A common question in simulation is how to represent radiation, especially when it comes to electronic devices. In this Video Tech Tip, we tackle that question by demonstrating a simple radiation study.

Representing radiation can be challenging because it isn’t always easy to simulate all the energy being emitted from a system. To demonstrate the basic mechanisms of heat transfer, we use SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation to test radiation absorption of three different types of light bulbs (incandescent, LED and CFL) through a piece of glass onto a desk.

Setting up a radiation study is simple. As long as you know the type of material and how much energy leaves as radiation versus heat energy, you can determine the thermodynamic characteristics of your bodies and efficiency of your source.  Once you know your energy balance, the next step is seeing how this impacts your radiate surfaces. And as long as they are the same material condition, you can use multiple materials at once. 

After these are done, load the results and test different cut plots and surface plots to see radiation absorption. 

See how else SOLIDWORKS Simulation can help you test your designs against real-world conditions by watching our on-demand webinars.