Note: This discussion is about an older version of the COMSOL Multiphysics® software. The information provided may be out of date.

Discussion Closed This discussion was created more than 6 months ago and has been closed. To start a new discussion with a link back to this one, click here.

How to plot deformation due to heat flux

Nicholas Goldring Certified Consultant

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Hello everyone.

I currently have a model where I have a significant heat flux through one side of a block(Si/Cu) and I would like to see how the structure of the block changes due to this heat flux. In addition to heat transfer in solids I have added solid mechanics to the study however I can't seem to find anything within solid mechanics that will let me plot this deformation. I essentially want to see the deformation of the boundary in which the heat flux is occurring. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

5 Replies Last Post 11 mai 2016, 11:49 UTC−4
Nicholas Goldring Certified Consultant

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Posted: 9 years ago 11 mai 2016, 10:34 UTC−4
I think I'm looking for something along the lines of "thermal stress", I'm not sure if this is included in 4.2a.
I think I'm looking for something along the lines of "thermal stress", I'm not sure if this is included in 4.2a.

Jeff Hiller COMSOL Employee

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Posted: 9 years ago 11 mai 2016, 10:38 UTC−4
Hello Nicholas,
Thermal expansion is a capability that is found in the Structural Mechanics Module and in the MEMS Module. If your license includes either of those products, you can turn it on by right clicking on the "Linear Elastic Material" node in the model builder. See for instance the busbar tutorial in the Introduction to COMSOL Multiphysics manual for an example that uses that capability.
Best regards,
Jeff
Hello Nicholas, Thermal expansion is a capability that is found in the Structural Mechanics Module and in the MEMS Module. If your license includes either of those products, you can turn it on by right clicking on the "Linear Elastic Material" node in the model builder. See for instance the busbar tutorial in the Introduction to COMSOL Multiphysics manual for an example that uses that capability. Best regards, Jeff

Nicholas Goldring Certified Consultant

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Posted: 9 years ago 11 mai 2016, 10:48 UTC−4

Hello Nicholas,
Thermal expansion is a capability that is found in the Structural Mechanics Module and in the MEMS Module. If your license includes either of those products, you can turn it on by right clicking on the "Linear Elastic Material" node in the model builder. See for instance the busbar tutorial in the Introduction to COMSOL Multiphysics manual for an example that uses that capability.
Best regards,
Jeff


Thanks Jeff, I did finally notice that. I don't believe that my license includes thermal expansion. Under structural mechanics, I only have the option for Solid Mechanics. However, given that I already have my Heat Transfer in Solids study completed, is there a way for me to see the deformation of my geometry due to heat flux via the addition of Solid Mechanics? Trying to plot the von Mises stress via solid mechanics yields nothing.
[QUOTE] Hello Nicholas, Thermal expansion is a capability that is found in the Structural Mechanics Module and in the MEMS Module. If your license includes either of those products, you can turn it on by right clicking on the "Linear Elastic Material" node in the model builder. See for instance the busbar tutorial in the Introduction to COMSOL Multiphysics manual for an example that uses that capability. Best regards, Jeff [/QUOTE] Thanks Jeff, I did finally notice that. I don't believe that my license includes thermal expansion. Under structural mechanics, I only have the option for Solid Mechanics. However, given that I already have my Heat Transfer in Solids study completed, is there a way for me to see the deformation of my geometry due to heat flux via the addition of Solid Mechanics? Trying to plot the von Mises stress via solid mechanics yields nothing.

Jeff Hiller COMSOL Employee

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Posted: 9 years ago 11 mai 2016, 11:32 UTC−4
No, your model currently does not include thermal expansion so the mechanical problem and the thermal problem are decoupled in that sense (There could of course be some other coupling such as through temperature-dependent mechanical material properties, etc, but that's not what we're discussing here).

As it stands, when you plot deformations/stresses/strains, all you will see are deformations/stresses/strains caused by forces/stresses applied to the structures or any displacement BCs you have applied, if any; none caused by thermal expansion. If you have no force/stresses/displacement BCs applied, then you will not get any deformation in the structure, hence you should be seeing an "all green" Von Mises stress plot (meaning uniform - at zero).
Best,
Jeff
No, your model currently does not include thermal expansion so the mechanical problem and the thermal problem are decoupled in that sense (There could of course be some other coupling such as through temperature-dependent mechanical material properties, etc, but that's not what we're discussing here). As it stands, when you plot deformations/stresses/strains, all you will see are deformations/stresses/strains caused by forces/stresses applied to the structures or any displacement BCs you have applied, if any; none caused by thermal expansion. If you have no force/stresses/displacement BCs applied, then you will not get any deformation in the structure, hence you should be seeing an "all green" Von Mises stress plot (meaning uniform - at zero). Best, Jeff

Nicholas Goldring Certified Consultant

Please login with a confirmed email address before reporting spam

Posted: 9 years ago 11 mai 2016, 11:49 UTC−4

No, your model currently does not include thermal expansion so the mechanical problem and the thermal problem are decoupled in that sense (There could of course be some other coupling such as through temperature-dependent mechanical material properties, etc, but that's not what we're discussing here).

As it stands, when you plot deformations/stresses/strains, all you will see are deformations/stresses/strains caused by forces/stresses applied to the structures or any displacement BCs you have applied, if any; none caused by thermal expansion. If you have no force/stresses/displacement BCs applied, then you will not get any deformation in the structure, hence you should be seeing an "all green" Von Mises stress plot (meaning uniform - at zero).
Best,
Jeff

That is certainly the case; It sounds like I will need Thermal Expansion. Thanks for your quick help!
[QUOTE] No, your model currently does not include thermal expansion so the mechanical problem and the thermal problem are decoupled in that sense (There could of course be some other coupling such as through temperature-dependent mechanical material properties, etc, but that's not what we're discussing here). As it stands, when you plot deformations/stresses/strains, all you will see are deformations/stresses/strains caused by forces/stresses applied to the structures or any displacement BCs you have applied, if any; none caused by thermal expansion. If you have no force/stresses/displacement BCs applied, then you will not get any deformation in the structure, hence you should be seeing an "all green" Von Mises stress plot (meaning uniform - at zero). Best, Jeff [/QUOTE] That is certainly the case; It sounds like I will need Thermal Expansion. Thanks for your quick help!

Note that while COMSOL employees may participate in the discussion forum, COMSOL® software users who are on-subscription should submit their questions via the Support Center for a more comprehensive response from the Technical Support team.