Learning Forum

[Jayakrishna]

I am calculating thermal-elastic-viscoplastic strains in a solidifying material. 

Thermal strain was calculated using the isotropic secant coefficient of thermal expansion. 

I extracted the strain values using equivalent elastic strain, equivalent plastic strain, equivalent total strain and thermal strain.

I observed that, 

Equivalent Total Strain = Equivalent Elastic Strain + Equivalent Plastic Strain.

Thermal strain was not included in the Equivalent total strain because the results of thermal strain were based on orientation (X, Y and Z

axis) whereas elastic and plastic are in equivalent form. 

In the manual, it is mentioned that an equivalent thermal strain can be calculated using Von-Mises equation.

Is there any way to calculate the Equivalent thermal strain? Why only thermal strain was like that and the rest of all are in equivalent form?

If I understand the concept incorrectly, please correct me. 

Thank you.

[Jayakrishna]

Please, somebody can help to understand this issue.

[peteroznewman]

If I have a transient thermal analysis to compute the temperature distribution in the body, I can import the results at the end time into a Static Structural model which can compute the Equivalent Elastic Strain from the CTE and the temperature distribution.  I can make the Static Structural model be a two-step analysis and in step 2, I can apply a pressure load and create some additional elastic strain.

   

You can insert a User Defined Result to compute the total equivalent strain which includes thermal and elastic.