Heat Transfer and Thermal

Stress
Raghavendra Murthy
Arizona State University
MEE 323 Spring 2015

Outline
Heat Transfer
Conduction, Convection, and Radiation
FE Implementation
Thermal Stress and Strain
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
Coupled Thermal and Structural Effects

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Heat Transfer
Heat always moves from a warmer place to a

cooler place
Heat transfer occurs by three mechanisms
Conduction
Typically through solids

Convection
Typically through liquids and fluids

Radiation
Electromagnetic radiation, no matter required

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Heat Transfer Conduction

Heat is transferred directly through a material

(contact) without any bulk motion of the

material
Conductors conduct heat well
Metals

Insulators conduct heat poorly

Wood, plastics, air, vacuum, etc.

Thermal conductivity degree to which a

material conducts heat

Units J/s-m-K (SI), BTU/s-in-F (Imperial)

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Heat Transfer Conduction

Thermal conductivities of some common

materials

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Material

Conductivity (J/s-m-K)

Steel

14

Aluminum

240

Copper

390

Silver

420

Wood (Oak)

0.15

Air

0.026

Goose Down

0.025

Concrete

1.1

Body Fat

0.2
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Heat Transfer Convection

Heat is carried from place to place through

bulk motion of a fluid

Convection currents typically result

Types of convection
Natural convection differential density circulation
Forced convection artificial circulation via pump
Convection coefficient - characteristic of heat

transfer between fluid and surface

Units J/s2-m-K (SI), BTU/s2-in-F

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Heat Transfer Radiation

Heat is transferred by means of

electromagnetic waves

Does not require matter to transfer heat

Surface of an object plays an important role

in determining how much radiant energy is

absorbed or emitted
Good absorbers are also good emitters
Black body absorbs all radiation

Governed by Stefan-Boltzmann Law

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Heat Transfer FE
Implementation
Discretization of a structure into finite

elements
Temperature is the single degree of
freedom variable at nodes
Material thermal properties used to
form the thermal stiffness matrix
Solve for temperature distribution
Postprocessing plotting, etc.

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Thermal Stress and Strain

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Thermal Stress and Strain

Some typical coefficients of thermal

expansion

Material

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Aluminum

13

24

Steel

6.5

11.7

Concrete

11

Masonry

Wood

1.7 2.5

3.5 4.5

Glass

44

80

Plastics

68 80

122 144
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Thermal Stress and Strain

Examples of thermal stress and strain
1. Wall (bending)
2. Moment frame (bending)
3. Braced Frame (axial)
4. Fixed-end arch (bending)
5. Pinned ach (bending)
6. Three-hinge arch (no stress)

Three-hinge arch is free to

deform without stress!!
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Thermal Strain

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Thermal Stress

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