ANSYS

ASSIGNMENT
For 2-D Static Truss.

A small railroad bridge is constructed of steel members, all of which have a cross
sectional area of 3000 mm^2 and E= 2e11 N/m^2. A train stops on the bridge, and the
loads applied to the truss on one side of the bridge are as shown in Figure. Calculate
displacement at each node, stresses in each member and reactions.

The whole problem is divided into following steps. We will perform them one by one.
1) Start-up and preliminary set-up.
2) Specify element type
3) Specify Real constants.
4) Specify material properties.
5) Create geometry.
6) Create mesh.
7) Apply boundary conditions.
8) Solve.
9) Post processing
1:Start-up and preliminary set-up.
The ANSYS interface consists of the following:
_ Utility Menu

Note that the job name truss appears in parenthesis in the title bar of the
Utility Menu.
_ ANSYS Main Menu:

We'll more or less work our

way down the Main Menu as
we go through the Solution
steps

Set Preferences
As before, we'll more or less
work our way down the Main
Menu.
Main Menu > Preferences

In the Preferences for GUI Filtering dialog box, click on the box next to Structural so that
a tick mark appears in the box. Click ok
 2: specify element type

Main Menu > Preprocessor> Element Type > Add/Edit/Delete > Add...
Pick Structural Link in the left field and 2D Spar in the right field.
Click OK to select this element.
Save your work
Toolbar > SAVE_DB
 3: Specify Real constants

Main Menu > Preprocessor> Real Constants > Add/Edit/Delete > Add

This brings up the Element Type for Real Constants menu with a list of the element
types defined in the previous step. We have only one element type and it is
Automatically selected and click OK. The following window comes up.
Here, enter cross-sectional area 3000e-6 and click OK.

Save your work

Toolbar > SAVE_DB
 4: Specify Material Properties
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Material Props > Material Models
In the Material Models Available Frame of the Define Material Model Behavior window,
double-click on Structural, Linear, Elastic, and Isotropic.
Enter 200e9 for Young's Modulus EX.
Enter 0.3 for Poisson's Ratio PRXY

Save your work

Toolbar > SAVE_DB
5: Create geometry
Since we are using the 2D Spar element, we can represent each truss member by a line.
A line can be created by joining two key points (ANSYS terminology for vertices). So
we'll need three key points 1,2,3.
Create Key points
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Key points > In Active CS

In Active Coordinate System enter following data.

Key points No: X Y Z
1 0 0 0
2 3.6 0 0
3 1.8 3.118 0
Now, we need to copy key points 2 and 3 at distance of 3.6 to create the geometry.
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Copy > Key points
Select key points 2 and 3 as shown in Figure and click OK.

The following window comes up and enter as shown in it and click OK.
The following Figure will be created.
Save your work
Toolbar > SAVE_DB

Create Lines from Key points

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Lines > Lines >In Active Coord
This will bring up the Lines in Active Coord pick menu.
To create the line between key points 1 and 2, click on key point 1 and then key point 3.
Similarly, create lines between key points 2 and 4, 4 and 6, 6 and 7, 3 and 5, 5 and 7, 1
and 3, 3 and 2, 2 and 5, 5 and 4, 4 and 7. The resulting figure will be as follows.
Close the Lines in Active Coord pick menu by clicking on Cancel.
Save your work
Toolbar > SAVE_DB

6: Create mesh
Each truss member can be represented as a 2D Spar element. We'll use the Mesh Tool
to mesh the geometry with this element. To bring up the Mesh Tool, select
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Meshing > Mesh Tool
The Mesh Tool is used to control and generate the mesh
Now, in
Mesh Tool select Size Controls > Lines > Set
Following window comes up.
Mesh Tool
Now, select Pick All.
The following window will appear.
since a LINK1 element is equivalent to a truss member, we will specify that we want
only one element per line. So enter No. of element divisions 1 and click OK.
Mesh Lines
Again go to Main Menu > Preprocessor > Meshing > Mesh Tool and click Mesh and
select Pick All. All elements will appear as in following Figure.
Now, Utility Menu > Plot Ctrls > Numbering, following will window will come,
Select Node Numbers ON and from Elem / Attrib numbering drop down menu
select Element numbers. The geometry will be as follows.
 7: Apply boundary conditions
To define the boundary conditions, namely, the displacement constraints and loads.
Note that in ANSYS terminology, the displacement constraints are also "loads". We can
apply the loads either to the geometry model or to the finite-element model (that is to the
elements and nodes directly). The advantage of the former is that one doesn't have to
respecify the constraints on changing the mesh. So we'll apply the constraints to the
geometry i.e. to the nodes.

You can see from the diagram that the pin at node 1 is constrained in x and y directions;
so node 1 is constrained such that its UX and UY displacements are zero.
Similarly, node 6 is constrained such that its UX displacement is zero.
Apply Displacement Constraints
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Loads > Define Loads > Apply > Structural >
Displacement > On Nodes
This brings up the Apply U, ROT on Nodes pick menu.
And pick node 1 and click OK. This shows
Following windows.

Since we want to constrain UX as well as UY to zero at node 1, select both UX and UY

from items in DOFs to be constrained list. Since the Displacement value is zero by
default, leave that field empty. Click on Apply. You will see triangle symbols appear in
the Graphics window indicating that both UX and UY DOFs are constrained at node 1.

Next we apply the displacement constraint at node 6. In the Graphics window, click on
node 6. In the pick menu, click Apply. Select only UY from items in DOFs to be
constrained list. Click OK.

You will see a triangle symbol appear indicating that DOF is constrained at node 1 and
node 6.
Close the Displacement and Apply menus.
Apply Loading
As in the figure we have loads at following nodes
.
Node No Load(KN)
1 280
2 210
4 280
6 360

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Loads > Define Loads > Apply > Structural
>Force/Moment > On Nodes
This brings up the Apply F/M on Nodes pick menu.
In the Graphics window, click on node 1; then in the pick menu, click OK.
In the menu that appears, select FY for Direction of force/ mom.
Enter -280e3 for Force/ moment value. Click OK.
Apply other loads respectively.
The truss geometry with constraints and applied load will look as follows.

Save your work Toolbar > SAVE_DB

8: solve
Enter Solution Module
Main Menu > Solution > Solve > Current LS
This solves the current load step (LS) i. e. the current loading conditions. In our problem,
there is only one load step; ANSYS allows for multiple load steps that can be solved
sequentially without leaving the Solution module.
Review the Problem
Review the information in the /STAT Command window. This is a summary of the
problem that ANSYS is about to solve.

Close this window.

Perform Solution
Click OK in Solve Current Load Step menu.

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. In preparation for the post processing step to be undertaken next,
exit the solution module by closing the Solution menu
9: Post process the results
Post processing is the step where we look at and analyze the results obtained from the
ANSYS solution. Enter the General Post processing module:
Plot Deformed Shape
Main Menu > General Postproc > Plot Results > Deformed Shape
Select Def + undeformed and click OK.

This plots the deformed and undeformed shapes in the Graphics window.
The deformed shape is shown as a solid line and the undeformed shape as a dotted
line. The maximum displacement DMXis 0.009181 m. To save the deformation plot in a
file, use
Utility Menu> PlotCtrls > Hard >Copy >To File. AndClick OK.
List Displacement at Nodes
Main Menu > General Postproc > List Results > Nodal Solu
Select DOF Solution > Displacement vector sum and click OK.
This will show following values.

List Reaction Forces at Nodes

Main Menu > General Postproc > List Results > Reaction SoluSelect All
struc forc F for Item to be listed and click OK.
List Stresses in Elements
To list element stress values you need to create element table.
Main Menu > General Postproc > Element table > Define table.

Enter stress in User label for item or you can enter as per your choice. From the Result
data item drop down table select By sequence and num and LS, in right side drop down
menu and type 1 as shown in figure an click OK.
Now, Main Menu > General Postproc > List Results > Element data table
It will show following.
Main Menu > General Postproc > Element table>plot Ele table

After completing your analysis close ANSYS.

Utility menu > File > exit It will show following window.

Select Save Everything and click OK.