Spreadsheet modelling of transient three dimensional heat conduction with various standard boundary conditions

A method of analysing transient three-dimensional heat conduction problems using spreadsheets is described. An implicit numerical scheme is used and user-defined macros are designed and executed in a single-layer sheet. The method allows the use of all standard boundary conditions such as constant surface temperature, specified heat flux, thermal insulation, convection and/or thermal radiation. This method seems to be convenient for both practising engineers as well as undergraduate students since it enables them to solve engineering problems numerically without complicated programming. The method also allows the user to incorporate nonlinear boundary conditions such as thermal radiation with no further simplification which otherwise would require further effort to model. The method was received by engineering students and hence was useful as an educational aid that can be applied in other fields of engineering applications.