ANSYS STRUCTURAL: U-Bracket Static Simulation

In this project, we performed a structural simulation of a U-Bracket in ANSYS Static Structural.

What are U-Brackets?

Brackets are supporting elements that transfer load from one component to another and are used to connect, mount, or reinforce two separate pieces. They are widely used in shelving, piping supports, wall mounting, automotive and aerospace structures, etc. The U-brackets have high stiffness, so they are used for bolting two side plates together to straddle or clamp a component between its two arms.

Geometry Definition:

We modeled the geometry of the computational domain with Design Modeler software. The computational domain corresponds to a single U-bracket. It is constructed from five faces; each side contains one hole at the center. One cylindrical bolt from one vertical face is bolted to the hole in the opposing front vertical face, clamping the two arms together.

Mesh:

We meshed the computational domain to create a discretized domain. An unstructured grid was created, so that about 155,800 elements were generated.

ANSYS Static Structural:

There are different solvers and software available for users for structural modeling. For the present simulation, we utilize the ANSYS Static Structural Solver. The overall procedure and main steps required for static structural simulations include the definition of materials, connections, different types of boundary conditions, and post-processing.

How to define boundary conditions?

First, we defined a bolt pretension load boundary condition for the cylindrical bolt from the right face toward the left face. This bolt pretension load represents the clamping preload generated when the bolt is tightened, so that it pulls the two vertical arms toward each other. Next, we defined a fixed support boundary condition on the bottom faces of the two outer horizontal arms. This constrained the bracket from the bottom arms, with no degrees of freedom for movement.

What is the purpose of this simulation?

This investigation aims to evaluate the structural response of the U-bracket under loading and study the solid behavior with analysis of distributions of the total deformation, elastic strain, and von Mises stress.

Results and discussions:

The total deformation distribution indicates that maximum deflection occurs on the two vertical arms, where these faces are drawn inward toward each other. As the two outer faces remain fixed, the bolt pretension load pulls the vertical faces together, and the central top face bends slightly. The stress distribution indicates that the maximum stress appears near the bolt holes in the two vertical faces, where the clamping force is generating through the holes.