Mech Insight

Thermal stress Thermal stress can be defined as that stress which is generated as a result of constraint imposed on the body to constrain it's free expansion or contraction due to change in temperature. It is a mechanical stress which lead to fracture or plastic deformation of body depending upon variables like heating, type of material etc. You should not be confused with the generation of these stresses as there is misconception that on either heating or cooling these stress generate. But this is not the case, thermal stress only generated when there is a constrain imposed on the body which will not allow its dimensions increase or decrease with heating involved. Thermal stress does not generate when there is free expansion or contraction. If you want to understand this concept just recall the basic definition of stress, what is stress? Stress is the resistive force per unit area generated inside the body as result of an external applied load. So in this case thermal stress is n...