ANSYS – Sample 2-D BracketRev.6/9/06

Preparation
Make a sketch of the structure
Choose your global reference frame
Calculate the coordinates of keypoints
Look up material properties, thickness.
ANSYS Setup
Create a directory for your ANSYS files
Login and execute ANSYS from the START Menu – CAD Programs/ ANSYS 9/ ANSYS
Change jobname, title, directory, and Output File
Set Preferences - Structural, h-code
[PlotCtrls] >Zoom/Pan/Rotate
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Create Model

Define Model Elements

>Preprocessor

>Element Type >Add/Edit/Delete

[Add] (Solid, Quad 8 node 82)

[Options…](Plane stress w/ thickness)

>Real Constants[Add]<OK>THK (0.5)

>Material Properties(enter or select from library)

>Material Model >Structural >Linear >Elastic >Isotropic

EX(3e7)

NUXY(0.27)<Exit>

Create Rectangles

>Modeling >Create >Areas >Rectangle >By Dimensions

X1, X2( 0, 6 )(horiz range)

Y1, Y2( -1, 1 ) [Apply](vert range)

X1, X2( 4, 6 ) (horiz range)

Y1, Y2( -1, -3 ) <OK>(vert range)[Save_db]

[PlotCtrls] >Numbering >Area numbers (On) <OK>

[PlotCtrls] >Pan, Zoom, Rotate > [ • ](Zoom Out)

Create Circles

[WorkPlane] >WP Settings > (Create a coord system for creating geometry)

Polar / Grid & Triad

Snap Increment(0.1)<OK>

>Modeling >Create >Areas >Circle >Solid Circle

Pick circle center point:(Click inside window. Hold button down)

Move arrow until:WPX = 0, WPY = 0 (Origin of Working Plane)

Click at center, drag until:Radius = 1.0<OK>

[WorkPlane] >Offset WP to >Keypoints

Pick Keypoints:(lower left and right corners)<OK>

>Modeling >Create >Areas >Circle >Solid Circle

Pick circle center point:(Click inside window. Hold button down)

Move arrow until:WPX = 0, WPY = 0

Click at center, drag until:Radius = 1.0<OK>

[Save_db] or [File] > Save as: bracket1.db

Create Fillet

[PlotCtrls] > Numbering > Line Numbers(On) <OK>

[WorkPlane] >Display Working Plane (toggle off)

>Preprocessor

>Modeling >Create >Lines >Line Fillet

Pick intersecting lines: (1, 8) <OK>(2 lines intersecting at corner)

(RAD:0.4 )

 Error Message!

“Lines 1 and 8 do not share a common Keypoint”

Create a New Line

[PlotCtrls] > Numbering > Keypoint Numbers(On) <OK>

[Plot] > Lines(Note: line numbers are located in center of each line)

>Modeling >Create >Lines>Lines >Straight Lines

Enter on the Command Line the Keypoints defining the new line

(12 CR)

( 8 CR)

Create Fillet – (again)

>Modeling >Create >Lines >Line Fillet

Pick intersecting lines: (17, 8) <OK>(2 lines intersecting at corner)

(RAD:0.4 ) <OK>

Create Fillet Area

[Pan, Zoom, Rotate] > [Box Zoom](Click & drag box to select area around fillet)

>Modeling >Create >Areas – Arbitrary> By Lines

Pick Lines bounding fillet area(Note: must have 3 lines joining corner & tang pts)

( You may have to create another line segment )

[Pan, Zoom, Rotate] > [Fit]

[Plot] > Areas

[Save_db] or [File] > Save as: bracket2.db

Add Areas – Boolean Operation

>Modeling >Operate >Boolean >Add >Areas

Pick: areas<OK>(Click inside all 5 areas )

Create Holes

[WorkPlane] >Display Working Plane

>Preprocessor

>Modeling >Create >Areas >Circle > Solid Circle

Pick center point:(WPX = 0, WPY = 0) (Workplane coordinates)

(Rad = .4 ) <OK>(Click & drag to size)

[WorkPlane] >Offset WP to >Global Origin

>Modeling >Create >Areas >Circle > Solid Circle

Pick center point:(WPX = 0, WPY = 0) (Workplane coordinates)

(Rad = .4 ) <OK>(Click & drag to size)

[WorkPlane] >Display Working Plane (toggle off)

[Plot] > Replot

[Plot] > Lines

[Save_db] or [File] > Save as: bracket3.db

Subtract Holes – Boolean Operation

>Modeling > Operate >Boolean >Subtract > Areas

Pick: base area: (bracket )[Apply]

Pick: both holes: <OK>

[File] > Save as: bracket4.db

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Mesh Model

Automatic Mesh Generation

>Preprocessor

>Meshing >Size Controls > Manual Size >Global >Size

SIZE(0.5)<OK>

>Meshing >Mesh > Areas >Free

Pick bracket area:<OK>

Re-do Mesh

>Meshing > Clear

Pick area(bracket)<OK>

[Plot] > Areas

( Try different mesh size, etc)

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Solution

Apply Boundary Constraints

>Solution

[Plot] > Lines

>Define Loads > Apply >Structural >Displacement >On Keypoints

Pick 4 Keypoints around the upper hole<OK>

DOFs constrained:All DOF

Displacement Value:0

Expand displacement to nodes?:Yes<OK>

(Applies same constraint to nodes between KP)

Apply Loads

>Solution

>Define Loads > Apply >Pressure >On Lines

Lower Circle:

Pick line on lower left quarter circle[Apply]

ValueI:(50)

ValueJ:(500)[Apply](Tapered pressure distribution)

Pick line on lower right quarter circle[Apply]

ValueI:(500)

ValueJ:(50)<OK>(Reverse pressure distribution)

[Save_db]

Solve Current Load Set

>Solution

>Solve >Current LS <OK>

(Note: Complete results are stored in results file: jobname.rst )

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Postprocessing

Deformed Shape

>General Postprocessor

>Plot Results >Deformed Shape

(Select Deformed and Undeformed Shape)

[PlotCtrls] > Style > Displacement Scaling >(Rescale plot)

User Specified(400)

Replot<OK>

Stress Contours

>Plot Results >Contour Plot >Nodal Solution

Select: (Stress) –Scroll to: ( von Mises)

Scale Factor:(blank)

(Def shape only)

Interpolation Nodes:(Corners only)

Eff Nu(0)<OK>

Element Plot

[PlotCtrls] > Numbering >

Elem / Attrib(Element Numbers)

Numbers shown with(Colors only)

Replot<OK>

Plot Input Data

Meshed model with node numbers

Line model with loads and constraints

List Results Tables

>General Postprocessor

>List Results > Nodal Solution, Element Solution, and Reaction Solution

(All items )<OK>

List input data

[List] Nodal coordinates, elements, properties, real constants, loads, constraints

[File] >Print

or...[File] >Save as:(send to file: jobname.out)

Select "All DOF"<Apply>(display table of results)

[File] >Printlp -d CB230ps

or...[File] >Copy to Output File(send to file: jobname.out)

>Plot Element Solution

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Other ANSYS Features

Dependent Constraints

>Preprocessor

>Couple / ceqn

0 = -1*4Y + 0.2*4XAngled constraint: at node 4, displ in Y dir. equals

0.2* displ in X dir. (i.e. positive slope)

0 = -1*4X + 1*3XPin joint: coincident nodes 3 and 4 move together in the

0 = -1*4Y + 1*3YX and Y dir, but rotate independently

Screen Capture

[PlotCtrls] >Hard Copy

Send to default printer: lp -d CB230ps

Print a Table or a Help File

[File] >Print(Use File option in the table window)

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ANSYS Help and File Management

Help

Help - Table of Contents - WorkbookSample Problems

Help - Table of Contents - Procedures Manual

Sec. 2.4 Typical ANSYS Analysis

Sec. 11.2 General Postprocessor

Sec. 12.5 Creating Graphs

App. A File Management

Help – plane82(description of 8 node quad elements)

Files

Look in your ANSYS directory.

jobname.dbDatabase file - your ANSYS input data

jobname.dbbBackup of database file - created when you do a Save-db

jobname.ematElement matrices

jobname.errError/warning log

jobname.esavSaved element data

jobname.logCommand history - complete record of commands used in a session

jobname.outANSYS Output file

jobname.rstANSYS Results file