Sign-up for free online course on ANSYS simulations!Author: Rajesh Bhaskaran, Cornell University
Problem Specification
1. Pre-Analysis & Start-Up
2. Geometry
3. Mesh
4. Physics Setup
5. Numerical Solution
6. Numerical Results
7. Verification & Validation
Exercises
Comments
3D Finite-Element Analysis of a Bike Crank
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Learning Goals
In this tutorial, you will learn to:
- Determine the displacements and stresses in a bike crank using 3D FEA capabilities in ANSYS Mechanical
- Verify the finite-element results from ANSYS by refining the mesh and also comparing with hand calculations
Problem Specification
Consider the following bike crank model.
[!crank_geo.png|width=400!|^crank_geo.png]
To orient ourselves, the following figure shows the location of a similar bike crank mounted on a bicycle.
[!crank_on_bike.png|width=400!|^crank_on_bike.png]
Material properties: The bicycle crank's material is aluminum 6061-t6. The Young's modulus is 10,000 ksi, and the Poisson's Ratio is .33.
Boundary conditions: Apply a load of 100 lbf in the y-direction on the right hole surface and fix the 3 left hole surfaces as shown below. Note that this is an approximation of the actual loads and constraints on the bike crank.
[!crank_bcs.png|width=400!|^crank_bcs.png]
Using ANSYS Mechanical, determine the following:
- Deformed shape
- Displacement field
- Stress distribution
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$\sigma_x(x,y,z)$