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Solid Mechanical anylsis with thermal strain and predefined temperature Field

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Hello,

I want to do a mechanical 2D-simulation of a section whose temperature field I have determined in an earlier simulation. I cannot couple the heat transfer and the mechanical simulation, due to different dimensions of the two simulations.

I have been able to import my temperature field into COMSOL from an Excel file, as an interpolated function temp(t,r), where t is the time and r = sqrt(x^2 + y^2). Now I just want to have a purely mechanical simulation. I have tried the following: 1. Have a Solid and a Heat Transfer in Solid Model + Thermal Coupling and Thermal Expansion. Problem: a. There is no “Prescribed Temperature Domain” for Heat Transfer that I could apply to have the heat transfer simulation at the same temperature. b. When I set Heat Transfer → Solid1 → Temperature → Userdefined to temp(r,t) this is simply ignored and in the result the temperature is the reference temperature 2. Not having a heat transfer model but only have a Solid Mechanics Model + Thermal Expansion (with coupled Interface Heat Transfer: none) and setting the Temperature of this Thermal Expansion to temp(t,r)

And similar approaches. None of them and are simply ignored. So my humble question:

How to do a pure Solid Mechanic simulation with thermal expansion with given temperature field?

Thanks and best regards

Achim



1 Reply Last Post Feb 4, 2019, 11:07 a.m. EST
Henrik Sönnerlind COMSOL Employee

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Posted: 5 years ago Feb 4, 2019, 11:07 a.m. EST

Hi Achim,

If there the temperature is prescribed, just skip Heat Transfer in Solids, and add a Thermal Expansion subnode under Linear Elastic Material.

Your statement

I cannot couple the heat transfer and the mechanical simulation, due to different dimensions of the two simulations

however hints that there may be another way than file import for transferring the temperature. An extrusion coupling can be an alternative. This is very useful if you for example is solving one part of the problem in 2D axisymmetry, and another part in 3D.

Regards,
Henrik

-------------------
Henrik Sönnerlind
COMSOL
Hi Achim, If there the temperature is prescribed, just skip *Heat Transfer in Solids*, and add a **Thermal Expansion** subnode under **Linear Elastic Material**. Your statement > I cannot couple the heat transfer and the mechanical simulation, due to different dimensions of the two simulations however hints that there may be another way than file import for transferring the temperature. An extrusion coupling can be an alternative. This is very useful if you for example is solving one part of the problem in 2D axisymmetry, and another part in 3D. Regards, Henrik

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