Axial symmetric stationary heat conduction analysis of non-homogeneous materials by triple-reciprocity boundary element method

The heat conduction problems in homogeneous media can be easily solved by the boundary element method. The spatial variations of heat sources as well as material coefficients gives rise to domain integrals in integral formulations for solution of boundary value problems in functionally gradient materials (FGM), since the fundamental solutions are not available for partial differential equations with variable coefficients, in general. In this paper, we present the development of the triple reciprocity method for solution of axial symmetric stationary heat conduction problems in continuously non-homogeneous media with eliminating the domain integrals. In this method, the spatial variations of domain "sources" are approximated by introducing new potential fields and using higher order fundamental solutions of the Laplace operator. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.