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2105ENG, Mechanics of Materials 2, Trimester 2, 2020 due on the 30th of September 2020 Engineering Finite Element Project (25

Element Project (25 Marks)

Project Description:

This is a group project with no more than 3 students in each group. The project consists of three parts. In each part you are supposed to provide answers to the
questions using SPACE GASS, ANSYS and analytical Equations. Each group should submit one PDF file (the report) via TurnItIn submission point. The
report should be submitted using the provided MS Word template.

You need to pick the student number (S number) of one of the group members. The parameters in the questions vary with the student number that you have
chosen and are defined in the box below.

 If any of those letters correspond to a zero in the student number, then use the first non-zero number to the left of it. For instance if f=0 then use
f=e=3, i.e:

Name Hassan Karampour a b c d e f g


S number 2968347 2 9 6 8 3 4 7

Student number is ‘abcdefg’


The selected student number is 2968347 then a=2, b=9, c=6, d=8, e=3, f=4, g=7

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Important notes!

1-If the numbers used in the project and the student number in the signed verification form do not match, then zero mark will be given for the FE
project.

2-Your report should be generated using the provided MS word template, then saved as a PDF file and submitted through the TurnItIn submission point in the
Blackboard. Submission due date is given in the course profile. Late submission penalties apply according to section 5.3 of the course profile. No hard copies
will be accepted.

3-Marks will be deducted if the final answer is wrong.

4-Handwritten submissions are not acceptable. Please use the MS word Equation function to type the mathematical calculations.

5-Apart from the PDF file, you should have the SPACEGASS and ANSYS files ready to provide to the marker if required.

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Q.1 Balcony Beam (30 Marks)

Description:
Balconies are normally constructed as cantilevered beams made of timber, steel or concrete. However, the cantilevered length is limited due to serviceability
(deflection) and architectural concerns. Thus if required, the engineer designer needs to provide a supporting post on the far tip of the beam as shown in
Figure 1.

Figure 1. The balcony concept (Image taken from http://www.adaptitgroup.com.au)

The free body diagram (FBD) of a typical balcony beam in Fig. 1 is plotted in Fig. 2 and shows the end fixities, lengths of the segments and the distributed
and concentrated loads. As you can see in the FBD, the post is modelled as a roller to simplify the analysis.
All dimensions are in meters, concentrated loads are in kN and distributed loads are in kN/m. Thus, in the given example, given the student number is
2968347 then:
The distributed load is equal to 2×d=16 kN/m.
The concentrated load is equal to 2×f=8 kN.

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2×d 2×f

1.5m 1.5m 1.5m 0.5m

Figure 2. The free body diagram of a typical balcony beam shown in Fig. 1 related to Q1

Deliverables:

 Using SPACE GASS: (Please refer to the training provided on the Blackboard how to make a cantilevered beam in SPACE GASS).

Model the beam in Figure 2 using SPACE GASS and provide these:

(Q1_1) Illustrate the model. You need to show the end fixities, loads and dimensions. (6 Marks)

(Q1_2) Show the maximum deflection in the beam using 200 UB 25.4 Aust300 Universal Beam section. (3 Marks)

(Q1_3) Show maximum reactions and the bending moment diagram of the beam in separate images.
(3 Marks)

(Q1_4) From the SPACE GASS library, select a Aust300 Universal Beam section such that the absolute maximum deflection in the beam is smaller than
(L/300). You need to show minimum 3 iterations in Tabular format like the one shown below. If you get a deflection smaller than L/300 in the first iteration,
there is no need to iterate more.
(3 Marks)

Deflection L/300
Iteration Section Criteria
(mm) (mm)
1 200 UB 25.4 85 73 NG
2 360 UB 50.7 72 73 OK

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 Using FE Theory (Beam elements): (You have to show the entire procedure. No marks are given if only the final answer is shown without the
procedure)

(Q1_5) Find the deflection in the beam, under the point load, using the FE theory. Using the Hermite shape functions, mesh the beam with only 4 elements.
Use properties of 200 UB 25.4 Aust300 Universal Beam section.

(9 Marks)

(Q1_6) Draw the Shear Force and the Bending Moment Diagram of the beam for the previous case (5), using the FE theory.

(6 Marks)

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Q.2 Truss (40 Marks)

Description:
Trusses are essentially geometrically optimised deep beams. In a truss concept, the material in the vicinity of the neutral axis of a deep beam is removed to
create a lattice structure which is comprised of tension and compression members. Thus, trusses are efficiently designed to span over long distances and are
used in roofs, bridges, tower cranes, etc. A typical bridge truss system is shown in Fig. 3.

Figure 3. The truss concept used in a bridge (Image taken from http:// au.pinterest.com)

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The free body diagram (FBD) of a typical truss is drawn in Fig. 4 and shows the end fixities, spans, height and the concentrated loads.
All dimensions are in meters and the concentrated loads are in kN. Thus, in the given example, given student number is 2968347 then a=2, b=9, c=6, d=8,
e=3, f=3, g=7

L=d+f+e+g=22m and a=2m


P1=a kN=2 kN
P2=f kN=4 kN
P3=g kN=7 kN

Figure 4. Free Body Diagram of the truss model in Q2

Deliverables:

 Using SPACE GASS: (Please refer to the training provided on the Blackboard how to model a truss in SPACE GASS).

(Q2_1) Show the SPACE GASS model with dimensions and member cross section annotations. Use Aust300 Square Hollow Sections (SHS) for all the
members. (4 Marks)

(Q2_2) Show horizontal and vertical deflections in all nodes. (1 Mark)

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(Q2_3) Show axial forces in all the members. (1 Mark)

(Q2_4) Using Aust300 Square Hollow Sections (SHS) design the lightest truss, such that the maximum vertical deflection is smaller than L/300. You need to
show at least 3 iterations. In each iteration, show an image of the Truss with member cross sections, vertical deflections in nodes and total truss weight next to
it. If you get a deflection smaller than L/300 in the first iteration, there is no need to iterate more.
(5 Marks)

(Q2_5) Check all members (SHS) in compression and tension. Show that in your design, all members in compression should satisfy a factor of safety in
buckling of SFc=2.0 and all members in tension should comply with a factor of safety in yield of SF T=1.5. Use yield stress of 300 MPa. If these conditions are
not satisfied, then change the member SHS profiles until the required safety factors are achieved.
(8 Marks)

 Using Virtual Work Method: (You have to show the entire procedure. No marks are given if only the final answer is shown without the procedure)

(Q2_6) Find the horizontal deflection at the node where P1 is applied. (8 Marks)

(Q2_7) Find the vertical deflection at the node where P3 is applied. (8 Marks)

(Q2_8) Find the member with the largest axial compressive force and design a SHS for that member. Use a factor of safety in buckling of SF c=2.0 and a
factor of safety in yield of SFT=1.5. Use k=1.0 for the buckling design.
(5 Marks)

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Q.3 Storage Tank (30 Marks)

Description:
Storage tanks are huge cylindrical pressure vessels, typically built from steel or fibre glass and are used to store water, oil, gas, etc. A typical steel storage
tank is shown in Fig. 5.

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Figure 5. Typical steel storage tank with ring stiffener

In this Question you are required to model the storage tank with parameters given in Figure 6, in ANSYS.
In this exercise, we are interested in finding the hoop, axial, and radial stresses at the mid-height of the cylinder (i.e. at distance g from the bottom of the
tank). In particular, we want to compare the finite element results obtained from an axisymmetric analysis to those calculated from the existing theoretical
formulae for both thin-wall and thick-wall approximations.

Outer Radius = f (in meters)


Wall thickness = 5xd (in mm)

Height = 2xg (in meters)

The vessel is pressurized to P= a/5 (in MPa)

Figure 6. Free body diagram of the steel storage tank in Q3

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The tank is made of steel with E=200GPa, ν=0.3, and yield and ultimate stresses of 400 MPa and 550 MPa, respectively. The internal pressure in the tank is
P=a/5 (in MPa) and is applied uniformly over the wall and the bottom surface. The outer radius of the tank is f (in meters), the height from bottom to the top
is 2×g (in meters) and the wall-thickness is constant and equal to 5×d (in millimetres).

The tank rests on a stiff concrete foundation with stiffness of 0.5 N/mm 3. The soil stiffness can be incorporated in the ANSYS model using elastic supports.
The top plate is usually not modelled.

To model the tank in ANSYS, you should be smart and use axisymmetric properties of the geometry of the tank. It means that, instead of modelling the
whole geometry in 3D, you should only model the 2D flipped L-shape strip shown in Figure 7 in blue color. Therefore, the tank is modelled in xy plane, and y
is the axisymmetric axis. The axial, radial and hoop stresses will thus be in, y, x and z directions, respectively.

A comprehensive module about axisymmetric modelling of a pressure vessel is available at Cornel University learning modules:
https://confluence.cornell.edu/display/SIMULATION/ANSYS+-+Pressure+Vessel

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outer radius f (in meters)

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Wall thickness = 5xd (in mm)

g (in meters)
half-height
Wall-thickness = 5xd (in mm)

Figure 7. Free body diagram of the ANSYS model of Q3 using axisymmetry

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Theory:

The equations for stresses in thin- and thick-wall cylinders can be found in many mechanics of materials references, and are summarized here, with a = inner
radius, b = outer radius, r = radial position where stress is to be found, and t = wall thickness. Notice that in thick-wall theory, the hoop stress varies with the
radial position, while the stress is assumed to be constant in thin-wall theory. Comparing the substitution of a and b for r in the hoop stress thick-wall
equation will convince you that stress is greater on the inner surface. The hoop stress variation in thick-walled vessels can be depicted as follows (the view
shown corresponds to looking from above the pressure vessel):

Figure 8. Theoretical expressions for stresses in thin-walled and thick-walled pressure vessels

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Deliverables:

 Using ANSYS: (Please refer to the Cornell training module how to model a pressure vessel in ANSYS):
https://confluence.cornell.edu/display/SIMULATION/ANSYS+-+Pressure+Vessel

(Q3_1) Show a snapshot of Engineering Data, with all the defined material properties. Show another image from the ANSYS geometry from the Design
Modeller. Show the surface sketch and the triad. On the left side bar, all Dimensions should be clearly seen (H1, H2, V1, etc.)

(4 Marks)

(Q3_2) Use face meshing and edge sizing and mesh the model, using Quadrilateral elements. Note: If you are using ANSYS Student version, your model is
limited to 32000 nodes. (a) show an enlarged snapshot of your mesh in the wall-to-bottom plate connection of the L-shape, (b) Take a snapshot from mesh
statistics and show number of nodes and elements in your model. (c) Run the simulation and show the total deformation in Auto scale.

(4 Marks)
(Q3_3) Show enlarged snapshots of (a) radial and (b) hoop stress in the wall-to-bottom plate connection of the L-shape.

(4 Marks)

(Q3_4) Use stress path, and plot the hoop stress variation in the wall thickness, at the mid-height of the tank wall. Plot in excel and import the plot into MS-
Word.
(4 Marks)
(Q3_5) Use 2D Axisymmetric option in the Model and show a 3D snapshot of the hoop stress in the tank.

(3 Marks)

 Using Analytical Equations: (You have to show the entire procedure. No marks are given if only the final answer is shown without the procedure)

(Q3_6) Calculate the major and minor principal stresses and the maximum shearing stress in the wall thickness, at the mid-height of the tank wall. Use
expressions for thin-walled pressure vessels. Use the Mohr’s circle or the equations provided in the lecture notes.

(3 Marks)

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(Q3_7) Knowing that the yield stress is 400 MPa, check the failure in the tank with regards to Von-Mises criterion and the maximum shear stress criterion.
Use the Mohr’s circle or the equations provided in the lecture notes.
(4 Marks)

(Q3_8) Using the expressions given for the thin and thick wall pressure vessels given in Figure 8, compare the theoretical predictions with the ANSYS results
plotted in Q3_4.
(2 Marks)

(Q3_9) Find the optimum wall thickness (t) that satisfies the Von-Mises failure criterion in the wall thickness, at the mid-height of the tank wall. You should
decide whether to use the equation for thin-walled pressure vessel or thick-wall pressure vessel in Figure 8. Justify your decision.

(2 Marks)

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