The fundamental equations in finite element method of coupled thermo-elastic plane problem

Abstract

The fundamental equations in finite element method for unsteady temperature field elastic plane problem are derived on the bases of variational principle of coupled thermoelastic problems. In these derivations, elastic plane is divided into three nodes triangular elements, and time interval is divided into linear time elements, in which all the variables, including displacements and temperatures at various nodal points, are varied linearly with time. Two coupled sets of linear algebraic equations of all the unknown displacements and temperatures at every nodal point in every instant (i.e. the terminal values of time elements) are obtained. They are the fundamental equations of the said problem.

The total energy in elastic body not only contains the potential energy and heat energy but also contains the kinetic energy, if the rate of change of temperature field with respect to the time in thermoelastic problem is large enough. And the change of displacement is included in the equations of heat conduction. For this reason the variational principle of coupled thermoelastic problems is employed. [1] In this paper, expressions of this principle for plane problems are given. The discretization is carried on then, and Hamilton's action and the potential action of heat flow of elements are derived. Finally they are assembled, so as to get the polar value of the action. And thus the groups of linear algebraic equations in matrix form are obtained.