Specifying an Appropriate Element Size for Stress Analysis Using Ansys Mechanical - Lesson 1

Specifying an appropriate element size for finite element meshes is critical to obtaining accurate results in a reasonable amount of time. Coarse meshes may give inaccurate results if the stress gradients are too large for the elements to capture properly. Too small of an element size will unnecessarily increase the computation costs and solution times. Ansys Mechanical has various tools to specify the element size to achieve the typical end goal of a mesh-independent solution, where the results do not change with further increases in mesh density. In this video, we will illustrate the effects element size has on derived results quantities, such as stress and strain. We will cover several of the mesh sizing options available. While the proper element size may not be known before the solution, there are post-processing settings, such as results averaging and nodal differences to check the appropriateness of the element size specified. We have a short lecture and then we get into Ansys Mechanical to illustrate the concepts on a mechanical part.
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0:00 - Intro
2:21 - Contour Results Display Options: Averaged, Unaveraged, Nodal Difference
6:27 - Engineering Data: Material View
7:41 - Bearing Load
10:35 - Multiple Viewports
13:30 - Mesh Transition
15:01 - Scoping Results to Surfaces

[@AnsysLearning]

This video is part of the free Ansys Innovation Course, 'Obtaining Numerically Accurate Results Using Ansys Mechanical'. Access all of the course contents including additional lessons, handouts, simulation examples with starting files, homework problems, and quizzes: courses.ansys.com/index.php/courses/numerically-accurate-results/.
Check out other courses on the website while you’re there. Happy learning!

[@rewan443]

If a node can have a multiple values du to multiple elements that share its own value, how can we associate, in mechanical, a value at a node to an element ?

[@AnsysLearning]

@@rewan443 Thanks for watching! Please post your query on the Ansys Learning Forum for a detailed answer from the wider Ansys Community: ansys.com/forum.

[@crsubramani2529]

Thank you very much, atlast I now know how to give mesh sizing.

[@user-wf9km9ot9x]

In the case of artificially high stress, the average nodal stress seems to converge but the unaveraged stress does not converge as you refine the mesh. Does this mean you cannot use the methods in this video to verify whether you have a mesh independent result when there are fake high stresses?

[@amiraboodi2075]

Thank you very much. It was fantastic. Could you please recommend a course about meshing?

[@andregf]

Amazing!

[@AnsysLearning]

Thanks for watching! Visit Ansys Innovation Courses for free courses, including videos, handouts, simulation examples with starting files, homework problems, and quizzes here: ansys.com/courses.

[@tomasenrique]

Great! Thanks

[@AnsysLearning]

You're welcome! Interested in more? Visit Ansys Innovation Courses for free courses that include videos, handouts, simulation examples with starting files, homework problems, and quizzes here: ansys.com/courses

[@franpgby]

Are there some templates or summary to have all this to use? Like a list or something like that

[@roc9290]

What are the derived quantities of a thermal displacement analysis recommended to inspect for mesh independence?

[@AnsysLearning]

Thanks for watching! Please post your query on the Ansys Learning Forum for a detailed answer from the wider Ansys Community: ansys.com/forum

[@rewan443]

If a node can have a multiple values du to multiple elements that share its own value, how can we associate, in mechanical, a value at a node to an element ?

[@AnsysLearning]

Thanks for watching! Please post your query on the Ansys Learning Forum for a detailed answer from the wider Ansys Community: ansys.com/forum.

[@marekfored4665]

Thanks, what is the name of the course?

[@amiraboodi2075]

Hello
The course name is "numerically accurate results".