Overheating in switchgear and electrical enclosures leads to insulation degradation, contact oxidation, and—in the worst case—thermal runaway and failure. Thermal simulation helps you see hotspots and airflow before you build, so you can size cooling, place vents, or derate before problems reach the field.
CFD vs. FEM for Thermal Analysis
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models air and other fluids: you get flow patterns, convection, and where heat is carried away. It's the right choice when natural or forced ventilation dominates, when you're placing fans or vents, or when you need to understand thermal interaction between equipment and the room.
Finite-element (FEM) thermal models focus on conduction through solids: busbars, enclosures, contacts. They're well-suited to steady-state temperature rise in dense layouts, where convection is secondary. Often the two are combined: FEM for internal heating and conduction, CFD for the surrounding airflow.
When Thermal Simulation Pays Off
Use it when you're uprating current, adding breakers or bus, or changing the layout in a way that affects heat paths. It's also valuable for new designs where you want to avoid over- or under-specifying cooling. In retrofit or failure investigations, thermal models can explain hot spots that test data alone may not fully reveal.
What You Get
A typical thermal study delivers temperature plots, identification of hot spots, and design changes (e.g., ventilation, conductor sizing, or cooling). The goal is documentation that supports both compliance and long-term reliability.
Next Steps
Our thermal simulation services use CFD and FEM to analyze switchgear, enclosures, and electrical equipment. Request a consultation to discuss your design and thermal objectives.