Nyquist ABE 450

ANSYS Tutorial
Design Optimization of a Plate with a Hole

A square plate with a hole in the center has a uniform pressure of 10 ksi applied to the hole. The
objective of this example is to use the design optimization feature in ANSYS to modify the dimensions
of the plate and the hole in order to minimize the volume of the plate without exceeding a maximum von
Mises stress of 32.5 ksi.

One quarter of the plate will be modeled and Plane 2 elements with a default mesh density will be used.

Design Variables:
This model will have the plate height, width, thickness and the radius of the hole
parameterized. The ranges are as follows:
Parameter Minimum Value Maximum Value
Height (H) 10 in 15 in
Width (W) 10 in 15 in
Thickness (T) 0.1 in 0.25 in
Radius (R) 1.0 in 2.5 in

State Variable:
The maximum von Mises equivalent stress will be limited to 32.5 ksi.

Design Objective:
Minimize the volume of the plate.

The plate has a Young’s Modulus of 30x103 ksi and Poisson’s Ratio of 0.3.
Nyquist ABE 450

The following is the step-by-step procedure for the beam deflection problem using the ANSYS GUI
(Graphic User Interface) environment. Using the left button of the mouse, click on everything that is
typed bold and type everything that is italicized below.

1. Define the design variables and their initial values.

(Go to Utility Menu)

Parameters
Scalar Parameters
Selection enter: H = 12 & Accept
Selection enter: W = 12 & Accept
Selection enter: R = 1.5 & Accept
Selection enter: T = 0.2 & Accept
Close

PlotCtrls
Numbering
(Go to LINE and click) OFF (then OFF will be toggled to ON) & OK

2. Define the element type, the plate thickness and material properties.

(Go to Main Menu)

Preprocessor
Element Type
Add/Edit/Delete
Add
Structural & Solid & Triangle 6 node 2 & OK
Options
Element Behavior: Plane strs w/thk & OK

Real Constants
Add/Edit/Delete
Add & Triangl 6 node 2 & OK
Thickness: T & OK

Material Props
Material Models
Structural & Linear & Elastic & Isotropic
EX = 30e3
PRXY = 0.3 & OK

3. Create the model using variables for the dimensions.

Modeling
Create
Areas
Rectangle
By Dimensions
(Click X1 box) 0 (Click X2 box) W
(Click Y1box) 0 (Click Y2 box) H & OK

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Circle
Solid Circle
Radius = R & OK

Operate
Booleans
Subtract
Areas
Click the Square & Apply
Click the circle & OK

4. Mesh the domain.

Meshing
Mesh Tool
Click on the Lines Set button
Pick lines 2 & 3 & Apply
NDIV = 6 & Apply
Pick lines 9 & 10 & 5 & Apply
NDIV = 10 & OK

Click the Mesh Button

Select the area & OK

5. Apply the loads and boundary conditions.

Solution
Define Loads
Apply
Structural
Displacement
Symmetry B.C.
On Lines
Pick lines 9 & 10 & OK

Pressure
On Lines
Pick line 5 & OK
VALUE load PRES value = 18.5 & OK

6. Solve the initial configuration.

Solve
Current LS
Click OK
Close Information and STAT Command windows

7. Review the results for the initial configuration.

General Post Proc

Plot Results
Contour Plot

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Nodal Solution
Stress & Von Mises (SEQV) & OK

List Results
Sorted Listing
Sort Nodes
Stress & von Mises (SEQV) & OK

8. Create result tables that will be used in optimization sequence.

(Go to Utility Menu)

Parameters
Get Scalar Data
Results Data & Global Measures & OK
Stress & von Mises
Name of Parameter to be defined: SMAX
OK

(Go to Main Menu)

General Postproc
Element Table
Define Table
Add
Lab: VOLUME
Geometry & Elem volume VOLU
OK
Close

Sum of Each Item & OK

Close the SSUM Command window

(Go to Utility Menu)

Parameters
Get Scalar Data
Results Data & Elem Table Sums & OK
Name of Parameter to be defined: VOLUME
OK

9. Write the log file that ANSYS will run during each step in the optimization process.

File
Write DB Log File
Enter: Plate & OK

10. Set up the optimization process.

(Go to Main Menu)

Design Opt
Analysis File
Create & OK

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Assign
Type Plate & OK

11. Enter the design variables that will be modified during optimation and their range of values.

Design Variables
Add
Select H
MIN = 10
MAX = 15 & Apply
Select W
MIN = 10
MAX = 15 & Apply
Select R
MIN = 1
MAX = 2.5 & Apply
Select T
MIN = 0.1
MAX = 0.25 & OK

Close Design Variable window

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12. Enter the limits to the design. In this example, the stress in the plate can not exceed 32.5ksi.

State Variables
Add
Select SMAX
MAX = 32.5 & OK

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13. Define the objective that you are trying to optimize. In this example you want to minimize the
volume.

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Objective
[OPVAR] Define Objective Function: VOLUME
NAME Parameter Name: Select VOLUME & OK

14. Select the protocol that ANSYS will use to optimize the problem and the number of iterations it will
use.

Method/Tool
Select Sub-Problem & OK

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Maximum Iterations: 10 & OK

15. Run the optimization.

Run
Begin Execution of Run window appears, click OK
Close Execution Summary and Note windows

16. Review the results from the 10 iterations.

Design Sets
List & OK

LIST OPTIMIZATION SETS FROM SET 1 TO SET 11 AND SHOW

ONLY OPTIMIZATION PARAMETERS. (A "*" SYMBOL IS USED TO
INDICATE THE BEST LISTED SET)

SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4

(FEASIBLE) (FEASIBLE) (INFEASIBLE) (INFEASIBLE)
SMAX (SV) 32.520 32.635 > 33.077 > 33.082
H (DV) 12.000 14.236 12.688 12.345
W (DV) 12.000 12.286 13.090 11.601
R (DV) 1.5000 1.5820 2.2718 2.1891
T (DV) 0.20000 0.20386 0.10050 0.18732
VOLUME (OBJ) 28.447 35.254 16.283 26.124

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SET 5 SET 6 SET 7 SET 8

(INFEASIBLE) (INFEASIBLE) (FEASIBLE) (INFEASIBLE)
SMAX (SV) > 32.915 > 33.012 32.485 > 32.866
H (DV) 13.476 12.649 10.562 10.167
W (DV) 10.350 14.947 10.518 10.118
R (DV) 1.5209 1.9475 1.2996 1.5971
T (DV) 0.11687 0.12263 0.12826 0.10789
VOLUME (OBJ) 16.088 22.821 14.078 10.882

SET 9 SET 10 *SET 11*

(FEASIBLE) (FEASIBLE) (FEASIBLE)
SMAX (SV) 32.478 32.389 32.435
H (DV) 10.436 10.115 10.039
W (DV) 10.336 10.103 10.035
R (DV) 1.2209 1.0823 1.1232
T (DV) 0.11793 0.10491 0.10149
VOLUME (OBJ) 12.583 10.624 10.124

The table shows that Sets 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 are infeasible because they exceed the maximum
allowable von Mises stress (The variable exceeded is highlighted with an ‘>’).

The table shows that Set 11 is the optimal set (which is denoted by the *) having a volume of
10.124 in3 and a maximum von Mises stress of 32.435 ksi.

17. Graph the design variables and maximum stress for the 10 iterations.

Close the OPLIST Command window

Graphs/Tables
XVAROPT: Select SMAX
NVAR: Select H, R, T, and W & OK

18. Enter in the parameters from the best set, solve, and view the results.

(Go to Utility Menu)

Parameters
Scalar Parameters
Selection enter: H = value of best set & Accept
Selection enter: W = value of best set & Accept
Selection enter: R = value of best set & Accept
Selection enter: T = value of best set & Accept
Close

(Go to Main Menu)

Solution
Solve
Current LS & OK

General Post Proc

Plot Results
Contour Plot
Nodal Solution
Stress & Von Mises (SEQV) & OK