Reaction force direction in contact area vs fixed support

[CDDK]

I have come across a problem I cannot explain, and I hope someone could explain it to me a little.
I have a solid cylinder going through two fixed cylinders, with automatic contacts in between (a bit like shaft and bearings). The outer face of the support cylinders are fixed.
When I run the analysis with gravity, I try to get the reaction force in the contact area of the support cylinders/bearings. I use reaction force probe in workbench, scope it to the supports or contacts I'm interested in. The reaction force on the contact regions is downwards. My expectation is that it should be upwards, unless there is something I do not understand about contact regions?
The reaction forces on the fixed supports are upwards as expected, and their sum equals the weight of the model.
I have a feeling there is a difference between the reaction force on a contact element and the reaction force on a support, but I cannot put my finger on it. I realise this might be more an FEA theory problem than ANSYS, but I appreciate the help all the same.

 

[Erik Panos Kostson]

In the reaction tool and the details of the force reactions (using contact reaction, not fixed support), under extraction you need to choose the correct target or contact elements (underlying).

Say we have to blocks that are on top of each other and bonded and we pull on the top part while fixing the bottom part (opposite side to load side), then by default (contact underlying), we might get the reaction on the bottom part (top surface) which has correctly a direction equal and opposite to the reaction on the opposite side that is fixed. At the same time though it is pointing in the same direction as the force, and that is probably what is confusing. If we though look on the target element underlying instead which is the bottom surface of the top part where the load is applied to, then the contact reaction direction becomes equal in size and opposite to the applied load direction. This reaction is correctly then on the bottom surface of the top part.


In anyway have a go with that option and observe what happens.

 

[CDDK]

@ Erik Panos Kostson,
Thank you, this makes some sense and I tried the "Target" behaviour and the results were as you described them. So the reaction forces plotted negative are correct?
In reality I am more interested in the result that would be the nodal force sum (FSUM in APDL) for a specific region of nodes. These forces are still in the opposite direction of the target elements. This is what I really need to explain, and I think the way you put it, that it is the reaction-to-the-reaction, if you will, provides explanation.

Thank you very much for your helpful insight, and I am happy I managed to get a result I can trust with your tip.