Advanced Structural Analysis using ANSYS Workbench-Sphere pressing on a plate

Introduction

The purpose of this challenge is to simulate a sphere of structural steel pressing down on to a plate of structural steel non linear and causing a plastic deformation on the plate. We will also be exploriing the concept of symmetry to reduce compute time, whereby if the loads are similiar across axes and the conditions are similiar we can split the system and perform analysis only one part to reduce compute time.

We will also be looking at the direcional deformation,strain in plates,strain in sphere and overall equivalent stress in the whole system.

Procedure

The properties of structural steel non linear are added in the engineering data.

The model is loaded and it is opened in spaceclaim to make sure that the model is perfect with noo obvious flaws.

In the mechanical module the contact and the materials are defined.

This if followed by defining symmetry along x and z axix.

The analysis settings are defined and the mesh is generated. Here the mesh is generated for 1mm element size.

The displacement of the sphere is given to be 4mm succeeded by retracting the sphere to ensure that the deformation is infact plastic.

The directional deformation,strain on plate,strain on plate,strain on sphere and the total stress on the system is found out.

Results

Directional Deformation

Here we can see that the maximum deformation suffere by the pate for a displacementt of 4 mm by the sphere is 3.86mm. This is because there has also been a slight deformation of the sphere.

Strain on the plate

Here as expected the maximum strain occurs where there is contact with the sphere and hence where there is maximum deformation .

Strain on the Sphere

Here also as expected the strain is maximum where there is contact with the plate.

Stress on the System

The stress here is maximum wheer there is maximum deformation as expected.

Conclusions

The maximum deformation in plate is slightly lesser than expected due to the deformation in the sphere.

The rest of the parametres are well along expected lines.