Kelvin Effect
The Kelvin Effect is an engineering phenomenon that explains the behavior of elastic and rigid components that are exposed to high temperature changes. The effect was first described by Lord Kelvin, who was a 19th century British physician, mathematician, and physicist. The phenomenon describes the increase in working stress of a component as its temperature increases. This can often lead to fatigue failure and ultimately fracture of a component as its temperature is increased beyond its capabilities.
The Kelvin Effect is most commonly seen in many of the components that are used in modern engineering structures such as, aircrafts, structural girders, and bridges. Components of these structures are constantly subjected to fluctuating temperatures due to seasonal, daily and even minute-to-minute changes. The Kelvin Effect is most commonly seen in these components when they experience sudden temperature changes. This is because when the temperature of a component changes rapidly, the component will experience a change in its internal stress or strain. This additional stress or strain can exceed the components ability to withstand such an increase, leading to eventual failure.
The Kelvin Effect is caused by the material’s inherent property of thermal expansion. This means that the material expands and contracts by a certain amount when it is heated or cooled. The differences in expansion between materials causes them to deform in a predictable manner when their temperature changes. As the material is heated, it tends to stretch and become longer in length. This elongation causes a corresponding increase in the components working stress. As the component is heated further, its working stress increases significantly beyond its design values leading to eventual failure.
In order to prevent the Kelvin Effect from occurring, engineers have developed numerous strategies to mitigate its effects. One such strategy involves the use of materials that have a low coefficient of thermal expansion. This means that when the components temperature increases or decreases, the material will not deform or expand to the same degree as materials with higher coefficients. This can effectively reduce the components working stress and decrease the likelihood of failure.
The Kelvin Effect is also mitigated through design considerations. This involves the careful selection of materials and components that have the capability to withstand significant temperature changes. Most materials and components that are used for structural design purposes have their working stresses assumed to remain unchanged when exposed to changing temperatures. However, if the temperatures of a component are known to vary above and below certain values, engineers need to consider the additional working stresses that may be induced due to the Kelvin Effect.
In conclusion, the Kelvin Effect is an engineering phenomenon that explains the behavior of elastic and rigid components when they are exposed to high temperature changes. It is caused by the materials natural thermal expansion and can often lead to fatigue failure and eventually fracture of a component when the temperature is increased beyond its capabilities. Engineers can use materials with low thermal expansion and design considerations to mitigate the effect of the Kelvin Effect and can make components more resilient to varying temperatures.