The Collapse of Titanium C-Column Due to Thermal Compression

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Structural Analysis

Background:

• Predicting structural strength at high temperatures is crucial.
• Experimental data is essential for understanding material behavior under thermal stress.
• Thin-walled structures, particularly columns, are susceptible to buckling at elevated temperatures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the buckling and post-buckling behavior of thin-walled titanium C-columns at elevated temperatures.
• To determine the load-carrying capacity of titanium columns under thermal compression.
• To compare experimental results with finite element method (FEM) calculations.

Main Methods:

• Experimental compression tests on titanium C-columns at various temperature increments.
• Non-contact Digital Image Correlation Aramis® System (DICAS) for deformation measurement.
• Finite element method (FEM) simulations using Green-Lagrange equations for large deflections and strains.

Main Results:

• Titanium's linear expansion coefficient remained stable up to 300 °C, unlike its mechanical properties.
• Elevated temperatures significantly decrease the maximum load capacity of thin-walled titanium columns.
• A 175 K temperature rise reduced the maximum load by 50% compared to ambient conditions.

Conclusions:

• Varying material properties with temperature critically influence column behavior and load capacity.
• Thin-walled titanium columns exhibit substantially reduced strength in high-temperature environments.
• Critical buckling loads are lower than maximum loads for columns under elevated thermal conditions.