A Computer Analysis Method For Thermal Diffusion in Biochemical Systems

In the thermal detection of rapid biochemical
reactions it is necessary to correct the temperature 
data for transient heat conduction losses in a cylindrical
calorimeter.  To handle the complexities arising 
from varying thermal-relaxation times of concentric insulating
layers, a computer program was developed 
which gives the temperature distribution of the system
as a function of radius and time.  This distribution 
is corrected at each step by a subroutine which calculates
the instantaneous chemical state of there 
action, as well as the heat produced by this reaction.
 The program is based on a direct statement of 
Fourier's law of heat conduction and the chemical rate
equation to provide a "bookkeeping law" to follow 
the reactants and the flow of heat packets, in such a
way that the computer continually stores the heat 
distribution.  A computer analysis method is here regarded
as one in which the physical laws of a process 
are used explicitly in the program. Usually this results
in by passing much of the mathematical procedures 
conventionally used.  The program was tested against
some known exact solutions of the heat equation 
and gave identical results, and compared well with experimental
data of a known biochemical reaction. 
 The construction of computer programs based on the direct
statement of the physical laws is a principle 
of general applicability which has been applied
to several other physical phenomena.

CACM September, 1964

Davids, N.
Berger, R. L.

CA640908 JB March 9, 1978  5:13 PM

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