Introduction

to
Simulation

Chapter 1

Topics Covered




The major topics covered in this chapter are:

• Simulation.
• Types of Analyses performed in SolidWorks Simulation.
• FEA
• User Interface of SolidWorks Simulation.

 SIMULATION
Simulation is the study of effects caused on an object due to real-world
loading conditions. Computer Simulation is a type of simulation which uses
CAD models to represent real objects and it applies various load conditions
on the model to study the real-world effects. SolidWorks Simulation is one
of the Computer Simulation programs available in the market. In SolidWorks
Simulation, we apply loads on a constrained model under predefined
environmental conditions and check the result(visually and/or in the form
of tabular data). The types of analyses that can be performed in SolidWorks
are given next.

TYPES OF ANALYSES PERFORMED IN

SOLIDWORKS SIMULATION
SolidWorks Simulation performs almost all the analyses that are generally
performed in Industries. These analyses and their use are given next.

Static Analysis
This is the most common type of analysis we perform. In this analysis,
loads are applied to a body due to which the body deforms and the effects
of the loads are transmitted throughout the body. To absorb the effect of
loads, the body generates internal forces and reactions at the supports to
balance the applied external loads. These internal forces and reactions
cause stress and strain in the body. Static analysis refers to the
calculation of displacements, strains, and stresses under the effect of
external loads, based on some assumptions. The assumptions are as follows.

• All loads are applied slowly and gradually until they reach their full
magnitudes. After reaching their full magnitudes, load will remain
constant (i.e. load will not vary against time).
• Linearity assumption: The relationship between loads and resulting
responses is linear. For example, if you double the magnitude of loads,
the response of the model (displacements, strains and stresses) will also
double. You can make linearity assumption if:

1. All materials in the model comply with Hooke’s Law that is stress is
directly proportional to strain.
2. The induced displacements are small enough to ignore the change is
stiffness caused by loading.
3. Boundary conditions do not vary during the application of loads. Loads
must be constant in magnitude, direction and distribution. They should not
change while the model is deforming.

If the above assumptions are valid for your analysis, then you can perform
Linear Static Analysis. For example, a cantilever beam fixed at one end and
force applied on other end; refer to Figure-1.

Figure-1. Linear static analysis example

If the above assumptions are not valid, then you need to perform the Non-
Linear Static analysis. For example, an object attached with a spring being
applied under forces; refer to Figure-2.

Figure-2. Non-linear static analysis example

 Dynamic Analysis
In general, we have to perform dynamic analysis on a structure when the
load applied to it varies with time. The most common case of dynamic
analysis is the evaluation of responses of a building due to earthquake
acceleration at its base. Every structure has a tendency to vibrate at
certain frequencies, called natural frequencies. Each natural frequency is
associated with a certain shape, called mode shape that the model tends to
assume when vibrating at that frequency. When a structure is excited by a
dynamic load that coincides with one of its natural frequencies, the
structure undergoes large displacements. This phenomenon is known as
‘resonance’. Damping prevents the response of the structures to resonant
loads. In reality, a continuous model has an infinite number of natural
frequencies. However, a finite element model has a finite number of natural
frequencies that is equal to the number of degrees of freedom considered in
the model. The first few modes of a model (those with the lowest natural
frequencies), are normally important. The natural frequencies and
corresponding mode shapes depend on the geometry of the structure, its
material properties, as well as its support conditions and static loads.
The computation of natural frequencies and mode shapes is known as modal
analysis. When building the geometry of a model, you usually create it
based on the original (undeformed) shape of the model. Some loading, like a
structure’s self-weight, is always present and can cause considerable
changes in the structure’s original geometry. These geometric changes may
have, in some cases, significant impact on the structure’s modal
properties. In many cases, this effect can be ignored because the induced
deflections are small.

The following few topics – Random Vibration, Response Spectrum analysis,
Time History analysis, Transient vibration analysis and Vibration modal
analysis are extensions of dynamic analysis.

Random Vibration
Engineers use this type of analysis to find out how a device or structure
responds to steady shaking of the kind you would feel riding in a truck,
rail car, rocket (when the motor is on), and so on. Also, things that are
riding in the vehicle, such as on-board electronics or cargo of any kind,
may need Random Vibration Analysis. The vibration generated in vehicles
from the motors, road conditions, etc. is a combination of a great many
frequencies from a variety of sources and has a certain “random” nature.
Random Vibration Analysis is used by mechanical engineers who design
various kinds of transportation equipment.

Response Spectrum Analysis

Engineers use this type of analysis to find out how a device or structure
responds to sudden forces or shocks. It is assumed that these shocks or
forces occur at boundary points, which are normally fixed. An example would
be a building, dam or nuclear reactor when an earthquake strikes. During an
earthquake, violent shaking occurs. This shaking transmits into the
structure or device at the points where they are attached to the ground
(boundary points).

Mechanical engineers who design components for nuclear power plants must
use response spectrum analysis as well. Such components might include
nuclear reactor parts, pumps, valves, piping, condensers, etc. When an
engineer uses response spectrum analysis, he is looking for the maximum
stresses or acceleration, velocity and displacements that occur after the
shock. These in turn lead to maximum stresses.

Time History Analysis

This analysis plots response (displacements, velocities, accelerations,
internal forces etc.) of the structure against time due to dynamic
excitation applied on the structure.

Transient Vibration Analysis

When you strike a guitar string or a tuning fork, it goes from a state of
inactivity into a vibration to make a musical tone. This tone seems loudest
at first, then gradually dies out. Conditions are changing from the first
moment the note is struck. When an electric motor is started up, it
eventually reaches a steady state of operation. But to get there, it starts
from zero RPM and passes through an infinite number of speeds until it
attains the operating speed. Every time you rev the motor in your car, you
are creating transient vibration. When things vibrate, internal stresses
are created by the vibration. These stresses can be devastating if
resonance occurs between a device producing vibration and a structure
responding to. A bridge may vibrate in the wind or when cars and trucks go
across it. Very complex vibration patterns can occur. Because things are
constantly changing, engineers must know what the frequencies and stresses
are at all moments in time. Sometimes transient vibrations are extremely
violent and short-lived. Imagine a torpedo striking the side of a ship and
exploding, or a car slamming into a concrete abutment or dropping a
coffeepot on a hard floor. Such vibrations are called “shock, “ which is
just what you would imagine. In real life, shock is rarely a good thing and
almost always unplanned. But shocks occur anyhow. Because of vibration,
shock is always more devastating than if the same force were applied
gradually.

Vibration Analysis (Modal Analysis)

By its very nature, vibration involves repetitive motion. Each occurrence
of a complete motion sequence is called a “cycle.” Frequency is defined as
so many cycles in a given time period. “Cycles per seconds” or “Hertz”.
Individual parts have what engineers call “natural” frequencies. For
example, a violin string at a certain tension will vibrate only at a set
number of frequencies, which is why you can produce specific musical tones.
There is a base frequency in which the entire string is going back and
forth in a simple bow shape.

Harmonics and overtones occur because individual sections of the string can
vibrate independently within the larger vibration. These various shapes are
called “modes”. The base frequency is said to vibrate in the first mode,
and so on up the ladder. Each mode shape will have an associated frequency.
Higher mode shapes have higher frequencies. The most disastrous kinds of
consequences occur when a power-driven device such as a motor for example,
produces a frequency at which an attached structure naturally vibrates.
This event is called “resonance.” If sufficient power is applied, the
attached structure will be destroyed. Note that ancient armies, which
normally marched “in step,” were taken out of step when crossing bridges.
Should the beat of the marching feet align with a natural frequency of the
bridge, it could fall down. Engineers must design so that resonance does
not occur during regular operation of machines. This is a major purpose of
Modal Analysis. Ideally, the first mode has a frequency higher than any
potential driving frequency. Frequently, resonance cannot be avoided,
especially for short periods of time. For example, when a motor comes up to
speed it produces a variety of frequencies. So it may pass through a
resonant frequency.

Buckling Analysis
If you press down on an empty soft drink can with your hand, not much will
seem to happen. If you put the can on the floor and gradually increase the
force by stepping down on it with your foot, at some point it will suddenly
squash. This sudden scrunching is known as “buckling.”

Models with thin parts tend to buckle under axial loading. Buckling can be
defined as the sudden deformation, which occurs when the stored
membrane(axial) energy is converted into bending energy with no change in
the externally applied loads. Mathematically, when buckling occurs, the
total stiffness matrix becomes singular.

In the normal use of most products, buckling can be catastrophic if it
occurs. The failure is not one because of stress but geometric stability.
Once the geometry of the part starts to deform, it can no longer support
even a fraction of the force initially applied. The worst part about
buckling for engineers is that buckling usually occurs at relatively low
stress values for what the material can withstand. So they have to make a
separate check to see if a product or part thereof is okay with respect to
buckling.
Slender structures and structures with slender parts loaded in the axial
direction buckle under relatively small axial loads. Such structures may
fail in buckling while their stresses are far below critical levels. For
such structures, the buckling load becomes a critical design factor. Stocky
structures, on the other hand, require large loads to buckle, therefore
buckling analysis is usually not required.

Buckling almost always involves compression; refer to Figure-3. In
mechanical engineering, designs involving thin parts in flexible structures
like airplanes and automobiles are susceptible to buckling. Even though
stress can be very low, buckling of local areas can cause the whole
structure to collapse by a rapid series of ‘propagating buckling’. Buckling
analysis calculates the smallest (critical) loading required buckling a
model. Buckling loads are associated with buckling modes. Designers are
usually interested in the lowest mode because it is associated with the
lowest critical load. When buckling is the critical design factor,
calculating multiple buckling modes helps in locating the weak areas of the
model. This may prevent the occurrence of lower buckling modes by simple
modifications.

Figure-3. Buckling example

Thermal analysis
There are three mechanisms of heat transfer. These mechanisms are
Conduction, Convection and Radiation. Thermal analysis calculates the
temperature distribution in a body due to some or all of these mechanisms.
In all three mechanisms, heat flows from a higher-temperature medium to a
lower temperature one. Heat transfer by conduction and convection requires
the presence of an intervening medium while heat transfer by radiation does
not.

There are two modes of heat transfer analysis.

Steady State Thermal Analysis

In this type of analysis, we are only interested in the thermal conditions
of the body when it reaches thermal equilibrium, but we are not interested
in the time it takes to reach this status. The temperature of each point in
the model will remain unchanged until a change occurs in the system. At
equilibrium, the thermal energy entering the system is equal to the thermal
energy leaving it. Generally, the only material property that is needed for
steady state analysis is the thermal conductivity.

 Transient Thermal Analysis
In this type of analysis, we are interested in knowing the thermal status
of the model at different instances of time. A thermos designer, for
example, knows that the temperature of the fluid inside will eventually be
equal to the room temperature(steady state), but he is interested in
finding out the temperature of the fluid as a function of time. In addition
to the thermal conductivity, we also need to specify density, specific
heat, initial temperature profile, and the period of time for which
solutions are desired.

Till this point, we have learned the basics of various analyses that can be
performed in SolidWorks. Now, we will learn about the studies that can be
performed in SolidWorks.

DROP TEST STUDIES

Drop test studies simulate the effect of dropping a part or an assembly on
a rigid or flexible floor. To perform this study the floor is considered as
planar and flat. The forces that are considered automatically for this
study are gravity and impact reaction.

FATIGUE ANALYSIS
The fatigue is more over a study then analysis. But it is generally named
as analysis. This analysis is used to check the effect of continuous
loading and unloading of forces on a body. The base element for performing
fatigue analysis are results of static, nonlinear, or time history linear
dynamic studies.

PRESSURE VESSEL DESIGN STUDY

Pressure Vessel Design study allows you combine the results of static
studies with the desired factors and interpret the results. The Pressure
Vessel Design study combines the results of the static studies
algebraically using a linear combination or the square root of the sum of
the squares.

DESIGN STUDY
Design Study is used to perform an optimization of design. Using the Design
Study you can:

• Define multiple variables using simulation parameters, or driving global
variables.
• Define multiple constraints.
• Define multiple goals using sensors.
• Analyze models without simulation results. For example, you can minimize
the mass of an assembly with the variables, density and model dimensions,
the constraint, and volume.
• Evaluate design choices by defining a parameter that sets bodies to use
different materials as a variable.

Till this point, you have become familiar with the analyses that can be
performed by using SolidWorks. But, do you know how the software analyze
the problems. The answer is FEA.

FEA
FEA, Finite Element Analysis, is a mathematical system used to solve real-
world engineering problems by simplifying them. In FEA by SolidWorks, the
model is broken into small elements and nodes. Then, distributed forces are
applied on each element and node. The cumulative result of forces is
calculated and displayed in results. The elements in which a model can be
broken into are given in Figure-4,Figure-5,and Figure-6.
Figure-4. Finite elements list1

Figure-5. Finite elements list2

Figure-6. Finite elements list3

We will be now use the information discussed above in SolidWorks
Simulation. The process of starting SolidWorks Simulation is given next.

STARTING SOLIDWORKS SIMULATION

Before you try to start SolidWorks Simulation, make sure that you have
installed it with SolidWorks and you applied the serial key for it during
installation. Then, follow the steps given next.

• Start SolidWorks and open the model for which you want to perform the
analyses.

• Click on the SolidWorks Add-Ins tab and select the SolidWorks Simulation
button; refer to Figure-7.

• On clicking this button, Simulation tab will be added in the Ribbon.

• Click on the Simulation tab, the New Study drop-down will be displayed in
the Ribbon.

There are two buttons available in this drop-down; Simulation Advisor and
New Study. We will start with Simulation Advisor as it is good for novices
to the software.

Figure-7. SolidWorks simulation button

On clicking Simulation Advisor

• Click on the Simulation Advisor button from the drop-down. The Simulation
Advisor pane will display in the right of the SolidWorks window; refer to
Figure-8.
Figure-8. Simulation advisor pane

• Read the text in the Advisor and perform the actions accordingly. This is
a guided process so it is recommended to perform some tricks on software
by yourself. We will learn more about the advisor later in the book.

On clicking New Study

• Click on the New Study button from the drop-down. The Study
PropertyManager will display; refer to Figure-9.
Figure-9. Study PropertyManager

The buttons available in the Type rollout of the PropertyManager refer to

different type of analyses.

We will discuss these analyses one by one in the upcoming chapters.