A

A B A
B
C B
A
A D C
B
B D
C A
A D C B
E D A
A
AB B
E D
D A
G G F E
G C
A E
G G D
B G
H ED B
D B

H F C
A E F
F
F
CB
B D E F
A B A
E F F
C D
C
A
D D
D
D
C
A
B
B B A
A
B
C
C
D

C E
E H
C
C E
A E
C
C

Finite Element Analysis

ANSYS Truss Analysis Y

Z X

Dr. Suhas Deshmukh

Professor,
SAE, Kondhawa (Bk.), Pune

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Outline

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• The purpose of this tutorial is to outline the steps
required to do a simple modal analysis of the
cantilever beam shown below.

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 Geometry Creation

• Open preprocessor menu

• Give example a Title

• Utility Menu > File > Change Title ...

• Give example a Jobname

• Utility Menu > File > Change Jobname ...
• Enter 'Dynamic' for the jobname

• Create Keypoints
• Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Keypoints > In Active CS

Coordinates
Keypoint
We are going to define 2 keypoints (x,y)
(the beam vertices) for this structure 1 (0,0)
as given in the following table:
2 (1,0)

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 Preprocessing
• Define Lines
– Preprocessor > Modeling > Create > Lines > Lines > Straight Line Create a
line between Keypoint 1 and Keypoint 2.
• Define Element Types
– Preprocessor > Element Type > Add/Edit/Delete...
– For this problem we will use the BEAM3 (Beam 2D elastic) element.
This element has 3 degrees of freedom (translation along the X and Y
axis's, and rotation about the Z axis). With only 3 degrees of freedom,
the BEAM3 element can only be used in 2D analysis.
• Define Real Constants
– Preprocessor > Real Constants... > Add... In the 'Real Constants for
BEAM3' window, enter the following geometric properties:
– Cross-sectional area AREA: 0.0001
– Area Moment of Inertia IZZ: 8.33e-10
– Total beam height HEIGHT: 0.01
– This defines an element with a solid rectangular cross section 0.01 m x 0.01 m.
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Preprocessing

• Define Element Material Properties

– Preprocessor > Material Props > Material Models > Structural
> Linear > Elastic > Isotropic In the window that appears,
enter the following geometric properties for steel:
– Young's modulus EX: 2.068e11
– Poisson's Ratio PRXY: 0.3
– To enter the density of the material, double click on 'Linear'
followed by 'Density' in the 'Define Material Model
Behavior' Window
– Enter a density of 7830
• Note: For dynamic analysis, both the stiffness and
the material density have to be specified.

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Preprocessing

• Define Mesh Size Preprocessor > Meshing > Size

Cntrls > ManualSize > Lines > All Lines... For this
example we will specify 10 element divisions along the
line.
• Mesh the frame Preprocessor > Meshing > Mesh >
Lines > click 'Pick All'

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 Solution: Assigning Loads and Solving
• Define Analysis Type
– Solution > Analysis Type >
New Analysis > Modal
ANTYPE,2
• Set options for analysis
type:
– Select: Solution > Analysis
Type > Analysis Options.
– As shown, select the Subspace
method and enter 5 in the 'No.
of modes to extract'
– Check the box beside 'Expand
mode shapes' and enter 5 in the
'No. of modes to expand'
– Click 'OK'

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Solution: Assigning Loads and Solving

• For this problem, we will

use the default options so
click on OK.
• Apply Constraints
– Solution > Define Loads >
Apply > Structural >
Displacement > On Keypoints
Fix Keypoint 1 (ie all DOFs
constrained).
• Solve the System
– Solution > Solve > Current LS
SOLVE

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Postprocessing: Viewing the Results

• Select: General Postproc > Results Summary...

Percent
Mode Theory ANSYS
Error
1 8.311 8.300 0.1
2 51.94 52.01 0.2
3 145.68 145.64 0.0
4 285.69 285.51 0.0
5 472.22 472.54 0.1

Note: To obtain accurate higher mode frequencies, this mesh would have to be
refined even more (i.e. instead of 10 elements, we would have to model the
cantilever using 15 or more elements depending upon the highest mode
frequency of interest).

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Postprocessing: Viewing the Results

• View Mode Shapes

– Select: General Postproc > Read Results > First Set This
selects the results for the first mode shape
– Select General Postproc > Plot Results > Deformed shape .
Select 'Def + undef edge' The first mode shape will now
appear in the graphics window.
• To view the next mode shape,
– select General Postproc > Read Results > Next Set.
– As above choose General Postproc > Plot Results >
Deformed shape . Select 'Def + undef edge'.

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Thank You

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