Simulation of the steady-state energy transfer in rigid bodies, with convective/radiative boundary conditions, employing a minimum principle (Q1186205)

The paper deals with energy transfer coupled with conduction/convection/radiation in a rigid and opaque body with internal heat source. The authors construct a minimum principle suitable for nonlinear heat transfer problems. It is used in the simulation of the heat transfer phenomenon in a cylindrical body using finite elements. The minimum principle is represented by a continuous, convex and coercive functional to ensure existence and uniqueness of the solution. The principle is suitable for a large class of nonlinear energy transfer problems.