Import Heat Flow tabular load using APDL Commands object

Nikos Kallitsis

I have a Heat Flow table in .csv format, with the timesteps in the first column and the load values in the second column.

How can I import this load and apply it to a Face in Mechanical using APDL commands?

Nikos Kallitsis

You can import a Heat Flow load using APDL commands by following these steps:

1. Create a Named Selection of the face you want to apply the load to, e.g., SelectedFaces.
2. Count the number of timesteps you want to import and measure the area of the SelectedFaces.
3. Insert an APDL Commands Object in the analysis module containing this script:

inputs = ??? !Specify number of data points (excluding headers)
surfaceArea = ??? !Manual input of surface area of NS (SelectedFaces)

/PREP7
*DIM, heatFlowData, TABLE, inputs, 1, 1, TIME !Create a table to store data points with time as the primary variable
*TREAD, heatFlowData, 'YourDrive:\File\Path\YourFile', 'CSV', , 1 !Read data points from .csv, skipping 1st line

*TOPER, heatFluxData, heatFlowData, ADD, heatFlowData, 1/surfaceArea, 0, 0 !Convert heat flow to heat flux

*GET, maxET, ELEM, 0, TYPM !Maximum number of existing element types
newET = maxET+1 !New element type number

ET, newET, SURF152 !New element type to apply heat flux to
KEYOPT, newET, 8, 1 !Include heat flux

CMSEL, S, SelectedFaces
ESLN
TYPE, newET
ESURF, 0

ALLSEL, ALL

/SOLU
ESEL, S, TYPE, , newET
SF, ALL, HFLUX, %heatFluxData% !Apply heat flux load

ALLSEL, ALL

• The inputs and surfaceArea parameters should be input manually by the user.
• The first row of the data is assumed to be the headers, and therefore it's skipped.
• In order to apply the heat flow load to the face(s), the load must be converted to heat flux. Thus, the load values are divided by the surface area. Be careful with the units used.
• The heat flux load is applied to surface elements of type SURF152.