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Re: [Vo]:Question regarding basic solid mechanics and one directional applied stress

David Jonsson
Mon, 05 May 2008 03:02:33 -0700

Hi

This is a traditional basic question in solid mechanics and there is nothing
special with it.

I am interested in the earth crust and bore holes in it. Gravity is causing
vertical stress on the crust but it is not obvious if the horizontal stress
is positive or negative.

One problem is if the crust can expand sideways and thus have a horizontal
stress or if the geometry only allows isotropic contraction as would be the
case if a sphere is shrinking.

If we assume a negative horizontal stress what would the stress be around a
vertical hole in the ground? The radial stress on the surface of the hole
would be zero so there would be a gradient on the radial stress from the
surface and into the rock which is identical to a volumetric force.
Volumetric forces cause adiabatic heat gradients which means the measured
temperature in the bore hole is different from that in the rock deeper into
the walls of the hole. In order to calculate this non heat conducting
(adiabatic) heat gradient I need to know the potential  function of the
displacement of the atoms in the crystals. Since silicon dioxide is the
dominant component of the crust I will focus on such crystals.

There is a bore hole in Poland where the temperature is dropping with
increasing depth. This would indicate a positive horizontal stress. It can
not be explained with the dominant theory of heat conduction from the
interiors of the earth.

David

On Sun, May 4, 2008 at 11:25 PM, R C Macaulay <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

>  Howdy David,
> A brain teaser question. The answer is yes if you accept that expansion
> and contraction actually occurs depending on the materials of the cylinder.
> Mention of the cylinder being solid presents another teaser. Certain solids
> "react" to being stressed. Predictive science of materials is become the
> cutting edge technology whereas in the past we used empirical tests alone.
> LIke non-invasive quality control tests, predictive science is what the
> Russians face in discovering what is happening with their  Soyuv space
> capsule re-entry problems. You may be working on that task so I wish you
> well.
> You may set up a testing method of proving that the stress caculated is
> indeed negative by building a sorta makeshift " air comparison picnometer"
> of  a version used for density measurement of dry drilling mud. Fun stuff.
> Richard
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* David Jonsson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> *To:* vortex-l@eskimo.com
> *Sent:* Sunday, May 04, 2008 3:36 PM
> *Subject:* [Vo]:Question regarding basic solid mechanics and one
> directional applied stress
>
> Hi
>
> If I put a wheight on a vertical cylinder it will be shortened and its
> radius will be somewhat increased. I wonder if the radial increase is
> considered a negative stress in radial direction?
>
> Is the stress tensor something like this?
>
>      -a  0  0
> T=  0  0  0
>       0  0  b
>
> Where a and b are positive values and the coordinates are cylindrical *ρ*,
> *φ*, *z* (ISO 31-11).
>
> David
>
>
>


-- 
David Jonsson
Sweden
phone callto:+46703000370