G. Comini et al., A PHYSICAL APPROACH TO FINITE-ELEMENT MODELING OF COUPLED CONDUCTION AND CONVECTION, Numerical heat transfer. Part B, Fundamentals, 24(3), 1993, pp. 243-261
Finite-element formnlations for coupled conduction and convection prob
lems are obtained by a direct approach based on energy balances, af bo
th element and node levels. This way, clear physical interpretations a
re provided for all the essential steps of conventional finite-element
procedures of the Galerkin type. In the examples, the finite-element
formulation is validated first by comparison with the analytical solut
ion of a typical benchmark problem. Then the capabilities of the finit
e-element method are demonstrated by the analysis of coupled conductio
n and convection problems of practical interest.