Thermal stress in materials heated internally by radiation absorption

Abstract

Analysis and results are reported for thermal stress in materials heated internally by radiation absorption. Two modes of heating are considered: radiation suddenly applied from one side and held constant thereafter, and radiation incident from one side but having a periodic variation in time. In both cases it is found that the radiation absorption coefficient plays a large role in determining the thermal stress, and conclusions are drawn concerning desirable optical thicknesses. With periodic heating, the stress can cycle between tensile and compressive values. This phenomenon could be especially significant for materials prone to cyclic fatigue failure.