Thermo-mechanical analysis using a multiphysics approach

In the paper the Cell Method, a discrete method for solving partial differential equations, is applied to a time dependent thermo-mechanical problem. The basic equations are developed with a multiphysics approach and results, both in two-dimensional and tree-dimensional models, are presented. By means of the comparison with finite element approach, some advantages of the proposed methodology are highlighted, in particular quick model construction, capability to separate thermal strain from the mechanical one and, as a consequence, the capability to model the strain and stress evolution in a time dependent problem, considering possible mutual effects between thermal and mechanical fields.