psmesh

Mapdl.psmesh(secid='', name='', p0='', egroup='', num='', kcn='', kdir='', value='', ndplane='', pstol='', pstype='', ecomp='', ncomp='', **kwargs)

Create and mesh a pretension section

APDL Command: PSMESH

Parameters:

secid

Unique section number. This number must not already be assigned to a section.

name

Unique eight character descriptive name, if desired.

p0

Pretension node number. The node will be defined if it doesn’t exist and the number defaults to the highest node number plus one.

egroup, num

Element group on which PSMESH will operate. If Egroup = P, graphical picking is enabled and NUM is ignored (valid only in the GUI).

L (or LINE) - PSMESH operates on all elements in the line specified by NUM. New pretension

nodes are associated with NUM or entities below it. Any subsequent LCLEAR operation of NUM deletes the pretension elements and nodes created by PSMESH.

A (or AREA) - PSMESH operates on all elements in the area specified by NUM. New pretension

nodes are associated with NUM or entities below it. Any subsequent ACLEAR of NUM deletes the pretension elements and nodes created by PSMESH.

V (or VOLU) - PSMESH operates on all elements in the volume specified by NUM. New pretension

nodes are associated with NUM or entities below it. Any subsequent VCLEAR of NUM deletes the pretension elements and nodes created by PSMESH.

P - PSMESH operates on elements selected through the subsequent picking operations,

and NUM is ignored

ALL - The command operates on all selected elements, and NUM is ignored.

kcn

Coordinate system number for the separation surface and normal direction.

kdir

Direction (x, y, or z) normal to separation surface in the KCN coordinate system.

value

Point along the KDIR axis at which to locate the separation surface. Ignored if NDPLANE is supplied.

ndplane

Existing node that PSMESH will use to locate the separation surface. If NDPLANE is supplied, the location of the separation surface is defined by the KDIR coordinate of NDPLANE.

pstol

Optional tolerance below VALUE. Allows nodes occurring precisely at or slightly below the separation to be identified properly as above the plane. Has the effect of shifting the plane down by PSTOL. The following expression represents the default value:

pstype

If specified, this value is the type number for pretension elements. (If not specified, ANSYS defines this value.) If already defined, it must be of type PRETS179.

ecomp

If specified, the name of a component to be composed of new pretension elements and existing elements modified by the PSMESH command.

ncomp

Name of a component to be composed of nodes on new pretension elements.

Notes

The PSMESH command creates a pretension section normal to the pretension load direction by cutting the mesh along existing element boundaries at the point defined by VALUE or NDPLANE and inserting PRETS179 elements. The PSMESH command verifies that PSTYPE is PRETS179; if it is not, the command finds the lowest available ITYPE that is PRETS179, or if necessary will create a new one.

When it is necessary to define the pretension node, ANSYS uses node NDPLANE. If the NDPLANE value is not specified, ANSYS defines the pretension node at:

The centroid of geometric entity NUM, if Egroup = LINE, AREA or VOLU

The centroid location of all selected elements, if Egroup = ALL or if graphical picking is used.

If the elements to which the pretension load is to be applied have already been meshed in two groups, PSMESH cannot be used to insert the pretension elements. The EINTF command must be used to insert the PRETS179 elements between the two meshed groups.

The PSMESH operation copies any nodal temperatures you have defined on the split surface of the original mesh from the original nodes to the newly created coincident duplicate nodes. However, displacements, forces, and other boundary conditions are not copied.

By mathematical definition, the pretension surface must always be a flat plane. In a non-Cartesian coordinate system, the PSMESH command creates that plane at the indicated position, oriented with respect to the specified direction of the active system (in the same manner that the NROTAT command orients a nodal system with respect to a curved system). For example, assuming a X = 1 and Y = 45 in a cylindrical coordinate system with Z as the axis of rotation (KCN = 1), a pretension surface normal to X tilts 45 degrees away from the global X axis.

The PSMESH command is valid for structural analyses only.