Problem 5.53 - Thermal Deformation

Problem Statement

Three cylindrical rods of lengths L1 = 0.12 m, L2 = 0.1 m, and L3 = 0.08 m are connected together. A force F = 15 kN is applied to the free end and all three rods are heated by 120 °C. The coefficient of thermal expansion, α, and elastic modulus, E, for each material are αA = 10 x 10-6 /°C, αB = 5 x 10-6 /°C, αC = 7 x 10-6 /°C, EA = 40 GPa, EB = 120 GPa, and EC = 80 GPa. What is the total deflection of the right rod tip?

Three cylindrical rods are rigidly connected togehter with a load applied to the free end. The left hand side is connected to the wall and is attached to rod A. Rod B is attached to rod A on the left and rod C on the right. The load is applied to the free end of rod C. The diameter of rod A is 3 cm, the diameter of rod B is 1 cm, and the diameter of rod C is 2 cm.

Figure 1: Three cylindrical rods are rigidly connected togehter with a load applied to the free end.

[Problem adapted from © Kurt Gramoll CC BY NC-SA 4.0]