Thermal

Thermal loads on 3D members elements can either be uniform giving rise to a uniform thermal strain across the member or element, or variable with temperature specified at each node of an element.

When loads are applied to members, they will be automatically expanded to load the appropriate finite elements.

Definition

Name

The name is only used as a convenient way of identifying a load.

Entity type

This specifies whether a list of members or elements will be used to define which entities the load will be applied onto.

In sculpt: The entity type is set to either members or elements based on what is in the current selection set.

Entity list The list of elements to which the load is to be applied.

In sculpt: The entity list is set to the 3D members or elements in the current selection set. The entity list cannot be edited in the dialog.

Load case

This is the load case in which the load applies. The load case gives a way of grouping load effects together.

Load type

The user has a choice of the type of loading applied to the members or elements.

• Uniform – uniform load applied over the whole of the member or element
• General – load which varies over the whole element. This option is only available when the entity type is set to element.

Temperature

The magnitude of the temperature change as required by the load type.