Visualizing Principal Stresses

Stress principal tensor symbol images are used to visualize principal stress field patterns, which represent a tensor field quantity used to measure the state of stress and to determine the load path on a loaded part.
Stress principal tensor symbol Image objects belong to Static Case Solution objects sets.

At each point, the principal stress tensor gives the directions relative to which the part is in a state of pure tension/compression (zero shear stress components on the corresponding planes) and the values of the corresponding tensile/compressive stresses.

This task shows how to generate Stress principal tensor symbol images on part geometries.

You can use the sample24.CATAnalysis document.

Before You Begin:
Compute the solution: for this, click the Compute icon .

1. Click the Principal Stress icon

.
The Stress principal tensor symbol image is displayed, and a Stress principal tensor symbol Image object appears in the specification tree under the active Static Case Solution objects set.

You can visualize the Stress principal tensor symbol image in different ways by modifying the Custom view modes. To do this, you open the View menu and select Render Style -> Customize View option.

The principal values stress tensor distribution on the part is visualized in symbol mode, along with a color palette:

At each point, a set of three directions is represented by line symbols (principal directions of stress).

Arrow directions (inwards / outwards) indicate the sign of the principal stress. The color code provides quantitative information.

Here the "All Absolute" option is selected meaning that the absolute value of each principal stress is taken into account for each color distribution.

2. When the mouse cursor is passing over tensor symbol representations, their principal values are displayed.

3. Click on a tensor symbol to obtain a steady display.

4. Double-click the Stress principal tensor symbol object in the specification tree to edit the image.
The Image Edition dialog box is displayed.

Display on Deformed Mesh option,

and the following tabs:

	`Visu` (how):
	`Criteria` (what mathematical object type):
	`Filters` (what)
	`Selections` (only available if you installed the ELFINI Structural Analysis product)

As you change the Visu option type, the name of the Stress principal tensor symbol object in the specification tree is modified (the option type is appended to the name).

In addition, the following buttons are available:

Symbol: press this button to open the Symbol Editor dialog box (only available if you installed the ELFINI Structural Analysis product)

Axis System: press this button to display the Image Axis System dialog box (only available if you installed the ELFINI Structural Analysis product).
You can use the Cartesian, Cylindrical or Spherical coordinate system.
If you activate the Global axis type, the default axis is used.

If you activate the Manual type option, you will be able to define manually the axis origin and coordinate definition.

You can also use the User type option. You will then put the part into the Show mode (right mouse button on Link Manager in the specification tree), display and if needed edit the definition of the axis you can now select on the part.

5. Click OK to exit the different dialog boxes.

You can use the right mouse click (key 3) on a Stresses Principal tensor feature in the specification tree and select the option called Activate / Deactivate to turn the corresponding image on or off.

Products Available in Analysis Workbench

The ELFINI Structural Analysis product offers the following additional features with a right mouse click (key 3) on a Stresses Principal tensor object:

Report: This icon generates a report in .html and .txt formats.