Lecture: 5

SYSTEM DESIGN AND SIMULATION

Asst. Prof. Rupak Chaudhary
Department of Mechanical and Automobile
Institute of Engineering,
Thapathali Campus,
Tribhuvan University
Kathmandu, Nepal
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 Simulation Overview
• Various simulation software available follow a common procedures in solving the problem.
• These procedures remain more or less same irrespective of the type of problem being solved.
The basic steps in simulation process:
1. Problem formulation: Need for certain application or complaint against existing system, need, desire
of any new system which is to be recognized and formulated.
2. Setting of objectives and overall projects: Objectives include the output desired from the analysis
which might be to attain certain pre-set limit or to find out the effect of any factors on the analysis.
To achieve the objectives defined in a plan should be formulated on how to execute the analysis. It
involves breaking down of any job into certain number of work packages and tracking the progress
of same work.
3. Model conceptualization: The art of modelling is enhanced by an ability to abstract the essential
features of the problem, to select and modify basic assumption results. Thus, it is best to start with
a simple model and build toward greater complexity. Not every feature of the real system is
included in model, only the essence of real system is needed to prevent ambiguity of the model.

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 4 Data Collection: It should begin as early as possible, usually together with the early stages of model
building. It constitutes a larger portion of the total time required for simulation. Any decision made
and the result so obtained largely depends upon effectiveness of data collection.
5 Model Translation: The model is translated into the format recognizable by the computer depending
upon the type of software used for the purpose of simulation.
6 Verification: Process of ensuring that the model behaves as intended or program prepared for the
simulation model runs properly.
7 Validated: Verification is necessary but not sufficient for validation. Verification is an iterative
process of comparing the model against the actual system behavior and using the discrepancies
between two and insight gained, to improve the model. This process is repeated until model
accuracy is judged acceptable.
8 Experimental Design: Involves developing the alternative model, executing the simulation runs, and
statistically comparing the alternative system performance with that of the real system. For each
system design that is simulated, decisions need to be made concerning the length of initialization
period, the length of simulation runs, and the replications to be made at each run.
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 • Production run and analysis: Production runs and their subsequent analysis are used to estimate
measures of performance for the system design that are being simulated.
• More runs: Given the analysis of runs that have been completed, the analyst determines whether
additional runs are needed and design those additional experiments should follow.
• Documentations and reporting: At this stage both program as well as process is documented.
Program documentation provides information regarding how the program operates and the process
documentation includes the process involved in program operation.

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 Preliminary Decisions
• Includes different variables, factors, conditions, analysis types and element types to be used in
approximate model. During analysis of any real world system various factors like weight, economics,
strength, dimensions, etc. are considered.
• Takes place at the beginning of an event, often as a form of preparation.
• Later, based on the output obtained or any specific situation encountered during analysis, a
compromise or changes are made to these decisions.

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 General Engineering Analysis
• Structural analysis will be either linear or non-linear. Linear model analysis assumes that the material
does not plastically deform (permanent deformation). Non-linear models consist of separating
contact conditions (contact with lift -off), when stressing material past its elastic capabilities into the
plastic range, or bending greater than 10% of model length (large deformation). At this point,
material properties change and stresses in the material will vary with the amount of deformation.

• Fatigue analysis helps designers to predict the life of a model by showing the effects of cyclic loading
on the part/assembly. Fatigue is responsible for approximately 80% of all structural failures.

• Heat Transfer analysis shows the conductivity or thermal properties of the model. This may be either
steady state or transient transfer. Steady -state transfer refers to constant thermal properties that
yield linear heat diffusion and where time is not a factor in either the loading of thermal properties
or in reading results at various time increments. Non-linear will usually involve time, radiation,
and/or changing thermal properties in the material or through convection.

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 • Modal analysis consists of several types: fundamental or natural frequencies, with or without pre-
stressing forced vibration, noise-vibration-harshness or randomly induced vibration such as would be
experienced in an earthquake. Workbench Simulation helps determine if a part or structure is
susceptible to environmental vibrations, as with might be experienced with rotating equipment or
other induced vibrations.

• Harmonic analysis is used to determine the steady-state response of a linear structure to loads that
vary sinusoidally (harmonically) with time. The results encompass the structure’s response at several
frequencies and provide graphs or animations of a response quantity, such as displacement versus
frequency. Harmonic analysis is supported in Workbench Simulation when using an ANSYS
Professional or higher-level license.

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 ANSYS Preprocessor
Model generation is conducted in this processor, which involves material definition, creation of a solid
model, and, finally, meshing. Important tasks within this processor are:
❑ Specify element type.
❑ Define real constants (if required by the element type).
❑ Define material properties,
❑ Create the model geometry.
❑ Generate the mesh.
Although the boundary conditions can also be specified in this processor, it is usually done in the
Solution Processor.

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 Solution Processor
This processor is used for obtaining the solution for the finite element model that is generated within
the Preprocessor, Important tasks within this processor are:
❑ Define analysis type and analysis options,
❑ Specify boundary conditions.
❑ Obtain solution.

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 Post Processing
• In this processor, the results at a specific time (if the analysis type is transient) over the entire or a
portion of the model are reviewed. This includes the plotting of contours, vector displays, deformed
shapes, and listings of the results in tabular format.
• Examples of operations in Post Processing are:
Sort element stressed in order of magnitude.
Check equilibrium
Calculate FOS
Plot deformed structural shape
Animate dynamic model Behavior
Produce color coded plots

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