Heat flow visualization for thermal bridge problems

A method for the plotting of heat-flow intensity to provide an effective visual representation of heat flows in solid matter is proposed in this report. The heat-flow intensities are defined as the heat gain and the heat loss per volume. Two-dimensional steady-state simulation of heat flow in a structure was carried out under two conditions and the results were represented as plots of the temperatures and the heat-flow intensities. This representation of heat flow provides a stronger emphasis on the heat flows through good conductors than does the temperature distribution; the proposed method thus helps us to effectively visualize the effects of thermal bridges.