hexagon logo
Register Sign in
  • State Verified Answer
  • Replies 7 replies
  • Subscribers 3 subscribers
  • Views 153 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related

Generate Tapered BEAM Properties from Patran

shaheer.iqbal
This is in response to Tech Article ID KB8012044. I have some questions in order to understand this.
 
What does the station distances represents?
Do they need to match with my Grid Location?
 
Suppose I have cBeam (ONE bar2 element) between two grid points (GA and GB) (10 units apart) and I need to create a tapered beam
Will my input be
Station distance 0.0 10.0
Cross Section Area 1.0 2.0
Inertia 1,1 10
Inertia 2,2 10
Inertia 1,2 20
Torsional Constant 18
 
Does the above input means that at grid GA (station 0.0) an area of 1 with the above properties be created and at grid GB (station 10.0) an area of 2 with above properties be created?
Parents
  • 0
    For simple explanation: The orientation vector you define can be done using a grid (node) point or a vector. The cross product of the the orientation vector (either grid 1 to orientation grid, or orientation vector) and the beam x vector (element grid 1 to 2 vector) defines the y direction and the cross product of this Y with the X define the Z. The purpose of emphasizing the vector cross product bit is to get you to understand that the "orientation" vector does not have to be perpendicular to the element X axis. In fact it can be any vector that is not "co-linear" to the X axis.
    This means it is much easier to define one orientation vector that can be used for a group of elements even though the elements themselves are in different directions.
    Another useful "trick" is that you can use a coordinate system as part of the vector definition in Patran. So if you have a cylindrical silo storage tank with some I section reinforcement rings you can specify an orientation vector like <1 0 0 coord 1> . If coord 1 is cylindrical then Patran is using the radial direction (with respect to cord 1) at end A of each element as the element property orientation vector. Nastran will get multiple vector directions, each element around the circumference is different but it is easy to specify in Patran.
    Remember you can visualise the beam orientation in multiple ways - Display / Load BCs Elem props... and at the bottom of the form you will find "Beam display" options.
     
    To understand the Nastran input file please look at what Patran produces and correlate this with the description in the Nastran quick Reference guide.
Reply
  • 0
    For simple explanation: The orientation vector you define can be done using a grid (node) point or a vector. The cross product of the the orientation vector (either grid 1 to orientation grid, or orientation vector) and the beam x vector (element grid 1 to 2 vector) defines the y direction and the cross product of this Y with the X define the Z. The purpose of emphasizing the vector cross product bit is to get you to understand that the "orientation" vector does not have to be perpendicular to the element X axis. In fact it can be any vector that is not "co-linear" to the X axis.
    This means it is much easier to define one orientation vector that can be used for a group of elements even though the elements themselves are in different directions.
    Another useful "trick" is that you can use a coordinate system as part of the vector definition in Patran. So if you have a cylindrical silo storage tank with some I section reinforcement rings you can specify an orientation vector like <1 0 0 coord 1> . If coord 1 is cylindrical then Patran is using the radial direction (with respect to cord 1) at end A of each element as the element property orientation vector. Nastran will get multiple vector directions, each element around the circumference is different but it is easy to specify in Patran.
    Remember you can visualise the beam orientation in multiple ways - Display / Load BCs Elem props... and at the bottom of the form you will find "Beam display" options.
     
    To understand the Nastran input file please look at what Patran produces and correlate this with the description in the Nastran quick Reference guide.
Children
No Data
© 2025 Hexagon AB and/or its subsidiaries. Privacy Policy | Cloud Services Agreement