Lab 01

Lab Session 01
Introduction to Ansys
Objective
Introduction to Ansys workbench, its component and interface, to learn about the different
application in conjunction with the interface.

Introduction to ANSYS workbench

Ansys Workbench is a powerful simulation environment used by engineers and designers to

perform various physics simulations. Whether you’re analyzing structural components, studying
fluid dynamics, or exploring electromagnetic fields, Ansys Workbench provides a unified platform
for setting up, solving, and postprocessing simulations.

ANSYS Workbench is a comprehensive simulation platform developed by ANSYS Inc., offering

engineers and researchers a unified environment for conducting various types of analyses across
multiple disciplines. With its intuitive interface and robust capabilities, ANSYS Workbench has
become an indispensable tool in industries ranging from automotive and aerospace to electronics
and biomedical engineering. This lab report serves as an introductory guide to ANSYS
Workbench, providing an overview of its components, user interface, and diverse applications.

Overview of Ansys Workbench

Ansys Workbench offers an integrated environment for performing Multiphysics simulations. It

allows users to create, analyze, and optimize their designs efficiently. The software incorporates
several modules for different simulation tasks, including structural analysis, fluid dynamics,
thermal analysis, and electromagnetics.

Components of ANSYS Workbench

ANSYS Workbench comprises several key components, each serving a specific purpose in the
simulation workflow. This section delves into the core components of ANSYS Workbench,
including

ANSYS Mechanical: for structural analysis

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ANSYS Fluent: for fluid dynamics analysis

ANSYS CFX: for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations

ANSYS Electronics: for electromagnetic analysis

ANSYS Maxwell: for electromagnetic field simulations

ANSYS Thermal: for thermal analysis

ANSYS Optimization: for design optimization studies

Each component integrates seamlessly within the Workbench environment, allowing users to
transition between different analyses with ease.

Figure 1

User Interface Overview

The user interface of ANSYS Workbench is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, enabling
efficient workflow management and analysis setup. This section provides a detailed overview of
the Workbench interface, covering elements such as:

Project Schematic: for organizing and managing simulation projects

Toolbox: containing pre-processing, solving, and post-processing tools

Graphics Window: for visualizing geometry, mesh, and results

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Solution Controls: for defining analysis settings and parameters

Data Management: for importing/exporting data and managing simulations

Illustrative screenshots and step-by-step instructions accompany the description of each interface
component, aiding users in navigating ANSYS Workbench effectively.

Figure 2

Toolbox

The toolbox contains 4 subgroups:

1. Analysis systems: predefined templates that can be placed in the schematic.

2. Component systems: various applications that can be accessed to build, or expand, analysis
systems.
3. Custom Systems: predefined analysis systems for coupled applications (FSI, thermal-
stress, etc). Users can also create their own predefined systems.
4. Design Exploration: Parametric management and optimization tools.

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Figure 3

Outline

The outline pane provides a hierarchical view of your project, listing all the analysis modules and
their settings. It offers a quick way to navigate and edit the different steps within your simulation
workflow.

Graphics Window

This window displays the geometry of your model. You can import CAD models or create
geometry directly within ANSYS Workbench. The graphics window allows you to visualize the
model and apply various settings like material properties and boundary conditions.

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Figure 4

Project schematic

The Workbench project schematic is a graphical representation of the workflow defining a system
or group of systems. There are currently several applications which are native to Workbench,
meaning they run entirely in the Workbench window. Non-native applications (called data-
integrated) run in their own window, Mechanical (formerly Simulation), Mechanical APDL
(formerly ANSYS), ANSYS Fluent, ANSYS CFX, etc.

Figure 5

Working with Applications

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Each application within ANSYS Workbench provides specific functionalities tailored to its
respective engineering discipline. Here's a general workflow for using an application:
Select Application: Choose the appropriate application from the Toolbox based on the type of
analysis you want to perform.
Define Geometry: Import a CAD model or create geometry directly within ANSYS Workbench
using the available tools.
Apply Material Properties: Assign material properties to the different components within your
model.
Define Boundary Conditions: Specify loads, constraints, and other conditions that influence the
behavior of your model.
Mesh Generation: Discretize your model into smaller elements (mesh) for numerical analysis.
Solve: Initiate the simulation and allow the solver to calculate the results.
Postprocessing: Analyze the simulation results using various visualization tools to understand the
behavior of your model.

Applications of Ansys Workbench

Structural Analysis
Ansys Workbench is widely used for structural analysis applications, such as linear and nonlinear
static analysis, modal analysis, buckling analysis, and fatigue analysis. It enables engineers to
predict the behavior of structures under different loading conditions, assess their strength and
durability, and optimize designs for performance and safety.

Figure 6

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You can import homogenization result from homogenization analysis to perform structural
analysis as shown in Figure below.

Figure 7

Fluid Dynamics

In the field of fluid dynamics, Ansys Workbench offers powerful simulation capabilities for
analyzing fluid flow phenomena, including steady-state and transient flow, laminar and turbulent
flow, multiphase flow, and heat transfer. It is used in various industries, such as automotive,
aerospace, and energy, to optimize the performance of fluid systems and components.

Figure 8

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Thermal Analysis

Ansys Workbench is also used for thermal analysis applications, such as steady-state and transient
heat conduction, convection, and radiation. It allows engineers to simulate thermal behavior in
complex systems, predict temperature distributions, and optimize designs for thermal performance
and efficiency.

Figure 9

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