Learning Forum

[mergen.eric]

Hello,

I am trying to find information on the best way to increment an imput load until a reaction force reaches a certain threshold. This is a static structural simulation. 

For example: I start with a 1,000 pound load and I want to increase the load in 100 pound increments until a reaction force in a different part of my model reaches 500 pounds. I guess I could add load steps and input the forces in the table. But is there a different way to input my starting load, load increment, and reaction force threshold and have ANSYS do the load stepping?  

Thanks.

Eric

[peteroznewman]

If the model is linear, then you can get the input load Fin required to get a 500 lb reaction force output after you have solved the model one time using a 1000 lb input load and obtaining the reaction force output RFout by a simple ratio:

                Fin = 1000*RFout/500

This assumes that RFout = 0 when Fin = 0.  If there is an offset, such as there is also a gravity load that causes RFout to be non-zero when Fin = 0, then you just solve with Fin = 0 to get that offset value and subtract it from the equation.

If the model is nonlinear, then you use the same formula iteratively to get closer and closer to the value of Fin that gets you as close to 500 lb as you want.

You could also make the input load a parameter, an the reaction force output a parameter and use the Design Exploration module Direct Optimization and let Ansys automatically search for the value of Fin that delivers a Target value of RFout within a tolerance range.

[mergen.eric]

Thank you for your reply Peter.

I think I'll look more into using parameteriztion and direct optimization.