COMPUTER AND NUMERICAL MODELING OF THE THERMOMECHANICAL STATE OF BIMETALLIC STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS

Abstract

The article addresses the mathematical modeling of the stress-strain and elastic-plastic states of two-layer bimetallic strips, which are important structural elements of rolling equipment operating at elevated temperatures.The relevance of this study is determined by the widespread use of bimetals in zones of intensive friction and dynamic loading, where high wear resistance, thermal stability, and efficient use of scarce materials are required, as well as accurate prediction of their behavior under complex physical-mechanical factors and operational conditions.A numerical model is proposed that accounts for different types of structural clamping of the strips (rigid, partial, free) and a non-uniform temperature distribution across the thickness, approximated by a power function. The model implements discretization of the two-layer composite into a finite number of elementary volumes, for each of which temperatures, deformations, and normal stresses are calculated, taking into account linear thermal expansion and material yield limits. Special attention is given to the implementation of iterative algorithms for adjusting the length and curvature of the strips depending on boundary conditions (zero force or moment). A system analysis approach is used, and a parametric 3D model developed in a CAD system enables comprehensive evaluation of structural behavior, detailed visualization of results, and optimization of geometric and material parameters. Graphical results of the numerical simulation demonstrate the non-monotonic nature of stress and deformation distribution across the thickness. The proposed model can be effectively used for the design and optimization of bimetallic components in rolling equipment, as well as for detailed analysis of thermomechanical processes in composite and multilayer materials of various technical applications.