On the use of temperature-dependent physical properties in thermomechanical calculations for solid and hollow cylinders

The use of temperature-dependent physical properties in estimating the thermoelastic response of cylinders and tubes is assessed. A computational model in cylindrical polar coordinates is constructed for this purpose. The model incorporates experimental data to describe the temperature dependency of the modulus of elasticity E, the Poisson's ratio ν, the yield strength σ0, the coefficient of thermal expansion α, and the thermal conductivity k of steel. Various numerical examples, including plane strain and generalized plane strain problems, are handled. The predictions are compared to those that assume: (1) constant Poisson's ratio ν, (2) constant ν and linear variations for E, σ0, α, and k, (3) constant E, α, k, and ν, and variable yield strength σ0, (4) constant properties for all. It is shown that, for reliable solutions to thermoelastic problems, the variations of E, σ0, α, and k with temperature must be taken into account. The inclusion of temperature vs. Poisson's ratio data into the model, though, is not of vital importance.