Thermal Expansion (Rigid Connector)
Add the Thermal Expansion subnode to prescribe a deformation of the rigid connector caused by changes in temperature. This makes it possible to reduce stresses caused by the rigid connector being rigid, while there are thermal deformations in the flexible shell to which it is attached.
The thermal strain depends on the coefficient of thermal expansion α, the temperature T, and the strain-free reference temperature Tref as
Thermal Expansion Properties
Specify the thermal properties that define the thermal strain in the rigid connector.
Select Inherit from boundary to take the thermal expansion data from the boundary to which it is attached. This should only be used when:
•
The temperature and the thermal expansion coefficient do not have a spatial variation.
•
The virtual material in the rigid connector has the same thermal expansion as the domain itself.
When Inherit from boundary is not selected, enter:
•
A value or expression for Temperature T, specifying the temperature distribution of the rigid connector. Any spatial variation must be an explicit function of the material frame coordinates. It is not possible to use a computed temperature distribution.
•
The Coefficient of thermal expansion α. As a default, values From material are used. This requires that a material has been assigned to the boundaries of the rigid connector selection.
For User defined select Isotropic, Diagonal or Symmetric to enter one or more components for a general coefficient of thermal expansion tensor α. When a nonisotropic coefficient of thermal expansion is used, the axis orientations are given by the coordinate system selected in the Coordinate System Selection section.
•
A value or expression for the Volume reference Temperature Tref which is the temperature at which there are no thermal displacements in the rigid connector..
•
Constraints and Thermal Expansion in the Structural Mechanics Modeling chapter.
•
Thermal Expansion of Constraints in the Structural Mechanics Theory chapter.
Location in User Interface
Context Menus
 Shell>Rigid connector>Thermal Expansion
Ribbon
Physics tab with Rigid connector node selected in the model tree:
Attributes>Thermal Expansion