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Workshop 01.1: Shell Disk

ANSYS Mechanical Basic Structural Nonlinearities

1 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. May 31, 2016

 Introduction

Goal
• This workshop compares and contrasts results using small deflection and large
deflection theory on a shell model with identical loads ad boundary conditions

Model Description
• Shell disk sliced into 3 pieces
• 2 planes of symmetry
• Linear steel material
• Meshed with 3D shell elements
• Fixed support at circular end
• 0.05 MPa pressure on the internal surface

2 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. May 31, 2016

 Project Startup (1)

Create the Project

• Start an ANSYS Workbench session

• Use file > Restore Archive…browse for existing
file “SNLWS01.1-shell-disk.wbpz”
Save as
• File name: “WS01.1-shell-disk”
• Save as Type: Workbench Project Files (*.wbpj)

3 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. May 31, 2016

 Project Startup (2)
• Set the Units to Metric (kg,m,s,…)
• Open the Engineering Data Cell and verify the linear material properties
• Close the Engineering Data Cell and double click on model to open Mechanical
(or RMB => Edit)

4 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. May 31, 2016

 Units

Set Units
• It’s good practice to first check and, if required, set the units
• From the main menu select Units and, if it is not already set, specify
Metric (mm,kg,...)

5 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. May 31, 2016

 Model Connotation
Check the different parts of the model
• The geometry is a quarter of a disk
• 2 planes of symmetry are defined
• Generate and Check the mesh
• Check the boundary conditions

6 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. May 31, 2016

 Solve – Large Deflection = Off
Note the Analysis Settings Specifications:
• Auto Time Stepping = Program Controlled
• Large Deflection = Off

Run the Solution

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 Result View
After solution run is complete, highlight the Solution Information folder and scroll to near
the bottom of the input
• As expected for linear models, this solves in one iteration
• View the Total Deformation

8 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. May 31, 2016

 Large Deflection = On
Return to the Project Schematic
• Highlight the Model Cell, RMB Duplicate, rename this new analysis “nlgeom,on”
• Open the second Mechanical Model and change the Large Deflection in the
Analysis Settings to On

• Run the Solve of the Second Mechanical Model

9 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. May 31, 2016

 Result View
After solution run is complete, highlight the Solution Information folder and scroll to near
the bottom of the input
• The solver took 10 iterations to converge to a solution
• View the Total Deformation

10 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. May 31, 2016

 Results Comparison
Compare the two Total Deformations and Equivalent Stresses

Why such differences?

11 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. May 31, 2016
 Conclusions F
𝑲𝑵𝒐𝒏 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒓

𝑲𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒓
𝑭𝑮𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏

U
𝑼𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝑼𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒓

• When Large Deflection is set to On, the structure’s rigidity varies with the
displacement.
• Large Deflection cannot make your model less physically realistic—if the results
are different with Large Deflection set to Off vs. On, then leave it set to On.
• NLGEOM,ON is the equivalent MAPDL command to Large Deflection = On in
Analysis Settings
• Shell elements have no stiffness in the normal direction. The computed
deflection of the disk in this model is a result of the combined effects of the
membrane, bending, and transverse shear stiffnesses.
12 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. May 31, 2016
 Go Further! F 𝑲𝑵𝒐𝒏 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒓
𝒁𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝟏 𝒁𝒐𝒏𝒆 2 𝒁𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝟑

𝑲𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒓

• Gradually increase the body’s thickness and

compare deflection values among the various
models

• Try to identify the presence of the three zones

shown in the graph above as characterized by the
change in deflection from one solution to the next

13 © 2016 ANSYS, Inc. May 31, 2016