Any advice or recommendation to avoid overstress due to thermal effect in structures?

[MauricioC]

Currently I am designing a steel structure for a furnace around 7m x 7m x 4m. The whole structure is fixed to a concrete slab and the outer surfaces reach a temperature around 50 Celsius with a heat convection of 10 W/m2-C with air. The roof of the structure is bearing a load around 6 ton distributed over all the surfaces. Without the thermal effects the structure is strong enough to withstand with the roof loads, but when I include the thermal phenomena the Von Mises stress just increase a lot, specially in the anchoring base plates of the structure.
May you give me some advices or recommend me some lectures or sources to look for strategies to avoid those stress concentrations due to temperature in baseplates when you have a complete fixed condition?.

 

[SWComposites]

add local insulation.
check the boundary conditions at the column bases; if rigidly attached it may be too stiff vs reality. add fastener flexibility to the connection to ground.
50C is not all that hot. do you have a thermal contour map of the entire structure?

 

[3DDave]

If one looks at exhaust mufflers, the key is to never rigidly attach them. Allow the structure to expand with slots or hinges and use springs to constrain motion. Similar methods are used in bridges to manage expansion and contraction.

 

[MadisonCameron]

Consider using materials with higher thermal conductivity and lower coefficient of thermal expansion to minimize the effects of temperature differentials. Certain grades of steel, such as stainless steel or heat-resistant alloys, may be more suitable for high-temperature applications. Install thermal insulation materials around the furnace structure to reduce heat transfer to the steel components. This can help mitigate temperature differentials and minimize thermal stresses. Perform a detailed finite element analysis (FEA) of the steel structure, taking into account thermal loads and boundary conditions. This analysis can help identify areas of high stress concentration and inform design modifications to mitigate thermal stresses.

 

[Luceid]

GPT? ^

 

[MadisonCameron]

A part of it I got from GPT, but mostly I used online resources.

 

[LittleInch]

Consider flexible mounts or maybe using Belleville washers. The analysis will assume absolute rigidity unless you tell it otherwise in the feet fixing.



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[Mayank511]

You can provide fins on the surface for better heat dissipation.

 

[desertfox]

Hi MauricioC

Are you considering thermal effects in both the horizontal and vertical planes or just in one of them?

“Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater.” Albert Einstein

 

[LittleInch]

This is the prgram assuming that your steel feet are absolutely rigid and do not move under any circumstances or forces.

Add even a few mm of movement / springs / flex in the base plate and your problems should go away.

Lots of good options noted above.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.