Thermo-mechanical response of tension panels under intense rapid heating

The temperature dependence of the fracture strength of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy was determined under rapid heating (0.02–.50 sec) conditions by exposing thin-section specimens to intense surface irradiation while under constant tensile load. When combined with a numerical thermal analysis and an appropriate limit analysis, these data enabled accurate prediction of the heating time required to produce ductile fracture in spot irradiated tension panels. The transient heat transfer model employed in the computations incorporated material removal due to melting, temperature-dependent material properties, and convection/radiation losses.