What is thermal stress?

Thermal stress develops when a material is heated or cooled but cannot freely expand or contract. For a fully constrained member: σ = E × α × ΔT, where E is elastic modulus, α is the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and ΔT is the temperature change.

What is the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)?

CTE (α) measures how much a material expands per degree of temperature change. Steel: ~12×10⁻⁶/°C, Aluminum: ~23×10⁻⁶/°C, Copper: ~17×10⁻⁶/°C, Stainless steel: ~17×10⁻⁶/°C.

When does thermal stress occur?

Thermal stress occurs when expansion is constrained: pipes fixed at both ends, rails welded continuously, dissimilar materials bonded together, thick sections with temperature gradients, or any structure restrained from free movement.

How can thermal stress be reduced?

Use expansion joints or loops in piping, allow sliding supports, choose materials with lower CTE, reduce ΔT with insulation, or use flexible connections. In bimetallic systems, match CTE values as closely as possible.

Is thermal stress always compressive when heating?

Yes, for a fully constrained member heated uniformly. The material tries to expand but cannot, so internal compressive stress develops. Cooling causes tensile stress. The sign depends on whether expansion or contraction is restrained.

Herramienta de ingeniería gratuita

Calculadora de esfuerzo térmico

Calcule la tensión térmica σ = E × α × ΔT para un miembro completamente restringido sometido a un cambio de temperatura.

σ = E·α·ΔTMiembro restringido#169

Ajuste preestablecido de material

Módulo elástico E (GPa)

CTE α (×10⁻⁶ /°C)

Cambio de temperatura ΔT (°C)

Preajustes rápidos

Resultados

Tensión térmica σ

—

Deformación térmica ε

—

Tipo de Tensión

—

Tensión térmica en miembros restringidos

Valores comunes de CTE

Material	E (GPa)	α (×10⁻⁶/°C)
Acero al carbono	200	12
Acero inoxidable 304	193	17.3
Aluminio 6061	69	23.6
Cobre	117	16.6
Titanio	114	8.6
Latón	100	19

Categories:

Vibromera

Fabricante de balanceros de rotores portátiles profesionales y analizadores de vibraciones. Envíos a todo el mundo y soporte de ingenieros.

R. Nova da Madorninha 152, 4460-376 Sra. da Hora, Portugal

IVA (Portugal): PT314539760

LUCID (Alemania): DE4462352769937

Tienda

Soporte

Contacto

+372 5836 4849

[email protected]

Póngase en contacto →

Idiomas de soporte: English · Deutsch · Русский · Español

Pagos:

VISA MC AMEX STRIPE PAYPAL BANK

Envíos a todo el mundo vía DHL · UPS · EMS

Balanset-1A · €1975 Ask engineer