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Re: Curved part with orthotropic material analysis
just use multiple coordinate systems and break the surface up into some sensible number and apply different orientations using different cord systems.
If you use GeoSTAR you can base it on the element coordinate systems, which typically would suggest the use of quads as opposed to tria's. the above approximation usually works well enough.
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Re: Curved part with orthotropic material analysis
Bill,
Thanks for the reply. Breaking it up was what I was hoping to avoid, but if that's all that can be done then it'll have to work. I wouldn't mind using quads/bricks in GeoSTAR, but am not familiar with using it's GUI directly. It sounds great that it can adapt the a local elemental CSYS, just wished this would carry over into SWSim!So would the same thing be said about spherical surfaces then? Just thinking, would it need to be modeled as broken up flat planes (like a soccer ball or such), or for something like that is it best to take it into GeoSTAR?
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Re: Curved part with orthotropic material analysis
I would do some experiments to see if the normal direction is normal to the surface and stays that way. I think it might. The in plane directions are what I think you have to manage. I don't do it a lot so best to check. I thought was to told this at one point......
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Re: Curved part with orthotropic material analysis
I've worked with GeoSTAR today, and have seen where I can set the Stress/Shear direction in the Element group setup, but nothing directly about applying the material csys to the element group or per element. I saw where there is a -1 csys referring to the element csys, but it won't let me apply the material to that. I do like the ability to use multi-thickness layer shells, but am confused by the Layer Material Angle. I found a great user manual here: http://www2.htw-dresden.de/~fem/Docs/COSMOSM/UsersGuide.pdf that I'm reading through, so hoping to make use of it at some point! It would be fantastic to use a single-ply material but change the lay angle to test different laminate structures, but I doubt that's how it's intended.
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Re: Curved part with orthotropic material analysis
Justin,
I am trying to do the same type of analysis, i have serarched my harddrive and have not found the GeoSTAR app. i am also using sw 2013 sp2 x64. have you had any luck setting up your analysis? can you tell me where the application is or where i can downloade it. I remimber it from older versions of SW but looks like they hid it on me. thanks
Adam
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Re: Curved part with orthotropic material analysis
What SW edition do you have? If you have any type of Simulation, you should have GeoSTAR, located (for me) in C:\Program Files (x86)\SolidWorks Corp\COSMOS M. The app itself is named geo.exe (for the 64-bit), but there's versions all the way up to 1024-bit for larger models.
I have started testing the use of the orthotropic material with thin shell, as well as multi-layer shells to see how the material properties are defined wrt the CSYS (global, part, elemental, etc), but have just gotten started and haven't reached any conclusions yet. Still reading up getting familiar with the GeoSTAR GUI and commands.
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Re: Curved part with orthotropic material analysis
I have SW Premium with Simulation Premium. i have looked throu both the program files and the program files (x86) and did a search on my C:\ drive for cosmos, GeoSTAR, and geo with no luck.
if you reach any conclusions please post. thanks.
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Re: Curved part with orthotropic material analysis
Huh, makes no sense. If you've ran any simulation before, it had to have used GeoSTAR for the processor.
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Re: Curved part with orthotropic material analysis
I have used the simulation tools since installing 2013 and i remember them from early releases like 2009 and earlier but i do not remember seeing them in lately.
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Re: Curved part with orthotropic material analysis
Did you try the start menu->solidworks2013(or whatever)->cosmosM tools->GeoSTAR is how usually get to it. There is an option to not install it when you install Sim Premium but you have to manually do it. If your IT guys did the install they have not installed it. JUst load up the cd and change the installation to add it in.
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Re: Curved part with orthotropic material analysis
i did look in the start menu, and i remember seeing it in early releases before they changed the name to solidworks simulation, but i have not seen it since.
I did the installation and went back and looked at what was installed, everything except the API tools and flow simulation (since we do not have a license for it) was installed. i tried to install flow just to make sure but nothing. i will give my VAR a call and see what they say. thanks for the help and let me know if the GeoSTAR helps with the topic of the thread.
As for now simulated the object flat and gave the RF Engineers a scale factor to see the rf performance is significantly affected, if so, i will need to do a detailed simulation.
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Re: Curved part with orthotropic material analysis
So a little update on this. Found the best way to do a solid is to slice it up, albeit time consuming. On the other hand, if the material is orthotropic it's fairly likely it's some sort of (composite) sheet, and can be treated using shells. In doing so, you can use the Composite shell option. Then the work-around: since you may/may not know the stack info (if it is indeed a laminate), you can just select a 2-ply symmetrical layup, and choose the layer thickness to be 1/2 your desired. This will cheat in making essentially a single thickness part, but one that utilizes the local UV CSYS (be sure to properly align your mat'l properties with the 0-deg ply reference). Works pretty well, no discontinuities where the properties switch directions. You also have the option to surface or planar map, most likely use Surface to obtain the proper UV coordinate orientation.
Hope this helps anyone in the same boat!