FEM Training

BASIC Level
PLATE WITH HOLE
2D ANALYSIS

GOALS
- Understanding the characteristic of 2D element (MEMBRANE)
- Understand about surface modelling in MSC-PATRAN.

PROBLEM DEFINITION
A plate structure has hole in the center of plate. The thickness of plate
is 1 mm. Radius of a hole is 50 cm. The width and length of the plate is
3 m and 5 m respectively. Plate material is aluminum which has 68.9 GPa of
Young Modulus and Poisson’s Ratio 0.33. The load applied on the width of
plate is 10.5 kN. Show the location of stress concentration!
P

Figure 1 Plate Illustration

FEM MODELLING
1. Create New File (Generating *.db File)
 Open MSC PATRAN Software.
 Click “New” in tab menu “Home”.
 Set the file location (directory) where the PATRAN/NASTRAN files
will be saved.
Note: It is required, because PATRAN will do Automatic Saving from
the last command.
 Set the file name, e.g. “plate_hole”.
 Click “OK”.
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2. Geometrical Modelling
 Click tab menu “Geometry”
 Click “Select” on Surface menu, then click “XYZ”
It also could be set through:
- Action : Create
- Object : Surface
- Method : XYZ
 Input Vector Coordinates List: <3 5 0>
 Unchecked “Auto Execute”
 Origin Coordinates List: [0 0 0]
 Apply
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 Add Hole to the surface by:
- Action : Edit
- Object : Surface
- Method : Add Hole
- Option : Center Point
 Input Hole Radius: 0.5
 Checked “Loop Interference Checker”
 Unchecked “Auto Execute”
 Surface: Surface 1 (Click the surface)
 Center Point List: [1.5 2.5 0]
 Apply

 Create Helping Points at Hole by:

- Action : Create
- Object : Point
- Method : Interpolate
- Option : Curve
 Number of Inferior Points: 7
 Parameterization Method: Equal Arc Length
 Point Spacing Method: Uniform
 Checked “Auto Execute”
 Curve List: Surface 1.X (Click Hole Edge)
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 Create Helping Points in Side Plate by:

- Action : Create
- Object : Point
- Method : Project
- Project onto : Curve
- Direction : Normal
 Unchecked “Delete Original Points”
 Checked “Auto Execute”
 Point List : Point X (Click point which is normal to curve)
 Curve List : Surface 1.X (Click plate edge)
Note: Repeat the command until every plate edge has mid-point
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 Divide the plate into 8 surfaces by:
- Action : Edit
- Object : Surface
- Method : Break
- Option : 2 Point
 Checked “Delete Original Surfaces” and “Auto Execute”
 Surface List:: Surface X (Click surface which will be broken)
 Break Point 1 List: Point X (Click the first cutting point)
 Break Point 2 List: Point X (Click the second cutting point)
 Yes
Note: Repeat the command until the surface geometry becomes 8
surfaces with the green color edge.

3. Meshing (Discretization)
 Click tab menu “Meshing”
 Create Mesh Seed by:
- Action : Create
- Object : Mesh Seed
- Type : Uniform
 Element Edge Length Data
- Number of Elements: 10
 Checked “Auto Execute”
 Curve List: Surface 1.X (Select all edges in surface geometry)
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 Create Mesh by:

- Action : Create
- Object : Mesh
- Type : Surface
- Elem Shape: Quad
- Mesher : IsoMesh
- Topology : Quad4
 Surface List: Surface X:X (Select all surfaces geometry)
 Global Edge Length: Automatic Calculation
 Apply
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4. Another Way of Meshing (Optional)
 Click tab menu “Meshing”
 Create Mesh directly by using:
- Action : Create
- Object : Mesh
- Type : Surface
- Elem Shape: Quad
- Mesher : IsoMesh
- Topology : Quad4
 Surface List: Surface X:X (Select all surfaces geometry)
 Global Edge Length:
- Value : 0.15 (Unchecked Automatic Calculation)
 Apply

5. Merging Duplicate Node

 Click tab menu “Meshing”
 Merge duplicate nodal by using:
- Action : Equivalence
- Object : All
- Method : Tolerance Cube
 Apply
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6. Material Database Input

 Click tab menu “Properties”
 Click “Isotropic”, so that:
- Action : Create
- Object : Isotropic
- Method : Manual Input
 Set Material Name: aluminum
 Click Input Data
- Constitutive Model : Linear Elastic
- Elastic Modulus : 68.9E+9
- Poisson Ratio : 0.33
- OK
 Apply
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7. Setup Element Properties
 In the tab menu “Properties”, click “Membrane”, so that:
- Action : Create
- Object : 2D
- Type : Membrane
 Set Property Set Name: plate_hole
 Click Input Properties
- Material Name : m:aluminum
Click Woven Symbol to select material from Material Database
- Thickness : 0.001
- OK
 Click Select Application Region
- Select : Entities
- Application Region
Select Members: Surface X:X (Select all surfaces geometry)
- Add
- OK
 Apply

8. Setup Loads and Boundary Conditions

 Click tab menu “Loads/BCs”
 Click “Displacement Constraint” in Nodal menu selection, so that:
- Action : Create
- Object : Displacement
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- Type : Nodal
- Option : Standard
 Set New Set Name: roll
 Click Input Data
- Loads/BCs Set Scale Factor : 1. (Default)
- Translation : < ,0,0>
- OK
 Click Select Application Region
- Select : FEM
- Application Region
Select Nodes : Node X:X (Select all bottom nodes except the
center node)
- Add
- OK
 Apply

 Set the second type of BC, New Set Name: pin

 Click Input Data
- Loads/BCs Set Scale Factor : 1. (Default)
- Translation : <0,0,0>
- OK
 Click Select Application Region
- Select : FEM
- Application Region
Select Nodes : Node X (Select the center bottom node)
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- Add
- OK
 Apply

 Click “Force” in Nodal menu selection, so that:

- Action : Create
- Object : Force
- Type : Nodal
 Set New Set Name: force
 Click Input Data
- Loads/BCs Set Scale Factor : 1. (Default)
- Force <F1 F2 F3> : <0,500,0>
Note: Force per node equal to total force divided by number of
nodes (21 nodes on the top of surface model)
Force = 10.5 kN/21 nodes
Force = 500 N/node
- OK
 Click Select Application Region
- Select : FEM
- Application Region
Select Nodes : Node X:X (Select all top nodes of the plate)
- Add
- OK
 Apply
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 Final appearance of the FE Model

9. Setup Analysis
 Click tab menu “Analysis”, which will directly set:
- Action : Analyze
- Object : Entire Model
- Method : Full Run
Note: As a default, PATRAN will set the analysis to the default
case (all) and Linear Static solver.
 Apply
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10. Solving (Running NASTRAN)

As a default, NASTRAN has linked to the PATRAN. So when the “Apply”
command given in PATRAN Analysis, NASTRAN will automatically run the
case.

For some case that does not run automatically, manual running should
be done by:
 Open MSC NASTRAN Software
 Select *.bdf file as a NASTRAN analysis input
 Click Run
Note: Wait until the analysis process is done.
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While running through manual step, NASTRAN will show the same dialogue
as when running analysis automatically.

11. Attaching Visualization Result

 In the tab menu “Analysis”, click “XDB”, so that:

- Action : Access Results
- Object : Attach XDB
- Method : Result Entities
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 Click “Select Results File”
- Choose *.xdb file from analysis
- Ok
 Apply
Note: In the command line, there will be a notification that shows
status about attaching result file. If the status shows $# *** End:
Attach Result File ***, it means the analysis runs well. If it shows
$# *** Begin: Attaching Result File *** or no success attaching file,
it means something wrong with FE modelling.

12. Displaying Result File

 Click tab menu “Results”
 Choose Quick Plot “Fringe/Deformation”, as a default:
- Action : Create
- Object : Quick Plot
 Select Result Cases: Default, A1:Static Subcase
 Select Fringe Result: Displacement, Translational or other result
 Select Deformation Result: Optional
 Apply
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