Plane Stress Analysis of a Thin Plate with a Circular Hole

DEFINE ELEMENT AND MATERIAL TYPE:

Preprocessor > Element Type > Add/Edit/Delete > Solid > Quad 4node 42

Preprocessor > Element Type > Add/Edit/Delete > Options . . . > K3: Plane strs w/thk

Preprocessor > Real Constants > Add/Edit/Delete > Add > THK = 0.25

Preprocessor > Material Properties > Structural > Linear > Elastic > Isotropic
EX = 29e6
PRXY=0.33

DRAW THE GEOMETRY:

Preprocessor > Create > Keypoints > In Active CS

1 0 0 0
2 10 0 0
3 10 4 0
4 0 4 0

Preprocessor > Create > Lines > Lines > Straight Line
Pick the keypoints to create the boundary of the rectangular area

Preprocessor > Create > Areas > Arbitrary > By Lines

Pick the four lines to make the rectangular area

Preprocessor > Create > Areas > Circle > Solid Circle
WP X = 5
WP Y = 2
Radius = 1

Preprocessor > Modeling > Operate > Booleans > Subtract > Areas
Follow the instructions in the ANSYS input window:
Pick base area from which to subtract (the rectangle)
Pick the area to subtract (the circle)
MESH THE MODEL:

Preprocessor > Meshing > MeshTool > (make sure that “Areas” are to be meshed) Mesh > (pick the body) > OK

Remesh the model using smaller elements:

Preprocessor > Meshing > MeshTool > turn smart size on (choose 3) > Mesh > pick the body > OK

Refine the mesh near the hole:

Preprocessor > Meshing > MeshTool > Remesh > pick the elements to make smaller > OK

Change the mesh back to a mesh with a Smart Size of 4

Preprocessor > Meshing > MeshTool > turn smart size on (choose 4) > Mesh > pick the body > OK

APPLY THE BOUNDARY CONDITIONS AND SOLVE:

Solution > Define Loads > Apply > Structural > Displacement > On Lines > (pick vertical line on the left) > UX = 0.0 > OK

Solution > Define Loads > Apply > Displacement > On Keypoints > pick keypoint 1 (0, 0, 0) > UY = 0.0 > OK

Solution > Define Loads > Apply > Pressure > On Lines > pick the vertical line on the right > -10000 > OK

Solution > Solve Current LS

POST PROCESSING:

General Postproc > Plot Results > Deformed Shape > Def + undef edge > OK
General Postproc > Plot Results > Element Solu > Stress > X-direction SX > OK
General Postproc > Plot Results > Element Solu > Stress > Y-direction SY > OK
General Postproc > Plot Results > Element Solu > Stress > Z-direction SZ> OK
General Postproc > Plot Results > Element Solu > Stress > XY-shear SXY > OK
General Postproc > Plot Results > Element Solu > Stress > Y-direction SY > OK
General Postproc > Plot Results > Element Solu > Stress > 1st principal S1 > OK
General Postproc > Plot Results > Element Solu > Stress > von Mises SEQV > OK

To do a line plot of stresses between the hole and the outside:

General Postproc > Path Operations > Define Path > On Working Plane > OK > enter two points in ANSYS input
5, -.25, 0 <enter>
5, 1.25, 0 <enter>
Name the plot something

General Postproc > Path Operations > Map onto Path >
Lab = StressX (just any name)
Item = Stress and Comp = SX

General Postproc > Plot Results > Plot Path Item - On Graph (choose StressX)

REPEAT THE ABOVE USING PLANE82 ELEMENTS (redrawing geometry is not required)
COMPARE THE STRESS IN THE X-DIRECTION (FEA AND ANALYTICAL)
Stress Concentration Factor

3.0

P d
P
H
2.8

2.6
Kt

2.4

2.2

2.0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7

d/H

( )