N09: Thermal Expansion to Close a Gap

An aluminum-alloy bar is initially at a temperature of 70 degrees F. Calculate the stress in the bar after it has been heated to 170 degrees F. The supports are assumed to be rigid. There is a gap between the support and the end joint of the bar. The gap distance is 0.002 in.

The material properties for the bar are:

Modulus of Elasticity = 10,500,000 psi

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion = 0.0000125

The section property for the bar is:

Axx = 1.0 in2

The finite element model consists of 1 truss element and 1 nonlinear foundation element with built-in gap and spring. The spring stiffness is arbitrarily selected at a high value. Nonlinear static analysis is performed.

Tested Features

Sources

LARSA 4D
Swanson Analysis Systems, "ANSYS Verification Problems Manual".