APPENDIX K

Fields
(Part II)

Objectives:
■ Create a scalar field in parametric space using the PCL Function.

■ Create a scalar field in real space using a Tabular Input.

MSC.Nastran 120 Exercise Workbook K-1

K-2 MSC.Nastran 120 Exercise Workbook
APPENDIX K Fields (Part II)

Model Description:
Model an aluminum plate with a varying thickness. Use a PCL
function to define a field which will be used to account for the taper
in the plate. The field will reference parametric coordinates, a
coordinate system defined on the surface geometry, not with a
coordinate system. This method has an advantage over using real
coordinates because the surface can be defined in any location or
orientation.

The plate will be loaded with a variable pressure across the top face.
A spatially varying field using real coordinates will be used to define
the pressure distribution.

After generating a contour plot of the pressure load, generate an

MSC.Nastran input file and examine its contents.

Figure K.1

10 in

10 in

0.10 in 0.20 in

Table K.1 - Plate Properties.

Length, L = 10
Width, W = 10
Material Aluminum
Elastic Modulus, E = 10E6 psi
Poisson’s Ratio, v = 0.3
Variable Thickness = 0.1 + 0.01*’X

MSC.Nastran 120 Exercise Workbook K-3

 Table K.2 - Pressure Properties.

Coordinate Pressure
[33 42 0] 23
[43 42 0] 44
[43 52 0] 67
[33 52 0] 31

K-4 MSC.Nastran 120 Exercise Workbook

APPENDIX K Fields (Part II)

Suggested Exercise Steps:

■ Define Geometry for the finite element model.

■ Mesh the Geometry to create finite elements.

■ Define material properties.

■ Create a spatially varying field with a PCL function defined with parametric
coordinates.

■ Define element properties using the field and material properties.

■ Create a second field using real coordinates for the pressure distribution.

■ Define a variable pressure load using a field.

■ Inspect the pressure load using a contour plot.

■ Create an MSC.Nastran input file.

■ Verify the varying plate thickness and pressure load in the input file using a
text editor.

MSC.Nastran 120 Exercise Workbook K-5

Exercise Procedure:
1. Open a new database. Name it varyingplate2.

Type p3 in your xterm. The Main Window and Command Window

will appear.

File/New...
New Database Name: varyingplate2
OK

The viewport (PATRAN’s graphics window) will appear along with

a New Model Preference form. The New Model Preference sets
all the code specific forms and options inside MSC.Patran.

In the New Model Preference form set the Analysis Code to

MSC.Nastran

Tolerance: ◆ Based on Model

Analysis Code: MSC/Nastran
Analysis Type: Structural
OK

2. Create a Surface with the lower left corner defined at [33 42 0].

◆ Geometry
Action: Create
Object: Surface
Method: XYZ

Vector Coordinates List: <10 10 0>

Origin Coordinates List: [33 42 0]
Apply

3. Mesh the Surface with global edge length of 1.0.

◆ Finite Elements
Action: Create

K-6 MSC.Nastran 120 Exercise Workbook

APPENDIX K Fields (Part II)

Object: Mesh
Type: Surface

Global Edge Length: 1

Surface List: Surface 1
Apply

The display should resemble like the Figure K.2.

Figure K.2

4. Create a material named “mat_1”.

◆ Materials
Action: Create
Object: Isotropic
Method: Manual Input

MSC.Nastran 120 Exercise Workbook K-7

 Material Name: mat_1
Input Properties...

Elastic Modulus: 10e6

Poisson Ratio: 0.3
OK
Apply

5. Create a field using parametric coordinates for the plate thickness.

◆ Fields
Action: Create
Object: Spatial
Method: PCL Function

Field Name: thickness

Field Type: ◆ Scalar
Coordinate System Type: ◆ Parametric
Geometric Entity: Surface 1
Scalar Function: 0.1+0.1*’C1
Apply

6. To model the pressure distribution, create a field using a real

coordinates.

◆ Fields
Action: Create
Object: Spatial
Method: Tabular Input

Field Name: pressure

K-8 MSC.Nastran 120 Exercise Workbook

APPENDIX K Fields (Part II)

Coordinate System Type: ◆ Real

Active Independent Variables: ■Y
Input Data...

Enter data to define the field into a table as shown below:

X 1 2

Y 42 52

1 33 23 31

2 43 44 67

OK
Apply

7. Define element properties.

◆ Properties
Action: Create
Dimension: 2D
Type: Shell

Property Set Name: prop_1

Input Properties...

Material Name: m:mat_1

Thickness: f:thickness
OK
Select Members: Surface 1
Add
Apply

MSC.Nastran 120 Exercise Workbook K-9

 8. Create a Pressure Load using the Tabular Field.

◆ Load/BCs
Action: Create
Object: Pressure
Type: Element Uniform

New Set Name: pressure

Target Element Type: 2D
Input Data...
Top Surf Pressure: f:pressure
OK
Select Application Region...
Select Surfaces or Edges: Surface 1
Add
OK
Apply

9. Create a Contour Plot of the Pressure Field.

◆ Loads/BCs
Action: Plot Contours
Object: Pressure

Existing Sets: pressure

Select Data Variable: Top Surf Pressure
Select Groups: default_group
Apply

The display should resemble Figure K.3.

K-10 MSC.Nastran 120 Exercise Workbook

APPENDIX K Fields (Part II)

Figure K.3 - Contour Plot of the Pressure Field on the plate

surface.

10. Submit the model for analysis.

◆ Analysis
Action: Analyze
Object: Entire Model
Method: Analysis Deck

Job Name: varyingplate2

Apply

An MSC.Nastran input file called varyingplate2.bdf will be

generated. This process of translating the model into an input file is
called the Forward Translation. The Forward Translation is
complete when the Heartbeat turns green.

MSC.Nastran 120 Exercise Workbook K-11

 11. Examine the MSC.Nastran input file (varyingplate2.bdf) that was
just created.

Figure K.4 - MSC.Nastran input file: “varyingplate2.bdf”

$ Elements and Element Properties for region : prop_1 PLOAD4 1 39 -48.1124
PSHELL 1 1 .105 1 1 PLOAD4 1 40 -50.7374
CQUAD4 1 1 1 2 13 12 PLOAD4 1 41 -27.9874
PSHELL 2 1 .115 1 1 PLOAD4 1 42 -30.7625
CQUAD4 2 2 2 3 14 13 PLOAD4 1 43 -33.5374
PSHELL 3 1 .125 1 1 PLOAD4 1 44 -36.3125
CQUAD4 3 3 3 4 15 14 PLOAD4 1 45 -39.0874
PSHELL 4 1 .135 1 1 PLOAD4 1 46 -41.8624
CQUAD4 4 4 4 5 16 15
PSHELL 5 1 .145 1 1
PLOAD4 1 47 -44.6374
CQUAD4 5 5 5 6 17 16 PLOAD4 1 48 -47.4125
PSHELL 6 1 .155 1 1 PLOAD4 1 49 -50.1875
CQUAD4 6 6 6 7 18 17 PLOAD4 1 50 -52.9624
PSHELL 7 1 .165 1 1 PLOAD4 1 51 -28.8624
CQUAD4 7 7 7 8 19 18 PLOAD4 1 52 -31.7875
PSHELL 8 1 .175 1 1 PLOAD4 1 53 -34.7125
CQUAD4 8 8 8 9 20 19
PSHELL 9 1 .185 1 1
PLOAD4 1 54 -37.6375
CQUAD4 9 9 9 10 21 20 PLOAD4 1 55 -40.5625
PSHELL 10 1 .195 1 1 PLOAD4 1 56 -43.4875
CQUAD4 10 10 10 11 22 21 PLOAD4 1 57 -46.4124
PSHELL 11 1 .105 1 1 PLOAD4 1 58 -49.3374
CQUAD4 11 11 12 13 24 23 PLOAD4 1 59 -52.2625
PSHELL 12 1 .115 1 1 PLOAD4 1 60 -55.1875
CQUAD4 12 12 13 14 25 24
PSHELL 13 1 .125 1 1
PLOAD4 1 61 -29.7374
CQUAD4 13 13 14 15 26 25 PLOAD4 1 62 -32.8125
PSHELL 14 1 .135 1 1 PLOAD4 1 63 -35.8875
CQUAD4 14 14 15 16 27 26 PLOAD4 1 64 -38.9624
PSHELL 15 1 .145 1 1 PLOAD4 1 65 -42.0375
CQUAD4 15 15 16 17 28 27 PLOAD4 1 66 -45.1124
PSHELL 16 1 .155 1 1 PLOAD4 1 67 -48.1875
CQUAD4 16 16 17 18 29 28
PSHELL 17 1 .165 1 1
PLOAD4 1 68 -51.2624
CQUAD4 17 17 18 19 30 29 PLOAD4 1 69 -54.3375
PSHELL 18 1 .175 1 1 PLOAD4 1 70 -57.4124
CQUAD4 18 18 19 20 31 30 PLOAD4 1 71 -30.6124
PSHELL 19 1 .185 1 1 PLOAD4 1 72 -33.8375
CQUAD4 19 19 20 21 32 31 PLOAD4 1 73 -37.0625
PSHELL 20 1 .195 1 1 PLOAD4 1 74 -40.2874
CQUAD4 20 20 21 22 33 32
$ Pressure Loads of Load Set : pressure
PLOAD4 1 75 -43.5124
PLOAD4 1 1 -24.4874 PLOAD4 1 76 -46.7375
PLOAD4 1 2 -26.6625 PLOAD4 1 77 -49.9624
PLOAD4 1 3 -28.8374 PLOAD4 1 78 -53.1875
PLOAD4 1 4 -31.0124 PLOAD4 1 79 -56.4125
PLOAD4 1 5 -33.1875 PLOAD4 1 80 -59.6374
PLOAD4 1 6 -35.3624 PLOAD4 1 81 -31.4874
PLOAD4 1 7 -37.5374
PLOAD4 1 8 -39.7125
PLOAD4 1 82 -34.8625
PLOAD4 1 9 -41.8874 PLOAD4 1 83 -38.2374
PLOAD4 1 10 -44.0624 PLOAD4 1 84 -41.6125
PLOAD4 1 11 -25.3625 PLOAD4 1 85 -44.9874
PLOAD4 1 12 -27.6875 PLOAD4 1 86 -48.3625
PLOAD4 1 13 -30.0125 PLOAD4 1 87 -51.7374
PLOAD4 1 14 -32.3375 PLOAD4 1 88 -55.1125
PLOAD4 1 15 -34.6624
PLOAD4 1 16 -36.9874
PLOAD4 1 89 -58.4874
PLOAD4 1 17 -39.3125 PLOAD4 1 90 -61.8624
PLOAD4 1 18 -41.6375 PLOAD4 1 91 -32.3624
PLOAD4 1 19 -43.9624 PLOAD4 1 92 -35.8874
PLOAD4 1 20 -46.2874 PLOAD4 1 93 -39.4124
PLOAD4 1 21 -26.2374 PLOAD4 1 94 -42.9374
PLOAD4 1 22 -28.7125 PLOAD4 1 95 -46.4625
PLOAD4 1 23 -31.1875
PLOAD4 1 24 -33.6624
PLOAD4 1 96 -49.9874
PLOAD4 1 25 -36.1374 PLOAD4 1 97 -53.5124
PLOAD4 1 26 -38.6124 PLOAD4 1 98 -57.0374
PLOAD4 1 27 -41.0875 PLOAD4 1 99 -60.5625
PLOAD4 1 28 -43.5625 PLOAD4 1 100 -64.0875
PLOAD4 1 29 -46.0375 $ Referenced Coordinate Frames
PLOAD4 1 30 -48.5124
PLOAD4 1 31 -27.1124 ENDDATA 2f22b428
PLOAD4 1 32 -29.7375
PLOAD4 1 33 -32.3624
PLOAD4 1 34 -34.9874
PLOAD4 1 35 -37.6124
PLOAD4 1 36 -40.2374
PLOAD4 1 37 -42.8624
PLOAD4 1 38 -45.4874

K-12 MSC.Nastran 120 Exercise Workbook

APPENDIX K Fields (Part II)

Quit MSC.Patran after finishing this exercise.

MSC.Nastran 120 Exercise Workbook K-13

K-14 MSC.Nastran 120 Exercise Workbook