ANSYS Structural Analysis/FEA: Tutorial

Simple 3-D truss

Problem: Analyze the tetra-pod and check if the members buckle elastically. The
tetrapod has a 5mx5m base and is 5m high. All members are round pipes 76.2 mmφ and
5.72 mm thick. A vertical force of 600 kN is applied at the top. Assume that all joints are
hinged. σy = 250 MPa. Check factor of safety against yielding.

600 kN

5m

5m 5m
Step 1: Start up & Initial Set up
Start ANSYS -- Start > Programs > ANSYS 9.0 > ANSYS
Set Working Directory -- File > Change Directory and enter the required path
Specify Initial job name -- File > Change Jobname
Set Preferences -- Main Menu > Preferences Æ Select Structural, H-method
Type the following command in the input window to set the ANSYS environment SI units.
/units, SI
Press Enter
Step 2: Set element type and constants
Specify element type: Main Menu > Preprocessor> Element Type > Add/Edit/Delete > Add
Pick Link in the left field and 3D finit stn 180 in the right field. Click OK to select this
element
Specify Element Real Constants
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Real Constants > Add/ Edit/ Delete, and click “ADD”
Enter the area of the link member.
1 1 
Area =  π × 76.22 − π (76.2 − 2 × 5.72) 2  ×10−6 = 1266.5 ×10−6 m 2
4 4 

Step 3: Specify Material Properties

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Material Props > Material Models
In the frame labelled Material Models Available of the Define Material Model Behaviour
dialogue box, double-click on Structural, Linear, Elastic, and Isotropic. Enter the Elastic
modulus as 200e9 (Pa) and Poisson ratio as 0.28. Close the menus.
Save your work
File > Save as Tetrapod.db
Step 4: Specify Geometry
Create Keypoints
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Keypoints > In Active CS
Enter 1 for Keypoint number.
Enter 0 for X ,0 for Y and 0 for Z. Click apply.
Enter 2 for Keypoint number
Enter 5 for X ,0 for Y and 0 for Z. Click apply.
Enter 3 for Keypoint number
Enter 5 for X , 5 for Y and 0 for Z. Click apply.
Enter 4 for Keypoint number.
Enter 0 for X , 5 for Y and 0 for Z. Click apply.
Enter 5 for Keypoint number.
Enter 2.5 for X , 2.5 for Y and 5 for Z. Click Ok.
Create Lines from Keypoints
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Lines > Lines >Straight Line
Select the two keypoints to be joined by the line.
Continue the same to construct lines.
After constructing all the lines, click OK.

You can change the directions of the coordinates by clicking the options on the right side of
the window.

Step 5: Meshing
This step makes the lines created above into finite elements. Note that simply creating the
geometry does not make it into a finite element model. You must still make into a finite
element mesh.
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Meshing > Mesh Attributes > All Lines
Choose the corresponding material, real constant set and element type number. (In this
problem, we only have one set.)
Click OK
Set Mesh Size
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Meshing > Size Cntrls > Manual Size > Lines > All Lines
Enter number of element divisions as 1
Click OK
Mesh
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Meshing > Mesh Tool
Select Mesh Lines from the drop-down menu
Click Mesh

Mesh Lines menu will pop up

Click “Pick All”
To see the elements created by meshing follow the menu path below:
Plot > Elements
Plot Ctrls >Numbering >Element/Attr Numbering
To see the nodes created by meshing follow the menu path below:
Plot > Nodes
Plot Ctrls >Numbering >Node Numbers
Step 6: Specify Boundary Conditions & Loading
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Loads > Define Loads > Apply > Structural > Displacement >
On Keypoint
Now select Keypoint 1,2,3,4
Select “ALL DOF” in the box showing DOF to be constrained.
Set Value as 0

Click Ok

Apply Loading:
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Loads > Define Loads > Apply > Structural >Force/Moment >
On Keypoint
Now select Keypoint 5
In the Graphics window, click on Keypoint 5; then in the pick menu, click OK.
In the menu that appears, select FZ for Direction of force.
Enter -300000 for Force/ moment value.

Click OK.
The negative sign for the force indicates that it is in the negative z-direction. You'll see a
vector indicating the applied force in the Graphics window.
Step 7: Solve
Main Menu > Solution > Solve > Current LS
Click OK in the Solve Current Load Step pop up window
ANSYS performs the solution and a yellow window should pop up saying "Solution is done".
Congratulations! You just obtained your first ANSYS solution.
Close the yellow window.

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 >
A new window will pop up. Select By Sequence number in the left list box, and SMISC in
the right list box. Hence, “SMISC, ” appears in the text box below the right list box. Type “1”
after the comma.

Click Apply
Do the same as above

You can go to help>ANSYS element reference>Element library>LINK180 to see the element

output definitions.
To list the member forces and stresses
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.

Plot Stresses
Main Menu > General Postproc > Element Table > Plot Element Table >
Select LS1
Click OK
Plot Forces
Main Menu > General Postproc > Element Table > Plot Element Table >
Select SMIS1
Click OK

250 Mpa
Factor of safety : F.S. = =1.72
145 Mpa

π 2 EI min
Pcr = KL = 0.5 L = 0.5 × 6.12 = 3.06 (L is the length of the bar)
( KL) 2
π
I= (76.24 − 61.164 ) ×10−9 = 9.6815 ×10−7 m 4
64
π 2 × 200 ×109 × 9.6815 ×10−7
Pcr = = 204093 > 183712 N -- “No buckling”
3.062
List the Deflections
Main Menu > General Postproc > List Results > Nodal Solution
Click 'DOF Solution' and in the sub-list select 'Displacement vector sum’
Click OK
List Reaction Forces
Main Menu > General Postproc > List Results > Reaction Solution
Select All Items or All Structural Forces
Click OK
To display the geometry and the boundary condition after the solution in case if you are
not able to see the loading and the boundary conditions in the model, do the following:
Plot Ctrls > Symbols >
Click the radio button corresponding to the “All Boundary Conditions” in the second line
Click OK
Now you will be able to see the loading and the boundary conditions
Capturing Image of the Graphics Window
Plot Ctrls > Capture Image >
You will see a new window with the image, save it. This can be used to capture the images of
the Finite Element Model with the loading and B.C and result plots.