select the “Temperature” option. Then, change the

temperature scale in the side menu to Celsius, and enter 80 into the box. Then, click on

the black box on the circuit board. This black box is the CPU (Central Processing Unit)

of the circuit board and gives off heat while operating. 80 degrees Celsius is the max

temperature the CPU will give off but it’s good to understand how the heat will affect the

rest of the circuit at such a temperature.

Figure 2-2: Placing 80° Celsius on CPU

 After that, click on the little box right under the “Run Study” button at the top of

the screen, a small drop down should then appear. Click on the “Create Mesh” button. A

side menu will pop up. For this study, we will leave the mesh density at the default slider

setting. Click “Standard Mesh” and then click the green check mark at the top of the

menu. SOLIDWORKS is now creating a mesh of the part, which will help it to define the

heatmap for the study you are about to run. From there, now click the “Run Study”

option at the top. Running a study can take longer with higher mesh qualities created,

that’s why we left the setting to default.

Figure 2-3: Selecting Standard Mesh and leaving default Density.

 Figure 2-4: Overview of mesh created

Results/Analysis and Conclusion:

After clicking the button to run the study, your outcome should look something

like Figure 3-1. Notice how the CPU on the board is at the top of the temperature range
whereas some of the components like the HDMI slot are colder.

Figure 3-1: Result of running the step-by-step study explained in Methodology.

When generating thermal analysis solutions like this, it then helps to understand

what solutions you need to make to create a stronger part. Like in the case with the

study we just ran. We can create a heat sync to put on top of the CPU to help pull heat

away from the board and instead radiate that heat into the air. For larger circuit boards

like motherboards for at home computer systems, we can choose to water cool the

CPU, and then send that hot water to a condenser to re-cool it to then send it back to

pull heat from the CPU again. Thermal analysis mapping may also help to choose what

material would be better for a certain application. There are also other options we can

choose from before running the study. For example, you can have it run a vector plot to

show how and where the heat in a part is moving to.

To conclude the analysis, there was a lot to be learned. SOLIDWORKS’s ability

to do thermal analysis is a strong tool used by many in a lot of industries to do material

analysis. This tool can be used simplistically for the casual user, or for more higher-level

analysis when you're trying to measure all sorts of variables. The exercises in the book

by SDC Publications help beginners to understand the basics of thermal analysis, while

also taking them through a step-by-step process on how to do simple thermal analysis.
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%20safety%20and%20performance%20standards.

Kurowski, P. M. (2022). Thermal analysis with SOLIDWORKS simulation 2022 and Flow
Simulation 2022. SDC Publications.

Paulke, Stefan, et al. “Thermal Simulations of a Volkswagen E-Golf Cabin Incorporating

Human Thermal Comfort Models.” THESUS FE, 19 Nov. 2014, www.theseus-
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