BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

Analysis of stepped Bars

Exercise No. 1 a):

Determine nodal displacements, elemental strains and stresses and reaction force for the
stepped bar shown below. Take Young’s modulus E=206 X103N/mm2.

Geometric Model:

f 50mm f 40mm f 35mm

50kN

1m 0.6m 0.4m

FE Model:

1 2 3
1 2 3 4

Results:

NODAL SOLUTION- DISPLACEMENTS:

Node Number UX (mm) UY (mm) UZ(mm)

1 0.00000 0 0
2 0.12368 0 0
3 0.23957 0 0
4 0.34048 0 0

ELEMENTAL SOLUTION:

Element
Stress (MPa) Strain Force (N)
No.
1 25.478 0.12368E-003 5000

2 39.793 0.19315E-003 5000

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 BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

3 51.970 0.25228E-003 5000

REACTION SOLUTION:

Node
FX FY FZ
No.
1 -5000 0 0
2 0 0 0
3 0 0 0
4 0 0 0

Contour plots:

Nodal displacement plot:

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 BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

Elemental stress plot:

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 BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

Elemental strain plot:

Inferences:

 Sketch the schematic diagram of bar element along with its nodal degrees of freedom.

1 2

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 BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

 What do you meant by one dimensional analysis?

 One-dimensional analysis examines physical phenomena, such as heat, mass, or fluid

flow, along a single spatial dimension. It simplifies complex systems by assuming
variations occur only in one direction, making calculations easier while providing
approximate solutions for engineering and scientific problems.

Exercise No. 1 b):

Determine nodal displacements, elemental strains and stresses and reaction force for the bar
shown below.

Geometric Model:

Steel
Aluminium

200kN

400 mm 300 mm

Data: EAluminum =70X103 N/mm2, ESteel =200X103 N/mm2, Ast=2400 mm2, AAl=600 mm2

FE Model:

1 2
1 2 3

Results:

NODAL SOLUTION- DISPLACEMENTS:

Node Number UX (mm) UY (mm) UZ(mm)

1 0 0 0
2 0.14925 0 0
3 0 0 0

ELEMENTAL SOLUTION:

School of Mechanical Engineering, VIT Vellore.

 BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

Element
Stress (MPa) Strain Force (N)
No.
1 74.627 0.37313E-003 200000
2 -34.826 -0.49751E-003 200000

REACTION SOLUTION:

Node
FX FY FZ
No.
1 -0.17910E+006 0 0
3 -20896.0 0 0

Contour plots:

Nodal displacement plot:

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 BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

Elemental stress plot:

Elemental strain plot:

School of Mechanical Engineering, VIT Vellore.

 BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

Inferences:

Compute the nodal displacement manually by assembling the elemental matrices and
compare with ANSYS results.

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 BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

School of Mechanical Engineering, VIT Vellore.

 BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

Exercise No. 1c: Determine nodal displacements, elemental stresses and reaction force for
the tapered bar shown below. Discretize the member using two bar elements of equal length.
Take Young’s modulus E = 2 X105 N/mm2. A1=1000 mm2, A2=500mm2.

Geometric Model:

A1 A2

F=1000N

375 mm

Equivalent Geometric Model: Tapered bar is modified into stepped bar as shown below:

(1000+500)/2= 750mm2
A1Eq = (1000+750)/2=875 mm2
A2Eq = (750+500)/2=625 mm2

A2Eq
A1Eq

187.5mm 187.5mm

FE Model:

1 2
1 2 3

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 BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

Results:

NODAL SOLUTION- DISPLACEMENTS:

Node Number UX (mm) UY (mm) UZ(mm)

1 0 0 0
2 0.10714E-002 0 0
3 0.25714E-002 0 0

ELEMENTAL SOLUTION:

Element
Stress (MPa) Strain Force (N)
No.
1 1.1429 0.57143E-005 1000
2 1.6000 0.80000E-005 1000

REACTION SOLUTION:

Node
FX FY FZ
No.
1 -1000 0 0
3 0 0 0

Contour plots:

Nodal displacement plot:

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 BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

Elemental stress plot:

Elemental strain plot:

School of Mechanical Engineering, VIT Vellore.

 BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

Inferences:

Determine the exact solution using analytical method and compare the maximum
displacement value of tapered bar with FE result.

School of Mechanical Engineering, VIT Vellore.

 BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

School of Mechanical Engineering, VIT Vellore.

 BMEE306P - Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis Lab

School of Mechanical Engineering, VIT Vellore.