Optimum placement of heat sources in forced convection

The optimum placement of heat sources to satisfy the minimum temperature requirements with the least total thermal energy input is analyzed. Models are derived for the placement of single, multiple and ring heat sources. Results show that the total minimum energy decreases as the number of sources increase. The use of multiple heating sources can result into savings of up to 25%. It is also more efficient to heat single larger areas than a number of smaller ones.