ABSTRACT
The finite-difference method is a very powerful numerical technique to solve many engineering application problems. By applying the basic energy balance at the interior and boundary nodes, this method can solve a variety of heat conduction problems with complex thermal boundary conditions. Using the energy balance and discretizing the heat conduction equation, 1-D and 2-D steady-state heat conduction problems with various boundary conditions can be solved using the inverse matrix method. This chapter also presents methods to solve 1-D and 2-D transient heat conduction problems using the finite-difference implicit and explicit methods. Examples are provided to demonstrate how the same technique can be used to solve heat conduction problems with cylindrical and spherical coordinates.
