International Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences
Volume 17 (1994), Issue 4, Pages 771-778
doi:10.1155/S0161171294001079

Variational finite element approach to a heat flow problem in human limbs

V. P. Saxena and M. P. Gupta

School of Mathematics and Allied Sciences, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India

Received 14 November 1990; Revised 10 March 1991

Copyright © 1994 V. P. Saxena and M. P. Gupta. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

An attempt has been made to study cross sectional temperature distribution in in-vivo tissues of a human limb employing variational finite element approach. The outermost surface of the limb is assumed to be exposed to the atmosphere. The physiological and physical parameters like rate of metabolic heat generation (rmhg), blood mass flow rate (bmfr) and thermal conductivity are assumed to vary in the subregions independently. Numerical results have been obtained for various cases of practical interest.