THE USE OF GENERAL CURVILINEAR ORTHOGONAL MESHES IN TLM HEAT CONDUCTION MODELS

Abstract

An extension to the transmission line matrix (TLM) numerical modeling technique is presented that enables this method to be used for diffusion problems with arbitrary two-dimensional domains. The practical problems of mounting TLM on a general orthogonal grid are discussed, in particular, the elemental parameters of resistance and capacitance, and solutions are given. Errors in calculation of resistance are considered, and the proposed methods are validated by running a TLM model of thermal diffusion problem and comparing the results with those produced by a standard finite-element package.