ADAPTIVE FINITE-ELEMENT METHOD FOR CONJUGATE HEAT-TRANSFER

This article presents an adaptive finite element method to solve conju gate heat transfer problems. Solutions are obtained in primitive varia bles using a high-order finite element approximation on unstructured g rids. Two general estimators are developed for analyzing finite elemen t solutions to conjugate heat transfer problems. The adaptive methodol ogy is demonstrated on problems for which experimental measurements ar e available. The methodology is then applied to heat transfer predicti ons for two cases of practical interest.