ANSYS Tutorial

How to approach a structural analysis

problem with the help of ANSYS

By Claude Daley

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 ANSYS Tutorial
Preliminary Notes:
1) ANSYS is a Finite Element analysis program
running in Windows. ANSYS has several
‘interfaces’ and ‘levels’. ANSYS can model a wide
variety of continua. We will just focus on static
structural problems.
2) ANSYS can be run by providing input is in the form
of text files that define terms or run ANSYS
features, in a specific sequence. All comments in
the text file start with a "!". Some commands start
with a "/", many do not.
3) ANSYS can be run in a fully interactive mode,
creating the model with the various model
generation tools that can be selected from menus.
This tends to be more cumbersome than creating
a text file, but for simple models may be quickest.
Also it is possible to create some of the model in a
CAD package (eg Rhino), and import the essential
form into ANSYS for final meshing and analysis.
4) ANSYS can also be run in a batch mode, or by a
macro language.

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Problem 1: Simple Cantilever

We have a simple cantilever attached to a ridged support.

The cantilever is a flat plate, oriented vertically, and loaded vertically at the end.
The dimensions are L=1000 mm , h=200 mm, t=10 mm.
The static load of is acting vertically right at the end.

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 ANSYS Tutorial
Problem 1: Simple Cantilever

The FE model will only contain the physical material of the cantilever.
The support and the load are modeled as boundary conditions.
The “finite element” model will be a set of connected finite elements filling
the problem “domain”.

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 ANSYS Tutorial
Problem 1: Simple Cantilever
The steps in FE modeling begin with sketching the problem. The ‘model’ is described to
ANSYS using a CAD language (points, lines areas, volumes). The CAD model is
called the ‘solid’ model. ANSYS then constructs the ‘finite element’ model by
‘meshing’ the CAD model with previously defined elements. Loads are attached to
the FE model and it is ready for solving.

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ANSYS Tutorial Problem 1: Input Text

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 ANSYS Tutorial
Problem 1: Input Text (2)

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 ANSYS Tutorial
Problem 1: Input Text (3)

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Problem 1: Steps to run text file
1: start ANSYS

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Problem 1: Steps
2: Set directory

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Problem 1: Steps 3: Select ‘run’ directory
(the one with the input file)

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 ANSYS Tutorial
Problem 1: Steps 4: Select ‘read input from’

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Problem 1: Steps 5: Select input file

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Problem 1: Steps 6: If all is ok in the input file
The solution will run to completion

This run has only preprocessing and solution

- no post processing!

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 ANSYS Tutorial
Problem 1: Steps

7: select the General

post-processor

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Problem 1: Steps

8: Plot Contour plot

of Nodal solution
of x-component of stress

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 ANSYS Tutorial
Problem 1: Steps
9: Plot of x-component of stress

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