Truss: Lecture Outline

MAE 4700/5700

Introduction
• Introduce problem

Pre-analysis
• Introduce potential energy
• Hand calculations
o Reactions
o Displacement order of magnitude

Geometry (SpaceClaim)
• We’ll draw the midline of the bars and specify A
o Geometric info needed to calculate the potential energy with this particular
math model
• Originally I recorded the geometry step in DesignModeler
o Now switching over to SpaceClaim
• Start ANSYS
• Drag static structural
o Project name: Truss tutorial
o Important clue about the math model
• Right-click Geometry
o May get Firewall warnings
• Units: cm
• Draw lines on xy plane
o Dimension horizontal & vertical lines: L=45 cm
• Indicate that these are mid-lines
o Prepare > Profiles
o Rename: Rect1
o Groups tab: Dimension 𝑏 = ℎ = 0.9 𝑐𝑚
o Prepare > Create
o Design1 > Shared topology
• Create and assign cross-section
o Profiles > Rect1
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 o Check area of cross-section
o Moment of inertia is important for calculating potential energy due to
bending
• Now we have specified the geometric parameters needed to calculate the TPE
• Save in conventional format and wbpz

Geometry (DesignModeler/Legacy tool)

• We’ll draw the midline of the bars and specify A
• Start ANSYS
• Drag static structural
o Project name: Truss tutorial
• Right-click Geometry
• Units: cm
• Autoconstraints
• Draw lines
• Dimension horizontal & vertical lines: L=45 cm
• Concept > Lines from sketches
• Create and assign cross-section
o Check area of cross-section
• Save in conventional format and wbpz

Mesh
• Mapped face meshing or face meshing
• Edge sizings: 1 .. hard
• Statistics: 3 elements
o We have marked out the locations at which the solver needs to calculate the
displacements directly
• Save

Model Setup
• Material property: E=200 GPa
• Displacement constraints
• External force 1.2kN in x-direction
• All the information necessary to calculate the potential energy is now specified

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Numerical Solution
• Framework: Math model is completely defined
• Get ANSYS to generate the algebraic equations relating neighboring displacements
• Annotate the displacements
o Select nodes
o Explain degree of freedom
o Solver pivot error … ANSYS puts in extra DOF
• Need extra constraint
• Question: Take a particular displacement. If I change that slightly, the corresponding
change in total potential energy of the system is negative

Numerical Results
• Displacement
o Do the magnitude and direction make sense?
▪ Check BCs
▪ Check against pre-analysis
• Probe displacement
o Probe tool
o Probe via vertex
o Decompose into component along the bar and perpendicular to the bar
▪ Only component along the bar causes stress (assumption)
▪ Predict which is in tension and which in compression
• Reactions
o Explain how they are calculated
o Calculate at A
o Check against pre-analysis
o End of video: process is unknown displacements > reactions
• Axial forces
o Explain how they are calculated
o Check against pre-analysis
• Stress
o Direct stress

Verification and Validation

• Mesh refinement?
o Check effect of bending

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