SS-V: 4000 Thermally Loaded Support Structure

Test No. VTL01 Find stresses in a support stucture with a rigid beam, steel, and copper bars subjected to load and uniform temperature rise.

Definition

The steel bar material properties are:
Properties
Value
Modulus of Elasticity
30.e+6 psi
Coefficient of thermal expansion
70.e-7 in/in-F
Copper bar correspondingly
16.e+6 psi and 92.e-7 in/in-F

Total load applied to the rigid beam is 4000 lbf with a temperature change of 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The bars have cross-sectional area 0.1 inch2 and length 20 inch.

Structure components are simulated by solids. Dimensions of the support bars are 20 x 0.5 x 0.2 inch, rigid beam are 12 x 1 x 1 inch. The rods are equally spaced at a distance of 5 inch. Rigid beam is simulated as an absolutely rigid body.

Results

Stress Ref Solution SimSolid % Difference
Steel [psi] 19695.0 19700.0 0.03%
Copper [psi] 10152 10151 -0.01%


Figure 1. Rigid beam


Figure 2. Distribution of max principal stress in the structure
1 S. Timoshenko, Strength of Material, Part 1, Elementary Theory and Problems, 3rd Edition, D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., New York, NY, 1955, pg. 30, problem 9.