ANSYS TUTORIAL – 2-D Frame Analysis

ANSYS Release 7.0

Dr. A.-V. Phan, University of South Alabama

1 Problem Description
Reference: ‘A first Course in the Finite Element Method’ by Daryl L. Logan, 3rd Edition, p. 208.

The bar element 2 is used to stiffen the cantilever beam 1, as shown in Fig. 1(a). All members are
made of steel (Young’s modulus E = 210 GPa). The bar has a cross-sectional area of A = 1 × 10 −3
m2 . The cross-sectional area, principal moment of inertia and length for the beam are A = 2 × 10 −3
m2 , Iz = 5 × 10−5 m4 and L = 3 m, respectively. Determine the nodal displacements, element
forces and stress in each element.

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Y




 Y












45 o











2
Z 









1 X 










 



  H

L
1








W
500 kN
(a) (b)

Figure 1: A stiffened beam

2 Listing Stress Results in ANSYS

• To inquire the axial stress in a bar element, use ‘LS, 1’.
• For a two-node beam element, ‘NMISC, 1’ and ‘NMISC, 3’ are associated with the maximum
bending stresses at the starting node (I) and ending node (J), respectively; and ‘NMISC, 2’
and ‘NMISC, 4’ the minimum bending stresses at nodes I and J, respectively (see Fig. 2)
NMISC, 1 NMISC, 3

+ +

I H J

− −

NMISC, 2 NMISC, 4

Figure 2: Variables NMISC for a beam element

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3 Data Preparation
• Units to be used: Length (m), Force (N)
• Beam’s height: To determine the stress distribution in the beam, it is necessary to know the
height of the beam. Assume that the beam has a rectangular cross section of width W and
height H as shown in Fig. 1(b). From
W H3
A = W H and Iz =
12
it is found that s s
12 Iz (12)(5 × 10−5 )
H= = = 0.548 m
A 2 × 10−3

4 Preprocessing
1. Give the Job a Name
Utility Menu > File > Change Jobname ...
The following window comes up. Enter a name, e.g. ‘StiffenedBeam’, and click onOK.

2. Define Element Types

(a) Bar/Truss Element
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Element Type > Add/Edit/Delete
• This brings up the ‘Element Types’ window. Click on the Add... button.

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 • The ‘Library of Element Types’ window appears. Highlight ‘Link’ and ‘2D spar 1’
as shown. Click on Apply.

• You should see ‘Type 1 LINK1’ in the ‘Element Types’ window as follows:

(b) Beam Element

• Highlight ‘Beam’ and ‘2D elastic 3’ as shown. Click OK.

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 • The ‘Element Types’ window appears as shown. Click on the Close button.

3. Define Real Constants

(a) Bar/Truss Element
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Real Constants > Add/Edit/Delete
• This brings up the ‘Real Constants’ window. Click on the Add... button.

• The ‘Element Type for Real Constants’ window appears. Highlight ‘Type 1 LINK1’
as shown and click on OK.

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 • In the ‘Real Constant Set Number 1, for LINK1’ window that opens, enter ‘1E-3’
for the ‘AREA’ field as shown,

• Click on OK. You should see the ‘Real Constants’ window as follows:

(b) Beam Element

• In the ‘Real Constants’ window, click on Add ....

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 • This brings up the ‘Element Type for Real Constants’ window as shown. Highlight
‘Type 2 BEAM3’ and click OK.

• In the ‘Real Constants for BEAM3’ window that appears, enter ‘2E-3’, ‘5E-5’ and
‘0.548’ for ‘AREA’, ‘IZZ’ and ‘HEIGHT’, respectively. Click on OK.

• Click on the Close button in the ‘Real Constants’ window.

4. Define Material Properties

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Material Props > Material Models

• In the right side of the ‘Define Material Model Behavior’ window that opens, double
click on ‘Structural’, then ‘Linear’, then ‘Elastic’, then finally ‘Isotropic’.

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 • The following window comes up. Enter in value for the Young’s modulus of 210 × 10 9
Pa (EX = 210E9), then click OK.

• Click on OK in the ‘Note’ window that appears. Then close the ‘Define Material Model
Behavior’ window.

5. Define Nodes
We are going to create 3 nodes given in the following table:

Node # X Y
1 0 0
2 3 0
3 3 3

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Nodes > In Active CS

• To create node #1, enter the following data in the ‘Create Nodes in Active Coordinate
System’ window that comes up. Click on Apply.

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 • Repeat the above step for nodes #2 and #3. Note that you must click on OK instead
of Apply after entering data for the final node.

6. Define Elements

(a) Define Bar Element

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Elements > Elem Attributes
• This brings up the ‘Element Attributes’ window. Click on OK.

(b) Create Bar Element

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Elements > Auto Numbered >
Thru Nodes
• The ‘Element from Nodes’ window opens as shown,

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 • Select node 1, then node 3.
• Click on OK in the ‘Element from Nodes’ window. Your graphics window should
look like this,

(c) Define Beam Element

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Elements > Elem Attributes
• In the ‘Element Attributes’ window that opens, select ‘2 BEAM3’ for ‘Element type number’,
and ‘2’ for ‘Real constant set number’ as shown,

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 • Click on OK.
(d) Create Beam Element
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Elements > Auto Numbered >
Thru Nodes
• Select node 1, then node 2.
• Click on OK. Your graphics window should look like this,

7. Mesh the Model

No need because we have defined the model using nodes and elements.
8. Apply Boundary Conditions
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Loads > Define Loads > Apply > Structural > Displacement >
On Nodes

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 • Pick nodes 2 and 3, then click OK in the picking window.
• In the following window that comes up, select ‘All DOF’ for ‘DOFs to be constrained’,
‘Constant value’ for ‘Apply as’ and enter ‘0’ for ‘Displacement value’, then click
OK.

9. Apply Loads
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Loads > Define Loads > Apply > Structural > Force/Moment >
On Nodes
• Pick node 1, then click OK in the picking window.
• In the following window that opens, select ‘FY’ for ‘Direction of force/mom’,
‘Constant value’ for ‘Apply as’ and enter ‘-5E5’ for ‘Force/moment value’, (a force
of 500,000 N in the negative direction of the Y axis), then click on OK.

5 Processing (Solving)
Main Menu > Solution > Analysis Type > New Analysis
• Make sure that ‘Static’ is selected. Click OK.
Main Menu > Solution > Solve > Current LS
• Check your solution options listed in the ‘/STATUS Command’ window.
• Click the OK button in the ‘Solve Current Load Step’ window.
• You should see the message ‘Solution is done!’ in the ‘Note’ window that comes up. Close
the ‘Note’ and ‘/STATUS Command’ windows.

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6 Postprocessing
1. Plot the deformed shape
Main Menu > General Postproc > Plot Results > Deformed shape

• This brings up the ‘Plot Deformed Shape’ window. Select ‘Def+undeformed’ as shown,

• Click on OK. Your ANSYS Graphics windows should look like this,

2. List Nodal Displacement Results

Main Menu > General Postproc > List Results > Nodal Solution

• In the ‘List Nodal Solution’ window that appears, select ‘DOF Solution’ and
‘All DOFs DOF’ as shown,

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 • Clicking on OK will bring up the following ‘PRESOL Command’ window. This window
shows that the displacements in the X and Y directions, and rotation about the Z axis
at node 1 are 0.33837 × 10−2 m, −0.22525 × 10−1 m and 0.11262 × 10−1 rad, respectively.

• Close the ‘PRESOL Command’ window.

3. List Nodal Force Results
Main Menu > General Postproc > List Results > Element Solution
• In the ‘List Element Solution’ window that opens, select ‘Nodal force data’ and
‘All forces FORC’ as shown,

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 • Click on OK to obtain the following results:

• Close the above window.

4. List Stress Results
Main Menu > General Postproc > Element Table > Define Table
• Click on Add ... in the ‘Element Table Data’ window. In the ‘Define Additional Element
Table Items’ window that comes up, enter sequence number ‘LS, 1’ as follows:

• Click on Apply, then enter sequence number ‘NMISC, 1’ as shown,

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 • Repeat the previous step for the sequence numbers ‘NMISC, 2’, ‘NMISC, 3’ and ‘NMISC, 4’.
• Click on OK in the ‘Define Additional Element Table Items’ window. Your ‘Element
Table Data’ window should look like this,

• Click on Close in the ‘Element Table Data’.

Main Menu > General Postproc > Element Table > List Elem Table

• In the ‘List Element Table Data’ window that appears, select the first 5 items as shown,

• Click on OK. This opens the following ‘PRETAB Command’ window:

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 According to this ANSYS solution, the stress distribution in the bar and beam elements
can be plotted as shown in Fig. 3.

669.94 MPa 195.17 MPa

+
_
_

−236.86 MPa −668.89 MPa

Figure 3: Stress distribution in the system

• Close the ‘PRETAB Command’ window.

5. Exit ANSYS, Saving All Data

Utility Menu > File > Exit ...
In the window that opens, select ‘Save Everything’ and click on OK.

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