Change the stress-free temperature

The stress-free temperature is the temperature at which no residual stresses are present in the material. This is important to consider for a Thermal Stress analysis, especially if the material is in operation at a temperature well below the stress-free temperature. At temperatures below the stress-free level, a material can accumulate residual stresses that could potentially impact the life of the part.

By default, the stress-free temperature is set to 20°C. To adjust the stress-free temperature:

1. Right-click the Thermal Stress study in the browser and select Settings. The Settings can also be accessed from the Toolbar (MANAGE > Settings).
2. Adjust the default stress-free temperature as required.
3. Click OK.

Note: You can also access the settings while creating a study. To do so: Click the Settings icon in the upper right corner of the large image in the New Study dialog to specify settings for the analysis.