FFT Thermoelastic Solutions for Moving Heat Sources

Abstract

An analytical frequency domain solution is obtained using the spatial Fourier transform for thermal and thermoelastic fields due to an arbitrary heat source or thermal distribution moving at constant speed over the surface of an insulated, traction free elastic half space. Conversions between the space and frequency domains for the input and output are performed efficiently and robustly using FFT techniques. The method is validated by comparison to the analytical result for the moving line heat source in which it is shown that numerical evaluation of the analytical solution is problematic for large speeds or distances from the heat source. The utility of the method is illustrated on the constant patch moving heat source and discretely distributed multiple heat sources known as the “hot spot” problem. It is shown, through several examples, that the effect of hot spots on surface displacement and tangential stress is small. Finally, this conclusion is generalized by quantifying the frequency domain solution for the moving heat source problem as a low pass filter.