ANSYS Tutorials for Undergraduate
Mechanical Engineering Courses
These exercises are intended only as an educational tool to assist those who wish to learn how to use ANSYS. They are not intended to be used as guides for determining suitable modeling methods for any application. The author assumes no responsibility for the use of any of the information in these tutorials. There has been no formal quality control process applied to these tutorials, so there is certainly no guarantee that there are not mistakes in them. The author would appreciate feedback at the email address below if mistakes are discovered in these tutorials.
The tutorials were originally written using ANSYS, Version 5.6, and ANSYS has been updated numerous times since that version. Some of the tutorials have since been updated, and some are currently being updated. Typically, there are relatively minor changes to the locations of various features in the ANSYS graphical user interface (GUI) from one version of ANSYS to the next. The GUI does have quite a different look in more recent versions than it did in Version 5.6. However, it is likely that usually someone using one of the tutorials listed below, written for an older version of ANSYS, can still figure out how to complete the tasks in the exercise by looking around in the menu options available in their newer ANSYS version. Some of the tutorials below are stored in Microsoft Word documents, and some are in Adobe Acrobat PDF files. As updated versions of these tutorials become available, they will be added to this website.
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Temperature Distribution in a Plate: In this tutorial, you will solve a 2-D heat conduction problem. The problem is adapted from the textbook, Introduction to Heat Transfer, by Frank Incropera and David P. Dewitt. You will solve for the temperature distribution within a rectangular plate, based on the specified temperatures on the plate edges, and the plate dimensions.
Temperature Distribution in a Turbine Blade with Cooling Channels: In this tutorial, you will solve for the temperature distribution within a 6 mm thick turbine blade, with 2 mm x 6 mm rectangular cooling channels. The problem is adapted from the textbook, Introduction to Heat Transfer, by Frank Incropera and David P. Dewitt.
Flow Over a Flat Plate: In this tutorial, you will solve a classical flat plate 2-D air flow problem. The problem is adapted from the textbook, Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics, by Munson, Young, and Okiishi. You will solve for the air flow velocity for flow over the flat plate, based on specified velocity and pressure boundary conditions, and plate dimensions.
Analysis of a Spring System: In this exercise, you will model and analyze a static, loaded spring system. The problem is adapted from the finite element textbook by Daryl L. Logan, A First Course in the Finite Element Method, Third Edition, Copyright 2002, by Wadsworth Group, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. This exercise uses ANSYS to solve for the deflections and reaction forces for the system of Problem 2.7 in that textbook.
Analysis of a Truss: In this tutorial, you will model and analyze a truss. This problem was adapted from Problem 6-17 in the textbook, Engineering Mechanics – Statics, Third Edition, by R.C. Hibbeler.
Analysis of a Beam: In this tutorial, you will model and analyze a simple cantilevered beam with an end load.
Analysis of a Beam with a Distributed Load: In this tutorial, you will model and analyze a simply supported beam with both a distributed load and a concentrated load.
Modal Analysis: In this tutorial, you will solve for the natural frequencies and mode shapes of a 2-DOF spring-mass system.
Obtaining the Stiffness Matrix: This tutorial outlines one method for writing out the stiffness matrix and the load vector from an ANSYS structural model to a text file. This could be useful in an educational setting in understanding the equations that the software solves in a structural analysis. Also, the matrices could subsequently be imported to other software, if desired for some reason. This example only discusses the stifness matrix and load vector. If a model were created that included mass (for instance, a model with structural elements and a defined material density), then the mass matrix would also be written to the file. If damping were propoerly defined for a structural model, then the damping matrix would also be exported.