Thermal shock is the fast, shock-like change of temperature of a material or component, leading to mechanical stresses between the outer and inner part of the material, as heat is transferred resp. conducted faster on the surface than inside. If the developing stresses exceed a critical value the material is damaged.
Merkle & Partner calculate the transient temperature fields by means of CFD analysis (calculation of the heat transmission coefficients) or FEM analysis (use of averaged heat transmission coefficients e.g. from the VDI Association of German Engineers heating atlas) and defines the transient stress curves with a following, thermo-mechanical analysis TMA (thermoelastic or thermoplastic).
Any non-linear behaviour (e.g. temperature dependency of material parameters, contact, radiation) can be taken into account here.
Thermal shock with hot components on contact with cold media (LNG loading, exhaust systems when driving though a puddle), cold components with hot media (pumps), cleaning of heat exchangers with cold water, evaporation of small drops of water at combustors etc.
Optimization of LNG loading arms
Heat exchangers with evaporation
ANSYS, ABAQUS
Here you can find the complete software and hardware by Merkle & Partner.