A hybrid transfinite element approach for nonlinear transient thermal analysis

A new computational approach for transient nonlinear thermal analysis of structures is proposed. It is a hybrid approach which combines the modeling versatility of contemporary finite elements in conjunction with transform methods and classical Bubnov-Galerkin schemes. The present study is limited to nonlinearities due to temperature-dependent thermophysical properties. Numerical test cases attest to the basic capabilities and therein validate the transfinite element approach by means of comparisons with conventional finite element schemes and/or available solutions.