Teaching module for one‐dimensional, transient conduction

This article describes a PC‐based teaching module designed to instruct engineering students in transient one‐dimensional conduction heat transfer analysis. The module is set up to analyze infinite slabs, infinite cylinders, and spheres, i.e., the same geometries for which the Heisler charts have been used for the last half‐century. The finite‐volume method is used to derive the discretized governing equations. The on‐screen display shows the evolution of the temperature distribution in animated form. Extensive help files introduce students to the fundamentals of solving parabolic, partial differential equations numerically so that they can set up a simple calculation themselves for cases not covered by either this algorithm or the Heisler charts. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 6: 41–51, 1998