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These learning modules have been developed by the Swanson Engineering Simulation Program in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University. The Swanson Engineering Simulation Program has been established with the goal of integrating computer-based simulations into the mechanical engineering curriculum. This program has been endowed by Dr. John Swanson, the founder of ANSYS Inc. and an alumnus of the Sibley School. The development of these learning modules is being supported by a Faculty Innovation in Teaching award from Cornell University.

What is ANSYS?

ANSYS is a finite-element analysis package used widely in industry to simulate the response of a physical system to structural loading, and thermal and electromagnetic effects. ANSYS uses the finite-element method to solve the underlying governing equations and the associated problem-specific boundary conditions.

How to use these learning modules

These learning modules are designed to be used online and run side-by-side with the ANSYS software. After you launch the learning modules and ANSYS, you will have to drag the browser window to the width of the largest image (about 350 pixels). To make best use of screen real estate, move the windows around and resize them so that you approximate this screen arrangement.

System and software requirements

• System: Any system that can run ANSYS and a web browser.
• Screen: Resolution should be at least 1280 x 1024 pixels for optimal viewing. A 17" monitor or larger is recommended.
• ANSYS version 7.0. These tutorials were created using ANSYS 7.0.
• Web Browser: These tutorials work best in 5.0 or higher versions of Internet Explorer and Netscape because style sheet support is needed. These tutorials can be used with Netscape 4.x but may not render correctly.

Choose a learning module by selecting from the list at the top of this page

Conventions used

Each learning module begins with a problem specification. A solution can be obtained by following these nine steps:
1. Start-up and preliminary set-up
2. Specify element type and constants
3. Specify material properties
4. Specify geometry
5. Mesh geometry
6. Specify boundary conditions
7. Solve!
8. Postprocess the results
9. Validate the results
These steps appear at the top of each page of the learning module with the current step highlighted in red.

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