Conductivity

A material's thermal conductivity:

This page discusses:

Directional Dependence of Thermal Conductivity

Isotropic, orthotropic, or fully anisotropic thermal conductivity can be defined. Only isotropic thermal conductivity can be defined for an incompressible fluid dynamic analysis that includes an energy equation. For orthotropic or anisotropic thermal conductivity, a local orientation (Orientations) must be used to specify the material directions used to define the conductivity.

Isotropic Conductivity

For isotropic conductivity only one value of conductivity is needed at each temperature and field variable value. Isotropic conductivity is the default.

Orthotropic Conductivity

For orthotropic conductivity three values of conductivity (k11, k22, k33) are needed at each temperature and field variable value.

Anisotropic Conductivity

For fully anisotropic conductivity six values of conductivity (k11, k12, k22, k13, k23, k33) are needed at each temperature and field variable value.

Elements

Thermal conductivity is active in all heat transfer, coupled temperature-displacement, coupled thermal-electrical-structural, and coupled thermal-electrical elements in Abaqus.