Coupled thermoelastic analysis of beam structures using a refined 1D finite element model

In this paper, static and dynamic problems in the framework of coupled and uncoupled thermoelasticity are analyzed. A refined one-dimensional (1D) model, based on the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF), is employed to provide accurate predictions for the displacement and temperature change fields within homogeneous isotropic structures under thermal loadings. This approach offers the distinct advantage of transforming the complex three-dimensional (3D) problem into a computationally efficient 1D model, ensuring a balance between precision and reduced computational costs. This work introduces generalized theories of thermoelasticity, specifically based on the Lord-Shulman and Green-Lindsay models. Other cases such as static, quasi-static and dynamic can be seen as particular cases of this generalized formulation. The study focuses on a simplified configuration, employing variable kinematics models, such Lagrange polynomial and Taylor expansion functions. Numerical solutions and convergence studies are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the formulation.