Effect of Thermal Gradient on Steady State Creep in a Rotating Disc of Variable Thickness

The steady state creep in a rotating FGM disc having linearly varying thickness has been analyzed in the presence of linear thermal gradient. The disc is made of composite containing silicon carbide particles (SiCp) in a matrix of pure aluminium. The content of SiCp in the disc decreases non-linearly from the inner to the outer radius. The distributions of stresses and strain rates, resulting due to disc rotation, have been estimated by imposing various forms of linear thermal gradient in the FGM disc. The results are also estimated from a similar FGM disc but operating at a constant temperature, estimated by averaging the thermal gradient imposed in the disc. The results indicates that the tangential stress increases near the inner radius but decreases towards the outer radius and the radial stress increases throughout when the FGM disc is assumed to operate under a linear thermal gradient. However, the strain rates in the FGM disc decreases significantly in the presence of thermal gradient as compared to those observed in the FGM disc operating at a constant average temperature.