Three-dimensional axisymmetric ball model for the PC-TAP program

Spherical-geometry solids' thermal modeling is presently undertaken with a three-dimensional FEM method that can be used in conjunction with the IBM-PC Thermal Analyzer Program (TAP). The elements of the model's nodal network are spherical triangles having approximately equivalent volumes for transient cases, thereby decreasing computer run times. Attention is given to results for the three test cases to which the model has been applied, which are compared with results from analytical closed-form solutions. Absolute temperature errors not greater than 1 percent are indicated by the comparisons.