Abaqus Thermal Analysis Workflow

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:

1. Geometry defined
2. Thermal conductivity (k) - required for all thermal analysis
3. 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

Decision rule: Use steady-state unless user needs temperature history or time-dependent behavior.

Step 3: Define Thermal Material Properties

Common materials (SI-mm units):

Step 4: Apply Thermal Boundary Conditions

Minimum requirement: At least one temperature BC or heat flux boundary.

Step 5: Create Heat Transfer Step

Step 6: Mesh with Heat Transfer Elements

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

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:

• API Quick Reference
• Common Patterns
• Troubleshooting Guide