Lab Manual

Finite Element Methods Lab

(ANSYS Software)
Instructor Name: Engr. Adnan Rasheed
Student Name: Shaman Dass

Roll #: Meen 211101090

IMME, KFUEIT Rahim Yar Khan Page | 1 (L4)

Lab 04 FEM Lab

Lab Session 04
Cantilever Beam with Point Load

Objective:

To find the deformation in a cantilever beam with a point load application at the free end of beam,
numerically and analytically

Problem Statement:
To calculate the maximum deflection of a 6 m long cantilever beam which has fixed support at
one end. If this beam is loaded with point load of 15 kN at the free end. Young’s modulus of the
material is 2.8e+10 N/m2 while cross section of beam is square 0.346 m x 0.346 m, do simulation
on ANSYS and compare results with analytical calculations.

Input data:
A beam is drawn in with 6 m length and 346 mm square cross section. (Suggest the material name
here, by your own finding)

Procedure:
1. Open Static Structure Analysis form left toolbox of Analysis Systems
2. Then double click on engineering data to add a required material, i.e. mild steel.
3. Now again in work bench, open geometry in Design Modeler and draw according to given
data. Then save it and exit the modeler.
4. Now mesh the model with default mesh sizing and add named selections if required. Then
refine the mesh sizing and save the project.
5. Apply boundary conditions and then the loadings conditions as given. Then save the
project.
6. Now click on solution and select the stress, deformation, then click solve.
7. It will show the ANSYS analysis of stress and deformation in geometry window. The
minimum and maximum values will be shown on side with colors.
8. Save the images of all analysis and save the project report.

Analytical Solution:

Project
First Saved Sunday, April 21, 2024
Last Saved Sunday, April 21, 2024
Product Version 16.0 Release
Save Project Before Solution No
Save Project After Solution No

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

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Contents

 Units

 Model (A4)
o Geometry
 Solid
o Coordinate Systems
o Mesh
o Static Structural (A5)
 Analysis Settings
 Loads
 Solution (A6)
 Solution Information
 Total Deformation

 Material Data
o Structural Steel

Units

TABLE 1
Unit System Metric (m, kg, N, s, V, A) Degrees rad/s Celsius
Angle Degrees
Rotational Velocity rad/s
Temperature Celsius
Model (A4)
Geometry

TABLE 2
Model (A4) > Geometry
Object Name Geometry
State Fully Defined
Definition
C:\Users\indar\Desktop\LAb
Source
4_files\dp0\SYS\DM\SYS.agdb
Type DesignModeler
Length Unit Meters
Element Control Program Controlled
Display Style Body Color
Bounding Box
Length X 0.346 m
Length Y 0.346 m
Length Z 6. m
Properties
Volume 0.7183 m³
Mass 5638.6 kg

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

Scale Factor Value 1.

Statistics
Bodies 1
Active Bodies 1
Nodes 621
Elements 80
Mesh Metric None
Basic Geometry Options
Parameters Yes
Parameter Key DS
Attributes No
Named Selections No
Material Properties No
Advanced Geometry Options
Use Associativity Yes
Coordinate Systems No
Reader Mode Saves Updated File No
Use Instances Yes
Smart CAD Update No
Compare Parts On Update No
Attach File Via Temp File Yes
Temporary Directory C:\Users\indar\AppData\Local\Temp
Analysis Type 3-D
Decompose Disjoint Geometry Yes
Enclosure and Symmetry
Yes
Processing

TABLE 3
Model (A4) > Geometry > Parts
Object Name Solid
State Meshed
Graphics Properties
Visible Yes
Transparency 1
Definition
Suppressed No
Stiffness Behavior Flexible
Coordinate System Default Coordinate System
Reference Temperature By Environment
Material
Assignment Structural Steel
Nonlinear Effects Yes
Thermal Strain Effects Yes
Bounding Box
Length X 0.346 m

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

Length Y 0.346 m
Length Z 6. m
Properties
Volume 0.7183 m³
Mass 5638.6 kg
Centroid X 0.173 m
Centroid Y 0.173 m
Centroid Z 3. m
Moment of Inertia Ip1 16972 kg·m²
Moment of Inertia Ip2 16972 kg·m²
Moment of Inertia Ip3 112.51 kg·m²
Statistics
Nodes 621
Elements 80
Mesh Metric None
Coordinate Systems

TABLE 4
Model (A4) > Coordinate Systems > Coordinate System
Object Name Global Coordinate System
State Fully Defined
Definition
Type Cartesian
Coordinate System ID 0.
Origin
Origin X 0. m
Origin Y 0. m
Origin Z 0. m
Directional Vectors
X Axis Data [ 1. 0. 0. ]
Y Axis Data [ 0. 1. 0. ]
Z Axis Data [ 0. 0. 1. ]
Mesh

TABLE 5
Model (A4) > Mesh
Object Name Mesh
State Solved
Display
Display Style Body Color
Defaults
Physics Preference Mechanical
Relevance 0
Sizing
Use Advanced Size Function Off

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

Relevance Center Coarse

Element Size Default
Initial Size Seed Active Assembly
Smoothing Medium
Transition Fast
Span Angle Center Coarse
Minimum Edge Length 0.3460 m
Inflation
Use Automatic Inflation None
Inflation Option Smooth Transition
Transition Ratio 0.272
Maximum Layers 5
Growth Rate 1.2
Inflation Algorithm Pre
View Advanced Options No
Patch Conforming Options
Triangle Surface Mesher Program Controlled
Patch Independent Options
Topology Checking No
Advanced
Number of CPUs for Parallel Part Meshing Program Controlled
Shape Checking Standard Mechanical
Element Midside Nodes Program Controlled
Straight Sided Elements No
Number of Retries Default (4)
Extra Retries For Assembly Yes
Rigid Body Behavior Dimensionally Reduced
Mesh Morphing Disabled
Defeaturing
Pinch Tolerance Please Define
Generate Pinch on Refresh No
Automatic Mesh Based Defeaturing On
Defeaturing Tolerance Default
Statistics
Nodes 621
Elements 80
Mesh Metric None

FIGURE 1
Model (A4) > Mesh > Figure

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

Static Structural (A5)

TABLE 6
Model (A4) > Analysis
Object Name Static Structural (A5)
State Solved
Definition
Physics Type Structural
Analysis Type Static Structural
Solver Target Mechanical APDL
Options
Environment Temperature 22. °C
Generate Input Only No

TABLE 7
Model (A4) > Static Structural (A5) > Analysis Settings
Object Name Analysis Settings
State Fully Defined
Step Controls
Number Of Steps 1.

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

Current Step Number 1.

Step End Time 1. s
Auto Time Stepping Program Controlled
Solver Controls
Solver Type Program Controlled
Weak Springs Program Controlled
Solver Pivot Checking Program Controlled
Large Deflection Off
Inertia Relief Off
Restart Controls
Generate Restart Points Program Controlled
Retain Files After Full Solve No
Nonlinear Controls
Newton-Raphson Option Program Controlled
Force Convergence Program Controlled
Moment Convergence Program Controlled
Displacement Convergence Program Controlled
Rotation Convergence Program Controlled
Line Search Program Controlled
Stabilization Off
Output Controls
Stress Yes
Strain Yes
Nodal Forces No
Contact Miscellaneous No
General Miscellaneous No
Store Results At All Time Points
Analysis Data Management
Solver Files Directory C:\Users\indar\Desktop\LAb 4_files\dp0\SYS\MECH\
Future Analysis None
Scratch Solver Files Directory
Save MAPDL db No
Delete Unneeded Files Yes
Nonlinear Solution No
Solver Units Active System
Solver Unit System mks

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

FIGURE 2
Model (A4) > Static Structural (A5) > Analysis Settings > Figure

TABLE 8
Model (A4) > Static Structural (A5) > Loads
Object Name Fixed Support Force
State Fully Defined
Scope
Scoping Method Geometry Selection
Geometry 1 Face
Definition
Type Fixed Support Force
Suppressed No
Define By Components
Coordinate System Global Coordinate System
X Component 0. N (ramped)
Y Component -15000 N (ramped)
Z Component 0. N (ramped)

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

FIGURE 3
Model (A4) > Static Structural (A5) > Fixed Support > Figure

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

FIGURE 4
Model (A4) > Static Structural (A5) > Force

FIGURE 5
Model (A4) > Static Structural (A5) > Force > Figure

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

Solution (A6)

TABLE 9
Model (A4) > Static Structural (A5) > Solution
Object Name Solution (A6)
State Solved
Adaptive Mesh Refinement
Max Refinement Loops 1.
Refinement Depth 2.
Information
Status Done
Post Processing
Calculate Beam Section Results No

TABLE 10
Model (A4) > Static Structural (A5) > Solution (A6) > Solution Information
Object Name Solution Information
State Solved
Solution Information
Solution Output Solver Output
Newton-Raphson Residuals 0
Update Interval 2.5 s
Display Points All
FE Connection Visibility
Activate Visibility Yes
Display All FE Connectors
Draw Connections Attached To All Nodes
Line Color Connection Type
Visible on Results No
Line Thickness Single
Display Type Lines

TABLE 11
Model (A4) > Static Structural (A5) > Solution (A6) > Results
Object Name Total Deformation
State Solved
Scope
Scoping Method Geometry Selection
Geometry All Bodies
Definition
Type Total Deformation
By Time
Display Time Last
Calculate Time History Yes
Identifier

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

Suppressed No
Results
Minimum 0. m
Maximum 3.2208e-002 m
Information
Time 1. s
Load Step 1
Substep 1
Iteration Number 1

FIGURE 6
Model (A4) > Static Structural (A5) > Solution (A6) > Total Deformation

TABLE 12
Model (A4) > Static Structural (A5) > Solution (A6) > Total Deformation
Time [s] Minimum [m] Maximum [m]
1. 0. 3.2208e-002

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

FIGURE 7
Model (A4) > Static Structural (A5) > Solution (A6) > Total Deformation > Figure

Material Data
Structural Steel

TABLE 13
Structural Steel > Constants
Density 7850 kg m^-3
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion 1.2e-005 C^-1
Specific Heat 434 J kg^-1 C^-1
Thermal Conductivity 60.5 W m^-1 C^-1
Resistivity 1.7e-007 ohm m

TABLE 14
Structural Steel > Compressive Ultimate Strength
Compressive Ultimate Strength Pa
0

TABLE 15
Structural Steel > Compressive Yield Strength
Compressive Yield Strength Pa
2.5e+008

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

TABLE 16
Structural Steel > Tensile Yield Strength
Tensile Yield Strength Pa
2.5e+008

TABLE 17
Structural Steel > Tensile Ultimate Strength
Tensile Ultimate Strength Pa
4.6e+008

TABLE 18
Structural Steel > Isotropic Secant Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
Reference Temperature C
22

TABLE 19
Structural Steel > Alternating Stress Mean Stress
Alternating Stress Pa Cycles Mean Stress Pa
3.999e+009 10 0
2.827e+009 20 0
1.896e+009 50 0
1.413e+009 100 0
1.069e+009 200 0
4.41e+008 2000 0
2.62e+008 10000 0
2.14e+008 20000 0
1.38e+008 1.e+005 0
1.14e+008 2.e+005 0
8.62e+007 1.e+006 0

TABLE 20
Structural Steel > Strain-Life Parameters
Cyclic Strain
Strength Strength Ductility Ductility Cyclic Strength
Hardening
Coefficient Pa Exponent Coefficient Exponent Coefficient Pa
Exponent
9.2e+008 -0.106 0.213 -0.47 1.e+009 0.2

TABLE 21
Structural Steel > Isotropic Elasticity
Temperature C Young's Modulus Pa Poisson's Ratio Bulk Modulus Pa Shear Modulus Pa
2.8e+010 0.3 2.3333e+010 1.0769e+010

TABLE 22

Structural Steel > Isotropic Relative Permeability

Relative Permeability
10000

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

Numerical solution

Theoretical Calculations
Length = L = 6000 mm
Width = b = 346 mm
Height = h = 346 mm
Load = W = 1 5 KN
Young’s Modulus = E = 210000 N/mm2
We have to determine the moment of inertia “I” which is given by
bh3
I=
12
(0.346)(0.346)3
I=
12

I = 1.194 × 10−3 𝑚𝑚4

As we know that deflection of the cantilever beam is;
WL3
δ=
3EI
(15000)(6)3
𝛿𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
3(2.8 × 1010 )(1.94 × 10−3 )

𝛿𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 0.03223mm
Error:

% error=0.03226-0.3223/0.03226×100

% error =0.09%

Conclusion:
It is clear that simulation and theoretical values of directional deformation of cantilever beam
have minor difference. Negative sign with value of simulation results shows that directional
deformation is toward negative y direction.

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Lab 04 FEM Lab

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