A thermal analysis is used to determine the heat distribution through a model. The model can be made from rod elements, 2D elements (planar or axisymmetric), plate elements and brick/tetrahedral elements. Applied loads include heat generation, convection, radiation, heat flux, applied temperatures, and body-to-body radiation.
After performing a heat transfer analysis, a thermal stress analysis can be performed to determine the stress and displacement due to the temperature distribution.
Two types of heat transfer analyses can be performed: steady-state and transient. The results from either of these analyses can be combined with a stress analysis to calculate the thermal stress in a model.