Deflection Analysis of a Truss

Problem: Consider the balcony truss as shown below with dimensions. It is required to
determine the deflection of each joint under the loading. All members are made from
Douglasfire wood with a modulus of elasticity of E = 1.9x10 6 lb/in2 and a cross-sectional area of
8 in2. It is also required to calculate the average stresses in each member. Solve the problem
using ANSYS.

Solution:
1.

Starting:
Click start ANSYS ANSYS product launcher:
Launch ANSYS Multiphysics
File management browse the directory for saving and retrieving the files.
Click run

2.

Preferences tick structural ok

3.

Title:
Utility menu File Change title Balcony Truss ok.
Utility menu plot replot

4.

Element:
Main menu Preprocessor element type add add structural Link 2D spar
1 (LINK1) ok

5.

Real Constant:
Main menu Preprocessor real constant add ok enter the c/s area 8

6.

Material Properties:
Main menu Preprocessor material prop material models structural linear
elastic isotropic enter EX = 1.9e+05 & NUXY = 0.3 ok

7.

Modeling:
(a) Main menu Preprocessor Modeling create nodes in active CS.
(b) Enter node number as 1 and its location (x,y,z values) apply & continue for other
nodes ok
N1 0,0 ; N2 36,0 ; N3 0,36 ; N4 36,36; N5 72,36
Note: ensure that no duplicate of node numbers are entered
(c) Utility menu plot ctrls numbering node numbers ok
Utility menu plot nodes
(d) Main menu Preprocessor Modeling create elements auto numbered
through nodes select by cursor node 1& 2 apply select node 2 & 3 apply
select node 3 & 4 apply select node 2 & 4 apply select node 2 & 5 apply
select node 4 & 5 ok.
(e) Utility menu plotctrls numbering element numbers ok Utility menu plot
elements

8.

Boundary Conditions and Loads:

(a) Main menu solution define loads apply structural displacement on
nodes select by mouse node 1 & 3 select all DOF ok
(b) Main menu solution define loads apply structural force/moment on
nodes select by mouse node 3 & 4 apply enter FY = -500 ok

9.

Solution:
Main menu Solution solve current LS

10. Post Processing:

Gen. post processor plot results deformed shapes deformed + undeformed ok
Gen. post processor list results nodal solution DOF solution + displacement vector
sum ok
Gen. post processor element table define table add enter ETABLE as axforce
select by sequ/num select SMISC and enter 1 apply enter ETABLE as axstress select
by sequ/num select LS and enter 1 apply

Main menu Gen. post processor element table plot elem table select axsress ok
( for plotting the axial stress in the members)
Main menu Gen. post processor element table plot elem table select axforce
ok ( for plotting the axial force in the members)

Main menu Gen. post processor element table list elem table select axsress,
axstress ok ( for listing the axial stress & force in the members)

----- XXXXX -----

Thermal Static Analysis of Composite Wall

Problem: A wall of an industrial oven consists of three different materials as shown in Figure
below. The first layer is composed of 5 cm of insulating cement with a clay binder that has a
thermal conductivity of 0.08 W/mK. The second layer is made from 15 cm of 6-ply asbestos
board with a thermal conductivity of 0.074 W/mK. The exterior wall consists of 10 cm common
brick with a thermal conductivity of 0.72 W/mK. The inside wall temperature of the oven is
200C and the outside air is at 30C with a convection coefficient of 40 W/m 2K. Determine the
temperature distribution along the composite wall. Solve the problem using ANSYS.

Solution:
1.

Starting:
Click start ANSYS ANSYS product launcher:
Launch ANSYS Multiphysics
File management browse the directory for saving and retrieving the files.
Click run

2.

Preferences tick thermal ok

3.

Title:
Utility menu File Change title Composite Wall ok.

4.

Utility menu plot replot

5.

Elements:

Main menu Preprocessor element type add add thermal 2D thermal

conduction 32 (LINK32) apply convection 34 (LINK34) ok
6.

Real Constants:
Main menu Preprocessor real constant add add select type 1 ok enter the
c/s area 1 ok add select type 2 enter c/s area for convection as 1 ok close

7.

Material Properties:
Main menu Preprocessor material properties material models material model 1
thermal conductivity isotropic enter KXX1 = 0.08 ok
Material new model material ID 2 material model 2 thermal conductivity
isotropic enter KXX2 = 0.074 ok
Material new model material ID 3 material model 3 thermal conductivity
isotropic enter KXX3 = 0.72 ok
Material new model material ID 4 material model 4 thermal convection
enter HF = 40 ok

8.

Modeling:
Main menu Preprocessor Modeling create nodes in active CS enter node
number as 1 and its location (x,y,z values) apply & continue for other nodes ok
N1 0,0 ; N2 0.05,0 ; N3 0.2,0 ; N4 0.3,0; N5 0.3,0 Note:
ensure that no duplicate of node numbers are entered
Utility menu plot ctrls numbering tick node numbers ok.
Utility menu plot nodes
Main menu Preprocessor meshing mesh attributes default attributes select
element 1 ; material 1 ; real const 1 ok

Main menu Preprocessor Modeling create elements auto numbered through

nodes select by cursor node 1 & 2 ok
Main menu Preprocessor meshing mesh attributes default attributes select
element 1 ; material 2 ; real const 1 ok

Main menu Preprocessor Modeling create elements auto numbered through

nodes select by cursor node 2 & 3 ok
Main menu Preprocessor meshing mesh attributes default attributes select
element 1 ; material 3 ; real const 1 ok
Main menu Preprocessor Modeling create elements auto numbered through
nodes select by cursor node 3 & 4 ok
Main menu Preprocessor meshing mesh attributes default attributes select
element 2 ; material 4 ; real const 2 ok

Main menu Preprocessor Modeling create elements auto numbered through

nodes select by cursor node 4 & 5 ok.
Utility menu plotctrls numbering element numbers ok.
Utility menu plot elements

9.

Boundary Conditions:
Main menu solution define loads apply thermal temperature on nodes
select by mouse node 1 select temp enter VALUE = 200 ok
Main menu solution define loads apply thermal temperature on nodes
select by mouse node 5 select temp enter VALUE = 30 ok

10. Solution:
Main menu Solution solve current LS.
11. Post Processing:
Gen. post processor plot results nodal solu DOF solu temperature ok (to plot
temperature distribution)
Gen. post processor list results nodal solu DOF solu temperature ok (to list
temperature distribution)
------ XXXX -----

Analysis of a Stepped Bar

Problem: The structure consists of two bars. An axial load P = 15kN is loaded as shown in the
Figure below. Take E = 20 x 106 N/cm2. Let us determining the following using ANSYS.
(i)

Nodal displacement

(ii)

Stress in each bar

(iii)

Reaction force

Solution:
1.

Starting:
Click start ANSYS ANSYS product launcher:
Launch ANSYS Multiphysics
File management browse the directory for saving and retrieving the files.
Click run

2.

Preferences tick structural ok

3.

Title:
Utility menu File Change title Stepped Bar ok.
Utility menu plot replot

4.

Element:
Main menu Preprocessor element type add add structural Link 2D spar
1 (LINK1) ok
Main menu Preprocessor element type add add structural Link 2D spar
1 (LINK2) ok

5.

Real Constant:
Main menu Preprocessor real constant (LINK1) ok enter the c/s area 10 ok
Main menu Preprocessor real constant (LINK2) ok enter the c/s area 6 ok
Click on Close

6.

Material Properties:
Main menu Preprocessor material prop material models structural linear
elastic isotropic enter EX = 20e+05 ok

7.

Modeling:
(a) Main menu Preprocessor Modeling create nodes in active CS.
(b) Enter node number as 1 and its location (x,y,z values) apply & continue for other
nodes ok
N1 0,0 ; N2 50,0 ; N3 125,0
Note: ensure that no duplicate of node numbers are entered
(c) Utility menu plot ctrls numbering tick ON node numbers ok
Utility menu plot nodes
(d) Main menu Preprocessor meshing mesh attributes default attributes select
element 1 ; material 1 ; real const 1 ok

(e) Main menu Preprocessor Modeling create elements auto numbered

through nodes select by cursor node 1 & 2 ok.
(f) Main menu Preprocessor meshing mesh attributes default attributes select
element 2 ; material 1 ; real const 2 ok

(g)
(h) Main menu Preprocessor Modeling create elements auto numbered
through nodes select node 2 & 3 ok.
(i)

8.

Utility menu plotctrls numbering element numbers ok Utility menu plot

elements

Boundary Conditions and Loads:

(a) Main menu solution define loads apply structural displacement on
nodes select by mouse node 1 & 3 select all DOF 0 ok
(b) Main menu solution define loads apply structural force/moment on
nodes select by mouse node 2 apply enter FX = 15000 ok

9.

Solution:
Main menu Solution solve current LS

10. Post Processing:

Main menu Gen. post processor list results Nodal solution select list
nodal solution DOF solution ok Displacement vector sum ok
PRNSOL Command note UX displacements for nodes 1, 2 & 3 respectively
Main menu Gen. post processor element table define table Add
Define Additional Element Table Item dialog box enter Stress for user label for item.
In the scroll box on the left click By Sequence Num highlight LS enter 1 after LS,
in the box below the right scroll box. ok

Main menu Gen. post processor element table list element table highlight stress
ok
Main menu Gen. post processor list results reaction solution all items ok
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