Thermal Expansion
Equation
The change in length of a beam is given by:Where:
| is the change in length (m); | |
| is the beam length (m); | |
| is the beam material's coefficient of thermal expansion (m/m.K); | |
| is the length of the beam (K); |
Thermal Expansion Values
Typical coefficients of thermal expansion are given below for a selection of materials.
| Material | Coefficient of Thermal Expansion [10-6 m/m.K] |
| Carbon Steel | 11.40 |
| Austenitic Stainless Steel | 16.81 |
| Copper | 17.16 |
| Aluminium | 23.03 |
| Cast Iron | 10.36 |
| Ductile Iron | 10.83 |