Workshop 5:

Solenoid
15.0 Release

ANSYS Mechanical Heat Transfer

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Problem Description
This model represents an electrical solenoid composed of several different materials.
An iron core is surrounded by copper, separated by a plastic insulator. The coil is
supported on a steel bracket.
The iron core generates heat., while the surface of the copper experiences natural
convection. One face of the bracket is constrained to a fixed temperature.
Goal: Determine the
temperature
distribution in the
solenoid assuming the
device has reached a
steady state.

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Units Setup
Open Workbench and specify the unit
system (Metric, kg, mm, s, C, mA, N,
mV).
Choose to Display Values in Project
Units.

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Model Setup
1. From the Workbench project page toolbox, select
a Steady State Thermal analysis system.
2. Double click the Engineering Data to create and
enter Engineering Data tab in the project page
3. Toggle on the Engineering Data Sources and from
the General Materials library add:

Copper Alloy
Gray Cast Iron
Polyethylene

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Model Setup
4. Right click the Geometry cell and
import geometry Solenoid_WS5.stp.

5. Double click the Model cell to open the

Mechanical application.
6. From the Geometry branch assign
materials for each body as shown
earlier .
MATERIAL
BODY

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Coil

Copper Alloy

Core

Gray Cast Iron

Insulator

Polyethylene

Bracket

Structural Steel

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Preprocessing
7. Highlight the Mesh branch and expand the
Sizing section in the details.

8. Change the Relevance Center to

Medium.

9. Highlight the mesh branch, RMB >

Generate.

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Preprocessing
12. Highlight the Steady State Thermal
branch and select the core part.
13. RMB > Insert > Internal Heat Generation.

14. In the details for the heat generation

input a magnitude of 0.001 W/mm3.

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Preprocessing
15. Activate face selection and select the 8 exterior and 3
top surfaces of the solenoid (11 total).

16. RMB > Insert > Convection.

17. In the details enter the convection properties:

Film Coefficient = 5e -5 W/(mm2 x C)

Ambient Temperature = 25 C

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Preprocessing
18. Select one side face on the bracket part.
19. RMB > Insert > Temperature.
20. Enter a magnitude of 25 C.

Since weve assumed a linear steady state

condition all analysis settings will remain in
their default configuration.

21. Solve

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Postprocessing
Before reviewing results lets first verify that we have a steady
state condition as expected.

The applied heat generation was 0.001 W/mm3 to the core.

By inspecting the properties of the core we can see the
volume of the core is 44,698 mm3.

The resulting heat dissipated through the temperature

boundary and the convection should be: 0.001 W/mm3 x
44698 mm3 = 44.698 W.

22. Using the control key, highlight both the convection and
temperature boundary conditions.
23. Drag and drop the loads onto the Solution branch.

The result is 2 reaction probes are automatically inserted.

24. RMB > Evaluate All Results

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Postprocessing
The details for each of the reaction probes show we have an
energy balance:

Convection reaction = -11.862 W

Temperature reaction = -32.835 W
RT + RC = - 44.697 W
Load sould be 44.698W

Note: your results may vary slightly from those shown due to
meshing variations.

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Postprocessing
25. Insert a Temperature result to the Solution branch.
26. Evaluate All Results

Due to the extremes in the model, local variation is difficult to discern

27. Activate body selection and select only the insulator part, then repeat the above steps.

With
elements
shown

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Postprocessing
28. Highlight the solution branch and insert Total Heat Flux.

Although contours for heat flux can be displayed, a vector plot

is instructive for directional quantities.

29. Activate the vector plot mode.

30. Use the vector controls to adjust the display (e.g. vector
length, density, etc.).

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Postprocessing
Next we would like to see how the temperature varies along a
path within the solenoid.
Begin by adding 2 local coordinate systems.
31. Change Define by to Global Coordinates.
32. Use the following origin locations for each:

CS 1: X , Y, Z = 23, 50, 4
CS 2: X, Y, Z = 23, 50, 38

33. Highlight the Model branch and insert Construction

Geometry.

34. From the construction geometry branch RMB > Insert > Path.

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Postprocessing
35. In the details for the Path, switch the starting and
ending locations to the local coordinate systems just
created.

Note, in the example shown the coordinate systems

were renamed to start and end.

36. Insert a new temperature result in the Solution.

37. Switch to Path as the Scoping Method.

38. Choose the path in the details.

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Postprocessing
Evaluate All Results.

Contour displayed along path

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Graph shows temperature variation along path

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