Spring 2007, MET 415 - FEA Applications I

Prof. Dave Johnson, dhj1@psu.edu, Penn State - Erie, The Behrend College

Homework 4C:  3D SHELL Modeling

Concepts:

• 3D Modeling
• SI Units
• Symmetry (and Loads that lie on the Symmetry Plane)
• Thin Shell elements
• Singularity:  Stress under a point load
  

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A steel triangular plate represents an idealization^[1] of a leaf spring (above).

• The plate is 90 cm. long, 25 cm. wide, and 2.5 cm. thick.
• A 4500 N load acts on each tip of the plate.
• At the center, the plate rests on a knife edge support.
• Elastic Modulus = 211x10⁹ Pa, Poisson's Ratio = 0.3
• SOLVE using Shell elements

^[1]  ANSYS Verification Manual - VM-34.

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Turn in:

• An element plot showing your shell mesh.  Label the element type and element shape on these plots.
• An environment plot showing the loads and constraints
• A table (from HW-4B) comparing the shell model solution to the solid model and hand calc solutions, which lists:
  • the different element types/shapes used,
  • the number of nodes and elements, 
  • total reaction force, 
  • actual maximum deflection, 
  • interpreted SEPC*, 
  • maximum normal stress*.  
  • Include the hand. calc. results in this table.
• Contour plots of the solution results WHICH SHOWS THE ACTUAL MAXIMUM NORMAL STRESS* for the shell model
• Deformed shape plots which show the ACTUAL tip deflection for the shell model