Learning Forum

[cheyenne.hua]

Hello, is there a way to set the initial temperature for a static structural analysis using the output of a steady state thermal analysis?  All the tutorials I found can only link the temperature result of the steady state thermal analysis as a LOAD, which I do not want.  I want to say that my assembly starts at zero stress and strain while the parts have some temperature distribution (a lot higher than room temperature), then at step 1, I bring all the parts to room temperature and see cooling effects.  But linking in the temperature distribution as a LOAD is making my assembly start at room temperature and then expand at step 1, which is wrong.  Using the body-specific reference temperatures sort of works, but giving each body a different reference temperature results in discontinuities at the bonded contacts, which I am trying to avoid.

I can think of several applications of this setup: deformation after cooling after heat is applied locally to a weld joint to anneal it; modeling assembly stresses from a shrink fit; an assembly that is put together with some parts at different temperatures and some parts having a temperature gradient within the body.  I hope there is a way to do this because it seems like a not-too-contrived use case, any help is appreciated! 

[Dennis Chen]

Consider doing a coupled field analysis.   Looking up it's capabilities would be a good first step. 

[cheyenne.hua]

Thanks for the tip! I tried it out and I'm still not understanding how to make it start with a temperature distribution and zero stress and strain.  This is what I am inputting.

I want temperature to start at 120 F but only for some faces.  

Then after they have been cooled to room temperature, I put a pressure load on the assembly.

I have set the initial temperature of the rest of the bodies to room temperature.

Problem is my stress starts high.  But if it were truly an initial temperature, the stress would start at 0 and increase from t=0 to t=1 as the assembly cools.