Ansys tutorial

1-1
ANSYS, Inc. Proprietary
© 2009 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.
February 23, 2009
Inventory #002593
Workbench - Mechanical Introduction 12.0
Chapter 1
Introduction

Introduction
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Training ManualWelcome!
• Welcome to the ANSYS Mechanical application introductory training course!
• This training course covers the basics of using ANSYS Mechanical in
performing structural and thermal analyses.
• It is intended for all new or occasional ANSYS Mechanical users, regardless
of the CAD software used.
• Course Objectives:
• General understanding of the user interface, as related to geometry import, meshing,
application of loads and supports, and postprocessing
• Procedure for performing FEA simulations, including linear static, modal, and harmonic
structural analyses and nonlinear steady-state thermal analyses
• Utilizing parameters for ‘what-if’ scenarios
• Interfacing with the ANSYS solver for more advanced functionality
– Training Courses are also available covering the use of other Workbench modules
(e.g. DesignModeler, Design Exploration, etc.) .

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Training ManualAgenda (Day 1)
9:00 – 10:00 Lecture – Introduction
10:00 – 11:30 Lecture – Chapter 2: Mechanical Basics
11:30 – 12:00 Workshop 2.1 – ANSYS Mechanical Basics
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 1:45 Lecture – Chapter 3: General Preprocessing
1:45 – 2:15 Workshop 3.1 – Contact Control
2:15 – 3:15 Lecture – Chapter 3: General Preprocessing (cont.)
3:15 – 3:45 Workshop 3.2 – Meshing Control
3:45 – 5:00 Lecture – Chapter 4: Static Structural Analysis

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Training ManualAgenda (Day 2)
9:00 – 9:30 Workshop 4.1 – Linear Structural Analysis
9:30 – 10:00 Lecture – Chapter 4: Static Structural Analysis
10:00 – 10:30 Workshop 4.2 – 2D Structural Analysis
10:30 – 11:00 Lecture – Chapter 5: Vibration Analysis
11:00 – 11:15 Workshop 5.1 – Free Vibration Analysis
11:15 – 11:30 Workshop 5.2 – Pre-Stressed Vibration Analysis
11:30 – 12:00 Lecture – Chapter 6: Thermal Analysis
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 1:30 Workshop 6.1 – Steady State Thermal Analysis
1:30 – 2:00 Lecture – Chapter 7: Linear Buckling Analysis
2:00 – 2:30 Workshop 7.1 – Linear Buckling Analysis
2:30 – 3:30 Lecture – Chapter 8: Results Post-processing
3:30 – 4:00 Workshop 8.1 – Results Processing
4:00 – 4:30 Lecture – Chapter 9: CAD & Parameters
4:30 – 5:00 Workshop 9.1 – Parameter Management

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Training ManualCourse Materials
• The Training Manual you have is an exact copy of the slides.
• Workshop descriptions and instructions are included in the
Workshop Supplement.
• Copies of the workshop files are available on the ANSYS Customer
Portal (www.ansys.com).
• Advanced training courses are available on specific topics.
Schedule available on the ANSYS web page http://www.ansys.com/
under “Solutions> Services and Support> Training Services”.
• Contents:
A. About ANSYS Inc.
B. ANSYS Workbench Overview
C. ANSYS Mechanical Overview
D. Starting Mechanical
E. The Workbench Environment
F. Workbench File Management
G. Working With Units
H. License Preferences

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Training ManualA. About ANSYS, Inc.
ANSYS, Inc.
• Developer of ANSYS family of products
• Global Headquarters in Canonsburg, PA - USA (south of Pittsburgh)
– Development and sales offices in U.S. and around the world
– Publicly traded on NASDAQ stock exchange under “ANSS”
– For additional company information as well as descriptions and
schedules for other training courses visit www.ansys.com

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Training Manual… ANSYS Family of Products
ANSYS, Inc. Family of Products include the
following:
•ANSYS Workbench – Complete environment for simulation and
modeling needs.
•ANSYS CFD – State-of-the-art CFD solvers, including CFX and
FLUENT.
• ANSYS AUTODYN – Explicit dynamic solver for transient
non-linear simulations involving large deformations and
strains, non-linear material behavior, non-linear buckling,
complex contact, fragmentation, and shock wave
propagation.
•ANSYS LS-DYNA – LSTC’s LS-DYNA explicit dynamic solver
technology with the pre-/post-processing power of ANSYS
software. This powerful pairing can be used to simulate crash
tests, metal forging, stamping, and catastrophic failures.
• ANSYS ICEM CFD – Powerful meshing tools with general
pre- and post-processing features.

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Training ManualB. ANSYS Workbench Overview
• What is ANSYS Workbench?
– ANSYS Workbench provides powerful methods for interacting with the ANSYS
family of solvers. This environment provides a unique integration with CAD
systems, and your design process.
• ANSYS Workbench is comprised of various applications (some examples):
– Mechanical for performing structural and thermal analyses using the ANSYS solver
• Meshing is also included within the Mechanical application
– Mechanical APDL for performing advanced mechanical and multiphysics analyses
using the traditional ANSYS user interface.
– Fluid Flow (CFX) for performing CFD analyses using CFX
– Fluid Flow (FLUENT) for performing CFD analyses using FLUENT
– Geometry (DesignModeler) for creating and modifying CAD geometry to prepare the
solid model for use in Mechanical.
– Engineering Data for defining material properties
– Meshing Application for generating CFD and Explicit Dynamics meshes
– Design Exploration for optimization analyses
– Finite Element Modeler (FE Modeler) for translating a NASTRAN and ABAQUS mesh
for use in ANSYS
– BladeGen (Blade Geometry) for creating blade geometry
– Explicit Dynamics for explicit dynamics simulations featuring modeling of nonlinear
dynamics

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Training Manual… ANSYS Workbench Overview
• The Workbench environment supports two types of applications:
– Native applications (workspaces): Current native applications are Project
Schematic, Engineering Data and Design Exploration.
• Native applications are launched and run entirely in the Workbench window.
– Data Integrated Applications: current applications include Mechanical,
Mechanical APDL, Fluent, CFX, AUTODYN and others.
Native Application
Data Integrated Application

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Training ManualC. ANSYS Mechanical Overview
• Analysis types available in Mechanical:†
– Structural (static and transient):
• Linear and nonlinear structural analyses.
– Dynamic Capabilities:
• modal, harmonic, random vibration, flexible and rigid dynamics.
– Heat Transfer (steady state and transient):
• Solve for temperature field and heat flux. Temperature-dependent conductivity,
convection and materials allowed.
– Magnetostatic:
• To perform 3-D static magnetic field analysis
– Shape Optimization:
• Indicates areas of possible volume reduction using Topological Optimization
technology.
†
Note, the active ANSYS license dictates what functionality is available to the user. Not all
features listed are covered in this Introductory course.

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Training Manual… Product Configuration
• Mechanical Application
– The environment for simulation automation and ease of use combined
with the full power of the ANSYS solver technology.
– Formerly called Simulation
• Mechanical APDL Application
– The user interface environment that emphasizes access to commands,
customization and scripting.
– Formerly called the ANSYS PREP7/POST1 interface

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• Types of licenses available for Mechanical:
– Various ANSYS licensing configurations are available. The license
chosen will dictate what features and capabilities are available in the
Mechanical application.
– License management allows license sharing when multiple instances of a
particular application are open.
– (Other ANSYS licenses are supported for meshing only)

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• Add-on licenses for Mechanical:
– Rigid and Flexible Dynamics (one add-on license)
– Fatigue Module
• 12.0 Workbench products are available for Windows and Linux
operating systems.
– Note, Linux will be supported starting at the 12.1 Release
– Check the ANSYS web site or online documentation for the latest
compatibilities.
• Network licensing capabilities are used for all ANSYS and ANSYS
Workbench products.

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Training ManualD. Starting Mechanical
• There are two methods of launching Workbench:
– From the Windows start menu:
– From the CAD system

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Training ManualE. The Workbench Environment
• For most situations the Workbench GUI is divided into 2 primary
sections (there are other optional sections we’ll see in a moment):
The Toolbox The Project Schematic

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Training ManualThe Toolbox
• The toolbox contains 4 subgroups:
• Analysis systems: predefined
templates that can be placed in the
schematic.
• Component systems: various
applications that can be accessed
to build, or expand, analysis
systems.
• Custom Systems: predefined
analysis systems for coupled
applications (FSI, thermal-stress,
etc.). Users can also create their
own predefined systems.
• Design Exploration: Parametric
management and optimization
tools.

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Training Manual. . . The Toolbox
• The systems and components
displayed in the toolbox will
depend on the installed
products.
• Using the check boxes in the
“View All / Customize”
window, the items displayed
in the toolbox can be toggled
on or off.
• The toolbox customization
window is normally left
closed when not in use.

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Training ManualThe Project Schematic
• The Workbench project schematic is a graphical representation of
the workflow defining a system or group of systems.
• The workflow in the project schematic is always left to right.
• There are currently several applications which are native to
Workbench, meaning they run entirely in the Workbench window:
– Project Schematic, Engineering Data and Design Exploration
• Non-native applications (called data-integrated) run in their own
window:
– Mechanical (formerly Simulation), Mechanical APDL (formerly ANSYS),
ANSYS Fluent, ANSYS CFX, Etc . . .
• Blocks of cells can be deleted by RMB on the block header cell that is
shaded in blue.

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Training Manual. . . The Project Schematic
• In this example a Static Structural analysis type is selected for the project
schematic.
• From the toolbox the selection can be dragged and dropped onto the
schematic or simply double clicked.

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• By dropping applications and/or systems into various locations in the
schematic, an overall analysis project is defined.
• “Connectors” indicate the level of collaboration between systems.
• In the example below a structural system is dragged and dropped
onto a thermal system at the Model cell (A4).
• Before completing the operation notice there are a number of
optional “drop targets” that will provide various types of linkage
between systems (continued next page).

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• By completing the operation from the previous page, notice the
linkage here is only at the Model level and above.
• In this case there would be no thermal/structural coupling.
• Notice too each system block is given and alphabetic designation (A,
B, C, etc.).

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• By dropping the structural system at the “Solution” level we obtain a
structural system that is coupled to the thermal solution.
Notice, the candidate
“drop target”
indicates data will be
shared from fields A2
to A4, and
transferred from A6.

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• A schematic can also be constructed by RMB and choosing to
“Transfer Data To New” or “Transfer Data From New”.
• In using this RMB transfer feature all transfer possibilities (upstream
and downstream) are displayed.
• These selections will vary depending on which cell in a particular
system you highlight.

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• Identifying cell states:
• Unfulfilled: missing upstream data.
• Attention required: may need to correct this or upstream cells.
• Refresh required: upstream data has changed. Need to refresh cell (update will
also refresh the cell).
• Update required: the data has changed and the output of the cell must be
regenerated.
• Up to date.
• Input changes pending: cell is locally up to date but may change when the next
update is performed due to upstream changes.

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Training ManualOptional Workbench Windows
• The “View” menu (and RMB) allows additional information to be
displayed in the Workbench environment.
– Below, the geometry is highlighted and the properties are displayed.

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Training ManualF. Workbench File Management
• Workbench creates a project file and a series of subdirectories to
manage all associated files.
• Users should allow Workbench to manage the content of these
directories. Please do NOT manually modify the content or structure
of the project directories.
• When a project is saved a project file is created (.wbpj), using the
user specified file name (e.g. MyFile.wbpj).
• A project directory will be created using the project name. In the
above example the directory would be MyFile_files.
• A number of subdirectories will be created in the project directory
(explained next).

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Training Manual. . . Workbench File Management
• Directory Structure:
– dpn: this is the design point directory. This
essentially is the state of all parameters for a
particular analysis. In the case of a single analysis
there will be only one “dp0” directory.
– global: contains subdirectories for each application
in the analysis. In the example at right the “Mech”
directory will contain the database, and other
associated files from the Mechanical application.
– SYS: the “SYS” directory will contain subdirectories
for each system type in the project (e.g. Mechanical,
Fluent, CFX, etc.). Each system subdirectory
contains solver specific files. For example the
MECH subdirectory would contain the results file,
the ds.dat file, solve.out file and so on.
– user_files: contains input files, user macro files etc.
that may be associated with a project.

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• From the Workbench “View” menu activate the
“Files” option to display a window containing file
details and locations.

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• Archive: quickly generates a single
compressed file containing all pertinent files.
– File is zip format and can be opened using the
“Restore Archive . . . ” utility in WB2 or any
unzip program.
– Several options are available when archiving
systems as shown here.

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Training ManualG. Working With Units
• The Units menu in Workbench:
– Allows access to predefined unit systems.
– Allows the creation of custom unit systems.
– Controls unit display for Engineering Data,
Parameters and Charts.
– Activate the Units System dialog to control.
ActiveProject
DefaultUnitSystem
SuppressUnitDisplay
Units can be displayed in
the active Project system or
as they were defined in their
source (e.g. CAD system).

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Training Manual. . . Working With Units
• Create custom unit systems by duplicating existing systems then
modifying.
• Custom unit systems can be exported and imported.

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Training ManualH. License Preferences
• Workbench license control is handled through the user interface
shown below, activated from the Workbench project page (“Tools >
License Preferences . . . “).

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Training Manual. . . License Preferences
• With the available licenses displayed, the activation and “use order”
can be specified using the up/down arrows.
– 0 = off, 1 = on
– License order represents the preference order for license use.
• The license control allows Workbench
users to specify whether a single
license is used when multiple
applications are open, or if all open
applications access their own license.

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Training Manual. . . License Preferences
• In the example shown, a user could have 3 Mechanical models open
simultaneously. Using the license control they may choose to open 3
licenses or use only 1 that is shared. In the shared scenario, only the active
Mechanical session uses the license (the remaining will be read only).

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