structurAL ANALYSIS
Table of Contents
Structural Analysis...................................................................................................................................2
3.1 Geometry for Structural Analysis...................................................................................................2
3.2 Determining Dynamic Loading...........................................................................................................2
3.3 Boundary Conditions.........................................................................................................................3
3.4 Meshing of One Part of the Torque Setting Mechanism....................................................................4
3.5 Results from Structural Analysis........................................................................................................4
1. Stress Distribution:.....................................................................................................................4
3.6 Analysis and Discussion of Structural Analysis...................................................................................5
References...............................................................................................................................................7
1
2
Structural Analysis
The Structural analysis of a mechanical component through ANSYS will be explained in detail in this part
of the report. To understand the structural behavior of the component under dynamic loading
conditions with regards to geometry, boundary conditions, meshing, and resulting stresses and
displacements will be the focus. The subsections below will go through these required steps of
modeling, loading, and analysing the component, to ensure that the findings are reasonable and
corresponds to what would be expected.
3.1 Geometry for Structural Analysis
The torque setting mechanism contains the component that is analyzed. To begin the structural analysis,
a CAD model of the component was created. Part visualization, geometry definition and feature which
may have effect on analysis were carried out by use of CAD model. First, the component, a part for
mechanical torque setting, was modeled as its geometry with the precise dimensions of length,
thickness and the width. The critical features (mounting holes, slots for connecting elements, part of the
component that is interfaced with the rest of the mechanism) were included in the model[1].
Figure [Link] Modeling
As far as the number of simplifications, some portion was ignored or ignored in order to simplify the
investigation and focus on the most critical regions. For example, small fillets and chamfers that can be
present to enable the part to be manufactured were also excluded from the model as they were decided
not to affect the result of the structural analysis as part of this study. Usually these simplifications are
made to reduce the computational time and complexity. Small features internal to the part which do not
contribute to its overall performance or the stress distribution were also omitted. As this said
component model was saved in format suitable for its import in ANSYS for further analysis in
(SolidWorks or other similar CAD Software). The simplifications made were evaluated to determine
whether they markedly affected the accuracy of the results. The last geometry analyzed gives a close
approximation of what the actual component looks like with retaining features necessary for the
simulating accurately[2].
3.2 Determining Dynamic Loading
The behavior of the component under load case is influenced by dynamic loading and it is very
important to understand the phenomenon. Forces that vary over time are called dynamic loads and they
can vary with speed, acceleration, vibration etc. These loads can greatly affect the fatigue life and
deformation behavior of the material.
2
3
The operational conditions of the torque setting mechanism were used to determine dynamic loading
for this analysis. Loads of the system were estimated based on the operational parameters of the system
like the maximum torque applied to the mechanism, the operating speed of the mechanisms and also
the frequency of the load variation. Using these parameters, the dynamic forces acting on the
component over time were simulated[3].
Figure [Link] torque
ADAMS software (or similar dynamic simulation software) was used to simulate the load application
using torque setting component and visualization of the load application thus generated torque time
plots. Here these plots show dynamic load with respect to time through a common operating cycle.
Peaks in the load reveal moments of high stress in the system. The following data was loaded in to
ANSYS and used in the structural analysis. At last, a peak dynamic load of 500 N was chosen from
ADAMS simulation for the purpose of the analysis in ANSYS. The reason for this value is that it is an
equivalent of the peak force anticipated in a typical service case combination of static and dynamic
forces. For both stress and deformation, this load value is used so that the worst case scenario is
captured in the analysis and thus provides a safety margin for problems in real applications.
3.3 Boundary Conditions
The analysis of the component is supported and constrained as defined by the boundary conditions. As
these conditions have a critical impact on the results, they determine the behavior of the component
under load. The boundary conditions for the torque setting mechanism were chosen to simulate the part
is fixed in real application. It was further assumed that the component was supported at both ends
where it interfaced with other mechanism parts. Fixed constraints were then applied to these supports
to model these supports to have no displacement or rotation at these locations. The fixed boundary
conditions represent the mount points of the part in the system. All of these are achievable constraints,
since the part is rigidly held in place during operation[4].
3
Figure [Link] support boundary condition
4
A dynamic force applied at a specific point in correspondence of the torque point acted on the
component. It was defined the load direction according to operational direction of mechanism, to which
forces were applied to the model in proper way.
It provided clear and clear pictures of the boundary conditions i. e. location of fixed support and the
applied load. The visualization of the component and the way it is constrained and loaded during the
simulation helps better understanding. Setting up boundary conditions was carefully done in order for
them to closely resemble the component’s real world operating conditions.
3.4 Meshing of One Part of the Torque Setting Mechanism
Among the most important processes in FEA, meshing splits the component into smaller elements that
are easier to analyze. This affects the accuracy of the simulation and it is thus important that sufficient
mesh density is used. Firstly, a standard mesh was made for the torque setting mechanism. The majority
of the part was meshed with hexagonal elements while tetrahedrons were used around areas of
complex geometry, holes and fillets. The standard mesh used in this first assessment was adequate for
the task, but some refinement had to be made in areas where high stress gradient were expected[5].
Figure [Link]
In areas where stress concentrations were anticipated such as at the torque application point and the
mounting holes, the final mesh was refined. In most cases failure was likely to occur through these areas
and therefore required higher mesh density to capture the behavior in these critical regions correctly.
These were refined by shrinking the size of the element within these areas thus increasing the overall
number of elements included in the model, but increased the accuracy of the stress and displacement
results. The refined mesh allowed for a finer view of how stress was distributed and therefore made
certain that the simulation was capable of grasping every important factor for a dependable analysis.
The reason to refine this process was required for the precision in areas of high stress where the part's
safety and performance were determined[6].
3.5 Results from Structural Analysis
The effects of the component under dynamic loading are precisely recorded through the results of the
finite element analysis. Analysis on various output parameters, including stress, strain, displacement,
etc., was performed since they directly affect the component performance and safety.
1. Stress Distribution: The stress results indicate the regions of the component which are at
risk of failure and are subjected to maximum stress. The dynamic load is highest on torque
4
5
application point, where also maximum von Mises stress is found. This is expected as the fact
that in areas under highest load, it is expected to see highest stress.
2. The strain results give how much the component deforms relative to the load. Areas with large
strain are regions which are undergoing large amounts of deformation and if the material is not
able to relax, this may lead to fatigue failure over time. Because of the stress results, the strain
distribution was analyzed to determine the possibility of permanent deformation being an issue.
3. Results of displacement: The results of displacement show that the moving of the component is
anticipated for the applied load. These results are of use in determining how much will the part
deflect during the operation. If the displacement is excessive, that could mean that the part is
not stiff enough to withstand the load that’s applied to it and may result in mechanical failure or
malfunction.
These output parameters are selected due to their relevance in the component performance and safety
in nuclear applications. Potential failure points indicated by high stress concentrations, large strain and
displacement, and need to be analyzed for verifying the components suitability under dynamic loading
condition[7].
3.6 Analysis and Discussion of Structural Analysis
Reasonability of the findings is thus assessed on the results of the structural analysis. The results of the
simulation of stresses, strains, and displacements were compared to simple analytical computations as
well as published work in this field to ascertain the accuracy of the method. Also from the stress point of
view, it was shown that the maximum von Mises stress has approached its material's yield strength,
which indicates that the component is working near its limit. The safety factor, however, determined in
accordance with the yield strength of the material, reveals that the component will not fail under the
designated loading conditions. The theoretical results of beam theory and stress concentration factors
are comparable to the stress results[8].
Figure [Link] mises stresses
The maximum deflection was also on reasonable results at the points of torque application. The values
of displacement fell within the acceptable ranges for the part to function and the amount of
deformation was not great enough that the part could not be used. This lends further support to the
analysis being reliable.
5
6
The results of structural analysis show that the component will be safe under the prescribed operating
conditions. But the analysis is performed under the ideal boundary conditions and material properties.
In real life we cannot assume ideal situation as there may be manufacturing defects, material variability,
wear etc could come into play to deteriorate the actual performance of the part. To consider these
uncertainties, further analysis may be needed, such as fatigue analysis and sensitivity studies.
Figure [Link] Deformation
Finally, the findings derived from the structural analysis highlighted opportunities for the component
under dynamic loading and it was found that the design possessed sufficient robustness for the intended
use. However, maintenance in the long term will be continuous monitoring and periodic
maintenance[9].
6
7
References
1] Beer, F.P., Johnston, E.R. & DeWolf, J.T., 2015. Mechanics of Materials. 7th ed. New York:
McGraw-Hill Education.
[2] Shigley, J.E., Mischke, C.R. & Budynas, R.G., 2011. Mechanical Engineering Design. 9th
ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
[3] Boresi, A.P., Schmidt, R.J. & Sidebottom, O.M., 2017. Advanced Mechanics of Materials
and Applied Elasticity. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson.
[4] Timoshenko, S. & Goodier, J.N., 1970. Theory of Elasticity. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-
Hill.
[5] Hibbeler, R.C., 2017. Mechanics of Materials. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson.
[6] Gibson, R.F., 2012. Principles of Composite Material Mechanics. 3rd ed. Boca Raton: CRC
Press.
[7] Fenner, P., 2003. Machine Element Design. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
[8] Lee, J., 2016. Analysis of Machine Elements Using SolidWorks Simulation 2015. Boca
Raton: CRC Press.
[9] Juvinall, R.C. & Marshek, K.M., 2012. Fundamentals of Machine Component Design. 5th
ed. Hoboken: Wiley.