ANSYS - Structural Analysis/FEA

2D truss with inclined support and support settlement

http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/moalqahtani/Solved%20Tutorial%20in%20ME%20407/Tutorial%201.pdf

Problem: Analyze the 2D truss as shown below. All the members have cross-sectional
area of 5000 mm2 and are made of steel with Youngs modulus 200000 MPa. The
settlement at support B is 10 mm. The roller at C is on a floor 45 from horizontal
direction.
(a)

If the applied force P is 200 kN, determine the member forces and stresses.

(b)

Determine the maximum value of P in which the maximum member force does
not exceed 600 kN.

2P
P

P
F

P/2

L = 3000 mm

45
= 10 mm

Step 1: Start up & Initial Set up

Start ANSYS
Set Working Directory
Specify Initial job name: 2DTruss
Set Preferences: Structural
Set the unit system to SI by typing in /units, SI in the command line.
Check the output window for the units in SI system.
Step 2: Element Type and Real Constants
Specify element type: Main Menu > Preprocessor> Element Type > Add/Edit/Delete > Add
Pick Link in the left field and 2D Spar 1 in the right field. Click OK.
Click Close.
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Real Constants > Add/ Edit/ Delete, and click ADD
Enter the cross-sectional area as 5000E-6 m2
Click OK. Click Close.
Step 3: Material Properties
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Material Props > Material Models > Structural > Linear >
Elastic > Isotropic
Enter the Elastic modulus as 200Ee9 (Pa).
Save your work
File > Save as Jobname.db
Step 4: Modeling
Create Keypoints
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Keypoints > In Active CS
Enter the keypoint number and coordinates of each keypoint. Click Apply after each input.
Click OK when finish.
Note that: If the keypoint number is not blank, the program will automatically use the
smallest available number (that has not yet been specified)
Create Lines from Keypoints
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Lines > Lines >Straight Line
2

Select the two keypoints to be joined by the line.

Continue the same to construct lines.
Step 5: Meshing
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Meshing > Mesh Tool
There will be a Mesh Tool window pop up. In the third section Size Controls >Lines
Click Set.
Select Pick All.
Another window pops up. Enter the number of element divisions (NDIV) as 1. Click OK.
In the Mesh Tool pop up (fourth section), Mesh: Lines. Click Mesh.
Select Pick All
Then close the Mesh Tool window.
To see node and element numbering, use: Plot Ctrls >Numbering>Node Numbers and Plot
Ctrls >Numbering >Element/Attr Numbering
Choose Plot > Elements to see the elements and the nodes
Step 6: Specify Boundary Conditions & Loading
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Loads > Define Loads > Apply > Structural > Displacement >
On Nodes
Now select point A.
Select ALL DOF in the box showing DOF to be constrained.
Set Value as 0
Click Apply
Select point B. Constrain UY and set displacement value to -10e-3 m. Click OK.
Since the roller at point C is 45 from global x axis. We cannot apply the support directly.
We need to create a local coordinate system at point C in the orientation of the support.
Work Plane > Local Coordinate Systems > Create Local CS > By 3 Nodes
Read the instruction at the bottom of ANSYS window. It says Pick or enter 3 nodes: origin,
X axis and XY plane.
Choose the nodes in that order by clicking node 3, 5and 2, respectively (See figure below).
Note that node 5 defines the direction of the x-axis and node 2 defines the xy plane. The
direction of y-axis is perpendicular to the x-axis toward node 2.
3

After you clicked the 3 nodes, there will be a pop up window asking for Reference number of
new CS and its type. The Reference number starts at 11 by default. Choose Cartesian CS.
Click OK.
Select List > Other > Local Coord Sys. You can see that the Active CS is now CS no. 11
(which is the local CS we just created). CS number 0 to 6 are global CS. Check the origin and
orientation of CS 11.

Now we have to rotate the orientation of node 3 from global CS to the local CS
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Move/Modify > Rotate Node CS > To Active CS
Pick node 3. Click OK
Next, constrain UX at node 3. Check the orientation of the triangle at node 3 (Plot > MultiPlots).
Apply Loading:
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Loads > Define Loads > Apply > Structural > Force/Moment >
On Nodes
Now select Node 4 and 6
In the menu that appears, select FY for Direction of force.
Enter -200e3 for Force/ moment value.
Click Apply.
Similarly, you can apply other forces.
You can check your applied loads by from the graphic window or
List > Load > Forces > On All Nodes
Step 7: Solve
Main Menu > Solution > Solve > Current LS
Click OK
Step 8: Post Processing
Plot Deformed Shape
Main Menu > General Postproc > Plot Results > Deformed Shape
Select Deformed+Undeformed
Click OK

Animate the Deformation

PlotCtrls > Animate > Deformed Shape
List Member Forces & Stresses
Main Menu > General Postproc > Element Table > Define Element Table > Add >
Select By Sequence number in the left list box, and SMISC in the right list box. Type 1
after the comma in the box at the bottom of the window.
Click Apply
For member stresses, choose By Sequence num> LS, 1
Main Menu > General Postproc > Element Table > List Element Table >
Select SMIS1 and LS1
Click OK
Now you can see the element forces and the stresses .

List the Deflections and Reaction Forces

Main Menu > General Postproc > List Results > Nodal Solution
Click DOF Solution and in the sub-list select Displacement vector sum
Click OK

Main Menu > General Postproc > List Results > Reaction Solution
Select All Items or All Structural Forces
Click OK
(b)
From (a), the maximum member force (consider both from compression and tension) for P
equal to 200 kN is 1146.4 kN. Since this is an elastic problem, you can find the maximum P
that the member forces do not exceed 600 kN simply by

Pmax = 200 600 = 104.7 kN

1146.4