Tutorial - Solving 2D Truss problem using Mechanical APDL (ANSYS) Part 1?

Sudhir Gill

10 Mar, 2012 02:39 AM

In general, a finite element solution may be broken into the following three stages.
1. Preprocessing: defining the problem;
- Define keypoints/lines/areas/volumes
- Define element type and material/geometric properties
- Mesh lines/areas/volumes as required
2. Solution: assigning loads, constraints and solving;
3. Postprocessing:
- Lists of nodal displacements
- Element forces and moments
- Deflection plots
- Stress contour diagrams
In this tutorial we will go through first and seecond step here.

1. Step 1:

   Start Mechanical APDL.
   

   

2. Step 2:

   Click Preferences and select Structural. Click OK.
   

   

3. Step 3:

   Under Preprocessor goto >> Element Type >> Add/Edit/Delete.
   

   

4. Step 4:

   Click Add and then select 3D finit stn. Click OK and then close.
   

   

5. Step 5:

   Under Real constants click Add/Edit/Delete.
   

   

6. Step 6:

   Click Add and then define Area = .1. Click OK and Click Close.
   

   

7. Step 7:

   Under Material Props >> Material Models.
   

   

8. Step 8:

   Under Structural >> Linear >> Elastic >> Isotropic.
   

   

9. Step 9:

   Input EX=200e9 and PRXY=0.3. Click OK and then close Material Model window.
   

   

10. Step 10:

    Goto Preprocessor >> Modeling >> Create >> Keypoints >> In Active CS.
    

    

11. Step 11:

    Input Keypoint 1 = (0,0,0)
    

    

12. Step 12:

    Input Keypoint 2 = (0.8,1.5,0) & 3 = (2.8,0,0)
    

    

13. Step 13:

    Goto Modeling >> Create >> Lines >> Lines >> In active Coord to create lines.
    

    

14. Step 14:

    Select keypoints and create lines. Click OK after done.
    

    

15. Step 15:

    Goto Meshing >> Size Controls >> Manual Size >> Lines >> All lines.
    

    

16. Step 16:

    Input No. of element divisions = 1. Click OK.
    

    

17. Step 17:

    Goto Meshing >> Mesh >> lines.
    

    

18. Step 18:

    Click Pick all.
    

    

19. Step 19:

    Now save the job. Click File >> Save as.
    

    

20. Step 20:

    Save the job.
    

    

21. Step 21:

    Under Solution select Analysis type >> New analysis.
    

    

22. Step 22:

    Select Static and click OK.
    

    

23. Step 23:

    Goto Define Loads >> Apply >> Structural >> Displacement >> On Keypoints.
    

    

24. Step 24:

    Select both keypoints.
    

    

25. Step 25:

    Select All UX,UY and UZ. Click OK.
    

    

26. Step 26:

    Goto Define loads >> Apply >> Structural >> Force/Moment >> On Keypoints.
    

    

27. Step 27:

    Select the top Keypoint. Click OK.
    

    

28. Step 28:

    Input Force = 2800. Direction be FX. Click OK.
    

    

29. Step 29:

    Now save the job.
    

    

30. Step 30:

    Goto Solution >> Solve >> Current LS.
    

    

31. Step 31:

    Click OK.
    

    

32. Step 32:

    Click Close.