STEPS IN MODELLING OF FRP BOX SECTIONS FOR BUCKLING ANALYSIS

Eigen value buckling analysis in ANSYS has four steps:

1. Build the model
2. Obtain the static solution
3. Obtain and expand the eigen value buckling solution
4. Review the results
Preference
In the ANSYS main menu click Preference and a Preference for GUI filtering dialogue
box pops up, choose Structural and click Ok.
Preprocessor
Element type:
1. On the Preprocessor menu, click Element Type
2. Click Add.
3. Choose Shell under the Structural heading from the list on the left, and 8node 281
from the list on the right, then click Ok.
Material properties:
1. Click Material Props on the Preprocessor menu.
2. Click Material Models, then click Ok.
3. Double-click Structural in the right side of the window, then Linear, then
Elastic, then finally Isotropic.
4. Linear orthotropic Properties for Matl No 1 dialogue box appears. We need to
fill the following details in the new window.
EX 145000
EY 16500
EZ 16500
PRXY 0.314
PRYZ 0.037
PRXZ 0.314
GXY 4480
GYZ 4480
GXZ 4480
Then click Ok.
Section properties:
1. Click Sections on the Preprocessor menu.
2. In the Section menu select: Shell >Layup >Add/Edit.
3. The following dialogue box will appear. We need to fill the thickness and fiber
orientation for each section.


Modeling:
1. Under the Modeling heading on the Preprocessor menu, select Create >
Keypoints >In Active CS
2. Enter the keypoints one by one serially in the Create keypoints in Active CS
dialogue box.
3. The following window will appear.

4. Then under the Modeling heading on the Preprocessor menu, select Create >
Areas >Thru KPs.
5. The keypoints must next be connected. The following data needs to be fed in the
ANSYS command prompt.
A,1,5,6,2
A,4,8,7,3
A,1,5,8,4
A,2,6,7,3
6. Now there is a need to glue the different areas into a single entity. In the main
menu select: Preprocessor >Modelling >Operate >Booleans >Glue >Areas
>All.
Meshing:
1. In the main menu select: Preprocessor >Meshing >Size Cntrls >Manual Size
> Areas >All Areas.
2. Then we have to give mesh attributes of the areas.
3. In the main menu select: Preprocessor >Meshing >Mesh tools.
4. Select Set as Areas and Mesh as Areas.
5. Click Mesh, then Mesh Area dialogue box appears. Click Pick and pick the
areas.
6. Now click Close button for Mesh Tool dialogue box.
Solution (static analysis)
Applying boundary conditions:
1. In the solution menu select: Define loads >Apply >Structural >Displacement
>Lines
2. Click Pick in the pick box to apply displacement and select the lines
3. Select UY to be constrained, then enter a displacement value of 0 and click Ok.
4. Select UZ to be constrained, then enter a displacement value of 0 and click Ok.
Applying loads:
1. In the solution menu select: Define loads > Apply > Structural >
Force/Moment >Nodes
2. Click Pick in the pick box to apply displacement and select the corresponding
nodes
3. Then enter the force/moment value in the dialogue box, then click Ok.
Turning on prestress effects:
Prestress effects must be included in an eigenvalue buckling analysis. Turn on
prestress effects by typing PSTRES,ON (without the quotes) and pressing Enter in the
ANSYS command window. Without turning on prestress effects you will not be able to
perform the buckling analysis.
Solving the static analysis:
1. On the Solution menu under the Solve heading, click Current LS.
2. Review the solution information given. If everything is in order click Ok. ANSYS
will then solve the static analysis.
3. Click Finish
Solution (eigen value buckling analysis)
Setting the eigen value buckling analysis type:
1. On the Solution menu under the Analysis Type heading, click New Analysis.
2. Choose Eigen Buckling, then click Ok.
Setting analysis options:
1. On the Solution menu, click Analysis Options.
2. Enter 1 for the number of modes to extract. Then click Ok.
3. In the Subspace Eigen value Buckling box that appears, leave all the settings at
their defaults and click Ok.
Setting mode expansion options:
1. Under the Load Step Opts heading, click ExpansionPass.
2. Click Single Expand >Expand Modes.
3. Enter 1 in the box for number of modes to expand, then click Ok.
Solving the eigenvalue buckling analysis:
1. On the Solution menu under Solve, click Current LS.
2. Review the solution information given. If everything is in order click Ok. ANSYS
will then solve the eigen value buckling analysis.
Postprocessor
Listing buckling loads:
1. On the General Postprocessor menu, click Results Summary. The number in the
TIME/FREQ column is the buckling load.
Viewing the buckled shape:
1. On the General Postprocessor menu under the Read Results heading, click Last
Set.
2. On the General Postprocessor menu, click Plot Results >Deformed shape.