Two-dimensional finite-element temperature variance analysis

The finite element method is extended to thermal analysis by forming a variance analysis of temperature results so that the sensitivity of predicted temperatures to uncertainties in input variables is determined. The temperature fields within a finite number of elements are described in terms of the temperatures of vertices and the variational principle is used to minimize the integral equation describing thermal potential energy. A computer calculation yields the desired solution matrix of predicted temperatures and provides information about initial thermal parameters and their associated errors. Sample calculations show that all predicted temperatures are most effected by temperature values along fixed boundaries; more accurate specifications of these temperatures reduce errors in thermal calculations.