Specification of Gaussian distributed heat source?
 

I want to specify a heat source with a Gaussian distribution with given maximum value and standard deviation.

I can easily specify a uniform heat source under cell zone conditions => Source Terms, but am not sure how to specify a Gaussian distributed source.

The domain is a steel plate that surrounds a copper plate, where the copper interfaces directly with the steel. The heat source should be specified over the copper plate only. Convection and radiation conditions are specified over the external walls of the steel plate.

I am in the process of writing a profile file but am unsure of where to specify the profile (cell zone conditions? boundary conditions?) and also what type of profile it should be (energy? total-energy? etc).

Any help would be appreciated.

Depends on what you want...

If you want a volumetric heat source (unit W/m³), then you have to add it under "cell zone conditions".
Tic the box for "Source Terms" and load your profile file.
If you want a surface heat flux instead (unit W/m²) apply it as a boundary condition.

Thank you.

Something I don't understand though:

A profile file consists out of 3 parts: x and y coordinates, as well as the magnitude of the specified quantity, which is all fine and makes sense.

But when I want to load the profile to the source term, Fluent automatically separates the profile into its constituent parts, and only allows me to specify one. How then does it know what coordinate is bound to what magnitude, if I, say, only select the magnitude profile?

Good question. Actually I am not 100% sure how its done, I can only assume that the names of the fields matter. So the x-coordinates always have to be denoted with x, y-coordinates with y and so on.
It always worked fine for me as long as I kept this format.
Try to rename one of those fields (x or y) and see the error message fluent produces while trying to read the profile or using it. This should shed some light on this issue.

fluent UDF
 

I am also searching for help regarding the volumetric heat source . as I followed the discussion can we link volumetric heat source as boundary conditions since there is a provision to include it as heat generation .units are in given as W/m3. if any one can comment on it kindly do so.

can I link volumetric heat source as boundary condition ,as in fluent we have an option to include heat generation rate in BOUNDARY CONDITIONS ta?