CANTILEVERED BEAM USING 2D ELEMENTS AND ANALYSIS

Suggested Exercise Steps

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

8. 9. 10.

11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

Start MSC.Patran and create a new database cant_beam_2D.db. Create 5x1x1.5 parametric solid. Create 2D Quad4 mesh on the four long sided faces of the solid. Display element free edges. Connect Quad4 elements together using equivalence. Display element free edges (after equivalencing). Apply concentrated force at free end of cantilevered beam and offset from beam centerline. Constrain (fix) cantilevered end of beam. Create material properties for beam; use aluminum properties. Create properties for Quad4 elements. They include both bending and membrane properties. Check load case. Perform linear static analysis for 2D model. Read results by attaching the MSC.Nastran xdb results file. View the deformation results. View both the deformation and stress results; save a copy of the database to be used later for a transient analysis of the beam.

Step 1. Create a Database for 2D Element Model

Create a new database for 2D element model. a. File / New. b. Enter cant_beam_2D as the file name. c. Click OK. d. Choose Default Tolerance. e. Select MSC.Nastran as the Analysis Code. f. Select Structural as the Analysis Type. g. Click OK.

e f

Step 2. Create Solid Geometry

a. Geometry: Create / Solid / XYZ. b. Select on Vector Coordinates List and enter < 5 1 1.5 >. c. Apply. d. Change view to Iso 1 View.

Step 3. Create 2D Element Mesh

a. Elements: Create / Mesh / Surface. b. Element Shape: Quad. c. Mesher: IsoMesh. d. Topology: Quad4. e. Click on Surface List and select the four long faces of the solid, not including e the end faces . f. Enter 0.5 for Global Edge Length. g. Apply.

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Step 4. Display Free Edges

a. Elements: Verify / Element / Boundaries. b. Display Type: Free Edges. c. Apply. d. As shown in the figure, yellow lines along the solid edges should appear

Step 5. Connect the Elements Together

a. Elements: Equivalence / All / Tolerance Cube. b. Apply.

b

Notice that magenta colored circles are drawn where nodes are equivalenced.
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Step 6. Display Free Edges Again

a. Elements: Verify / Element / Boundaries. b. Display Type: Free Edges. c. Apply.

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No longer do the yellow lines in the long direction appear. This means that the adjacent 2D quad elements are connected.

Step 7. Apply a Force at One End

a. Loads / BCs: Create / Force / Nodal. b. Select on New Set Name and enter force. c. Input Data. d. Enter <0 -10 0> for Force <F1 F2 F3 >. e. OK. f. Select Application Region. g. Geometry Filter: Geometry. h. Click on Select Geometry Entities. i. Select Point or Vertex icon from the Pick c Menu. f

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g i

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Step 7. Apply a Force at One End (cont.)

a

a. Turn on the Point labels. b. Select on the point(Point 7) as shown in the figure. c. Add. d. OK. e. Apply.
Note that selecting Point 7 and Vertex Solid 1.2.2.2 is equivalent.

Close-Up

b c

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Step 8. Create Constraints

Constrain beam at other end, fixing all six degrees of freedom at all nodes. a. Loads / BCs: Create / Displacements / Nodal. b. Select on New Set Name: and enter fix_end. c. Select Input Data. d. Enter <0 0 0> for Translations <T1 T2 T3 > and Rotations <R1 R2 R3>. e. OK. f. Click on Select Application Region. g. Select Geometry for Geometry Filter. h. Click on Select Geometry Entities. i. Select Curve or Edge

g i d

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Step 8. Create Constraints (Cont.)

a. Select the four solid edges as shown in the figure. b. Add. c. OK. d. Apply.

Select these edges

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Step 9. Create Material Properties

a. Materials: Create / Isotropic / Manual Input. b. Select on Material Name and enter aluminum. c. Select Input Properties. d. Enter: Elastic Modulus: 10e6. Poisson Ration: 0.3. e. OK. f. Apply.

c
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Step 10. Create Element Properties for the 2D Quad Topology

a. Properties: Create / 2D / Shell. b. Option(s): Homogeneous / Standard Formulation. c. Select Property Set Name and enter alum_2D. d. Select Input Properties. e. From the Material Property Sets, select aluminum for Material Name. f. Thickness: 0.1. g. OK.

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c b d

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Step 10. Create Element Properties for the 2D Quad Topology (Cont.)

a. Click on Select Members. b. Select the four long solid faces. c. Add. d. Apply. e. Turn off the Point labels.
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d
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Step 11. Check Assignment of Loads and BCs to Load Case

a a. Load Cases: Modify. b. Select Default in Select Load Case to Modify. c. Check that all Loads and BCs are selected. d. Cancel..

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Step 12. Run the Analysis

Run the analysis of the model. a. Analysis: Analyze / Entire Model / Full Run. b. Select Solution Type. c. Choose LINEAR STATIC for Solution Type. d. OK. e. Apply.

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Step 13. Read Results Under Analysis

Attach the .xdb file to read the results. a. Analysis: Attach XDB / Result Entities / Local. b. Click on Select Results File. c. Select and attach cant_beam_2D.xdb. d. OK. e. Apply.

b
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Step 14. View Results

a. Results: Create / Deformation. b. Select Results icon. c. Select A1:Static Subcase under Select Result Cases. d. Select Displacements, Translational under Select Deformation d Result. e. Show As: Resultant. f. Apply.

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Step 14. View Results (Cont.)

a. Results: Create / Fringe. b. Select A1:Static Subcase under Select Result Cases. c. Select Stress Tensor under Select Fringe Result. d. Quantity: X Component. e. Select Plot Options button. f. Coordinate Transformation: Global. g. Apply.

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Step 15. Stress Results and Save a Copy of the Database

d Display X component of stress fringe plot. Save a copy of this database for use later for a transient simulation. a. File / Save a Copy as... b. File name: cant_beam_transient.db. c. Save. d. File / Quit.

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