ANSYS STRUCTURAL: Twisted Beam Simulation, Paper Validation

In this project, we performed a structural simulation of a Twisted Beam in ANSYS Static Structural.

What are Beams?

Beams are structural elements that resist transverse loads, primarily through bending. They are widely used in buildings, bridges, and other structures.

What is the purpose of paper validation?

To ensure the accuracy and precision of our simulation work for a specified case study, we need to perform the simulation procedure according to a reliable reference article. We use data and information from the article, including the definition of geometry, materials, boundary conditions, etc. Finally, we compare the obtained results from our present work with the paper results.

Article title for validation:

“Static deflection of pre-twisted beam subjected to transverse load”

Abstract of the article work:

This paper focuses on the structural analysis of pre-twisted beams. In this regard, various configurations and conditions for modeling the beams have been studied. In summary, the static behavior of the beams has been investigated under the influence of these three items:

• Different lengths for the beam: from 350 to 700 mm

• Different twisting angles: from 0 to 540

• Different supporting types: clamped-free / clamped-clamped / clamped-simply / simply-simply

What are our cases for structural simulation and paper validation?

We performed all simulations of different beams with only the clamped-free support type. So, we performed the run calculation in four cases:

• beam length= 350, twisting angle= 0 degrees (no twist)

• beam length= 350, twisting angle= 180 degrees

• beam length= 700, twisting angle= 0 degrees (no twist)

• beam length= 700, twisting angle= 180 degrees

Geometry Definition:

We modeled the geometry of the computational domain with Design Modeler software. The computational domain corresponds to four horizontal long beams with different configurations (mentioned in the reference paper).

Mesh:

We meshed the computational domain to create a discretized domain. As the beam construction is uniform and symmetrical, a structured grid was created.

ANSYS Static Structural:

There are different solvers and software available for users for structural modeling. For the present simulations, 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?

We considered that the horizontal beam is completely constrained at the first face (with no free displacement), while a continuous transverse load is applied to the end face of the beam. Therefore, for the load boundary conditions, we used a fixed support for the first face and a force load on the end face of the beam. This force load is defined as 3 N in the downward direction.

Results and discussions:

The total deformation distribution indicates that maximum deflection occurs at the free end of the beam, while the first end is fixed. The stress distribution indicates that the maximum value appears near the fixed support, where the moment is highest.

For paper validation:

We performed a validation procedure based on the Maximum Deformations (Maximum Deflections) curves mentioned in the reference article. Therefore, we obtained the maximum deformation for all four cases. We compare these obtained deformation values ​​with the values ​​extracted from the deflection curves in the article.

A comparison of the present work with the paper work shows that the present numerical work is highly accurate and precise, and the percentage of deviation is very low. The average error is approximately 1.75%, and the minimum error is 0.51% for the case containing 700 mm length and 180-degree twisting angle, and the maximum error is 3.66% for the case containing 350 mm length and 180-degree twisting angle.