INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS A general commercial FE package Predict the structural responses of a truss structure

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Fig. 1 A truss structure Fig.1 shows a truss structure made of steel whose material properties are as follows: Youngs modulus is 200,000 N/mm2, Poissons ratio is 0.3. P1 = P2 = 100 N. The cross-section areas of all the elements are 20 mm2. The length of bar 1-2 is 1000 mm, and the length of the bar 2-3 is 1000 mm. ANSYS can be accessed by two ways: 1) If it is installed in a local PC, such as PC Clusters in our School, in Old Library Building, and in TREE Clusters in Stephenson Building, Click Start Programs Graphics Software - ANSYS This way is faster than the second way, which is through RAS. 2) If you have internet connection at home, you can use RAS, which stand for Remote Application Service, to access ANSYS. Once RAS is installed in your own PC, double click Internet Explorer, then type http://ras.ncl.ac.uk then log into your university account. Now double click Specialist Software CAD, CAM, FEA ANSYS. This way is slower, but you can work at home. 1. Build geometry There are two ways to build up geometry of a structure. One way is to build the geometry from the basic geometrical elements, such as points, lines, areas, etc. The other is to construct the geometry from the regular shapes, such as rectangles, circles, etc. In this tutorial, the first method will be used.

1.1 define points Main menu pre-processor modelling create key points in active CS Input point number and its co-ordinates in the dialogue box to define four points, P1, P2, P3, and P4. 1.2 define lines Main menu pre-processor modelling create lines straight lines Pick up two points to define a line. Repeat the process for the other three lines. The line number can be shown by: Utility menu plotctrls numbering Click the box for points and lines Utility menu plot lines Save the geometry by: Utility menu file save as Choose a proper folder and filename for the model. 2. Define materials 2.1 Set preferences Main menu preferences Choose Structural, then click ok 2.2 Define Material properties Main menu Preprocessor Material Props Material Models Double click on Structural Linear - elastic - isotropic 2.3 Define element types and options Main menu Preprocessor Element types Add/Edit/Delete Click on add , choose LINK1 element Click ok 2.4 Define real constants Main menu Preprocessor Real Constants Add/Edit/Delete Click on add, choose Type 1 LINK1. Key in 20 in area (means cross-sectional area of the element), and initial strain = 0 Click ok. 3. Generate mesh 3.1 Mesh the structure Main menu Preprocessor Meshing Mesh Tool In Size control section, Click set next to Global Key in 1 under number of division, then click ok. Click Mesh, then pick up all the lines to be meshed.

Click Close So far the mesh is applied to all the lines. 3.2 Save the database Save the model at this stage. 4. Apply Loads 4.1 Define and assign boundary conditions Main menu Solution Define Loads Apply Structural Displacement on Keypoints. Pick up the two points, which are constrained. 4.2 Define and assign loads Main menu Solution Define Loads Apply Structural force/moment - on Keypoints Pick up the point where P1 is applied, input its magnitude in constant value as 100 N. Define and apply the concentrated force P2 in the same way. 4.3 Output control Main Menu Preprocessor Loads Load Step Opts Output Ctrls Solu Printout Choose basic quantities in item for print out control, choose last substep in print frequency or Main Menu Solution Load Step Opts Output Ctrls Solu Printout 4.4 Visualise element number and other important information Utility Menu PlotCtrls Numbering Choose the variable that you want to visualise, click Ok 4.5 Visualise boundary condition and applied loads etc. Utility menu PlotCtrls Symbols Choose all boundary conditions, surface load, Click OK Utility Menu Plot - Lines 5. Run the analysis Main menu Solution Solve Current LS The results of the analysis are stored in .RST file for mechanical analysis. 6. Present results by post-processing GUI 6.1 Enter the general postprocessor and read in the results Main menu General Postproc Read Results First Set

6.2 Plot the results, such as deformation, reactions etc. Main menu General Postproc Plot Resutls Deofrmed Shape 6.3 Present results in a file Because LINK1 element, which is a kind of line elements, is used in this analysis, an Element Table has to be created in order to present the stresses and strain (which are called as derived data in ANSYS), etc in the post processor. Creating an Element Table To create or erase the element table, use one of the following: Command(s): ETABLE GUI: Main Menu General Postproc Element Table Define Table Main Menu General Postproc Element Table Erase Table (Details can be seen in section 5.2.3 in ANSYS Basic Analysis Guide ) For the convenience of this tutorial, a copy of section 5.2.3.2 is provided below. 5.2.3.2. Filling the Element Table for Variables Identified By Sequence Number All the derived data for line elements would use this method for filling an Element Table. The data in the tables is broken down into item groups (such as LS, LEPEL, SMISC, etc.). Each item within the item group has an identifying sequence number listed. You load these data into the element table by giving the item group (such as LS, LEPEL, SMISC, etc.) as the Item argument on the ETABLE command, and the sequence number as the Comp argument. This is referred to as the Sequence Number method of filling the element table. The required information for creating an element table for LINK1 is given in the end of this tutorial. Click Main Menu General Postproc Element Table Define Table Click add, a dialogue box appears. In the left column, choose by sequence number, in right column choose LS, then in the lower box of the right side you will see LS,, type 1 following LS, so it becomes LS,1 in that box, then click apply. You will see this item appears in the element table. Repeat the above process to choose other items: LEPEL,1 and SMISC,1 So in the defined element table there are three items. Click ok to finish the table. Now the above defined results could be presented by Main Menu General Postproc List Results Element Table 6.4 Plot force diagram and stress distribution a) Define an element table Main Menu General Postproc Element Table Define Table

In the left column, choose by sequence number, in right column choose SMISC,1, which stands for member force in the element coordinate system X direction. b) plot the force diagram Main Menu General Postproc Plot Results Contour plot Line Element Res This will plot the force diagram on the structure. You can save it for your report by Utility menu PlotCtrls Capture Image The diagram will be presented in a separated window. Click File Save as, the graph can be saved in a file to be used later. The force diagram looks like:

If this diagram is to be printed out, too much black ink would be used. A printing friendly version of diagram could be created by: Utility menu PlotCtrls Redirect plots - ToJPEG file Choose Force white BG & Black FG, then click OK In the file folder, a file with a name jobname*.jpeg is created. Double click this file, the diagram looks like:

In the same way the stress distribution could be plotted. Main Menu General Postproc Element Table Define Table In the left column, choose by sequence number, in right column choose LS,1 , which stands for Axial stress in the element. Main Menu General Postproc Plot Results Contour plot Line Element Res 6.5 Animate the results a) animate the deformation Utility menu PlotCtrls Animate deformed shape Click Ok, it will play animation of the deformation. A .avi file is also saved, which can be played in Realplayer later.

7. Exit and save the results Utility menu File Exit More information about LINK1 A copy from ANSYS Element Library

Table 1.1 LINK1 Element Output Definitions Name EL NODES MAT VOLU: XC, YC TEMP FLUEN MFORX SAXL Element Number Element node numbers (I and J) Material number for the element Element volume Location where results are reported Temperature at nodes I and J Fluence at nodes I and J Member force in the element coordinate system X direction Axial stress in the element Definition O R Y Y Y Y Y Y - Y Y 2 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

EPELAXL Axial elastic strain in the element EPTHAXL Axial thermal strain in the element EPINAXL SEPL SRAT EPEQ HPRES Axial initial strain in the element Equivalent stress from the stress-strain curve Ratio of trial stress to the stress on yield surface Equivalent plastic strain Hydrostatic pressure

EPPLAXL Axial plastic strain EPCRAXL Axial creep strain EPSWAXL Axial swelling strain 1. Only if the element has a nonlinear material 2. Available only at centroid as a *GET item.

The Item and Sequence Number... table lists output available through the ETABLE command using the Sequence Number method. See The General Postprocessor (POST1) in the ANSYS Basic Analysis Guide and The Item and Sequence Number Table for further information. The table uses the following notation: Name : output quantity as defined in the Element Output Definitions table. Item : predetermined Item label for ETABLE command E: sequence number for single-valued or constant element data I,J : sequence number for data at nodes I and J

Table 1.2 LINK1 Item and Sequence Numbers Output Quantity Name SAXL EPELAXL EPTHAXL EPSWAXL EPINAXL EPPLAXL EPCRAXL SEPL SRAT HPRES EPEQ MFORX FLUEN TEMP LS LEPEL LEPTH LEPTH LEPTH LEPPL LEPCR NLIN NLIN NLIN NLIN SMISC NMISC LBFE ETABLE and ESOL Command Input Item 1 1 1 2 3 1 1 1 2 3 4 1 1 1 E I 2 2 J -

LINK1 Assumptions and Restrictions

The spar element assumes a straight bar, axially loaded at its ends, of uniform properties from end to end. The length of the spar must be greater than zero, so nodes I and J must not be coincident. The spar must lie in an X-Y plane and must have an area greater than zero. The temperature is assumed to vary linearly along the length of the spar. The displacement shape function implies a uniform stress in the spar. The initial strain is also used in calculating the stress stiffness matrix, if any, for the first cumulative iteration.

LINK1 Product Restrictions When used in the product(s) listed below, the stated product-specific restrictions apply to this element in addition to the general assumptions and restrictions given in the previous section. ANSYS Professional.

The DAMP material property is not allowed. Fluence body loads cannot be applied. The only special features allowed are stress stiffening and large deflections.