Chapter 6

Creating the Solid Model

Chapter 6 – Creating the Solid Model
Overview Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• The purpose of this chapter is to review some preliminary
modeling considerations, discuss how to import one’s geometry
into ANSYS, and finally introduce how to create one’s geometry
using ANSYS native commands.
Chapter 6 – Creating the Solid Model
A. What to model? Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• Many modeling decisions must be made before building an
analysis model:
– How much detail should be included?
– Does symmetry apply?
– Will the model contain stress singularities?
Chapter 6 – A. What to Model
…What to model? Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

Details

• Small details that are unimportant to the analysis should not be

included in the analysis model. You can suppress such features
before sending a model to ANSYS from a CAD system.

• For some structures, however, "small" details such as fillets or

holes can be locations of maximum stress and might be quite
important, depending on your analysis objectives.
Chapter 6 – A. What to Model
…What to model? Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

Symmetry

• Many structures are symmetric in some form and allow only a

representative portion or cross-section to be modeled.

• The main advantages of using a symmetric model are:

– It is generally easier to create the model.
– It allows you to make a finer, more detailed model and thereby obtain
better results than would have been possible with the full model.
Chapter 6 – A. What to Model
…What to model? Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• To take advantage of symmetry, all of the following must be
symmetric:
– Geometry
– Material properties
– Loading conditions

• There are different types of symmetry:

– Axisymmetry
– Rotational
– Planar or reflective
– Repetitive or translational
Chapter 6 – A. What to Model
…What to model? Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

Axisymmetry

• Symmetry about a central axis, such as in light bulbs, straight

pipes, cones, circular plates, and domes.

• Plane of symmetry is the cross-section anywhere around the

structure. Thus you are using a single 2-D “slice” to represent 360°
— a real savings in model size!

• Loading is also assumed to be

axisymmetric in most cases. However,
if it is not, and if the analysis is linear,
the loads can be separated into
harmonic components for independent
solutions that can be superimposed.
Chapter 6 – A. What to Model
…What to model? Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

Rotational symmetry

• Repeated segments arranged about a central axis, such as in

turbine rotors.

• Only one segment of the structure needs to be modeled.

• Loading is also assumed to be symmetric about the axis.

Chapter 6 – A. What to Model
…What to model? Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

Planar or reflective symmetry

• One half of the structure is a mirror image of the other half. The
mirror is the plane of symmetry.

• Loading may be symmetric or anti-symmetric about the plane of

symmetry.

This model illustrates

both reflective and
rotational symmetry
Chapter 6 – A. What to Model
…What to model? Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

Repetitive or translational symmetry

• Repeated segments arranged along a straight line, such as a long

pipe with evenly spaced cooling fins.

• Loading is also assumed to be “repeated” along the length of the

model.

This model illustrates both repetitive and reflective symmetry.

Chapter 6 – A. What to Model
…What to model? Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• In some cases, only a few minor details will disrupt a structure's
symmetry. You may be able to ignore such details (or treat them
as being symmetric) in order to gain the benefits of using a
smaller model. How much accuracy is lost as the result of such a
compromise might be difficult to estimate.
Chapter 6 – A. What to Model
…What to model? Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

Stress singularities

• A stress singularity is a location in a finite element model where

the stress value is unbounded (infinite). Examples:
– A point load, such as an applied force or moment
– An isolated constraint point, where the reaction force behaves like a
point load
– A sharp re-entrant corner (with zero fillet radius)

• As the mesh density is refined at

a stress singularity, the stress value P = P/A
increases and never converges. As A  0,   
Chapter 6 – A. What to Model
…What to model? Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• Real structures do not contain stress singularities. They are a
fiction created by the simplifying assumptions of the model.

• So how do you deal with stress singularities?

– If they are located far away from the region of interest, you can simply
ignore them by deactivating the affected zone while reviewing results.
– If they are located in the region of interest, you will need to take
corrective action, such as:
• adding a fillet at re-entrant corners and rerunning the analysis.
• replacing a point force with an equivalent pressure load.
• “spreading out” displacement constraints over a set of nodes.
Chapter 6 – B. Importing Geometry
B. IGES Imports Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• Importing an IGES file
– Utility Menu > File > Import > IGES…
– the two methods, No Defeaturing and Defeaturing
– the Merge, Solid, and Small options
Chapter 6 – B. Importing Geometry
Connection Products Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• IGES importing works quite well, but because of the dual
translation process — CAD  IGES  ANSYS — there are many
cases when a 100% translation is not achieved.

• ANSYS Connection products help overcome this problem by

directly reading the “native” part files produced by the CAD
package:
– Connection for Pro/ENGINEER (“Pro/E” for short)
– Connection for Unigraphics (“UG” for short)
– Connection for SAT
– Connection for Parasolid
– Connection for CATIA

• To use a connection product, you need to purchase the

appropriate license.
Chapter 6 – B. Importing Geometry
…Connection Products Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• Connection for SAT
– Reads .sat file produced by CAD packages that use the ACIS modeler.
– Does not require ACIS software.
– Utility Menu > File > Import > SAT...
– Or ~satin

Option to read only

selected geometry types

Defeaturing option available

No Defeaturing is default
Chapter 6 – B. Importing Geometry
…Connection Products Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• Connection for Parasolid
– Reads .x_t or .xmt_txt file produced by CAD packages that use the
Parasolid modeler.
– Does not require Parasolid software.
– Utility Menu > File > Import > PARA...
– Or ~parain

Option to read only

selected geometry types

Defeaturing option available

No Defeaturing is default

Option to scale geometry

Chapter 6 – B. Importing Geometry
…Connection Products Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• The importing procedure from other CAD systems is similar. See the
Connection Users Guide for detailed instructions for each CAD system.

• Supported CAD systems on Windows:

• Supported CAD systems on UNIX:

Chapter 6 – B. Importing Geometry
Workshops Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• Refer to your Workshop Supplement for instructions on:
W6A. Importing Geometry – IGES Import
W6B. Importing Geometry – SAT Part Import
W6C. Importing Geometry – SAT Assembly Import
W6D. Importing Geometry – Parasolid Part Import
W6E. Importing Geometry – Parasolid Assembly Import
Chapter 6 – C. ANSYS Native Commands
C. Overview Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• Importing geometry is convenient, but sometimes you may need
to create it in ANSYS. Some possible reasons:
– You may need to build a parametric model — one defined in terms of
variables for later use in design optimization or sensitivity studies.
– The geometry may not be available in a format ANSYS can read.
– The Connection product you need may not be available on your
computer platform.
– You may need to modify or add geometry to an imported part or
assembly.

• ANSYS has an extensive set of geometry creation tools, which we

will introduce next.
Chapter 6 – C. ANSYS Native Commands
Definitions Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• Solid Modeling can be defined as the process of
creating solid models.

• Definitions: Volumes
– A solid model is defined by volumes, areas, lines,
and keypoints.
– Volumes are bounded by areas, areas by lines, and
lines by keypoints. Areas
– Hierarchy of entities from low to high:
keypoints < lines < areas < volumes Lines &
– You cannot delete an entity if a higher-order entity is Keypoints
attached to it.

Volumes
• Also, a model with just areas and below, such as
Areas
a shell or 2-D plane model, is still considered a
solid model in ANSYS terminology. Lines
Keypoints
Chapter 6 – C. ANSYS Native Commands
…Definitions Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• There are two approaches to creating a solid model:
– Top-down
– Bottom-up

• Top-down modeling starts with a definition of volumes (or areas),

which are then combined in some fashion to create the final
shape.

add
Chapter 6 – C. ANSYS Native Commands
…Definitions Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• Bottom-up modeling starts with keypoints, from which you “build
up” lines, areas, etc.

• You may choose whichever approach best suits the shape of the
model, and also freely combine both methods.

• The top-down and bottom-up modeling approaches are not

discussed here, but are described in detail in the Appendix.
Chapter 6 – D. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
D. Working Plane Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• The “WP” in the prompts and in the picker stands for Working
Plane — a movable, 2-D reference plane used to locate and orient
primitives.
– By default, the WP origin coincides with the global origin, but you can
move it and/or rotate it to any desired position.
– By displaying a grid, you can use the WP as a “drawing tablet.”
– WP is infinite despite the grid settings.

he
ig
ht
WY
WY WX

th
id
w
X1
Y2
X2
Y1 WP (X,Y)
WX
Chapter 6 – D. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Working Plane Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• All working plane controls are in
Utility Menu > WorkPlane.

• The WP Settings menu controls the

following:
– WP display - triad only (default), grid only, or
both.
– Snap - allows you to pick locations on the WP
easily by “snapping” the cursor to the nearest
grid point.
– Grid spacing - the distance between grid
lines.
– Grid size - how much of the (infinite) working
plane is displayed.
Chapter 6 – D. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Working Plane Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• You can move the working plane
to any desired position using
the Offset and Align menus.
– Offset WP by Increments…
• Use the push buttons (with
increment set by slider).
• Or type in the desired
increments.
• Or use dynamic mode
(similar to pan-zoom-rotate).
Chapter 6 – D. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Working Plane Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

– Offset WP to >
This simply “translates” the WP,
maintaining its current orientation, to
the desired destination, which can be:
• Existing keypoint(s). Picking
multiple keypoints moves WP to
their average location.
• Existing node(s).
• Coordinate location(s).
• Global origin.
• Origin of the active coordinate
system (discussed later).
Chapter 6 – D. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Working Plane Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

– Align WP with >
This reorients the WP.
• For example, Align WP with Keypoints
prompts you to pick 3 keypoints -
one at the origin, one to define the
X-axis, and one to define the X-Y
plane.
• To return the WP to its default
position (at global origin, on global
X-Y plane), click on Align WP with >
Global Cartesian.
Chapter 6 – D. ANSYS Native Geometry Creation
…Working Plane Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• Demo:
– Clear the database
– Display WP and create a few keypoints by picking. Note the coordinates
displayed in the picker.
– Turn on the grid, change spacing, and activate snap.
– Create more keypoints. Note how the cursor snaps to grid points.
– Define 2 rectangles — one by picking corners and one by dimensions.
– Now offset WP to average of a few keypoints, then rotate in-plane by 30º.
– Define 2 more rectangles by picking and by dimensions. Note the change in
rectangle orientation.
– Align WP with global origin, then define some 3-D primitives. Use picking as
well as “By dimensions.”
Chapter 6 – E. ANSYS Coordinate Systems
Active Coordinate System Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

Active Coordinate System

• Defaults to global Cartesian.

• Use CSYS command (or Utility Menu

> WorkPlane > Change Active CS to) to
change it to
– global Cartesian [csys,0]
– global cylindrical [csys,1]
– global spherical [csys,2]
– working plane [csys,4]
– or a user-defined local coordinate
system [csys, n]

Each of these systems is explained

next.
Chapter 6 – E. ANSYS Coordinate Systems
Global Coordinate System Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

Global Coordinate System

• The global reference system for the model.

• May be Cartesian (system 0), cylindrical (1), or spherical (2).

– For example, location (0,10,0) in global Cartesian is the same as
(10,90,0) in global Cylindrical.
Chapter 6 – E. ANSYS Coordinate Systems
Local Coordinate System Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

Local Coordinate System

• A user-defined system at a desired location, with ID

number 11 or greater. The location may be:
– At WP origin [CSWP]
– At specified coordinates [LOCAL]
– At existing keypoints [CSKP] or nodes [CS]

• May be Cartesian, cylindrical, or spherical.

• May be rotated about X, Y, Z axes.

Y12
Y X12
Y11

X11
X
Chapter 6 – E. ANSYS Coordinate Systems
Working Plane Coordinate System Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

Working Plane Coordinate System

• Attached to the working plane.

• Used mainly to locate and orient solid model primitives.

• You can also use the working plane to define keypoints by

picking.
Chapter 6 – E. ANSYS Coordinate Systems
CSYS Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• You can define any number of
coordinate systems, but only one may
be active at any given time.

• Several geometry items are affected

by the coordinate system [CSYS] that
is active at the time they are defined:
– Keypoint and node locations
– Line curvature
– Area curvature
– Generation and “filling” of keypoints
and nodes
– Etc.

• The graphics window title shows the

active system.

Areas created between keypoints at

(1,0,0), (0,1,0), & (0,0,1)
Chapter 6 – E. ANSYS Coordinate Systems
Active Coordinate System Demo Training Manual

INTRODUCTION TO ANSYS - Part 1

• Demo:
– Clear the database
– Create 5 keypoints at (1,2), (3,2), (4,0), (1,1.5), (2.5,0)
– Switch to CSYS,1 and create a line “in active CS” between KP4 & KP5
– Switch back to CSYS,0 and create an area “through KP’s.” Notice that
the remaining lines were automatically generated lines, all of them
straight.
– Define two circles:
• 0.3R, centered at (2.25,1.5)
• 0.35R, centered at (3.0,0.6)
– Subtract the two circles from base area. (We have used a combination
of bottom-up and top-down modeling.)
– Save as r.db