Learning Forum

[deld]

I have a thermo-mechanical simulation with an Equivalent Stress output. I want to illustrate the concentration of stresses in the z-axis through the height of the model at a specific point in time. 

I figure I could achieve this by manually creating several surface planes through the z-axis (e.g., each surface plane would be offset 1mm so that I have 6 planes through a 5 mm tall component) and taking screenshots of the Equivalent Stress output of each "layer". I could then use these images to effectively demonstrate how the stress changes through the height of the model at a specific point in time. 

Is there an easier way to output this type of data, or is my manual approach likely the simplest method? 

[Bill Bulat]

It might be easier to interpret results obtained by mapping the stresses to a pattern of construction lines (rather than surfaces). The lines could be aligned with the z axis and extend from the bottom to the top of the 5 mm high component. The creation of either lines ar surfaces, the mapping of results onto them and the display of these results can be automated with an APDL command object, but I don't know if it would be easier for you to create such a command object than it would be to perform this post processing operation manually in the Mechanical GUI (that would depend on your comfort with/knowledge of APDL).

For more details about path-relevant commands, bring up the Help and locate and click on the link shown below:

 

Details regarding commands used to define surfaces can be obtained by clicking on the link shown below 

Multiple paths/surfaces may be created by embedding the commands in do loops (*DO command).

 

Regards,

Bill