The Thermal Stress, Solid Interface
The Thermal Stress, Solid () interface combines a Solid Mechanics interface with a Heat Transfer in Solids interface. The coupling occurs on the domain level, where the temperature from the heat transfer interface acts as a thermal load for the solid mechanics interface, causing thermal expansion. Optionally, effects from thermoelastic damping and inelastic dissipation can be used as heat sources in the heat transfer analysis.
When a predefined Thermal Stress, Solid interface is added from the Structural Mechanics branch () of the Model Wizard or Add Physics windows, Solid Mechanics and Heat Transfer in Solids interfaces are added to the Model Builder.
In addition, the Multiphysics node is added, containing the multiphysics coupling Thermal Expansion.
On the Constituent Physics Interfaces
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The Solid Mechanics interface is described in The Solid Mechanics Interface.
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The Heat Transfer in Solids interface is described in The Heat Transfer in Solids Interface.
For information about the constitutive equations including thermal expansion in the section dealing with the theory background, see Structural Mechanics Theory.
Settings for Physics Interfaces and Coupling Features
When physics interfaces are added using the predefined couplings (for example, Thermal Stress, Solid), specific settings are included with the physics interfaces and the coupling features.
However, if physics interfaces are added one at a time, followed by the coupling features, these modified settings are not automatically included.
For example, if single Solid Mechanics and Heat Transfer in Solids interfaces are added, an empty Multiphysics node appears in the model tree. You can choose Thermal Expansion from the available coupling features, but the settings in the constituent interfaces are not modified.
Table 15-1: Modified Settings for a Thermal Stress, Solid interface.
Physics Interface or Coupling Feature
Modified Settings
Solid Mechanics
For the Solid Mechanics interface, under Structural Transient Behavior the Structural transient behavior is set to Quasi static.
Thermal Expansion
The Domain Selection is the same as that of the participating physics interfaces.
The corresponding Solid Mechanics and Heat Transfer in Solids interfaces are preselected in the Coupled Interfaces section.
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Fuel Cell Bipolar Plate: Application Library path Structural_Mechanics_Module/Thermal-Structure_Interaction/bipolar_plate
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Thermal Expansion in a MEMS Device: Application Library path MEMS_Module/Sensors/thermal_expansion