Reviewing subcase simulation results

00:09

In this unit, we will be reviewing the subcase results from the prior exercise.

00:17

So, we've set up two subcases, Subcase 1 with a gravity and a positive Z bearing load and Subcase 2 with gravity and a negative Z bearing load.

00:27

So, now I'm ready to solve this analysis and then compare the results.

00:30

So, I'll go ahead and select on "Run".

00:35

Now, I do recommend still performing a convergence analysis, so still doing mesh convergence for both subcases.

00:43

However, at this stage, we just want to make sure the results look correct and compare the magnitude for each one.

00:49

So, I'll select "Ok".

00:51

And I can now look at the results if again, if I'd like to clean things up,

00:54

I can go to the object visibility up here and I can turn off my loads, constraints,

00:60

maybe I turn off my unformed edges min max markers.

01:04

I could also turn off my mesh if I wanted to.

01:09

So, I can really see what's going on the part.

01:12

What I'll do next is compare the von mises stress for each subcase.

01:16

Now to do so you want to know which one you're looking at, if you go up to the top, you'll see Subcase 2 is the first one shown by default.

01:24

You'll also see on the left-hand side, the Von Mises icon here has a colored mesh next to it where the Subcase 1 does not.

01:32

So, up here, if I switch from Subcase 2 to Subcase 1, that now is going to show the results for Subcase 1.

01:40

So, I can compare the stresses I'm seeing for each.

01:43

Same goes with displacement.

01:45

If I switch to my displacement result with that load,

01:54

Subcase 1 is shown here again, up top here, I can switch from Subcase 1 to Subcase 2 and take a look at those results.

02:02

Another good thing to compare in the result sets is the magnitude of the reaction force.

02:08

So, if I go to one of the receiver constraints and I right click and I go to "Reactions",

02:14

it's going to load the reactions dialog box here for that Y direction constraint.

02:20

So, I should see here for Subcase 1.

02:22

If I activate it.

02:24

As it rotates, it's going to try to lift up in the Y direction, which means the magnitude of my reaction force will be negative Y.

02:32

If I switch to Subcase 2, it's the opposite.

02:35

So, as it's pushed in, so let's say that I were to decelerate the vehicle,

02:40

it would create a compressive load on this hitch and create a lifting motion in the Y direction.

02:46

So, a negative Y direction, which means the reaction force will be in the positive Y.

02:52

So, the magnitude and orientation of those reaction forces look correct.

02:56

So, I can go ahead and click on "Close".

02:59

So, the last thing that I'm going to compare between the two subcases is the amount of displacement at the end of the hitch.

03:05

Now, one quick way to do this is by creating XY plots for both subcase.

03:10

So, if I go to XY plot at the bottom of the tree and I right click and select "New", I can create a new plot.

03:16

I'll be using a node position.

03:19

And then for the entity to plot, I'm going to change this to a long-selected entity which lets me choose what I'd like to plot.

03:27

So, I'm going to choose this leading edge right here on the flat part of that hitch.

03:32

It will plot the position along that line on the X axis and then the displacement along the Y axis.

03:40

So, I'll select "Show" and this shows for Subcase 1,

03:44

the amount of displacement as I get further away from the beginning of that flat part, I should see the displacement increase.

03:51

And that's what I'm seeing here.

03:52

If I'd like to save this data, I can click "Copy Data to Clipboard" and I can actually paste it into an Excel spreadsheet.

03:60

And I can compare these side by side.

04:03

The other option is to take a screenshot and then just compare the two plots side by side.

04:07

I'll select, "Ok". And now what I'm going to do is plot Subcase 2.

04:11

So, I'll switch my subcase here to the second one, leaving the same edge, same result data and select "Show".

04:19

So, now it's going to show a new plot which should look similar,

04:22

but the magnitude of these values will be slightly different as it is under compression instead of tension.

04:28

So, again, I can take a screenshot or copy the data to a clipboard and move it into a spreadsheet click "Ok".

04:35

Close. And I can go ahead and save and continue with a mesh convergence study or probing for more detailed results.