FEA and ANSYS

(I am assuming you have basic FEM/FEA knowledge. If you don't, the links at the bottom of the article sould be a good place to start.)

Ansys is a FEA package used for analysing components before actual manufacturing begins. This article would be based on ANSYS Multiphysics.

The basic analysis procedure involves:

1. Pre Processing:
This involves, making the model (2D or 3D) assigning the material properties and selecting the element type. It also involves inputting the real constants

(cross section area, moment of inertia, etc..)

After all this is complete, we mesh the model. Meshing involves breaking down the model into smaller discrete particles of smaller size. The shape of the

particles will depend on (a) the mesh size B (b) the type of element selected.

Once the model has been meshed, we have to apply the boundary conditions. For a simple structural analysis this could be constraining the DOF, applying a

Force/Moment, etc.

Now our pre-processing is complete, we move on to the solution phase.

2. Solution:

We solve the problem that we have defined. If there is any error in our load data, ANSYS will inform us.

Once the solution is complete, we move on to post processing, which basically involves plotting results and interpretting them.

3. Post Processing:

ANSYS has two types of post processors. One is called general post-processor (post1) and the other is called time history post-processor (post26).

Quoting from the ANSYS documentation :

"Use POST1, the general postprocessor, to review analysis results over the entire model, or selected portions of the model, for a specifically defined combination of loads at a single time."

"Use the time-history postprocessor to review analysis results at specific locations in the model as a function of time, frequency, or some other change in the analysis parameters that can be related to time. In this mode, you can process results data in many ways. You can construct graphics displays, chart representations or tabular listings, or you can perform math operations on your data sets. A typical time-history task would be to graph result items versus time in a transient analysis, or to graph force versus deflection in a nonlinear structural analysis."

Here is a picture of the analysis that i performed on a bicycle frame:



The following is the vector plot of thermal gradient on a compnent.




Next topic : how to perform a basic static structural analysis on a cantilever beam..
Useful Links:

#-Link-Snipped-#
#-Link-Snipped-#