ANSYS Composite PrepPost 17.

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Tutorial Exercise 2

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 ACP Tutorial

This tutorial describes how (mesh) modifications can be passed to ACP and also
highlights a few advanced features of ACP:

A: Modify Mesh and lay-up

B: Work with Edge Sets and a Tube Selection Rule to define local reinforcements
C: Taper a core
D: Cut-Off Selection Rule in combination with a core
E: Create a Solid Model for further purposes.

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 A: Modify mesh and lay-up

At the end of the Tutorial 1, the critical failure mode was matrix failure in one
layer of the top face sheet which consists of three UD plies with equal
orientation.

The goal is to optimize the layup to increase the strength of the composite
structure. First, the 3 UD plies will be replaced and a refined mesh will provide
more accurate results.

To start, open the archive “tutorial_2.wbpz” and open Mechanical.

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 A: Modify mesh and lay-up
• For the next part of the exercise, define a Named Selection with the 2 edges
starting at node (-150,-150,0). Name it “taper_2_edges”.

• Insert a Face Sizing of 10mm for the plate.

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 A: Modify mesh and lay-up

• Update your model:

Don’t forget to verify the status of the different steps of the analysis. If the Model is not
up-to-date, ACP (Pre) Setup will have the Status “Input Changes Pending”.

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 A: Modify mesh and lay-up

• Edit the ACP (Pre) Model, and modify the modeling ply “top_1” to obtain the same ply
as for the bottom part (Ply Material, Angle and Number of Layers)

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 B: Create Edge Set and a Tube Selection Rule for a new ply
• Create an Edge Set derived from an Element Set:

Negative limit angle value:

-1 = No limit angle

Origin defines the starting

point to find the edge.

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 B: Create Edge Set and a Tube Selection Rule for a new ply
• Create a Tube Selection Rule:

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 B: Create Edge Set and a Tube Selection Rule for a new ply
• Add a new ply to reinforce the edge:

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 C: Taper Edge for Core
• Modify the core:

• Thickness distribution of this ply:

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 D: Cut-off Selection Rule for a core
• Import CAD Geometry “Core_limit.stp”:
– Add a single component Geometry in the project schematic
– Import the geometry file “Core_limit.stp”
– Create the link between Geometry and ACP(Pre) Setup.

• Refresh ACP(Pre) Setup:

– The CAD Geometry is automatically imported
– and scaled in the case of different unit systems.

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 D: Cut-off Selection Rule for a core
• Create a Virtual Geometry of the geometry surface

• Define a new Cut-off Selection Rule:

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 D: Cut-off Selection Rule for a core
• Modify the core:

• Updated core thickness distribution

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 E: Create a Solid Model
• Create a new Solid Model:

• Updated thickness plot of the Solid Model

(activate show on solids in the plot properties)

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 E: Create a Solid Model
• Add a new Static Structural and Transfer Solid Composite Data from ACP (Pre) as the
old Static Structural from tutorial 1 received Shell Composite Data:

• Run an analysis and post-process with ACP (Post) as in tutorial 1

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 E: Create a Solid Model
• Deactivate the Solid Model and solve the model again
• Modify the lay-up definition as you want and observe the differences.
• Modify also the Cut-Off Selection Rule definition. For example, if you deactivate the
option Ply tapering the core thickness distribution is quite different.

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 End of Tutorial 2
Thank you

17 © 2015 ANSYS, Inc. October 28, 2015 ANSYS Confidential