This guided exercise shows you in step-by-step fashion the basics of MD Nastran thermal modeling, analysis, and results visualization using Patran. By intention, the geometry is simple, as are the applied loads and boundary conditions. We will create the geometry for a rectangular metal plate, mesh it with quadrilateral elements, specify material and element properties, apply thermal loads and boundary conditions, run a steady-state thermal analysis to determine temperature distributions, and visualize the results using Patran’s postprocessor.

Before attempting this exercise, please complete the guided tour provided at the top of the Patran on-line help system. It gives you an overview of the Patran user interface, including the layout of the main form, the various application selections, the use of menus and forms, mouse picking, and basic modeling operations. Although the menu options for thermal analysis differ from those for structural analysis, Patran has a common look-and-feel across both disciplines.