Transferring Results to Simulation in SOLIDWORKS

SolidProfessor - Sam Sanchez | September 16, 2016 | Comment

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Once through with a flow analysis, we’ll want to use the results as loads in a static analysis, using regular SOLIDWORKS simulation.

If you don’t already add-in active, you’ll have to activate it before you can use it, by going to “Add-Ins” and selecting the check-box, just like you’d have to for Flow.

 

 

In order to transfer the results to simulation, we’ll first have to export the results out of Flow. To do this, we’ll go to “Tools,” “Flow Simulation,” and under Tools, select “Export Results to Simulation.”

 

 

That’s all there really is to it, but there’s one more step we need to take once we’ve set up the study.

Let’s take a look at setting up the simulation study now.

We’ll create a new study and simulation and name the study “Wind Effect.” This will be left as a static analysis and we’ll click the green check.

Before doing anything else, we’ll apply materials to all of the components. To do this, we’ll click on the “Highway Indicator Board,” in the simulation study tree and select “Apply Material to All Bodies…”

 

 

Using the “Material” window that appears, we’ll browse for a 2018 aluminum alloy. We’ll apply the material and close the window.

To import the loads from Flow, we’ll right-click on the Wind Effect study in the simulation tree and select “Properties.” Notice that there is a “Flow/Thermal Effects” tab here.

 

 

Here, we have the ability to include any temperature or fluid pressure effects from SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation. We’ll click the checkbox to “Include fluid pressure effects from SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation,” and then we’ll browse the results from the study we just ran and click “Open.”

There are a couple of more options at the bottom before we click OK.

We can add an offset to the pressure, but for this example, we’ll leave the pressure that was specified earlier in the flow study.

There’s also a checkbox at the bottom where we can specify whether or not we’d like to run the study as a legacy study.

As of SOLIDWORKS 2012, Flow Simulation results now also include sheer stress as well as the normal component, whereas in previous versions, only the normal component of the pressure load was analyzed.

Including the sheer stress will likely get you more accurate results, but if you’re not interested in any sheer stress effects, you could check this box to exclude them from the calculation.

For this example, we only want to see what the normal component of pressure load will have on the sign, so we’ll check this box. Once we’ve done this, we’ll click OK to set the properties.

 

 

You can see in the simulation study tree, that the fluid pressure is listed in external loads and the fluid in this case is air.

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About the Author

Sam Sanchez is an Applications Engineer with SolidProfessor and a CSWP. Sanchez is an alumni of UC San Diego, and in her free time enjoys 3D printing and hanging out with her dog Ruby. You can see more training videos on a wide range of CAD, CAM & BIM topics at www.solidprofessor.com.