HyperX supports thermal analysis both both with respect to analysis temperature - which determines everything from proper allowables in failure methodology to stiffness terms written to an updated FEM - and proper consideration of thermal loads coming from FEA.
HyperX ensures accurate analysis at any temperature through a variety of capabilities. Thermal Loads are read in from the FEM and Analysis Temperatures are defined per Design Load Case, either manually or by directly reading the correct temperature from the FEM. Optionally, analysis temperatures can even be defined on a Zone-by-Zone basis via Temperature Profiles. These Analysis Temperatures determine which Material properties are used during Sizing/Analysis.
With respect to Thermal Load Cases themselves, Thermal Help and Hurt factors can be implemented across an entire structure or on a Zone-by-Zone basis. This allows HyperX to account for thermal loads more appropriately than running ETW and RTD cases independently.
Thermal Loads are read from nodes or elements. TEMPP1 and TEMPRB entries are imported for shell and beam elements, respectively. Thermal entries define element temperate and through-thickness thermal gradients.
Note
For Abaqus, temperatures are read from the results file using the EL FILE with the TEMP option.
Analysis Temperatures are specified per Design Load Case. These determine which Material properties are used during Sizing and Analysis.
These can be overridden via Temperature Profiles to define Analysis Temperatures on a Zone-by-Zone basis.
All Material properties are temperature dependent and Analysis Temperature determines which properties are used. This ensures both stiffness formulations AND allowables are temperature dependent when necessary.
For Composite Materials, additional temperature Correction Factors (equation-based and tabular) can be applied to ply and laminate-based strength analysis.
User-Defined Load Factors are used to scale up (or down) the applied load according to design specifications.
The Load Factors can be applied on the Zone-level and are then combined with the Design Load Case Factors for that Zone upon analysis. These factors are defined per-Zone in the Zone Settings Form under Loads>FEA Load Factors. Default Factors for an entire Database or Project can also be defined.
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Mechanical Limit - Applies to mechanical loads for limit margins of safety.
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Mechanical Ultimate - Applies to mechanical loads for ultimate margins of safety.
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Thermal Hurt/Help - Applies to thermal loads for both limit and ultimate margins of safety.
Thermal Hurt and Help Factors are applied simultaneously to both the limit and ultimate margins of safety. The worst case is returned and Analyzed/Sized to. Typically, the Thermal Hurt Factor is 1.0 and the Thermal Help Factor is 0.8.
Note
This ensures that the superimposed thermal loads will never increase the margins of safety, but the entire penalty incurred by thermal loads is fully accounted for.
This is more appropriate to use than running ETW and RTD cases independently and using the lowest MS. Because if the ETW case has the lower MS, even if thermal helps and is ignored, the ETW properties are used.