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Basic Analysis
4
This chapter describes the analysis capabilities of Basic Structural Analysis: linear static
analysis, buckling analysis, and normal modes analysis. This chapter is divided into the
following sections:
4.1 Linear Static Analysis
4.2 Normal Modes Analysis
4.3 Buckling Analysis
4.4 Thermal Loading
Each section concludes with a detailed step-through example.
The applied forces may be used independently or combined with each other. The loads can
also be applied in multiple loading subcases, in which each subcase represents a particular
loading or boundary condition. Multiple loading subcases provide a means of solution
efficiency, whereby the solution time for subsequent subcases is a small fraction of the
solution time for the first, for a particular boundary condition.
Model Description:
In this example we create a 4 in. square plate with filleted edges (0.5 in. fillet radius) and a
2 in. diameter circular hole in the center. The plate is made of steel, 0.1 in. thick. The
model is simply supported around the outer edge, and a 10g gravity load is applied normal
to the plate. The plate is modeled with flat plate elements. Nodal displacements and
element stresses are computed.
This example uses English units: inches (in.) for length, pounds (lb) for force, and seconds
(sec) for time. Note that MSC/N4W assumes a consistent set of units, so you need to be
consistent and not mix units (i.e., do not mix feet and inches).
Follow the steps described starting on the next page to create the geometry, finite element
mesh, loads and constraints.
Exercise Procedure:
1. Start up MSC/NASTRAN for Windows 4.0 and begin to create a new model.
Start MSC/N4W by double-clicking on the MSC/N4W icon. When the Open Model File
dialog box appears; choose New Model.
Geometry/Curve-Line/Rectangle...
X: 0 Y: 0 Z: 0
OK
X: 4 Y: 4 Z: 0
OK
The rectangle may be displayed in the corner of the display window. If so, you can resize
and center the display by choosing View/Autoscale (or pressing Ctrl+A).
View/Autoscale
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View/Options...
Options: Curve
Apply
Now select Tools and View Style in the Category box. Choose Workplane and Rulers
and uncheck the Draw Entity check box.
Draw Entity
BASIC ANALYSIS
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Then choose OK to apply these changes and exit the View Options box.
OK
Modify/Fillet...
Curve 1: 1
Curve 2: 2
Radius: 0.5
X: 3 Y: 1 Z: 0
OK
BASIC ANALYSIS
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Curve 1: 2
Curve 2: 3
Radius: 0.5
X: 3 Y: 3 Z: 0
OK
Curve 1: 3
Curve 2: 4
Radius: 0.5
X: 1 Y: 3 Z: 0
OK
Curve 1: 4
Curve 2: 1
Radius: 0.5
X: 1 Y: 1 Z: 0
OK
Cancel
Flat Plate with a Single Load
4 4-9
Geometry/Curve-Circle/Center...
X: 2 Y: 2 Z: 0
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OK
Radius: 1
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OK
Cancel
File/Save
Save
Flat Plate with a Single Load
4 4-11
7. Creating the Material Properties.
Now that we have created the basic geometry we will create the properties, beginning with
the material properties.
Choose Model/Material, which brings up the Define Isotropic Material dialog box. (Note
that the default material type is isotropic.)
Model/Material...
To read the material properties, choose Load, which brings up the Select Entity box.
Select AISI 4340 Steel and note that the isotropic material properties are entered in the
Isotropic Material box. Note that the density is mass density, which is in units of
lb-sec2/in.4 for English units. Note, too, that the material ID is 1.
Load...
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OK
OK
Cancel
Model/Property...
OK
Cancel
Then sets a mesh size of 0.4 in. for each plate element.
Size: 0.4
OK
Next, choose Geometry/Boundary Surface to select the boundaries of the mesh. This
brings up the Entity Selection box.
Geometry/Boundary Surface...
Select All
OK
Next, choose Mesh/Geometry/Surface and pick the boundary surface that has just been
created.
Mesh/Geometry/Surface...
Select Surface 1.
OK
OK
When meshing is completed, 135 elements and 163 nodes are generated.
View/Options...
Options: Point
Apply
Options: Curve
Draw Entity
Apply
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Options: Boundary
Draw Entity
Apply
The geometry (curves and points) and boundaries are now turned off.
The filled dot at the origin can also be turned off.
Draw Entity
Draw Entity
Options: Origin
Draw Entity
OK
Flat Plate with a Single Load
4 4-17
11. Creating the Boundary Conditions.
First, choose Model/Constraint/Set and enter the load set title.
Model/Constraint/Set...
OK
Model/Constraint/Nodal...
ID: 1 to: 40
OK
OK
Cancel
Model/Load/Set...
OK
Model/Load/Body...
Active Acceleration
Translation/Gravity
(length/time/time) Z: -3864
Flat Plate with a Single Load
4 4-19
OK
File/Analyze...
Run Analysis
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OK
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When prompted, “OK to Save Model Now?” Select Yes. The analysis can run for several
minutes, depending on the speed of your PC.
Yes
Continue
At this stage the results have already been read into the database ready for processing.
15. Modifying the Display with quick options.
Turn off the constraint entities and labels.
Choose View Options, select Quick Options.
View/Options...
Quick Options...
Draw: Constraint
Done
OK
View/Select...
BASIC ANALYSIS
OK
OK
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View/Select...
OK
OK
Note that the deformed shape is plotted in white and is overlaid on the undeformed (blue)
shape. The deformation can better be viewed by rotating the model. Choose View/Rotate
and select Isometric. The model is rotated such that the deformation can be seen.
View/Rotate...
Flat Plate with a Single Load
4 4-23
Isometric
OK
View/Select...
OK
BASIC ANALYSIS
View/Advanced Post/Animation...
OK
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View/Select...
OK
OK
File/Exit
Yes
Normal Modes Analysis
4 4-25
K – λi M { φi } = 0
where {φ} is the eigenvector (or mode shape) corresponding to the eigenvalue λ (the
natural or characteristic frequency). For each eigenvalue, which is proportional to a natural
frequency, there is a corresponding eigenvector, or mode shape. The eigenvalues are BASIC ANALYSIS
related to the natural frequencies as follows:
fi = λ i ⁄ 2π
Each mode shape is similar to a static displaced shape in that there are displacements and
rotations for each node. However, there is one important difference between the mode
shape and the static displacements: the scaling. In static analysis the displacements are the
true physical displacements due to the applied loads. Since there is no applied load in
normal mode analysis, the mode shape components can all be scaled by an arbitrary factor.
With MSC/NASTRAN this scaling can be done so that the maximum displacement in any
4-26 4 Basic Analysis
mode is 1.0. Another option is to allow any user specified degree of freedom have a modal
displacement of 1.0. The first option—unit modal mass—is generally preferred, though
the scaling of a maximum displacement to 1.0 is useful for comparison to modal test data.
Element forces and stresses and reaction forces are computed in the same manner as for
static analysis, with each mode shape treated the same as a set of static displacements. Due
to the scaling of each mode, the resulting element stresses and forces are on a per mode
basis and cannot necessarily be compared from one mode to another.
Because no single eigenvalue extraction method is perfect for all models, we have
incorporated several methods in MSC/NASTRAN. These eigenvalue extraction methods
are:
❍ Lanczos method
❍ Givens method
❍ Householder method
❍ Modified Givens method
❍ Modified Householder method
❍ Inverse power method
❍ Sturm modified inverse power method
The Lanczos method is the best overall method due to its robustness, but the other
methods (particularly the modified Givens method and the Sturm modified inverse power
method) have applicability for particular cases.
MSC/NASTRAN's eigenvalue methods can also analyze unrestrained models, such as
those that arise from aircraft in flight. These unrestrained models give rise to stress free,
rigid body modes, which MSC/NASTRAN can analyze without any special modeling or
analysis techniques.
Model Description:
In this example we use a model created previously to perform a normal modes analysis.
Bracket Model
4 4-27
The model file is basically complete for analysis—all of the nodes, elements, properties,
and constraints are included.
Exercise Procedure:
1. Start up MSC/NASTRAN for Windows 4.0 and read in the model.
Start MSC/N4W by double-clicking on the MSC/N4W icon. When the Open Model File
dialog box appears; find and choose bracket.mod.
Change to the examples directory. (This is a database containing the model to be analyzed
in this example.)
Open
BASIC ANALYSIS
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File/Save As...
Save
The view can be cleaned up by switching off the geometry in the View Quick Options
dialog box by selecting Ctrl+Q or through the View/Options/Quick Options menu.
View/Options...
Quick Options...
Geometry Off
Done
Controlling the mesh parameters is a useful way to minimize the total number of elements
in the mesh. This improves analysis job performance. Controlling mesh parameters also
enables analysts to enhance the shape of mesh elements. Improving the shape on mesh
elements increases the reliability of analysis results.
To review the mesh parameters used on this model select Mesh/Mesh Control/Size -
Along Curve from the Mesh Menu.
Select the arc at the top of the bracket (arc 2) and the one at the top of the slot (arc 17).
OK
The number of elements selected should be set to a reasonable number in order to create
well shaped elements. For this example we will select 6 elements around the 180 degree
arc, giving a maximum included angle of 30 degrees or less for each element. Specifying
the same number of elements on these concentric arcs will ensure a uniform mesh between
the upper arc and the top of the slot.
l Number of Elements 6
OK
BASIC ANALYSIS
Cancel
File/Analyze...
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Number of Modes 3
Run Analysis
OK
When prompted, “OK to Save Model Now?” Select Yes. The analysis can run for several
minutes, depending on the speed of your PC.
Yes
Continue
At this stage the results have already been read into the database ready for processing.
6. Creating Multiple Views.
Because we have 3 modes it is convenient to create 3 views for plotting the deformed
shapes. To do so:
A. Create 3 viewports.
View/New...
Create Layout: l3
Bracket Model
4 4-31
OK
View/Rotate...
Isometric
OK
View/Option...
Quick Options...
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Labels Off
Draw: Element
Draw: Constraint
Done
E. Then select View/Options and pick the Tools and View Style category. Then pick
Workplane and Rulers and deselect the Draw Entity checkbox. Finally select
OK.
View/Option...
OK
View/Select...
OK
OK
The deformed shape for the first mode is now displayed over the undeformed model.
Next, display the second mode shape as a contour plot. Click on the lower left viewport.
View/Select...
OK
OK
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The deformed shape for the third mode is now displayed over the undeformed model.
Finally, create a contour plot of the third mode and then animate it. To do so, click on V2
viewport (right hand side).
View/Select...
OK
OK
These operations create the deformation contour plot for the third mode.
Bracket Model
4 4-35
To animate the plot, select View/Options, and then select PostProcessing for the
Category and Animated Style for the Options.
View/Option...
Category: l PostProcessing
Change Frames to 5. Because the animation is done by creating multiple frames of scaled
deformation, an odd number of frames creates a frame that of zero deformation.
Frames: 5
BASIC ANALYSIS
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Apply
Click the Animate checkbox to change the contour levels as the model is animated. (Note
that in the first example—the plate with a single load case—the contour did not change as
the model was animated.)
Animate
Bracket Model
4 4-37
OK
View/Rotate...
Isometric
OK
View/Select...
OK
Five frames are drawn and the model is animated. BASIC ANALYSIS
The animation speed can be changed with View/Advanced Post/Animation.
View/Advanced Post/Animation...
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Note that as you click on Slower do so, the Delay increases. (The delay is proportional to
the amount of time that the computer “waits” between frames—the larger the delay, the
slower the apparent animation speed.)
OK
View/Select...
OK
File/Exit
Yes
Model Description:
The purpose of this problem is to investigate the linear buckling analysis process by
conducting a simple buckling analysis on an existing link model (which is in the form of a
FEMAP neutral file). In this analysis we will use the existing plate geometry and finite
element mesh and apply the necessary loads and boundary conditions to determine the
buckling load and buckled shape of the link.
BASIC ANALYSIS
Exercise Procedure:
1. Start up MSC/NASTRAN for Windows 4.0.
Start MSC/N4W by double-clicking on the MSC/N4W icon. When the Open Model File
dialog box appears; select New Model.
File/Import/Analysis Model...
OK
Change to the examples directory. (This is a database containing the model to be analyzed
in this example.
Open
OK
File/Save As...
Save
Link Model
4 4-41
Since the geometry and mesh already exist, in this example we will concentrate on the
aspects directly related to buckling analysis. To accomplish this, we will create new
boundary conditions and applied loads and use these for the buckling analysis.
4. Change the title on the window.
View/Window...
OK
Model/Constraint/Nodal...
BASIC ANALYSIS
OK
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The Entity Selection dialog box then appears. Use the cursor to select the nodes around
the hole on the lower part of the model (node 138-153) and fix all translational DOF on
these nodes.
OK
Pinned
OK
Cancel
Model/Load/Nodal...
OK
The Select Nodes dialog box then appears, select the nodes around the bottom of the hole
(nodes 178 and 184-189).
OK
When the Create Loads on Nodes dialog box appears, enter a magnitude of -1.0 in the FY
box. We choose a magnitude of 1.0 to represent a simple unit load. The minus sign is used
to orient the load so as to apply a compressive load to the plate.
FY -1
BASIC ANALYSIS
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OK
Cancel
View/Option...
Quick Options...
Geometry Off
Labels Off
Draw: Constraint
Done
Link Model
4 4-45
File/Save
File/Analyze...
Run Analysis
BASIC ANALYSIS
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OK
yes
The analysis then starts. When it has completed, the results are read into the database and
are ready for postprocessing.
9. Preparing for Postprocessing
Once the analysis has completed the results are read in automatically. A Message Review
dialog box appears and as long as there are no Fatal errors, the Continue button can be
selected.
Continue
File/Rotate...
Dimetric
OK
Link Model
4 4-47
View/Select...
BASIC ANALYSIS
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Select the Deformed and Contour Data... button to activate the buckling results. In the
Select PostProcessing Data dialog box select the Output Set for Eigenvalue 1. In our case
it is set "2..Eigenvalue 1 36.351". (Depending upon the sequence you have used in
accessing the different analysis capabilities demonstrated using this problem your set
number may be different.) For the Output Vectors, select 1..Total Translation in the
Deformation box using the scroll bar to the right of the box.
OK
OK
View/Align By/Dynamic...
BASIC ANALYSIS
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l Rotate XY
Holding down the left mouse button and dragging the cursor. Drag left or right to rotate
the model about the y axis.
Drag up and down to rotate about the x axis.
Select Cancel to return the model to the original Isometric View when you are done.
Cancel
Tools/Check/Sum Forces...
X: 0 Y: 0 Z: 0
OK
Since in this problem we are only interested in the summation of the forces in the Y
direction, the origin (X = 0, Y = 0, Z = 0) is a reasonable point about which to sum the
forces. This choice creates a Summation of Forces Table in the Messages and Lists
window.
Thermal Loading
4 4-51
This table shows that the total load we’ve applied in the Y direction is -7.0 lbs. To
calculate the buckling load, we multiply the applied load by the buckling load factor
(eigenvalue) or:
Applied Load x Buckling Load Factor = Buckling Load
- 7.0 lbs x 36.35 = - 254.45 lbs
More directly stated, the link will buckle at a total load of 254.45 lbs, uniformly
distributed along the edge of the hole.
The buckling load factor is a scale factor whose value is a function of the applied load.
Had we applied a load set that was 100 times greater (100 lbs instead of 1.0 lb) the
resulting computed buckling load factor would be proportional to the increased load and
would be 0.3635, resulting in the same total buckling load.
Additional postprocessing (i.e., contours, XY plots, etc.) can easily be performed on these
results.
Model Description:
This example will demonstrate how to create 3D geometry, automesh solid elements by
extruding, generate a nodal temperature distribution using built-in equations, and perform
graphical post-processing on solid elements.