Thermo-mechanical analysis for a historic statue based on a CFD-FEA coupled modeling method

• A CFD-FEA model was proposed for thermo-mechanical analysis of a historic statue. • The interaction between the statue and the surrounding environment was assessed. • Environmental factors were considered simultaneously within the coupled model. • Effects of environmental factors on thermo-mechanical behavior were quantified. The thermo-mechanical effect on historic stones, so-called “insolation weathering”, is a significant cause of stone decay. A 3D transient CFD-FEA coupled model is established to characterize and visualize the thermo-mechanical effect on a historic stone statue, while environmental factors including solar radiation, wind, and air temperature are taken into account. In this model, the CFD module is applied to perform thermal analysis between the statue and its surrounding environment, while the FEA module is applied to perform thermal and stress analyses on the statue. The established model is then applied to perform transient analysis for the statue, and effects of the environmental factors are evaluated by sensitivity analysis. Values for wind speed, solar radiation intensity, and air temperature applied in the model are chosen based on typical weather conditions in summer. Thermal results of the transient analysis show that heat is firstly radiated to surface of the statue, so the maximum temperature in the statue is recognized on the surface. The heat on the surface then partly dissipates into the air, and partly conducts to the interior. Mechanical results of the analysis show that regions with higher deformation constraints have higher maximum principal stress values, and those directly exposed to wind have higher surface pressure. The sensitivity analysis shows that higher solar radiation intensity and air temperature result in higher solid temperatures and higher maximum principal stress values. Higher wind speed results in lower solid temperature and lower maximum principal stress values. This work proves that the CFD-FEA coupled modeling method is a useful tool to quantitively investigate thermo-mechanical effects on historic stones.