Getting Reactions from large displacement analysis 1

[Guest0527211403]

Hi Everyone

I'm working on a structure where a number of screw-jacks "flex" a steel plate from one position to the other with the assistance of a linkage.

I'm able to model the plate deflection using a Large Deformation Static Analysis. I am fixing one end of the plate and applying a known displacement (based on my linkage kinematics) to two lugs. The goal of my analysis is to find a) the shape of the plate under deflection and b) the reactions at the lugs, in order to size the jacks and linkage components.

I'm having a hard time with b). I'm trying to find the reactions at certain nodes (where the lugs meet the plate), sum them up and then consider these as my reactions, but I'm getting very small numbers (on the order of 10^-8 N), so I know something is definitely wrong.

Can anyone offer any insight into how I might find these reaction values?

A little more background info:
I'm using Pro/E WF2 to model the geometry and boundary conditions, with Pro/Mechanica's FEM mode as a means to export the geometry to ANSYS 11.0 Classic. The model uses SHELL43 elements throughout.

Thanks in advance

 

[Stringmaker]

Hmmm...sounds like a common problem. After you select the nodes issue the command ESLN then see what you get for reactions again.

 

[Guest0527211403]

Thanks Stringmaker!
After issuing the ESLN command and replotting the elements, I realized that I had made an error in selecting the nodes using APDL.
My results make much more sense now.