Calculating Joule Heating

jbmag

Hello!

I need to run some numbers on how hot one of my connectors is going to get. I still need to do some research before setting up the models but higher level question: is this actually possible in Mecway? If not are they are other F/OSS ways to do it?

Thanks!

Victor

Not easily, no. You can use the DC current flow analysis type to obtain the rate of heat generation in the material, and you can use thermal analysis to find the temperature increase that causes, but Mecway doesn't yet have a practical way of transferring the heat generation rates from one to the other.

If it's fairly uniform, you could manually apply internal heat generation using the solution values read from the DC solution.

jbmag

Thank you Victor!

Would this qualify as a multiphysics problem? Trying to find ways to get a solution and just want to know what I should be looking out for.

Victor

I'd say so, yes. Though it's the simpler "one-way" type of multiphysics, like thermal stress, so it might be doable with software that isn't advertised as multiphysics.

jbmag

Good point. Alright I'm going to give this a shot with Mecway.

Time to RTFM!