Home
User documentation
Assumptions and limitations for importing a model
The following section describes the Thermal Model Exchanger assumptions and limitations when you import a Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal model into Thermal Desktop.
Importing thermo-physical properties
Thermal Model Exchanger supports importing thermal and physical properties from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal into Thermal Desktop.
Importing material properties
Thermal Model Exchanger supports importing isotropic and orthotropic Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal materials into Thermal Desktop.

User documentation
- Introduction
  Thermal Model Exchanger is a Windows application that allows you to transfer thermal models between Ansys Thermal Desktop^TM and Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal. The application supports the transfer of meshes, material and optical properties, and boundary conditions of your model.
- Thermal Model Exchanger user interface
  The Thermal Model Exchanger user interface consists of a top border bar and an information window.
- How to use Thermal Model Exchanger
  The following section describes how to use Thermal Model Exchanger to transfer thermal models between Thermal Desktop and Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal.
- Simcenter 3D entities supported by Thermal Model Exchanger
  This page summarizes the Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal entities supported by the Thermal Model Exchanger during the import.
- Thermal Desktop entities supported by Thermal Model Exchanger
  This page summarizes the Thermal Desktop entities supported by the Thermal Model Exchanger during the export.
- Assumptions and limitations for importing a model
  The following section describes the Thermal Model Exchanger assumptions and limitations when you import a Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal model into Thermal Desktop.
  - Importing meshes
    You can use Thermal Model Exchanger to import 0D, 1D, 2D and 3D meshes from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal to Thermal Desktop.
  - Importing thermo-physical properties
    Thermal Model Exchanger supports importing thermal and physical properties from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal into Thermal Desktop.
    - Importing material properties
      Thermal Model Exchanger supports importing isotropic and orthotropic Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal materials into Thermal Desktop.
    - Importing physical properties
      You can use Thermal Model Exchanger to import the physical properties from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal into Thermal Desktop.
    - Importing thermo-optical properties
      You can use Thermal Model Exchanger to import the thermo-optical properties from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal into Thermal Desktop.
  - Importing thermal loads
    Thermal Model Exchanger supports importing the Heat Load and Heat Flux types of Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal Thermal Loads. It converts these entities into the Total Load and Flux types of Thermal Desktop Heat Load, respectively.
  - Importing temperature constraints
    You can use Thermal Model Exchanger to import Temperature constraints from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal to Thermal Desktop.
  - Importing thermal couplings
    You can use Thermal Model Exchanger to import Thermal Coupling simulation objects from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal into Thermal Desktop as Contactors.
  - Importing radiation
    You can use Thermal Model Exchanger to import Radiation simulation objects from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal to Thermal Desktop.
  - Importing orbits and space environments
    You can use Thermal Model Exchanger to import Orbit modeling objects and Orbital Heating simulation objects from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal into Thermal Desktop as External Heating Environment boundary conditions.
  - Importing a solution
    Thermal Model Exchanger supports importing solutions from Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal into Thermal Desktop.
- Assumptions and limitations for exporting a model
  The following section describes the Thermal Model Exchanger assumptions and limitations when you export a Thermal Desktop model to a Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal XML file.
- Legal notice

Importing material properties

Thermal Model Exchanger supports importing isotropic and orthotropic Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal materials into Thermal Desktop.

An orthotropic material in Simcenter 3D is imported as an anisotropic material in Thermal Desktop.

When importing a material, Thermal Model Exchanger (TMX) only transfers mass density, specific heat, and thermal conductivity. For the remaining material properties, Thermal Desktop uses the default values.

Mass density

TMX only supports constant mass density. When the value is defined as a table in Simcenter 3D, the value is imported as a constant using the first value of the table. The application shows a warning in the import summary.

Specific heat

TMX supports constant and temperature-dependent specific heat. For other dependencies, the value is imported as a constant using the first value of the table. The application shows a warning in the import summary.

Thermal conductivity

TMX supports constant and temperature dependent thermal conductivities. If the Simcenter 3D material conductivity is temperature dependent, the table values are transferred as is. For other dependencies, such as time-dependent thermal conductivity, the thermal conductivity will be imported as a constant using the first value of the table. TMX shows a warning in the import summary.

For isotropic materials, TMX transfers a single value. For orthotropic materials, it transfers the K, K2, and K3 values of the thermal conductivity and assigns it to the three components of the anisotropic material in Thermal Desktop.