Open Access

ARTICLE

Thermal Expansion Characteristic of Prestressed Single Helical Structure

Cao Guohua, Li Kai, Zhu Zhencai, Peng Weihong, Mao Xianbiao

Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences 2012, 83(4), 403-424. https://doi.org/10.3970/cmes.2012.083.403

Abstract

In order to master the geometric and mechanical behavior of helical structure under complicated condition such as the hoisting rope in mine shaft and the transmitting cable in electric power, the thermal expansion characteristic of single helical structure is systematically investigated under temperature effect in different layer. Linearly explicit expressions of axial strain and increment of helical angle for the helical unit of the ith layer are developed. Based on theory of curve by Love and theory of wire rope by Costello, the linearly explicit expressions of tension, torsion and bending moment of the helical unit are presented. After that, the linear expressions of deformation and thermal expansion coefficients for the single helical structure are proposed under two boundary conditions. For further evaluating the analytical expressions, the finite element model of the single helical structure is established by using the ABAQUS software package. The analytical method is accordant to the numerical method by comparison. Thus, the analytical method is applied to analysis multilayer structures. The results show that the thermal expansion coefficients are the nonlinear function for the parameters of helical angle, and these coefficients could be approximately considered as linear functions for the ratio of temperature increment under two boundary conditions; the geometric and mechanical behaviors of helical unit in different layer have linear relation with temperature increment, and these characteristics are influenced obviously by boundary condition. The thermal expansion characteristic of helical twist structure is obtained, which is useful to investigate geometric and mechanical behavior of complicated helical structures.

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