ANSYS Utilities

An introduction to using ANSYS, including a quick explanation of the stages of analysis, how to
start ANSYS, and the use of the windows in ANSYS, and using Pro/ENGINEER with ANSYS.

 Introduction to Finite Element Analysis

A brief introduction of the 3 stages involved in finite element analysis.
 Starting up ANSYS
How to start ANSYS using windows NT and Unix X-Windows.
 ANSYS Environment
An introduction to the windows used in ANSYS
 ANSYS Interface
An explanation of the Graphic User Interface (GUI) in comparison to the command file
approach.
 Convergence Testing
This file can help you to determine how small your meshing elements need to be before
you can trust the solution.
 Saving/Restoring Jobs
Description of how to save your work in ANSYS and how to resume a previously saved
job.
 ANSYS Files
Definitions of the different files created by ANSYS.
 Printing Results
Saving data and figures generated in ANSYS.
 Working with Pro Engineer
A description of how to export geometry from Pro/E into ANSYS.
 Introduction
ANSYS is a general purpose finite element modeling package for numerically solving a wide
variety of mechanical problems. These problems include: static/dynamic structural analysis (both
linear and non-linear), heat transfer and fluid problems, as well as acoustic and electro-magnetic
problems.

In general, a finite element solution may be broken into the following three stages. This is a
general guideline that can be used for setting up any finite element analysis.

1. Preprocessing: defining the problem; the major steps in preprocessing are given below:
o Define keypoints/lines/areas/volumes
o Define element type and material/geometric properties
o Mesh lines/areas/volumes as required

The amount of detail required will depend on the dimensionality of the analysis (i.e. 1D,
2D, axi-symmetric, 3D).

2. Solution: assigning loads, constraints and solving; here we specify the loads (point or
pressure), contraints (translational and rotational) and finally solve the resulting set of
equations.
3. Postprocessing: further processing and viewing of the results; in this stage one may
wish to see:
o Lists of nodal displacements
o Element forces and moments
o Deflection plots
o Stress contour diagrams
 Starting up ANSYS

Starting up ANSYS
Large File Sizes
ANSYS can create rather large files when running and saving; be sure that your local drive has space for
it.

Getting the Program Started

In the Mec E 3-3 lab, there are two ways that you can start up ANSYS:

1. Windows NT application
2. Unix X-Windows application

Windows NT Start Up
Starting up ANSYS in Windows NT is simple:

 Start Menu
 Programs
 ANSYS 5.7
 Run Interactive Now

Unix X-Windows Start Up

Starting the Unix version of ANSYS involves a few more steps:

 in the task bar at the bottom of the screen, you should see something labeled X-Win32. If you
don't see this minimized program, you can may want to reboot the computer, as it automatically
starts this application when booting.
 right click on this menu and selection Sessions and then select Mece.
 you will now be prompted to login to GPU... do this.
 once the Xwindows emulator has started, you will see an icon at the bottom of the screen that
looks like a paper and pencil; don't select this icon, but rather, click on the up arrow above it and
select Terminal
 a terminal command window will now start up
 in that window, type xansys57
 at the UNIX prompt and a small launcher menu will appear.
 select the Run Interactive Now menu item.
 ANSYS 7.0 Environment
The ANSYS Environment for ANSYS 7.0 contains 2 windows: the Main Window and an Output
Window. Note that this is somewhat different from the previous version of ANSYS which made
use of 6 different windows.

1. Main Window

Within the Main Window are 5 divisions:

a. Utility Menu

The Utility Menu contains functions that are available throughout the ANSYS
session, such as file controls, selections, graphic controls and parameters.

b. Input Lindow

The Input Line shows program prompt messages and allows you to type in
commands directly.
 c. Toolbar

The Toolbar contains push buttons that execute commonly used ANSYS
commands. More push buttons can be added if desired.

d. Main Menu

The Main Menu contains the primary ANSYS functions, organized by

preprocessor, solution, general postprocessor, design optimizer. It is from this
menu that the vast majority of modelling commands are issued. This is where you
will note the greatest change between previous versions of ANSYS and version
7.0. However, while the versions appear different, the menu structure has not
changed.

e. Graphics Window

The Graphic Window is where graphics are shown and graphical picking can be
made. It is here where you will graphically view the model in its various stages of
construction and the ensuing results from the analysis.

2. Output Window

The Output Window shows text output from the program, such as listing of data etc. It is
usually positioned behind the main window and can de put to the front if necessary.
 ANSYS Interface
Graphical Interface vs. Command File Coding
There are two methods to use ANSYS. The first is by means of the graphical user interface or
GUI. This method follows the conventions of popular Windows and X-Windows based
programs.

The second is by means of command files. The command file approach has a steeper learning
curve for many, but it has the advantage that an entire analysis can be described in a small text
file, typically in less than 50 lines of commands. This approach enables easy model
modifications and minimal file space requirements.

The tutorials in this website are designed to teach both the GUI and the command file approach,
however, many of you will find the command file simple and more efficient to use once you
have invested a small amount of time into learning the code.

For information and details on the full ANSYS command language, consult:

Help > Table of Contents > Commands Manual.

 FEM Convergence Testing

Introduction
A fundamental premise of using the finite element procedure is that the body is sub-divided up into
small discrete regions known as finite elements. These elements defined by nodes and interpolation
functions. Governing equations are written for each element and these elements are assembled into a
global matrix. Loads and constraints are applied and the solution is then determined.

The Problem
The question that always arises is: How small do I need to make the elements before I can trust the
solution?

What to do about it...

In general there are no real firm answers on this. It will be necessary to conduct convergence tests! By
this we mean that you begin with a mesh discretization and then observe and record the solution. Now
repeat the problem with a finer mesh (i.e. more elements) and then compare the results with the
previous test. If the results are nearly similar, then the first mesh is probably good enough for that
particular geometry, loading and constraints. If the results differ by a large amount however, it will be
necessary to try a finer mesh yet.

The Consequences
Finer meshes come with a cost however: more calculational time and large memory requirements (both
disk and RAM)! It is desired to find the minimum number of elements that give you a converged
solution.

Beam Models
For beam models, we actually only need to define a single element per line unless we are applying a
distributed load on a given frame member. When point loads are used, specifying more that one
element per line will not change the solution, it will only slow the calculations down. For simple models
it is of no concern, but for a larger model, it is desired to minimize the number of elements, and thus
calculation time and still obtain the desired accuracy.

General Models
In general however, it is necessary to conduct convergence tests on your finite element model to
confirm that a fine enough element discretization has been used. In a solid mechanics problem, this
would be done by creating several models with different mesh sizes and comparing the resulting
deflections and stresses, for example. In general, the stresses will converge more slowly than the
displacement, so it is not sufficient to examine the displacement convergence.
 ANSYS: Saving and Restoring Jobs

Saving Your Job

It is good practice to save your model at various points during its creation. Very often you will get to a
point in the modeling where things have gone well and you like to save it at the point. In that way, if you
make some mistakes later on, you will at least be able to come back to this point.

To save your model, select Utility Menu Bar -> File -> Save As Jobname.db. Your
model will be saved in a file called jobname.db, where jobname is the name that you specified
in the Launcher when you first started ANSYS.

It is a good idea to save your job at different times throughout the building and analysis of the
model to backup your work incase of a system crash or other unforseen problems.

Recalling or Resuming a Previously Saved Job

Frequently you want to start up ANSYS and recall and continue a previous job. There are two methods
to do this:

1. Using the Launcher...

o In the ANSYS Launcher, select Interactive... and specify the previously defined
jobname.
o Then when you get ANSYS started, select Utility Menu -> File -> Resume
Jobname.db .
o This will restore as much of your database (geometry, loads, solution, etc) that you
previously saved.
2. Or, start ANSYS and select Utitily Menu -> File -> Resume from... and select your
job from the list that appears.
 ANSYS Files

Introduction
A large number of files are created when you run ANSYS. If you started ANSYS without specifying a
jobname, the name of all the files created will be FILE.* where the * represents various extensions
described below. If you specified a jobname, say Frame, then the created files will all have the file
prefix, Frame again with various extensions:

frame.db

Database file (binary). This file stores the geometry, boundary conditions and any solutions.

frame.dbb

Backup of the database file (binary).

frame.err

Error file (text). Listing of all error and warning messages.

frame.out

Output of all ANSYS operations (text). This is what normally scrolls in the output window during
an ANSYS session.

frame.log

Logfile or listing of ANSYS commands (text). Listing of all equivalent ANSYS command line
commands used during the current session.

etc...

Depending on the operations carried out, other files may have been written. These files may
contain results, etc.

What to save?
When you want to clean up your directory, or move things from the /scratch directory, what files do
you need to save?

 If you will always be using the GUI, then you only require the .db file. This file stores the
geometry, boundary conditions and any solutions. Once the ANSYS has started, and the
jobname has been specified, you need only activate the resume command to proceed from
where you last left off (see Saving and Restoring Jobs).
 If you plan on using ANSYS command files, then you need only store your command file and/or
the log file. This file contains a complete listing of the ANSYS commands used to get you model
to its current point. That file may be rerun as is, or edited and rerun as desired (Command File
Creation and Execution).

If you plan to use the command mode of operation, starting with an existing log file,
rename it first so that it does not get over-written or added to, from another ANSYS
 Printing and Plotting ANSYS Results to a File

Printing Text Results to a File

ANSYS produces lists and tables of many types of results that are normally displayed on the screen.
However, it is often desired to save the results to a file to be later analyzed or included in a report.

1. Stresses: instead of using 'Plot Results' to plot the stresses, choose 'List Results'. Select 'Elem
Table Data', and choose what you want to list from the menu. You can pick multiple items.
When the list appears on the screen in its own window, Select 'File'/'Save As...' and give a file
name to store the results.
2. Any other solutions can be done in the same way. For example select 'Nodal Solution' from the
'List Results' menu, to get displacements.
3. Preprocessing and Solution data can be listed and saved from the 'List' menu in the 'Utility Menu
bar'. Save the resulting list in the same way described above.

Plotting of Figures
There are two major routes to get hardcopies from ANSYS. The first is a quick a raster-based screen
dump, while the second is a scalable vector plot.

1.0 Quick Image Save

When you want to quickly save an image of the entire screen or the current 'Graphics window', select:

 'Utility menu bar'/'PlotCtrls'/'Hard Copy ...'.

 In the window that appears, you will normally want to select 'Graphics window', 'Monochrome',
'Reverse Video', 'Landscape' and 'Save to:'.
 Then enter the file name of your choice.
 Press 'OK'

This raster image file may now be printed on a PostScript printer or included in a document.

2.0 Better Quality Plots

The second method of saving a plot is much more flexible, but takes a lot more work to set up as you'll
see...

Redirection
Normally all ANSYS plots are directed to the plot window on the screen. To save some plots to a file, to
be later printed or included in a document or what have you, you must first 'redirect' the plots to a file
by issuing:

'Utility menu bar'/'PlotCtrls'/'Redirect Plots'/'To File...'.

Type in a filename (e.g.: frame.pic) in the 'Selection' Window.
Now issue whatever plot commands you want within ANSYS, remembering that the plots will
not be displayed to the screen, but rather they will be written to the selected file. You can put as
many plots as you want into the plot file. When you are finished plotting what you want to the
file, redirect plots back to the screen using:

'Utility menu bar'/'PlotCtrls'/'Redirect Plots'/'To Screen'.

Display and Conversion

The plot file that has been saved is stored in a proprietary file format that must be converted into a
more common graphic file format like PostScript, or HPGL for example. This is performed by running a
separate program called display. To do this, you have a couple of options:

1. select display from the ANSYS launcher menu (if you started ANSYS that way)
2. shut down ANSYS or open up a new terminal window and then type display at the Unix
prompt.

Either way, a large graphics window will appear. Decrease the size of this window, because it most likely
covers the window in which you will enter the display plotting commands. Load your plot file with the
following command:
file,frame,pic
if your plot file is 'plots.pic'. Note that although the file is 'plots.pic' (with a period), Display wants
'plots,pic'(with a comma). You can display your plots to the graphics window by issuing the command
like

plot,n
where n is plot number. If you plotted 5 images to this file in ANSYS, then n could be any number from 1
to 5.

Now that the plots have been read in, they may be saved to printer files of various formats:

1. Colour PostScript: To save the images to a colour postscript file, enter the following commands
in display:
2. pscr,color,2
3. /show,pscr
4. plot,n

where n is the plot number, as above. You can plot as many images as you want to postscript
files in this manner. For subsequent plots, you only require the plot,n command as the other
options have now been set. Each image is plotted to a postscript file such as pscrxx.grph, where
xx is a number, starting at 00.

Note: when you import a postscript file into a word processor, the postscript image will
appear as blank box. The printer information is still present, but it can only be viewed
when it's printed out to a postscript printer.
 Printing it out: Now that you've got your color postscript file, what are you going to do
with it? Take a look here for instructions on colour postscript printing at a couple of sites
on campus where you can have your beautiful stress plot plotted to paper, overheads or
even posters!

5. Black & White PostScript: The above mentioned colour postscript files can get very large in size
and may not even print out on the postscript printer in the lab because it takes so long to
transfer the files to the printer and process them. A way around this is to print them out in a
black and white postscript format instead of colour; besides the colour specifications don't do
any good for the black and white lab printer anyways. To do this, you set the postscript color
option to '3', i.e. and then issue the other commands as before
6. pscr,color,3
7. /show,pscr
8. plot,n

Note: when you import a postscript file into a word processor, the postscript image will appear
as blank box. The printer information is still present, but it can only be viewed when it's printed
out to a postscript printer.

9. HPGL: The third commonly used printer format is HPGL, which stands for Hewlett Packard
Graphics Language. This is a compact vector format that has the advantage that when you
import a file of this type into a word processor, you can actually see the image in the word
processor! To use the HPGL format, issue the following commands:
10. /show,hpgl
11. plot,n

Final Steps

It is wise to rename these plot files as soon as you leave display, for display will overwrite
the files the next time it is run. You may want to rename the postscript files with an '.eps'
extension to indicate that they are encapsulated postscript images. In a similar way, the HPGL
printer files could be given an '.hpgl' extension. This renaming is done at the Unix commmand
line (the 'mv' command).

A list of all available display commands and their options may be obtained by typing:

help

When complete, exit display by entering

Finish
Finite Element Method using Pro/ENGINEER and ANSYS
Notes by R.W. Toogood

The transfer of a model from Pro/ENGINEER to ANSYS will be demonstrated here for a simple
solid model. Model idealizations such as shells and beams will not be treated. Also, many
modeling options for constraints, loads, mesh control, analysis types will not be covered. These
are fairly easy to figure out once you know the general procedures presented here.

Step 1. Make the part

Use Pro/E to make the part. Things to note are:

 be aware of your model units

 note the orientation of the model (default coordinate system in ANSYS will be the same as in
Pro/E)
 IMPORTANT: remove all unnecessary and/or cosmetic features like rounds, chamfers, holes,
etc., by suppressing them in Pro/E. Too much small geometry will cause the mesh generator to
create a very fine mesh with many elements which will greatly increase your solver time. Of
course, if the feature is critical to your design, you will want to leave it. You must compromise
between accuracy and available CPU resources.
The figure above shows the original model for this demonstration. This is a model of a short
cantilevered bracket that bolts to the wall via the thick plate on the left end. Model units are
inches. A load is applied at the hole in the right end. Some cosmetic features are located on the
top surface and the two sides. Several edges are rounded. For this model, the interest is in the
stress distribution around the vertical slot. So, the plate and the loading hole are removed, as are
the cosmetic features and rounds resulting in the "de-featured" geometry shown below. The
model will be constrained on the left face and a uniform load will be applied to the right face.

Step 2. Create the FEM model

In the pull-down menu at the top of the Pro/E window, select

Applications > Mechanica

An information window opens up to remind you about the units you are using. Press Continue

In the MECHANICA menu at the right, check the box beside FEM Mode and select the
command Structure.

A new toolbar appears on the right of the screen that contains icons for creating all the common
modeling entities (constraints, loads, idealizations). All these commands are also available using
the command windows that will open on the right side of the screen or in dialog windows that
will open when appropriate.

Notice that a small green coordinate system WCS has appeared. This is how you will specify the
directions of constraints and forces. Other coordinate systems (eg cylindrical) can be created as
required and used for the same purpose.

The MEC STRUCT menu appears on the right. Basically, to define the model we proceed down
this menu in a top-down manner. Model is already selected for you which opens the STRC
MODEL menu. This is where we specify modeling information. We proceed in a top-down
manner. The Features command allows you to create additional simulation features like datum
points, curves, surface regions, and so on. Idealizations lets you create special modeling entities
like shells and beams. The Current CSYS command lets you create or select an alternate
coordinate system for specifying directions of constraints and loads.

Defining Constraints

For our simple model, all we need are constraints, loads, and a specified material. Select

Constraints > New

We can specify constraints on four entity types (basically points, edges, and surfaces).
Constraints are organized into constraint sets. Each constraint set has a unique name (default of
the first one is ConstraintSet1) and can contain any number of individual constraints of different
types. Each individual constraint also has a unique name (default of the first one is Constraint1).
In the final computed model, only one set can be included, but this can contain numerous
individual constraints.

Select Surface. We are going to fully constrain the left face of the cantilever. A dialog window
opens as shown above. Here you can give a name to the constraint and identify which constraint
set it belongs to. Since we elected to create a surface constraint, we now select the surface we
want constrained (push the Surface selection button in the window and then click on the desired
surface of the model). The constraints to be applied are selected using the buttons at the bottom
of the window. In general we specify constraints on translation and rotation for any mesh node
that will appear on the selected entity. For each direction X, Y, and Z, we can select one of the
four buttons (Free, Fixed, Prescribed, and Function of Coordinates). For our solid model, the
rotation constraints are irrelevant (since nodes of solid elements do not have this degree of
freedom anyway). For beams and shells, rotational constraints are active if specified.

For our model, leave all the translation constraints as FIXED, and select the OK button. You
should now see some orange symbols on the left face of the model, along with some text labels
that summarize the constraint settings.

Defining Loads

In the STRC MODEL menu select

Loads > New > Surface

The FORCE/MOMENT window opens as shown above. Loads are also organized into named
load sets. A load set can contain any number of individual loads of different types. A FEM
model can contain any number of different load sets. For example, in the analysis of a
pressurized tank on a support system with a number of nozzle connections to other pipes, one
load set might contain only the internal pressure, another might contain the support forces,
another a temperature load, and more might contain the forces applied at each nozzle location.
These can be solved at the same time, and the principle of superposition used to combine them in
numerous ways.

Create a load called "end_load" in the default load set (LoadSet1)

Click on the Surfaces button, then select the right face of the model and middle click to return to
this dialog. Leave the defaults for the load distribution. Enter the force components at the
bottom. Note these are relative to the WCS. Then select OK. The load should be displayed
symbolically as shown in the figure below.

Note that constraint and load sets appear in the model tree. You can select and edit these in the
usual way using the right mouse button.

Assigning Materials

Our last job to define the model is to specify the part material. In the STRC MODEL menu,
select

Materials > Whole Part

In the library dialog window, select a material and move it to the right pane using the triple
arrow button in the center of the window. In an assembly, you could now assign this material to
individual parts. If you select the Edit button, you will see the properties of the chosen material.

At this point, our model has the necessary information for solution (constraints, loads, material).

Step 3. Define the analysis

Select

Analyses > New

Specify a name for the analysis, like "ansystest". Select the type (Structural or Modal). Enter a
short description. Now select the Add buttons beside the Constraints and Loads panes to add
ConstraintSet1 and LoadSet1 to the analysis. Now select OK.

Step 4. Creating the mesh

We are going to use defaults for all operations here. The MEC STRUCT window, select

Mesh > Create > Solid > Start

Accept the default for the global minimum. The mesh is created and another dialog window
opens (Element Quality Checks).
This indicates some aspects of mesh quality that may be specified and then, by selecting the
Check button at the bottom, evaluated for the model. The results are indicated in columns on the
right. If the mesh does not pass these quality checks, you may want to go back to specify mesh
controls (discussed below). Select Close. Here is an image of the default mesh, shown in wire
frame.
Improving the Mesh

In the mesh command, you can select the Controls option. This will allow you to select points,
edges, and surfaces where you want to specify mesh geometry such as hard points, maximum
mesh size, and so on. Beware that excessively tight mesh controls can result in meshes with
many elements.

For example, setting a maximum mesh size along the curved ends of the slot results in the
following mesh. Notice the better representation of the curved edges than in the previous figure.
This is at the expense of more than double the number of elements. Note that mesh controls are
also added to the model tree.
Step 5. Creating the Output file
All necessary aspects of the model are now created (constraints, loads, materials, mesh). In the
MEC STRUCT menu, select

Run
This opens the Run FEM Analysis dialog window shown here. In the Solver pull-down list at the
top, select ANSYS. In the Analysis list, select Structural. You pick either Linear or Parabolic
elements. The analysis we defined (containing constraints, loads, mesh, and material) is listed.
Select the Output to File radio button at the bottom and specify the output file name (default is
the analysis name with extension .ans). Select OK and read the message window.

We are now finished with Pro/E. Go to the top pull-down menus and select

Applications > Standard

Save the model file and leave the program.

Copy the .ans file from your Pro/E working directory to the directory you will use for running
ANSYS.

Step 6. Importing into ANSYS

Launch ANSYS Interactive and select

File > Read Input From...

Select the .ans file you created previously. This will read in the entire model. You can display the
model using (in the pull down menus) Plot > Elements.

Step 7. Running the ANSYS solver

In the ANSYS Main Menu on the left, select

Solution > Solve > Current LS > OK

After a few seconds, you will be informed that the solution is complete.

Step 8. Viewing the results

There are myriad possibilities for viewing FEM results. A common one is the following:

General Postproc > Plot Results > Contour Plot > Nodal Solu

Pick the Von Mises stress values, and select Apply. You should now have a color fringe plot of
the Von Mises stress displayed on the model.

Updated: 8 November 2002 using Pro/ENGINEER 2001

RWT
Please report errors or omissions to Roger Toog