Finite Element Analysis of the Temperature Field Around Two Adjacent Cryo-Probes

Abstract

A finite element code was developed for the analysis of the temperature field around two adjacent cylindrical cryo-probes. The two-phase, two-dimensional Stefan problem is solved using a moving boundary approach and space-time finite elements. Solution of one-cryo-probe problem compared well with an existing analytic solution. The two-cryo-probes problem yielded reasonable results. The program simulated the nonsymmetric activation of two probes and the merging of the two freezing fronts in the case of symmetric activation.