ANSYS Model of a Cylindrical

Fused Silica Fibre

Steven Zech
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Dr. David Crooks and Dr. Calum Torrie
University of Glasgow
29 June 2006

Overview
NOTE: This Tutorial was designed for a person with some general
Knowledge of ANSYS.

Model a Cylindrical Fused Silica Fibre using Beam

elements.
Extract the energy in the tapered region and compare to
overall energy.

Material Properties:
EX = 7.2E10
PRXY = 0.17
Density = 2202

Boundary Conditions:
Constrained at one end.
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Designing the Fibre

Enter ANSYS
Create 4 Keypoints [at the points: (0,0); (0,0.375); (0,0.38); (0,0.39)]

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Model > Create > Keypoints> On
Working Plane (This is used to create 3 lines)

Create 3 Lines

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Model > Create > Lines > Straight Lines

(pick Keypoint 1 and then keypoint 2 to create the first line, repeat for 2,3 and 3,4). The 3 Lines
will be used to Create designated regions which will define a base, tapered neck and the fibre.

Define Material Properties & Element Type

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Material Props > Material Models >
Structural

> Linear > Elastic > Isotropic [enter EX: 7.2e10; PRXY: 0.17]

> Nonlinear> Density [Density: 2202]

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Element Type > Add/Edit/Delete > Add >
BEAM 189 (Beam > 3 node 189) > OK > Close

Designing the Fibre

Defining the 3 BEAM Sections

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Sections >Beam >

Common Sections

For ID 1 [Name: Top, Sub-Type: Circle, R: 1.5e-3,

N: 100] > Apply

For ID 2 [ID: 2, Name: Bottom, Sub-Type: Circle,

R: 470e-6, N: 100] > OK
Main Menu > Preprocessor > Sections > Taper Sections
> by XYZ Location (see Create Taper Section box below)

Taper section ID 3 [Name: Taper, Beg. Sec. ID: 1 Top,

XYZ Loc. Beg. Sect: 0, 0.38; End Sec. ID: 2 Bottom;
XYZ Loc. End Sect: 0, 0.375
> OK

Designing the Fibre

(Meshing)

Meshing (creating the BEAM Elements)

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Meshing > MeshTool

(see image to the Right)

Element Attributes > Lines > Set

Pick Line 1 > Apply [SECT: 2 Bottom] > Apply

Pick Line 2 (may need to zoom in) > Apply [SECT: 3 Taper] >
Apply
Pick Line 3 > Apply [SECT: 1 Top] > OK

Size Controls > Global > Set

(see image below)

[NDIV No. of element Divisions: 10] this sets the number of

Divisions per segment. The Beam is divided into 3 line
segments so 30 elements will be produced. > OK

Designing the Fibre

(Meshing)

MeshTool > Mesh > Pick All

- NOTE: If the structure does not show the next command is needed

In the ANSYS Command Prompt Type: /ESHAPE, 1 [enter]

EPLOT [enter] zoom in to see structure of elements if desired.

Applying a Load & Solving

Applying the Load

Main Menu > Preprocessor > Loads > Define Loads > Apply >
Structural > Displacement > On Keypoints click fit view

Pick the top keypoint

(keypoint 4)

> Apply > All DOF > OK

Solution

Main Menu > Solution > Analysis

Type

> New Analysis > Modal > OK

> Analysis Options [No. of
Modes to extract: 6; NMODE: 6;
Calc. Elem Results: Check Yes]
> OK > OK

SAVE

(Utility Menu > File > Save OR type

SAVE in the ANSYS Command Prompt.)

Solving. . .

Main Menu > Solution > Solve > Current LS

When the solution is done click [Close] and proceed to Post-Processing

Begin Solution of

Current Load Step > OK

Post-Processing

Finding the Energy

Main Menu > General PostProc > Read Results > by Pick
This will show the 6 solutions (or modes) and the frequency at which the mode exists.

Main Menu > General PostProc > Element Table > Define Table >
Add [Item: Energy > SENE] > OK > Close
For a list of each element and its energy at the picked frequency:

Main Menu > General PostProc > Element Table > List Elem Table
For the total energy at the picked frequency:

Pick Set 1 > Read > Close

Main Menu > General PostProc > Element Table > Sum of Each Item >
OK

To get an Energy of a Different Frequency or Mode:

Main Menu > General PostProc > Read Results > by Pick

Pick Frequency > Read > Close

Main Menu > General PostProc > Element Table > Define Table >
Update
Main Menu > General PostProc > Element Table > Sum of Each Item >
OK
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Energy in the Tapered Neck

Selecting the Elements in the Neck

Utility Menu > Select > Entities > Lines > By Num/Pick

Select line 2 > OK (Raise Hidden)

> Elements > Attached to > Lines > Apply > Plot

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Energy in the Tapered Neck

Finding the Energy

Repeat the process from finding the total energy only

Results will be for selected region only.

Selecting Everything

Utility Menu > Select > Everything

Utility Menu > Plot > Elements (or type EPLOT in the
ANSYS Command Prompt

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Applying gravity and Using

Stress Stiffening Effects
Steven Zech
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
3 August 2006

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Setting up an example model

Create a Pendulum using the methods from

ANSYS Model of a Cylindrical Fused Silica
Fibre by the same Author
Choose an element that has stress stiffening
effects (i.e. BEAM189) and add material
properties
Create keypoints, lines and Beam sections.
Apply mesh and all Displacement criteria in the
pre-processor (Prep7)

This was made with the Information from

Wilde FEA Ltd. and the ANSYS Product Help

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Adding Gravity to the ANSYS Model

Applying Gravity

Main Menu > Solution (can also be applied in Preprocessor) >

Define Loads > Apply > Structural > Inertial > Gravity > Global.

To apply gravity (or to Simulate Gravity), An acceleration must be

applied in the opposite direction of gravity. Example: if gravity is in the
negative y-direction (i.e. -9.81 m/s2) then apply an ACEL Y of +9.81.
(See figure)

Solving using a Static Solution (Including Stress Stiffening)

A Static solution must be ran before the Modal solution to calculate

the Eigen values and eigenvectors to properly model Stress
stiffening as a result of gravity.

Main Menu > Solution >

Analysis Type > New Analysis >
Static > OK
Solve

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Adding Gravity cont. . .

Modal Solution

Main Menu > General

PostProc (to avoid error messages)
Main Menu > Solution >
Analysis Type

> New Analysis > Modal

> OK
> Analysis Options [No.
of Modes to extract: 24;
NMODE: 24; Calc. Elem
Results: Check Yes;
PSTRES: Check Yes] >
OK > OK
SOLVE
Review the Results
The PSTRES command uses the Eigen values and Eigenvectors calculated in the Static
solution to add stress stiffening, which is needed to simulate gravity in the model.
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