Thermal Analysis Review Checklist
Review prompts for thermal analysis — boundary conditions, material properties, mesh, contact resistance and steady-state versus transient.
Purpose
For checking a thermal analysis before accepting temperature results.
Boundary Conditions
- Are all heat inputs defined — convection, radiation, conduction, internal heat generation? — Each with correct magnitude and location
- Are convection coefficients justified — not default values? — From test, standard or correlation
- Is radiation modelled where surface temperatures are high or in vacuum? — σ × ε × (T⁴)
- Are thermal contact resistances defined at interfaces? — Not perfect contact unless justified
- Is the ambient temperature correct for each surface? — Different surfaces may see different environments
Material Properties
- Are thermal conductivity, specific heat and density for the correct material and temperature? — Properties may be temperature-dependent
- Is the temperature range of the analysis within the range of the material data? — Do not extrapolate
Results
- Is the steady-state temperature field physically sensible? — Gradients in the expected direction
- For transient: is the time step fine enough to capture thermal gradients? — Thermal diffusion timescale
- Is the total heat flux balanced — input equals output? — Energy balance check