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ANSYS Coupled Thermal/Structural

ANSYS Coupled Thermal/Structural

ANSYS Coupled Thermal/Structural

(OP)
I have a coupled thermal/structural problem that I am currently working on and am interested in opinions on the viability of ANSYS for this application.

A simplified description of the problem would be a geometry made up of two concentric cylinders with a gap between them. An electrical current is flowing through the inner cylinder and generating heat. As a result the temperature of the cylinder is increasing, the cylinder is expanding, and the gap between the cylindrical surfaces is closing. There is a point where contact is made and we need to examine the structural implications of that contact.

Since the initial gap is fairly large, and there is a significant temperature difference between the surfaces we have some degree of free convection which transitions to contact resistance when the gap closes.

The analysis is complicated by the fact that there are structural loads on the inner cylinder. These loads are independent of the thermal expansion and can themselves influence the position of the cylinder and the gap size. In reality the gap can vary circumferentially such that the cylinders are no longer concentric and there is contact on one side and not the other.

The primary simplification in the above is the geometry description. The bodies are in fact not perfect cylinders and the gaps and cross-sections vary axially and radially along the components. As a result a 3D model is required.

Essentially what is needed is a coupled analysis that will account for the thermal expansion as well as displacements caused by structural loadings. Is ANSYS capable of dealing with this sort of problem? The demos we've seen on multiphysics make it look can be effectively modeled but I'm wondering if anyone has any real-world experience here.

Thank you,
Less A.

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