Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-2012

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Engineering Science

Major Professor

Allen Jerome Baker

Committee Members

Kwai Lam Wong, Jay I. Frankel

Abstract

Extremization of a weak form for the continuum energy conservation principle differential equation naturally implements fluid convection and radiation as flux Robin boundary conditions associated with unsteady heat transfer. Combining a spatial semi-discretization via finite element trial space basis functions with time-accurate integration generates a totally node-based algebraic statement for computing. Closure for gray body radiation is a newly derived node-based radiosity formulation generating piecewise discontinuous solutions, while that for natural-forced-mixed convection heat transfer is extracted from the literature. Algorithm performance, mathematically predicted by asymptotic convergence theory, is subsequently validated with data obtained in 24 hour diurnal field experiments for distinct thickness flat plates and a cube-shaped three dimensional object.

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