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Thermal Solver
Contains thermal solver related guides, such as the TMG reference manual, thermal API guide, and error message list.
Thermal solver reference
Describes the format and contents of the thermal solver's input and output files
Thermal solver input cards
To access thermal solver features outside your CAE software, you must manually input instructions and data into the thermal solver’s input file also known as the data deck using any text editor.
Card 9 - ELVARTHICK Element Variable Thickness
This optional card defines variable nodal thicknesses for 2D elements.

Thermal Solver
Contains thermal solver related guides, such as the TMG reference manual, thermal API guide, and error message list.
- Thermal solver guides
  Maya HTT's thermal solver is included in Simcenter 3D and in Simcenter Femap. This page contains links to thermal solver guides, which help you understand how the thermal solver works.
- Thermal solver reference
  Describes the format and contents of the thermal solver's input and output files
  - Introduction
    In most situations, a thermal model can be defined and solved directly within your CAE software. The thermal model is built using the software's interface, and the results can then be displayed and analyzed using its built-in post-processing tools.
  - Thermal solver input cards
    To access thermal solver features outside your CAE software, you must manually input instructions and data into the thermal solver’s input file also known as the data deck using any text editor.
    - Card 1 - Title
      This mandatory card specifies the title of the analysis.
    - Card 2a - Program Control
      This mandatory card defines thermal solver control parameters.
    - Card 2b - Analyzer Control (steady state)
      This optional card executes Analyzer to calculate temperatures for a steady state solution.
    - Card 2b - Analyzer Control (transient runs)
      This optional card executes Analyzer to calculate temperatures for a transient solution.
    - Card 4a - Single Node
      This optional card defines a node as a point in space by its coordinates.
    - Card 4b - Multiple Node Generation
      This optional card generates a matrix of nodes.
    - Card 4c - New Local Coordinate System
      This optional card creates a new coordinate system, using three previously defined nodes to define the orientation of its axes and the location of its origin.
    - Card 4d - Third Level Node Generation
      This optional card create 3D matrix of nodes.
    - Card 5a - Element
      This optional card defines the elements from which TMG calculates conductive, convective, and radiative conductances and hydraulic resistances.
    - Card 5b - Multiple Element Generation
      This optional card generates the matrix of elements.
    - Card 5c - Third Level Element Generation
      This optional card generates a 3D matrix of elements.
    - Card 5d - Space Element Generation
      This optional card generates a set of large inward-facing black elements forming an enclosure about the origin. If the model is not axisymmetric, these elements form a tetrahedron or a cube.
    - Card 6 - View Factor, Solar View Factor, Earth, Orbit, and Convective Conductance Request
      Cards 6 data include instructions for the VUFAC module to calculate thermal couplings, or geometrical radiation parameters, which may be view factors, solar view factors, Earth view factors, or albedo factors.
    - Card 6a - View Factor Request
      This opional card specifies the parameters and options for view factor calculations.
    - Card 6b - Solar View Factor Request
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for solar view factor calculations.
    - Card 6d - Earth
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for Earth view factor and albedo factor calculations.
    - Card 6e - Thermal Coupling Request (non-NEARx)
      This optional card creates conductances that are fixed or area-proportional between two sets of elements N1 and N2.
    - Card 6e - Thermal Coupling Request (NEARx)
      This optional card connects each of the N1 elements to the nearest of the N2 elements.
    - Card 6e - Thermal Coupling Request (forced convection)
      The following NEARC options of the Card 6e model forced convection to hydraulic elements.
    - Card 6e - Thermal Coupling Request (free convection)
      The following NEARC options of the Card 6e are associated with free convection and hydraulic elements.
    - Card 6e - Thermal Coupling Request (CFD)
      These options are used to couple convecting printed circuit board elements to adjacent fluid elements for the electronic systems cooling applications.
    - Card 6f - MESH Redefinition
      This optional card defines the mesh elemental subdivision parameter for subsequent thermal coupling and radiation calculations, until a new MESH card is encountered.
    - Card 6g - Symmetric View Factors Request
      This optional card sets the view factor merging flags for geometrically symmetric models.
    - Card 6h - Symmetric Elements List
      This optional card specifies a symmetrical model's properties for symmetric view factor calculations.
    - Card 6j - View Factor Merging
      This optional card merges the view factors, solar view factors, albedo factors, and Earth view factors of elements.
    - Card 6k - Orbit Definition
      This optional card defines orbital parameters.
    - Card 6l - Additional Orbital Parameters ORBADD
      This optional card set additional orbital parameters.
    - Card 6m - Minimum Allowable View Factor VFMIN
      This optional card sets a minimum value for unshadowed view factors.
    - Card 6n - Heat Flux View Factor Request to Radiative Sources
      This optional card calculates heat flux view factors from radiative sources such as light sources.
    - Card 6o - Symmetric Elements List Continuation
      This optional card continues the list of symmetric elements defined on a previous Card 6h - Symmetric Elements List.
    - Card 6p - Spinning Definition in Orbit
      This optional card specifies the spinning of a spacecraft or a portion of a spacecraft in orbit.
    - Card 6q - Spinning Request
      This optional card is used to define a spinning request for a model or a portion of a model.
    - Card 6r - Enclosure View Factor Request
      This optional card calculates all the view factors in an enclosure.
    - Card 6s - Diffuse Sky View Factor Request
      This optional card computes the diffuse incident solar spectrum flux from the sky as well as that reflected from the ground.
    - Card 6t - ORBDEF1 Major Orbit Parameters
      This optional card defines the major orbit parameters for a spacecraft.
    - Card 6t - ORBDEF2 Planet Parameters
      This optional card defines the planet parameters for a spacecraft orbit.
    - Card 6t - ORBDEF3 Solar and Orbit Parameters
      This optional card defines the solar and orbit parameters for a spacecraft.
    - Card 6t - ORBDEF4 Orbit Parameters for CLASSIC, SUNSYNC, SHUTTLE OR MOLNIYA options
      This optional card defines the orbit parameters for CLASSIC, SUNSYNC, SHUTTLE, or MOLNIYA orbit types.
    - Card 6t - ORBDEF5 Spacecraft Orientation Parameters
      This optional card defines the spacecraft orientation parameters.
    - Card 6t - ORBDEF6 Full or Partial Orbit Parameters
      This optional card defines the full or partial orbit parameters.
    - Card 6t - ORBDEF7 Spacecraft Rotation Parameters
      This optional card defines the spacecraft rotation parameters.
    - Card 6u - DIURNAL1 Solar Heating Modeling Request
      This optional card defines a diurnal solar heating modeling request.
    - Card 6u - DIURNAL2 Solar Heating Modeling Request
      This optional card defines the vector components for the diurnal solar heating modeling request.
    - Card 6u - DIURNAL3 Solar Heating Modeling Request
      This optional card defines the latitude and solar options for the diurnal solar heating modeling request.
    - Card 6u - DIURNAL4 Solar Heating Modeling Request
      This optional card defines the solar flux calculation options for the diurnal solar heating modeling request.
    - Card 6u - DIURNAL5 Solar Heating Modeling Request
      This optional card defines the calculation positions and local solar time for the diurnal solar heating modeling request.
    - Card 6u - DIURNAL6 Solar Heating Modeling Request
      This optional card defines the start and end positions for the diurnal solar heating modeling request.
    - Card 6v - Hemicube View Factor Method Activation
      This optional card activates the use of the hemicube method to calculate view factor requests.
    - Card 6w - Monte Carlo Method Activation
      This optional card activates the use of the Monte Carlo method to calculate view factor requests, radiative heating requests, orbital heating, and diurnal heating requests.
    - Card 6y - GPU Radiation Activation
      This optional card activates the graphics processing unit (GPU) to calculate radiation requests using the VFRTGPU module.
    - Card 6x - Thermal Coupling Rotational Periodicity
      This optional card specifies that thermal couplings should be rotationally periodic, meaning that an average angle is computed between the primary and secondary group of the thermal coupling, about the specified axis of rotation. The secondary group is rotated back by that angle before thermal couplings are calculated.
    - Card 7 - Element Merging and Renumbering
      This optional card specifies element merging and renumbering by the MEREL module.
    - Card 8 - Element Elimination
      This optional card specifies element elimination by the MEREL module.
    - Card 9 - ADDREMOVE Additional or Removal Criteria Definition
      This optional card specifies the criteria for adding or removing elements during a simulation.
    - Card 9 - ALIGN Align Vector Definition
      This optional card defines the alignment of a vector with an orbit dependent direction.
    - Card 9 - ARPARAM Articulation Parameters
      This optional card specifies the parameters for articulation movements.
    - Card 9 - ARRAYDATA Array Variable Definition
      This optional card defines the data points for a linear interpolation array.
    - Card 9 - ARRAYTYPE Array Variable Definition
      This card defines the dependent and independent variables for array N1.
    - Card 9 - ARTICUT Articulation Definition
      This optional card defines the articulation of elements in a joint.
    - Card 9 - AXISYMM Axisymmetric Element Creation
      This optional card specifies the creation of axisymmetric elements for radiation calculations.
    - Card 9 - CONTROLLER Definition
      This card defines a heater or fan controller entity.
    - Card 9 - COSIM_CONV_LOAD Co-simulation Convective Load Definition
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for an exchange of solid temperatures and convective load data on the interface between your 3D thermal model and the external model.
    - Card 9 - CURVE
      This optional card defines a curve with a unique ID.
    - Card 9 - CURVEPOINT
      This optional card specifies the point used in the CURVE card.
    - Card 9 - CYCLIC_SYMMETRY Definition
      This optional card defines cyclic symmetry rotational periodicity that is created between source and target groups.
    - Card 9 - DESCRIP Character String Descriptor
      This optional card assigns character string descriptors to a number.
    - Card 9 - DUCTINOUT Duct Inlet and Outlet Definition
      This optional card defines flow parameters on duct nodes to model fluid movement in a duct network.
    - Card 9 - DUCTLABEL Duct Label Definition
      This optional card specifies a boundary condition ID for a selection of elements that the solver uses to create output of their flow physical quantities.
    - Card 9 - EAREAED Edge Area Proportional Conductance
      This optional card specifies an edge area proportional conductance for an element.
    - Card 9 - EAREAFA Face Area Proportional Conductance
      This optional card specifies a face area proportional conductance for an element.
    - Card 9 - ELEMQED Edge Heat Flux
      This optional card specifies an edge heat flux for an element.
    - Card 9 - ELEMQEL Element Heat Generation
      This optional card specifies a heat load for an element.
    - Card 9 - ELEMQFA Element Face Heat Flux
      This optional card specifies the face heat flux applied to shell and solid elements.
    - Card 9 - ELVARTHICK Element Variable Thickness
      This optional card defines variable nodal thicknesses for 2D elements.
    - Card 9 - EXPPLUGIN User-written Plugin File
      This optional card specifies a user-written expression plugin file.
    - Card 9 - EXPRESSION Symbolic Expression Definition
      This optional card defines symbolic expressions for various parameters in the model.
    - Card 9 - EXPTAB Table Name for Referencing in Expressions
      This optional card specifies a table name for referencing in symbolic expression EXPRESSION cards.
    - Card 9 - EXT_SOLVER external solver definition
      This optional card defines a boundary condition that passes values from the CAE model to the inlets and outlets of an external CFD model.
    - Card 9 - FIELDCSYS
      This optional card specifies the local coordinate systems supported in the interpolation methods in Card 9 - FIELDINTERP.
    - Card 9 - FIELDDATA Spatial and Non-spatial Field Types Definition
      This optional card specifies the input row line for raw data for spatial fields, whose dependent and independent variables types are specified in Card 9 - FIELDTYPE Spatial and Non-spatial Field Data Interpolation. The method of interpolation is specified in Card 9 - FIELDINTERP. Depending on the variables types, the solver treats tables that are specified in Cartesian, cylindrical, spherical coordinate system.
    - Card 9 - FIELDINTERP
      This optional card specifies the supported interpolation methods for the 1D, 2D, and 3D spatial fields, described in Card 9 - FIELDTYPE Spatial and Non-spatial Field Data Interpolation.
    - Card 9 - FIELDOPTIONS
      This optional card specifies the options supported from the interpolation methods in Card 9 - FIELDINTERP.
    - Card 9 - FIELDTYPE Spatial and Non-spatial Field Data Interpolation
      This optional card specifies internal codes for dependent and independent variables for the spatial field specified in Card 9 - FIELDDATA Spatial and Non-spatial Field Types Definition.
    - Card 9 - FMHDEF - Free Molecular Heating Request
      These FMHDEF cards define a free molecular heating (FMH) request.
    - Card 9 - FREEFACE Element Free Face Generation
      This optional card generates elements on the faces or edges of specified elements and assigns them a group name.
    - Card 9 - GENERIC Generic Entity Cards
      This optional card defines a set of generic entities for the model. The generic entities may be accessed from the Analyzer in a user-written subroutine with CALL GENERIC.
    - Card 9 - GLOBAL_AXIS Global Axis of Revolution
      This optional card specifies the global axis of revolution.
    - Card 9 - GLOBALCYC_AXIS Cyclic Symmetry Axis of Revolution
      This optional card specifies the cyclic symmetry axis of revolution.
    - Card 9 - GPARAM Parameter
      This optional card defines or overrides run-time parameters for the model.
    - Card 9 - GRAVITY Gravity Definition
      This optional card defines the gravity vector and its components.
    - Card 9 - GROUP
      This optional card references a group of selected nodes or elements.
    - Card 9 - HEAT_LOAD Heat Load Definition
      This optional card defines a heat load on a selection of elements or a group name.
    - Card 9 - HEAT_PIPE Heat Pipe Definition
      This optional card defines a heat pipe on a selection of elements or a group name.
    - Card 9 - HYDENV Ambient Environment Definition
      This optional card defines the properties of the ambient environment for hydraulic elements.
    - Card 9 - IMMERSEDDUCTS Immersed Ducts Definition
      This optional card defines the immersed ducts boundary conditions.
    - Card 9 - INTERP Interpolation Definition
      This optional card defines the interpolation of a variable applied to an element, group, or conductance number.
    - Card 9 - JOINT Definition
      This optional card defines a joint for an articulating member.
    - Card 9 - JUNCTION_3DFLOW Ducts/Streams Junction to 3D Flow Definition
      This optional card defines the ducts/streams junction to 3D flow.
    - Card 9 - JUNCTION Thermal Streams Junction Definition
      This optional card defines the junction to connect thermal streams.
    - Card 9 - KEEPDEL Element Deletion/Retention
      This optional card defines the deletion or retention of elements and their associated data.
    - Card 9 - LABELLIST
      This optional card references a list of labels.
    - Card 9 - LAYER Layer Property Definition
      This optional card defines the layer properties of non-homogeneous multilayer Card 5 shell elements.
    - Card 9 - MATCHANGE Material Property Change
      This optional card specifies material properties for elements. It overrides material properties specified on MAT card.
    - Card 9 - MATLIST Additional Fluid Material List
      This optional card defines a list of additional fluid materials.
    - Card 9 - MAT Material Property Definition
      This optional card defines the material properties of Card 5 elements. If a property is not defined, the default values apply.
    - Card 9 - MATVEC Material Orientation Definition
      This optional card defines the material orientation of the principal axes of the thermal conductivities K_XX, K_YY, K_ZZ of an orthotropic/anisotropic element whose values are defined on a MAT card.
    - Card 9 - MATVEC2 Material Orientation Definition
      This optional card defines the material directions in the global coordinate system for plane stress, plane strain, axisymmetric, and chocking elements.
    - Card 9 - MCV Moving Control Volume Fluid Elements
      This optional card defines the elements as fluid elements that are inside the moving control volume (MCV).
    - Card 9 - NAME
      This optional card defines a group name for a group of elements.
    - Card 9 - NAME2 Group Name Description
      This optional card associates a description with the group name of N1, specified on the NAME card.
    - Card 9 - NODEQ Nodal Heat Source
      This optional card defines a nodal heat source.
    - Card 9 - NODESINK Sink Nodes
      This optional card defines sink nodes.
    - Card 9 - OPTICAL Surface Optical Property Definition
      This optional card defines surface optical properties for elements.
    - Card 9 - PARAM Parameters
      This optional card defines run-time parameters for the model.
    - Card 9 - PELTIER Peltier Device
      This optional card specifies the parameters for a Peltier device.
    - Card 9 - PHASE Phase Change Elements
      This optional card defines phase change properties for elements.
    - Card 9 - POINT Named Point Definition
      This optional card defines a user-defined named point.
    - Card 9 - PRINT Analyzer Printout Codes
      This optional card defines options that are printed out during the run while in the Analyzer module.
    - Card 9 - PROP Physical Property Definition
      This optional card defines physical property of elements.
    - Card 9 - PROTECTIVE_LAYER Protective Layer Definition
      This optional card defines a boundary condition that adds a thermal barrier coating, protective layers, on top of thermal elements for heat transfer modeling.
    - Card 9 - PSINK Pressure Sink Definition Cards
      This optional card defines pressure sink boundary conditions for hydraulic elements.
    - Card 9 - PSPROP1 Plane Stress Elements for Blades
      This optional card defines plane stress elements for blades.
    - Card 9 - PSPROP2 Plane Stress Elements for Holes and Bolts
      This optional card defines plane stress elements for holes and bolts.
    - Card 9 - PSPROP3 Chocking Elements
      This optional card defines chocking elements.
    - Card 9 - QNODE Heat Load Definition
      This optional card defines heat loads for elements.
    - Card 9 - RELTEMP Relative Temperature Correction
      This optional card defines relative temperature corrections for elements.
    - Card 9 - RENUMN, RENUME Node and Element Renumbering
      This optional card permits elements and nodes to be renumbered for post-processing.
    - Card 9 - REPEAT Additional Card Generation
      This optional card generates additional copies of the previous Card 9 card in the data deck.
    - Card 9 - REPORTER for Group Reports
      This optional card creates an output of different group properties and writes it onto a file for the finite volume discretization method. The report on a given group property provides the average, maximum, and minimum values of the property requested.
    - Card 9 - REVNODE or REVNOM Reversed Element Creation
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for creating reverse side elements for radiative enclosures.
    - Card 9 - ROT_FX Rotational Effects Definition
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining rotational effects.
    - Card 9 - ROTATION Rotation Load Definition
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining rotation loads.
    - Card 9 - ROTPER Thermal Rotational Periodicity Definition
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining thermal rotational periodicity.
    - Card 9 - SINK Elements
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining sink elements.
    - Card 9 - STEP Solution Steps Control Card
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for setting up a solution sequence with different stages of the same simulation.
    - Card 9 - SYMM Symmetry Definition
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining symmetry in a model.
    - Card 9 - SYSCOOR
      This optional card references a coordinate system.
    - Card 9 - TABDATA Analyzer Table Data
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining table data for linear interpolation by the Analyzer module.
    - Card 9 - TABTYPE Table Variable Type Definition
      This optional card defines dependent and independent variable types for values defined in the table.
    - Card 9 - TEMPERATURE
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for constraining temperature on elements or fluid duct nodes.
    - Card 9 - THERMAL_COUPLING
      This optional card defines a thermal coupling entity.
    - Card 9 - THERMAL_REPORT
      This optional card generates reports files for different thermal solution data using the finite element discretization method.
    - Card 9 - THERMST Analyzer Thermostat Definition
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining a thermostat, heater controller, or fan controller.
    - Card 9 - TINIT Initial Temperature
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining initial temperatures for the Analyzer run or the SINDA data deck.
    - Card 9 - TOTTEMP Total Temperature Effects Definition
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining total temperature effects on fluid duct elements.
    - Card 9 - TSTREAM Thermal Stream Definition
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining thermal streams.
    - Card 9 - VARIABLE Variable Definition
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining symbolic variables.
    - Card 9 - VECTOR Vector Definition
      This optional card defines vectors.
    - Card 9 - VOID_NONGEOM Void Non-Geometric Element Definition
      This optional card defines a void non-geometric element that can be used as part of one or more thermal void zones.
    - Card 9 - VOID_REGION Thermal Void Region Definition
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining a void region that creates a thermal coupling between a group of selected elements and a void non-geometric element.
    - Card 9 - WDINIT Initial Water Mass Accumulation per Unit Area
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining initial water mass accumulation per unit area.
    - Card 9 - XCAP Capacitances
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining capacitances for elements.
    - Card 9 - XCIRC Circular Element Definition
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining circular elements.
    - Card 9 - XCOND Conductances
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining conductances between elements.
    - Card 9 - ZONE_CONVECTION Thermal Convection Zone Definition
      This optional card specifies the parameters and options for defining a boundary condition that creates a convection coupling between a group of selected elements and a fluid environment.
    - Card 10 - User Written Subroutines
      Card 10 includes the USER1 and USERF user-written subroutines.
  - Thermal solver input and output files
    The thermal solver generates several data exchange files during the solve when using supported CAE software.
  - Thermal solver modules
    The following table describes the thermal solver modules that are executed during the solving process. This section also consists of additional information about some of these modules.
  - Post-processing libraries
    The thermal solver provides the following post-processing libraries for generating results files.
  - Thermal solver bibliography
    The following bibliography lists all sources used to explain how the thermal solver works.
- Thermal solver theory
  Describes the theory and methods of the thermal solver.
- Thermal solver API
  Allows you to create or add functionality to enhance the thermal solver capabilities.
- Thermal solver error message list
  Lists solver messages that the thermal solver generates to communicate issues with the model or the solve.

Card 9 - ELVARTHICK Element Variable Thickness

This optional card defines variable nodal thicknesses for 2D elements.

Parameters: KODE, N1, T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8

KODE

KODE is the code ELVARTHICK (or 121)

N1

N1 is an element number.

T1-T8

T1-T8 are the nodal thickness values.

For a linear three-sided element, T1-T3 are populated with the thickness values for corner nodes, and T4-T8 are empty.
For a parabolic three-sided element, T1-T3 are populated with the thickness values for corner nodes, T4-T6 are populated with the thickness values for midside nodes, and T7-T8 are empty.
For a linear four-sided element, T1-T4 are populated with the thickness values for corner nodes, and T5-T8 are empty.
For a parabolic four-sided element, T1-T4 are populated with the thickness values for corner nodes, and T5-T8 are populated with the thickness values for midside nodes.

Code example


$ Element Variable Thickness Data
$ -------------------------------
$
ELVARTHICK 1  0.000000E+00  1.000000E+00 -1.000000E+00
$ 1 is a linear three-sided element
ELVARTHICK 2  1.000000E+00  0.000000E+00 -1.000000E+00
ELVARTHICK 3  1.000000E+00  2.000000E+00  0.000000E+00  1.500000E+00  1.000000E+00  5.000000E-01
$ 3 is a parabolic three-sided element
ELVARTHICK 4  2.000000E+00  1.000000E+00  0.000000E+00  1.500000E+00  5.000000E-01  1.000000E+00
ELVARTHICK 5  0.000000E+00  1.000000E+00  2.000000E+00  1.000000E+00
$ 5 is a linear four-sided element
ELVARTHICK 6  0.000000E+00  1.000000E+00  0.000000E+00 -1.000000E+00  5.000000E-01  5.000000E-01 -5.000000E-01 -5.000000E-01
$6 is a parabolic four-sided element