Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León

Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica y Eléctrica

Ansys Workbench
Introduction

Geo R. Contreras Hdz.

[email protected]

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-1

Table of Contents Agenda (Day 1)

1. Introduction 6. Thermal Analysis
ANSYS Mechanical Overview Geometry
Starting Mechanical Assemblies – Solid Body Contact
The Workbench Environment Heat Loads
Workbench File Management Solution Options
Working with Units Results and Postprocessing
Workshop 6.1 – Steady State Thermal Analysis
2. Mechanical Basics
Launching Mechanical 7. Linear Buckling
g Analysis
y
Mechanical Application Wizard Background on Buckling
Basic Procedure Buckling Analysis Procedure
Engineering Data Workshop 7.1 – Linear Buckling Analysis
Workshop 2.1 – ANSYS Mechanical Basics
8. Results Postprocessing
3. General Preprocessing Solutions Combinations
Geometry Branch Stress Singularities
Contact
Error Estimation
Workshop 3.1 – Contact Control
Meshing Convergence
Named Selections
Coordinate Systems
Workshop 3.2 – Meshing Control
4. Static Structural Analysis
Geometry
Assemblies – Solid Body Contact
Analysis Settings
Loads and Supports
Workshop 4.1 – Linear Structural Analysis
Results and Postprocessing
Workshop 4.2 – 2D Structural Analysis
5. Vibration Analysis
Free Vibration Analysis Procedure
Workshop 5.1 – Free Vibration Analysis
Free Vibration with Pre-Stress
Workshop 5.2 – Pre-Stressed Vibration Analysis

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-2
Introduction
ANSYS Family of Products
ANSYS, Inc. Family of Products include the
following:
• ANSYS Workbench – Complete environment for simulation
and modeling needs.
• ANSYS CFD – State-of-the-art CFD solvers, including CFX
and FLUENT.
• ANSYS AUTODYN – Explicit dynamic solver for transient
non-linear simulations involving large deformations and
strains, non-linear material behavior, non-linear buckling,
complex contact, fragmentation, and shock wave
propagation.
• ANSYS LS-DYNA – LSTC’s LS-DYNA explicit dynamic solver
technology with the pre-/post-processing power of ANSYS
software. This powerful pairing can be used to simulate
crash tests, metal forging,
g g stamping,
p g and catastrophic
p
failures.
• ANSYS ICEM CFD – Powerful meshing tools with general
pre- and post-processing features.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-3

ANSYS Workbench Overview

• What is ANSYS Workbench?
– ANSYS Workbench provides powerful methods for interacting with the ANSYS
family of solvers. This environment provides a unique integration with CAD
systems, and your design process.
• ANSYS Workbench is comprised
p of various applications
pp (some
( examples):
p )
– Mechanical for performing structural and thermal analyses using the ANSYS solver
• Meshing is also included within the Mechanical application
– Mechanical APDL for performing advanced mechanical and multiphysics analyses
using the traditional ANSYS user interface.
– Fluid Flow (CFX) for performing CFD analyses using CFX
– Fluid Flow (FLUENT) for performing CFD analyses using FLUENT
– Geometry (DesignModeler) for creating and modifying CAD geometry to prepare
the solid model for use in Mechanical.
– Engineering
g g Data for defining
g material properties
p p
– Meshing Application for generating CFD and Explicit Dynamics meshes
– Design Exploration for optimization analyses
– Finite Element Modeler (FE Modeler) for translating a NASTRAN and ABAQUS
mesh for use in ANSYS
– BladeGen (Blade Geometry) for creating blade geometry
– Explicit Dynamics for explicit dynamics simulations featuring modeling of
nonlinear dynamics
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011
© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-4
… ANSYS Workbench Overview
• The Workbench environment supports two types of applications:
– Native applications (workspaces): Current native applications are Project
Schematic, Engineering Data and Design Exploration.
• Native applications are launched and run entirely in the Workbench window.
– Data Integrated Applications: current applications include Mechanical,
Mechanical APDL, Fluent, CFX, AUTODYN and others.

Native Application
Data Integrated Application

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-5

ANSYS Mechanical Overview

• Analysis types available in Mechanical:
– Structural (static and transient):
• Linear and nonlinear structural analyses.
– Dynamic Capabilities:
• modal, harmonic, random vibration, flexible and rigid dynamics.
– Heat Transfer (steady state and transient):
• Solve for temperature field and heat flux. Temperature-dependent
conductivity, convection and materials allowed.
– Magnetostatic:
• To perform 3-D static magnetic field analysis
– Shape Optimization:
• Indicates areas of possible volume reduction using Topological Optimization
technology.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-6
… Product Configuration
• Mechanical Application
– The environment for simulation automation and ease of use combined
with the full power of the ANSYS solver technology.
– Formerly called Simulation

• Mechanical APDL Application

– The user interface environment that emphasizes access to commands,
customization and scripting.
– Formerly called the ANSYS PREP7/POST1 interface

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-7

Starting Mechanical
• There are two methods of launching Workbench:
– From the Windows start menu:

– From the CAD system

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-8
The Workbench Environment
• For most situations the Workbench GUI is divided into 2 primary
sections (there are other optional sections we’ll see in a moment):

The Toolbox The Project Schematic

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-9

The Toolbox
• The toolbox contains 4 subgroups:
• Analysis systems: predefined
templates that can be placed in the
schematic.
• Component
C t systems:
t various
i
applications that can be accessed
to build, or expand, analysis
systems.
• Custom Systems: predefined
analysis systems for coupled
applications (FSI, thermal-stress,
etc.). Users can also create their
own predefined systems
systems.
• Design Exploration: Parametric
management and optimization
tools.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-10
. . . The Toolbox
• The systems and components
displayed in the toolbox will
depend on the installed
products.
• Using the check boxes in the
“View All / Customize”
window, the items displayed
in the toolbox can be toggled
on or off.
• The toolbox customization
window is normally left closed
when not in use.
use

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-11

The Project Schematic

• The Workbench project schematic is a graphical representation of the
workflow defining a system or group of systems.
• The workflow in the project schematic is always left to right.
• There are currently
y several applications
pp which are native to
Workbench, meaning they run entirely in the Workbench window:
– Project Schematic, Engineering Data and Design Exploration
• Non-native applications (called data-integrated) run in their own
window:
– Mechanical (formerly Simulation), Mechanical APDL (formerly ANSYS),
ANSYS Fluent, ANSYS CFX, Etc . . .
• Blocks of cells can be deleted by
y RMB on the block header cell that is
shaded in blue.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-12
. . . The Project Schematic
• In this example a Static Structural analysis type is selected for the project
schematic.
• From the toolbox the selection can be dragged and dropped onto the
schematic or simply double clicked.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-13

. . . The Project Schematic

• By dropping applications and/or systems into various locations in the
schematic, an overall analysis project is defined.
• “Connectors” indicate the level of collaboration between systems.
• In the example
p below a structural system
y is dragged
gg and droppedpp
onto a thermal system at the Model cell (A4).
• Before completing the operation notice there are a number of
optional “drop targets” that will provide various types of linkage
between systems (continued next page).

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-14
. . . The Project Schematic
• By completing the operation from the previous page, notice the
linkage here is only at the Model level and above.
• In this case there would be no thermal/structural coupling.

• Notice too each system block is given and alphabetic designation (A,
B, C, etc.).

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-15

. . . The Project Schematic

• By dropping the structural system at the “Solution” level we obtain a
structural system that is coupled to the thermal solution.

Notice, the candidate

“drop target”
indicates data will be
shared from fields A2
to A4, and
transferred from A6.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-16
. . . The Project Schematic
• A schematic can also be constructed by RMB and choosing to
“Transfer Data To New” or “Transfer Data From New”.
• In using this RMB transfer feature all transfer possibilities (upstream
and downstream) are displayed.
• These selections will vary depending on which cell in a particular
system you highlight.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-17

. . . The Project Schematic

• Identifying cell states:

• Unfulfilled: missing upstream data.

• Attention required: may need to correct this or upstream cells.

• Refresh required: upstream data has changed. Need to refresh cell (update will
also refresh the cell).

• Update required: the data has changed and the output of the cell must be
regenerated.

• Up to date.

• Input changes pending: cell is locally up to date but may change when the next
update is performed due to upstream changes.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-18
Optional Workbench Windows
• The “View” menu (and RMB) allows additional information to be
displayed in the Workbench environment.
– Below, the geometry is highlighted and the properties are displayed.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-19

Workbench File Management

• Workbench creates a project file and a series of subdirectories to
manage all associated files.
• Users should allow Workbench to manage the content of these
directories. Please do NOT manually modify the content or structure
of the project directories.
• When a project is saved a project file is created (.wbpj), using the
user specified file name (e.g. MyFile.wbpj).
• A project directory will be created using the project name. In the
above example the directory would be MyFile_files.
• A number of subdirectories will be created in the project directory
((explained next).
)

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-20
. . . Workbench File Management
• Directory Structure:
– dpn: this is the design point directory. This
essentially is the state of all parameters for a
particular analysis. In the case of a single analysis
there will be only one “dp0” directory
directory.
– global: contains subdirectories for each application
in the analysis. In the example at right the “Mech”
directory will contain the database, and other
associated files from the Mechanical application.
– SYS: the “SYS” directory will contain subdirectories
for each system type in the project (e.g. Mechanical,
Fluent, CFX, etc.). Each system subdirectory
contains sol
solver
er specific files
files. For e
example
ample the
MECH subdirectory would contain the results file,
the ds.dat file, solve.out file and so on.
– user_files: contains input files, user macro files etc.
that may be associated with a project.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-21

. . . Workbench File Management

• From the Workbench “View” menu activate the
“Files” option to display a window containing file
details and locations.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-22
. . . Workbench File Management
• Archive: quickly generates a single
compressed file containing all pertinent files.

– File is zip format and can be opened using the

“Restore Archive . . . ” utility in WB2 or any
unzip program.

– S
Severall options
ti are available
il bl when
h archiving
hi i
systems as shown here.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-23

Working With Units

• The Units menu in Workbench:
– Allows access to predefined unit systems.
– Allows the creation of custom unit systems.
– Controls unit display for Engineering Data,
Parameters and Charts
Charts.
– Activate the Units System dialog to control.

Units can be displayed in

the active Project system or
as they were defined in their
source (e.g. CAD system).

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-24
. . . Working With Units
• Create custom unit systems by duplicating existing systems then
modifying.
• Custom unit systems can be exported and imported.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-25

. . . Workbench Databases (Version 11)

There are various types of files ysed by workbench, each differentiated
by the file extension:
ƒ .wbdb: Workbench Project database, which keeps track of all
different types of Workbench databases in a “Project”.
ƒ .agdb: Design Modeler Database, containing geometry data for use
with simulation or CFX-Mesh.
ƒ.cmdb: Meshing database, containing the mesh settings and mesh
information.
ƒ.dxdb: DesignXplorer/DesignXplorer VT database, which investigate
relationships between input and output parameters.
ƒ.dsdb:
.dsdb: Simulation database, which has all information in simulation.
ƒ.fedb: FE Modeler database, which has information from a Nastran
or simulation model, used to concert to ANSYS.
ƒ.eddb: Engineering Database file.

ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary May 12, 2011

© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved. 1-26