MappedMeshing

ProblemStatement: Whenusingthefiniteelementmethod,itisoftenhelpfultohavecompletecontrolofthesizeandshape oftheelements.Thiscanallowyoutoconcentrateelementsinareasofinterestwhilehavingasparse meshinotherareas.Finiteelementsolutionsoflargenonlinearproblemscantakehoursordayseven forthelatestcomputers.So,itissometimesimportanttodesignameshtomakethemosteffective usageofcomputingpower.Mappedmeshingallowsyoutospecifythemeshdesign.Inthistutorial,we willusemappedmeshingtogenerateaquartermodelofthebodyshownbelow. Theregiontobemodeledisshownbelow. 8in 2 in 4in

4in

2in

1in

ANSYSprocedure:
1. 2. 3. Preprocessor>Elementtype>Add/Edit/Delete>(Add)>(Solid)>(Quad4node42)>OK Preprocessor>Materialproperties>Materialmodels>Structural>Linear>Elastic>Isotropic EnterEX=29 6 andPRXY=0.30 Preprocessor>Modeling>Create>Keypoints>InactiveCS(assumez=0forallkeypoints) Keypoint Xcoordinate Ycoordinate 1 0 0 2 1 0 3 2 0 4 4 0 5 4 2 6 2 2 7 0 2 8 0 1 Preprocessor>Modeling>Create>Lines>Lines>Straightlines>(clickonthekeypointstomake correspondinglines) Line Keypoint Keypoint 1 2 3 2 3 4 3 4 5 4 5 6 5 3 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 Preprocessor>Modeling>Create> Arcs>ByEndKPs&Rad>Selectkey points2and8>OK>Selectkeypoint 1>OK>RAD=1 Preprocessor>Modeling>Operate> Booleans>Divide>Linesw/options> Selectarc>OK>(SetNDIV=2and RATIO=0.5)>OK(Todividearcinto twoarcsL8andL9) Preprocessor>Modeling>Create> Lines>Lines>Straightlines>Pickkey points6and9tocreateline(L10)>OK

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Preprocessor>Meshing>SizeCntrls> Manualsize>Lines>Pickedlines> Selectlines8,5and3>OK>NDIV=5 Preprocessor>Meshing>Sizecntrls> Manualsize>Lines>Pickedlines> Selectlines9and6>OK>NDIV=10 andSPACE=.1 Preprocessor>Meshing>Sizecntrls> Manualsize>Lines>Pickedlines> Selectlines1,10and7>OK>NDIV= 10andSPACE=.1 Preprocessor>Meshing>Sizecntrls> Manualsize>Lines>Pickedlines> Selectlines2and4>OK>NDIV=3 andSPACE=.5 TheSPACEoptionallowselementstobesmalleratoneendofalinecomparedtotheotherend.It isusedforgeneratingafinemeshinregionswherestressgradientsareexpectedtoberelatively large. Preprocessor>Meshing>Sizectrls>Manualsize>Lines>Flipbias>Selectlines>OK(lines1and 2asshowninthefigureaboveshouldbeflippedsinceweneedsmallerelementsclosertothe hole) Preprocessor>Modeling>Create> Areas>Arbitrary>Bylines>Select linestocreate3distinctareas

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Preprocessor>Meshing> Mesh>Areas>Mapped>3or 4sided>Pickall>OK

16. Applyloadsandsolveasusual

NOTES: Noticethatthesmallestelementisatthetopofthehole,whichistheareawhereweexpectthe higheststressesifthebodyisloadedwithanaxialloadinthehorizontaldirectionattheends.The areawherewewantthemostdenselypackedelementsdependsontheloading. Ifthebodyisloadedattherightendwithadistributedload,thentheappropriatesymmetry boundaryconditionswouldbeuy=0alonglines1and2andux=0alongline7.Displacementsare alwaysfixedperpendiculartosymmetrycutlines.Ifdisplacementsarefixedinthiswayanda pressureof1000isappliedtoline3,thexcomponentofstresswillvaryasshownbelow.

ThistutorialwasdevelopedbyDavidHallandSaiRaviKanthTummala2008