An efficient Matlab code for two-dimensional heat transfer analysis applying the finite-volume theory.

Resumo

In engineering, professionals must understand the properties and performance of a specific material before exposing it to the conditions of a specific application. In this context, engineers and scientists have been searching for materials with peculiar properties that withstand extreme adversities, responding with high performance to the challenges imposed. Heat transfer studies are essential and have been extensively explored due to their relationship with our daily lives, such as in thermal insulation systems and electronic device applications. Over the past few decades, computational models have been used and have achieved excellent results in studying and predicting material properties. The Finite Volume Theory (FVT) was first introduced in 2003, using Cartesian coordinates. It establishes the continuity and boundary conditions through the faces of the discretized analysis domain in a surface-averaging sense. The theory also satisfies the flux balance equations in the subvolumes in a volume-averaged sense. The temperature fields are approximated by second-degree polynomials that are expressed in the local coordinates of the subvolumes. Despite the versatility and efficiency of numerical methods, the long processing time has led researchers to look for ways to improve the performance of computational models. One solution is to use computational language tools that simplify operations and reduce code execution times, even for large-scale problems. This study aims to present an efficient code that uses MATLAB computational resources to analyze two-dimensional heat transfer by applying the finite-volume theory.