SS-T: 4050 Coupled Structural Thermal Analysis

Create coupled structural thermal analysis in SimSolid for a piston head.

Purpose

SimSolid performs meshless structural analysis that works on full featured parts and assemblies, is tolerant of geometric imperfections, and runs in seconds to minutes. In this tutorial, you will do the following:
  • Learn to create coupled structural thermal analysis.

Model Description

The following model file is needed for this tutorial:
  • ThermalStructual.ssp


Figure 1.
This file has the following specifications:
  • Material is set to Steel for all parts.

Open Project

Open the SimSolid project file.

  1. Start a new SimSolid session.
  2. Click the (Open Project) icon.


    Figure 2.
  3. In the Open project file dialog, choose ThermalStructural.ssp
  4. Click OK.

Create Thermal Analysis

In the main window toolbar, click the (Thermal analysis) icon.


Figure 3.
The new analysis will appear in the Project Tree as a Thermal branch.

Apply Convection

Apply three convection loads.

  1. In the Project Tree, click on a Thermal analysis branch to open the Analysis Workbench.
  2. On the workbench toolbar, click the (Convection) icon.
  3. In the dialog, verify the Face radio button is selected.
  4. Select the faces shown in orange in Figure 4.
    1. In the dialog, select the Add tangent faces check box.
    2. In the modeling window, select one of the cup's outer faces and each of the two indentations.
      The face will be highlighted along with all adjacent faces.


      Figure 4.
  5. For Ambient temperature, enter 420.
  6. For Convection heat transfer coefficient, enter 500.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Repeat steps 2 through 7 to create a second thermal convection load, using the faces and values shown in Figure 5.


    Figure 5.
  9. Repeat steps 2 through 7 to create a third thermal convection load, using the faces and values shown in Figure 6.


    Figure 6.

Run Analysis

Solve the analysis.

  1. In the Project Tree, open the Analysis Workbench.
  2. Click (Solve).

Review Results

Plot the temperature contour.

  1. On the Analysis workbench toolbar, click the (Results plot) icon.
  2. In the menu, select Temperature.
    The Legend window will appear showing the Temperature contour plot.


    Figure 7.

Create Structural Linear Analysis

Create a structural linear analysis with immovable constraints and a handlebar load.

  1. On the main window toolbar, click (Structural analysis).
  2. Choose Structural linear.


    Figure 8.
    The new analysis will appear in the Project Tree under Design study 1 and the Analysis Workbench will open.

Create Immovable Support

Create immovable support.

  1. In the Analysis Workbench, click (Immovable support).
  2. In the dialog, verify the Faces radio button is selected.
  3. In the modeling window, select the faces shown in orange in Figure 9.


    Figure 9.
  4. Click OK.

Link Thermal to Structural

Link the results of the thermal analysis to the structural analysis.

  1. In the Analysis Workbench, click (Thermal load).
  2. In the dialog, select the Link to thermal analysis results radio button.
  3. Click OK.
  4. On the Analysis Workbench, click (Solve).

Review Combined Results

Plot Displacement Magnitude and Von Mises stress.

  1. On the Analysis workbench toolbar, click the (Results plot) icon.
  2. Select Displacement Magnitude.
    The Legend window will open and display the contour plot.


    Figure 10.
  3. On the Analysis workbench toolbar, click the (Results plot) icon.
  4. Select Von Mises Stress.
    The Legend window will open and display the contour plot.


    Figure 11.