A Post 26 Primer:

Post Processing over Multiple Time/Load Steps in Mechanical APDL

Eric Miller
Co-Owner Principal, Simulation and Business Technologies
04/12/2012 PADT, Inc.

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Agenda
Note: This presentation is being recorded Introductions Fundamentals Defining Variables Viewing Variables Calculating Other POST26 Tools Suggestions and Recommendations

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Introductions

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Upcoming Webinars
Upcoming Webinars
Feb 9, 2012 - 12:00 MST Working Directly with Nodes and Elements in ANSYS Mechanical Feb 23, 2012 - 12:00 MST Assembly Meshing in ANSYS R14 CANCELED March 8, 2012 - 12:00 MST Intro to Workbench Framework Scripting - Controlling projects, materials, and solution execution with python March 22, 2012 - 12:00 MST Mastering the Remote Solver Manager (RSM) at R14

April 12, 2012 12:00 MST A POST26 Primer: Post Processing over Multiple Time/Load Steps in Mechanical APDL April 26, 2012 12:00 MST A Constraint Equation Primer: How to Tie Degrees of Freedom Together May 10, 2012 12:00 MST Optimization with ANSYS DesignXplorer at R14 May 24, 2012 12:00 MST Modeling Moisture Diffusion in ANSYS Summer Break: June & July (maybe August)

Primers are new:

Oriented towards newer users or Workbench users who may not have experience with some of the fundamentals in the ANSYS Mechanical APDL solver

See upcoming and past webinars at:

padtincevents.webex.com
Click on ANSYS Webinar Series
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About PADT
PADT is an Engineering Services Company
Mechanical Engineering 18 Years of Growth and Happy customers 70ish Employees

3 Business Areas
CAE Sales & Services
Consulting, Training, Sales, Support

Product Development Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing

Learn More: www.PADTINC.com

We Make Innovation Work

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Cube HVPC Systems

Balance between speed and cost
Mini-Cluster 96 Cores / 512 GB RAM / 6 TB Disk Mobile Rack / UPS / Monitor / Keyboard $34,900 Compute Server 32 Cores / 256 GB RAM / 3 TB Disk $14,250 Simulation Workstation (Intel) 12 Cores / 96 GB RAM / 3 TB Disk $11,750 Simulation Workstation (AMD) 12 Cores / 64 GB RAM / 3 TB Disk $6,300

www.CUBE-HVPC.com

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PeDAL The APDL Editor

Side-by-side editor and help viewer layout. Instant help on any documented APDL command by pressing F1. Full syntax highlighting for ANSYS v12 Mechanical APDL. Auto-complete drop downs for APDL Commands. APDL Command argument hints while typing commands. Search ANSYS help phrases and keywords. Multiple tabs for the editor and html viewer. Full capability web browser built in allows for rich web experience and web searches.

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Connect with PADT

Facebook: facebook.com/padtinc Email Subscriptions:
www.padtinc.com/epubs

Twitter: #padtinc

Web: www.PADTINC.com

LinkedIn: Search on PADT, Inc.

ANSYS User Blog: padtinc.com/focus

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Fundamentals

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Assumptions
You know the basics of MAPDL You are not an MAPDL expert or guru
Need reminders on where some of the commands are

That you will be accessing this via the MAPDL GUI, APDL macros, and code snippets in Workbench

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ANSYS Results
The ANSYS RST file stores results at various points
A point can be at a given time in a transient run or it can be a location on a load curve for a static run Not necessarily every point that a solution is calculated at
User determines how often results are saved

Each record has a time, load step, and sub step associated with it Static or Transient, even modal results are stored the same way
Header and analysis type tell you what type of solution you have

Do a SET,LIST to see what is in the file Results are stored by node or element
DOF stuff by node Stresses/Strains/etc by element at each corner node So to get at Stress/Strains/etc you must
Average over an element Un-averaged for a corner node Average over all elements attached to a node
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Conventions/Words
We will refer to a given loadstep/substep, time point, or frequency as a point Solution set is the collection of result solutions stored in the RST file. It is made up of solution points. The database is not the *.db file.
It is the model and result information currently stored in memory

An array is an APDL parameter of type array

A vector you can stick stuff in

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POST1 vs. POST26

POST1, the general post processor
It looks at results across the whole model at a given point
LS/SS, Time, or Freq

Use it to make contour plots, animations, list results at a given point SET,LS,SS,FACT,KIMG,TIME to store a given point in the database

POST26, the Time History Post Processor

Looks at a result value on a node or element over the solution set Instead of loading all the results at a point into the database, it stores the results over the solution set for user specified nodes or elements No model plots, just lists and graphs (usually vs. time) Allows complex calculations on results

You can do what POST26 does in POST1 with do loops

But every step loads all results slow POST26 skips through the file - fast

set,1,1 dim,myux,,nmstp *do,i,1,nmstp *get,myux(i),node,mynode,u,x set,next *enddo

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Getting into POST26

/post26
Required, commands are filtered

Click on TimeHist PostPro in Main Menu

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Its all About Variables

A table of a result item at a location in the model vs time or frequency Not an APDL parameter
But you can push one into an array

You tell POST26 what variables you want to create Whole set of commands for defining, modifying, mathamatizing, and controlling variables Also a GUI tool to build the commands

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Our Test Model

Infamous Tower of Test
Transient, large deflection Move base in UX (time,ux):
0,0 .1,1 .2,5 .3,0 1,0

finish /clear /prep7 blc4,-1,-1,2,2,60 et,1,185 mptemp,1,70 mpdata,ex,1,1,20e6 mpdata,nuxy,1,1,.23 mpdata,dens,1,1,.001 alphad,5 esize,.9 vmesh,all /view,1,1,1,1 /vup,1,z eplot

nsel,s,loc,z,0 cm,nbt,node nsel,all d,nbt,uy,0 d,nbt,uz,0 d,nbt,ux,1 time,.1 antype,4 trnopt,full lumpm,0 nlgeom,1 kbc,0 timint,1 nsubst,40,40,40 outres,all,1 lswrite,1 d,nbt,ux,5 time,.2 lswrite,2 d,nbt,ux,0 time,.3 lswrite,3 time,2 lswrite,4 /solu lssolve ,1,4 finish /post1 plnsol,u,sum /POST26 FILE,'p26','rst','.' /UI,COLL,1 NUMVAR,200 SOLU,191,NCMIT STORE,MERGE FILLDATA,191,,,,1,1 REALVAR,191,191 !* NSOL,2,18,U,X, UX_2 STORE,MERGE XVAR,1 PLVAR,2

Will post on blog

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Defining Variables

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Defining Variables
You have to tell POST26 what information you want and how you want it:
Node/Element, Where in an element, What type of result, How to average, etc

Each variable has a unique variable number

You access the variable with this number for operations/plotting/etc You can also give it a name: Label only

Use:
ANSOL, NSOL, ESOL, EDREAD, RFORCE, JSOL, GSSOL, GAPF, SOLU

Control with:
FORCE, LAYERP26, SHELL, CFACT, TVAR

Or use the Tool NOTE: Time or Freq automatically created and is Var=1
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Two Step Process

Define the variables with variable definition commands Store them in the database Separate Store for efficiency
Reads all the variables in at once

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Time History Variable Tool

When you enter POST26 in the GUI, it comes up
Or click TimeHist Postpro->Variable Viewer

Even if you are doing scripting, use the GUI to figure it out

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Defining Variables in the Tool

Click the Plus Sign Pick from list
It handles all the options/different commands for you

Pick or give number of node/element Example: Reaction Force on Bottom Node, in X

RFORCE,2,4,F,X, FX_2

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More on Tool
Icons from Left to Right:
ADD | Delete | Graph | List | Properties | Import | Save | Overlay | Clear | Refresh

Variable list shows all the stored variables with name, node/element, what it is, min/max
Note that VAR number is not shown count or do a STAT

If you are not using the calculator, it gets in the way

Collapse and expand Variable list

Automatically does a Store

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Variable Store Commands: Common

ANSOL, NVAR, NODE, Item, Comp, Name, Mat, Real, Ename
Average Nodal Data (stress/strain)
You can tell it what material/real/element type to use when node is on boundary Uses RSYS Uses AVPRIN to tell it how to average if default (average components then derive) is not OK

ESOL, NVAR, ELEM, NODE, Item, Comp, Name

Element data (Stress/Strain) If no node specified, then average for all nodes in element Gets at a lot more values, including SMISC, NMISC

NSOL, NVAR, NODE, Item, Comp, Name, SECTOR

Nodal Data (DOF solutions) Supports SECTOR for cyclic Symmetry

RFORCE, NVAR, NODE, Item, Comp, Name

Reaction Forces

JSOL, NVAR, ELEM, ITEM, COMP, Name

Joint information (U, V, A, Forces/Moments)

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Variable Store Commands: LS-DYNA

EDREAD, NSTART, Label, NUM, STEP1, STEP2 Reads the various LSDYNA time history files and stores their entire contents into multiple variables. You specify a starting number (NSTART), not an NVAR Files:
GLSTAT, MATSUM, SPCFORC, RCFORC, SLEOUT, NODOUT,RBOUT

NUM defines what item to read

part (MATSUM, RBDOUT) node number (SPCFORC, NODOUT) contact entity (SLEOUT, RCFORC)

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Variable Store Commands: Other

SOLU: Stores solution (solver) information
Convergence, and solver parameters

CISOL: J-Integral Info ENERSOL: Energies GAPF: Gap Force Data GSSOL: Generalized Plane Strain Length, Rotation, Force, Moment

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What File to Get From

Jobname.rst is the default You can change with:
GUI: TimeHist PostPro->Settings->File Tool: File->Open Results APDL: FILE, fname, ext

Use this to point to an LS-DYNA *.his file as well

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Number of Variables
By default, in batch, you get room for 10 variables for ANSYS runs
30 for LS-DYNA If you are using the Tool, it automatically raises it to 200

You can raise that to 200, and you get 190

ANSYS needs 10 of its own

Has to do with how they very quickly get, store, and access the variables efficiency Change from default with:
GUI: TimeHist PostPro->Settings->File Tool: Automatically sets at maximum APDL: NUMVAR,nvar

Recommendation: Just put an numvar,200 in your macros

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Reading in Your Own Variables

Data command
DATA, IR, LSTRT, LSTOP, LINC, Name, KCPLX Must be followed by a FORTRAN format statement I can never get this one to work

Use APDL Parameters

*TREAD to read into an APDL table array Use VPUT to convert from APDL array to a Variable Does not interpolate, you need the same time points as in your NSOL type command - need to find a work around. Recommended way

Use ~eui or Tool to read it in

Nice if you are going to do it a lot Very specific format See next slide for example

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Tool or ~EUI format

~eui,'ansys::results::timeHist::TREAD d:\test1\harmonic.prn TESTMID' ~eui,'ansys::results::timeHist::vputData TESTMID 5'
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # TEST DATA FILE EXAMPLE ALL COMMENT LINES BEGIN WITH # Blank lines are ignored The first line without # sign must contain the variable names to be used for each column of data read into POST26. NOTE that for complex data only one variable name should be supplied per (real, imaginary) pair as shown below. The next line can either be left blank or have descriptors for each column such as REAL and IMAGINARY The data itself can be in free format with the columns "comma delimited", "tab delimited", or "blank delimited" The first column of data is always reserved for the independent variable (usually TIME or FREQUENCY) FREQ TEST1 REAL -128.32 -150.08 -163.12 -147.63 -133.90 -172.38 IMAGINARY 0.17764 0.36474 0.57210 0.81364 1.1091 1.4886 REAL 5.6480 5.6712 5.7097 5.7629 5.8298 5.9080 TEST2 IMAGINARY -4.47762E-03 -8.99666E-03 -1.35897E-02 -1.82673E-02 -2.29925E-02 -2.76290E-02

1.00000E-02 2.00000E-02 3.00000E-02 4.00000E-02 5.00000E-02 6.00000E-02

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The Store Command

When in batch/command line you need to do a STORE command to actually read the results in STORE, Lab, NPTS
Lab:
Merge (default). Overwrites Vars that exist, adds new ones New. Replace all data with new definitions Appen. Appends data. Use this when you want to add time segments ALLOC. Creates the data records for npts but does not create any variables. PSD. Create frequency points for PSD calculations

NPTS
Number of time (frequency) points.

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STAT
STAT
Issue a STAT option first, then STAT

PRINT STAT
Find out your listing options and what variables you have Default

DEFINE STAT
Tells you what your settings are and what variables you have defined

OPERATE STAT
Lists any operation settings you may have, and variables defined

PLOTTING STAT
Shows the POST26 display settings.
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Displaying Variables

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Plotting
Most of the time you will be making a line graph Time on X axis, value on Y You can stack multiple Variables Tool: Use the graph button GUI: TimeHist Postpro->Graph Variables APDL: PLVAR

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PLVAR
PLVAR, NVAR1, NVAR2, NVAR3, NVAR4, NVAR5, NVAR6, NVAR7, NVAR8, NVAR9, NVAR10 Allows you to plot up to 10 variables against each other
Just give the variable number

Plot controlled by normal graphing controls

Google: focus graphing in ansys

Related Commands:
XVAR: Allows you to change X axis to a variable PLCPLX: Change to allow for complex portion of results PLTIME: Specify time range

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Simple
The number of points you use with store, and your data, determine graph resolution Great for quick plots ANSYS Mechanical?
If your code post processing snippet has a /show,png and you make plots, those come back to ANSYS Mechanical

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Listing
GUI: TimeHist Postpro->List Variables TOOL: Little sheet of paper (List) icon APDL: PRVAR
PRVAR, NVAR1, NVAR2, NVAR3, NVAR4, NVAR5, NVAR6

Standard listing commands and controls apply

Google: Tools of Post Processing: Listing focus

Also EXTREM
It lists the min and max for all variables

Related commands:
PRCPLX: Display complex values PRTIME: Time range

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Exporting and Such

If you want to do more you can put variables into APDL table or array and then write it out with *VWRITE If you save data to a file in the Tool, it writes the code for you.
Modify to write as you want Very easy to read into Excel as fixed width

*DEL,_P26_EXPORT *DIM,_P26_EXPORT,TABLE,160,1 VGET,_P26_EXPORT(1,0),1 VGET,_P26_EXPORT(1,1),2 /OUTPUT,'foo','txt','.' *VWRITE,'TIME','UX_2' %14C %14C *VWRITE,_P26_EXPORT(1,0),_P26_EXPORT(1,1) %14.5G %14.5G /OUTPUT,TERM

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Calculating

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Operations
The calculator has a purpose: you can build calculations with it
Uses standard operators Variables use their names in {}

APDL has vector math commands

Add/Subtract/Multiply/Divide Integrate/Differentiate Sqrt/Absolute Value /Logs/Exponent, Find Large/Small

You can overwrite!

21 can be used in a calc and be the destination as well

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Example: FSUM
SQRT of the sum of the squares Do it in the tool using the calculator or by writing in equation Our put in commands Good way to do a script is use calculator, then look at code generated

rforce,11,8,f,x,FX_8 rforce,12,8,f,y,FY_8 rforce,13,8,f,z,FZ_8 prod,14,11,11 prod,15,12,12 prod,16,13,13 add,17,14,15,16 sqrt,18,17 plvar,18

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Example: Max Stress on 1,-1 Corner Edges

Grab nodes on top Stick first nodes S1 into Variable 20 Loop on remaining nodes
Put S1 into Variable 21 Overwrite 20 with max of 20 and 21 (LARGE)
nsel,s,loc,x,1 nsel,r,loc,y,-1 *get,nnd,node,,count nn = ndnext(-1) ansol,20,nn,s,1 nn = ndnext(nn) *do,i,1,nnd ansol,21,nn,s,1 large,20,20,21 nn = ndnext(nn) *enddo plvar,20 nsel,all

Max is in 21 at end

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*GET tools
There is a whole set of *GET commands that read a variable and return a scalar value
*get,myval,VARI,nvar,Item1,Item2 Item1,Item 2 can be:
EXTREM
Min, max, last value or the time that value occurs at If nvar 32 is stresses, to get max stress and when it occurs: *get,mxs,vari,32,extrem,vmax *get,mxt,vari,32,extrem,tmax Covariance between two variables

RTIME,t
Real Values at a given time

ITIME,t
Imaginary Values at a given time

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Even more with VGET & VPUT

You can also transfer variables into APDL arrays with VGET and the put it back with VPUT Opens up the full spectrum of APDL array math

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Full List of Commands

ABS: Forms the absolute value of a variable. ADD: Adds variables. ATAN: Forms the arctangent of a complex variable. CLOG: Forms the common log of a variable CONJUG: Forms the complex conjugate of a variable. DERIV: Differentiates a variable. EXP: Forms the exponential of a variable. FILLDATA: Fills a variable by a ramp function. IMAGIN: Forms an imaginary variable from a complex variable. INT1: Integrates a variable. LARGE: Finds the largest (the envelope) of three variables. NLOG: Forms the natural log of a variable. PROD: Multiplies variables. QUOT: Divides two variables. REALVAR: Forms a variable using only the real part of a complex variable. SMALL: Finds the smallest of three variables. SQRT: Forms the square root of a variable.
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Other POST26 Commands

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Lots more Complex Stuff

This is a primer, so we are skipping the details on the complicated stuff Read manual for details

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PSD
POST26 will take Mode Shapes and PSD data and calculate Covariance and Response PSD Covariance
Get variable for the nodes and quantities you want covariance on Use CVAR on two variables Then use *get,par,VARI,nvar,extrem,cvar

Response PSD
Store PSD file information with STORE,PSD Get variable for the nodes and quantities you want response at Use RPSD to calculate the response PSD

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Make Response Spectrum from a Transient Run

RESP command You create a table with the oscillator frequencies in it.
Use FILLDATA or DATA

You fill a variable with the time dependent result you want a response spectrum for Use RESP to get U, V, A See Theory Manual for details Or run using Tool

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Smoothing Data
SMOOTH command SMOOTH, Vect1, Vect2, DATAP, FITPT, Vect3, Vect4, DISP Lots of options Vect1 is the Independent value, Vect2 is the time variable
Backwards

Vect3 and Vect4 contain the smoothed data after the command is run Not a button in calculator, you have to type in:
Smoothed_response = SMOOTH ({UY_AT_MIDPOINT},{TIME},2)

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Suggestions & Recommendations

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Crawl, Walk, Run

Really not very complex But can get complicated bookkeeping wise Use a simple model (ToT) to prove out your process Remember you can use APDL (VGET/VPUT) if what you are looking for is not in POST26 commands Get your head around the fact that you are working with data at a point, over time.
Not data at a lot of points at a single time (POST1)

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Working with Mechanical

For many things, probes do what POST26 does If you are using POST26 as a post processing snippet:
Dont forget to put a FINISH and /POST26 at the top of your script Use a /SHOW,PNG to bring back any plots *get scalar results can also be brought back as parameters

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Resources
Go the Focus Blog (www.padtinc.com/focus) and Ill post the macro I used and a workbench example
This PowerPoint as well

The manuals www.ansys.net

Has some post26 examples. Best is a Bode plot by Bill Bullat

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Thank You
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