Thermal Expansion of a Laminated Composite Shell

Application ID: 67281


Composite materials are often used in structural applications, where the ability to tailor properties such as stiffness and strength make them attractive compared to traditional engineering materials. In addition to structural applications, composites are also used in applications where both thermal and structural properties are important. An example is silicon wafers used in the electronics industry. Consequently, coupled thermal-structural analyses of thin structures is becoming increasingly important from a simulation standpoint.

In this example, a laminated composite shell subjected to a deposited beam power heat source is analyzed from thermal and structural points of view. The layerwise theory based approach is used to model the structural part of the shell. The effect of the position of a heat source on the stress and deformation profiles is studied.

In COMSOL Multiphysics, a structural analysis of a layered material can be carried out using the Layered Shell interface available in the Composite Materials Module. The thermal analysis of a layered material can be carried out using the Heat Transfer in Shells interface available in the Heat Transfer Module.

This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products: