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Finite Element Analysis

MEPP [430]
Truss
Lecture 5
Krishna Prasad Shrestha
Email: [email protected]

Department
KP Shrestha of Mechanical Engineering KP Shrestha, 2018 www.ku.edu.np/me
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Temperature distribution in a rod

Problem Description: Determine the
deflections at each joint of the truss under the
given loading conditions.

Material: KU_2016
E =13.1GpA
V = 0.29
Member crosssection:
Height = 5m
Width = 5m

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Procedure

Step 1: Start an ANSYS Workbench Project

Launch ANSYS Workbench and save the blank project as
“Master_ME_2016.”

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Step 2: Create a Static Structural (ANSYS) Analysis System
Drag the Static Structural (ANSYS) icon from the Analysis Systems Toolbox window and drop it
inside the highlighted green rectangle in the Project Schematic window to create a standalone
static structural analysis system.

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www.ku.edu.np Step3: Add a New Material
Double-click (or right-click and choose Edit) on the Engineering Data cell in the above Project Schematic to edit or add a material.
In the following Engineering Data interface which replaces the Project Schematic, click the empty box highlighted below and type
a name, for example, “KP,” for the new material.

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Select “KP” from the Outline window, and double-click Isotropic Elasticity under Linear Elastic in the leftmost
Toolbox window.
Enter “1.31E10” for Young’s Modulus and “0.29” for Poisson’s Ratio in the bottom center Properties window.
Click the Return to Project button to go back to the Project Schematic.

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www.ku.edu.np Step 4: Launch the DesignModeler Program
Ensure Line Bodies is checked in the Properties of Schematic A3: Geometry window.
Double-click the Geometry cell to launch DesignModeler, and select “Meter” as length unit in the Units pop-up
window.

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Step 5: Create Line Sketch
1. Click the Sketching tab and select Settings. Turn on Show in 2D and Snap under Grid options.
2. Use the default value of “5 m” for Major Grid Spacing and “5” for Minor-Steps per Major.
3. Click a start point and then an end point in the Graphics window to draw a line.
4. Draw 13 lines as shown in the sketch below.
5. After completion, click Generate to create a line sketch.

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www.ku.edu.np Step 6: Create Line Body from Sketch
1. Check off the Grid options under Settings of Sketching Toolboxes.
2. Switch to the Modeling tab.
3. Note that a new item named Sketch1 now appears underneath XYPlane in the Tree Outline.
4. Select Lines from Sketches from the Concept drop-down menu.

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www.ku.edu.np Select Sketch1 from the Tree Outline and click Apply to confirm on the Base Objects
selection in the Details of Line1.
Click Generate to complete the line body creation.

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Step 7: Create a Cross Section

Select a Cross Section of Rectangular from the Concept drop-down menu. A new
item named Rect1 is now added underneath the Cross Section in the Tree Outline.

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In the Details of Rect1 under Dimensions, enter “0.06 m” for both B and H.

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www.ku.edu.np Step 8: Assign Cross Section to Line Body
Select the Line Body underneath 1Part, 1 Body in the Tree Outline.
In the Details of Line Body, assign Rect1 to the Cross Section selection.
Click Close DesignModeler to exit the program.

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Step 9: Launch the Static Structural (ANSYS) Program
Double-click the Model cell to launch the Static Structural (ANSYS) program.
Note that in the Details of “Line Body” the material is assigned to Structural Steel by default.
Click to the right of the Assignment field and select KP from the drop-down context menu.

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Step 10: Generate Mesh
In the Details of “Mesh,” enter a fairly large number, say, “10 m,” for the Element
Size, to ensure each member is meshed with only one element. In the Outline of
Project, right-click on Mesh and select Generate Mesh.

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Step 11: Apply Boundary Conditions

In the Outline of Project, right-click on Static Structural (A5) and select Insert and then Fixed Support. After
completion, a Fixed Support item is added underneath Static Structural (A5) in the project outline tree.

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Select the two points as shown below in the Graphics window.

In the Details of “Fixed Support,” click Apply to confirm on the Geometry selection. After completion, a
Fixed Support boundary condition will be added to the selected two points.

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Step 12: Apply Loads

In the Outline of Project, right-click on Static Structural (A5) and select Insert and then Force.

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Select the three points as shown below in the Graphics window.
In the Details of “Force,” click Apply to confirm on the Geometry selection. Also underneath the
Details, change the Define By selection to Components and enter “-90000N” for the Y Component.
A downward red arrow will appear on the selected three points in the Graphics window.

Alternatively, the load can be applied to each of the three points individually by inserting Force three times
under Static Structural (A5). In this case, enter “-30000N” for the Y Component of each individual Force item.
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Step 13: Retrieve Solution
Insert a Total Deformation item by right-clicking on Solution (A6) in the Outline tree.
Right-click

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Right-click on Solution (A6) in the Outline tree and select Solve. The program will start to solve the
model.
After completion, click Total Deformation in the Outline to review the total deformation results.

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Modeling tips: To get the reaction force, a Force Reaction probe can be inserted by
right-clicking on Solution (A6) in the Outline tree as shown below.

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In the Details of “Force Reaction,” select the Fixed Support as the Boundary Condition.

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Right-click on Solution (A6) in the Outline tree and select Evaluate All Results.

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www.ku.edu.np After completion, click Force Reaction in the Outline to review results.

Note here that the reaction force is found to be 90,000 N in the positive Y-direction.
This is because a boundary condition has been applied earlier to the two fixed ends in one step (see Step 11).
To avoid summing of the force reaction, two fixed conditions can be inserted instead in Step 11, one for each
end.
The reaction forces at an individual support can then be displayed by selecting the support of interest from the
drop-down menu of Boundary Condition in the Details of “Force Reaction.”
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END

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