SS-T: 3050 Volume Expansion/Shrinkage

Add volume expansion/shrinkage to a subcase.

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 how to create volume expansion/shrinkage.
  • Volume Expansion/Shrinkage is a part level load and has a similar effect as thermal expansion on the body. Compare 100% volume expansion to a thermal load of 1 with thermal expansion coefficient of 1 [1/ ⁰ C].
Model Description
The following model file is needed for this tutorial:
  • VolumeExpansionShrinkage.ssp
Figure 1.
The file has the following specifications:
  • Material is set to 'Steel Temp Coeff 1' for all parts.
  • Linear static analysis with thermal load of 1 degree C with results. You will use these results as a reference for the subcase with volume expansion/shrinkage.

Open Project

  1. Start a new SimSolid session.
  2. On the main window toolbar, click Open Project .
  3. In the Open project file dialog, choose VolumeExpansionShrinkage.ssp
  4. Click OK.

Review Model

  1. Review the Steel Temp Coeff 1 material property.
    1. In the Project Tree, right click Assembly and select Show > Materials > Properties.
      Thermal expansion coefficient is set to 1 [1/degree C].
    2. Close material review dialogs.
  2. In the Project Tree, review the boundary conditions.
    Only lengthwise expansion is permitted.
  3. Plot the displacement magnitude.
    1. In the Project Tree, click the Results branch.
    2. On the Analysis Workbench, select > Displacement Magnitude.
      Figure 2.


Copy Analysis

  1. In the Project Tree, right-click on Structural 1.
  2. Choose Copy from the context menu.
    The Structural 2 analysis appears in the Project Tree.
  3. In Structural 2, expand the Loads&Constraints branch.
  4. Right-click on Thermal load and choose Delete in the context menu.

Create Volume Expansion

  1. On the Analysis Workbench toolbar, select (Volume expansion/shrinkage).
  2. In the modeling window, select Part 1 (the only part in the model).
    The part is shown in orange in Figure 3. You can apply expansion/shrinkage to parts and seam welds.
    Figure 3.


  3. In the dialog, for Expansion/shrinkage coefficient, enter 100.
  4. Click OK.

Run Analysis

  1. On the Project Tree, open the Analysis Workbench.
  2. Click Solve.

Review Results

On the Analysis Workbench, select > Displacement Magnitude.
The Legend window opens and displays the contour plot. You can click between the results for Structural 1 and Structural 2 to compare.
Figure 4.