Workshop 5.

2 FEA: Shell
Pressure Vessel
Introduction to ANSYS Meshing

Release 2019 R2

1 © 2019 ANSYS, Inc.

 Introduction
Background
• This workshop will allow you to mesh a shell pressure
vessel

Objectives
• Generating a Quadrilateral Mesh
• Using Size Functions
• Local Mesh Controls
- Face Sizing
- Inflation

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 Project Startup
Create the Project
• Start Workbench
• Drag and drop a Mesh Component
System into the Project Schematic
• Right click on the Geometry cell (A2) and
select Import Geometry → Browse
• Locate the file “pressure-vessel.scdoc” in
the Meshing workshop input files
(Module05) folder and select it. The
geometry cell will show a check mark
indicating it is up to date

• Double click the mesh cell (A3) to start

Meshing

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 Unit

Set Units
• From the main menu select Units and, if it is not already set,
specify Metric (cm...)

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 Geometry
View the Geometry
• Expand the Geometry Object to check the Surface Bodies, note that they form a Multi-body Part

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 Preparation

Planning
• The regions of interest are highlighted below. Note that these regions contain
geometric singularities; this geometry will be used to do a first run in order to detect
the peak in stress, another submodel will be done on the volumetric geometry
around the peak

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 Global Mesh Controls
Mesh
• In the Outline, select the Mesh object to display Details of “Mesh”

• In Details of “Mesh”, set the following under Defaults:

- Physics Preference: Mechanical
• Under Sizing, set:
- Sizing options: Set Capture Curvature and Capture Proximity to:
Yes
• Change Element Size to 5 cm

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 Mesh Generation

• Generate the Mesh

• View the generated Mesh

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 Mesh Metric
• Choose Element Quality in the Mesh Metric drop down list

• Note that there is some triangles within the elements

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 MultiZone Method (1)

• Right click on the Mesh Object in the Tree → Insert

Method
• Click on No Selection in the Scoping Method, with the
body filter on right click in the Graphic Window → Select
All

• Click on Apply to validate

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 MultiZone Method (2)

• Choose MultiZone Quad/Tri as a Method

• Change the Surface Mesh Method to Uniform
• Change the Free Face Mesh Type to All Quad
• Check that the Element Size is set to 5 cm

Update the Mesh

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 Mesh Review (1)

Review the Mesh and the Mesh Metric

Note that the Mesh contains 100% quadrilateral
elements

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 Mesh Review (2)

Zoom on the zones of interest

Note that the Mesh needs some refinement on these faces

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 Mesh Review (3)

Check the elements with the worst quality by clicking on the most-left
diagram

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 Mesh Review (4)
• Note that the Element Quality on these regions is normal due to
geometric singularities. Besides, they are far from the zone of interest
• We will deal with increasing the quality of the other elements

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 Local Size Controls (1)
Add Local Face Sizing
• Right click on the Mesh Object in the Outline and
select Clear Generated Data from the Context Menu
to clear the mesh. Answer Yes
• Insert a Sizing under the Mesh Object and select the
20 faces shown below

3 faces 5 faces

1 face
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 Local Size Controls (2)

Add Local Face Sizing (continued)

• In the Face Sizing Details set the Element Size to 1.5 cm
• Change the behavior to Hard

• Generate the Mesh

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 Mesh Review (1)

Check the Mesh quality around the zones of interest

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 Mesh Review (2)
• Set the Mesh Metric to None

• Change the Display Style to Element

Quality
• Check the Quality around the region of
interest

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 Local Inflation (1)
• To improve this quality we will define a local inflation
• Right Click on the Mesh Object in the Tree and insert Inflation
• Hide the Mesh by clicking on Show Mesh
• In the Details of Inflation select the corresponding face in the
geometry scoping

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 Local Inflation (2)

• Select the 5 shown edges in the Boundary Selection

• Set the Inflation details as shown below

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 Local Size Controls (3)

Add Edge Sizing

• Add an Edge Sizing on the two following Edges
• Set the details as shown below

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 Local Size Controls (4)

Add Edge Sizing (continued)

• Repeat the same Sizing with the 3 following edges

• Update the Mesh

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 Mesh Review

Review the Mesh in global and in the region of interest

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 Save the Project

• This completes the workshop

• From the main menu select File → Close Meshing
– Workbench will save any application data

• From the Workbench Project Page use the file menu and
save the project as “AMWS5.2_fea.wbpj” to your working
folder

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