Force normal to curve, 2D

Altair Forum User

I have a design in the X-Y plane I'd like to apply a series of perpendicular forces to at given x locations along the edge of the shape.  Is there a good way to do this?  I can't seem to find one.

 

Thanks

-Dave

Altair Forum User

Hi Dave,

 

Could you demonstrate with a picture?

 

what I have understood is, you have a curve in XY plane and you want to apply force normal to curve?

Altair Forum User

Prakash,

Attached is kind of what I'm looking for.  I just used Microsoft Paint to draw in how I want my forces applied via yellow arrows.  I'm trying to simulate a pressure on the 2D object by maintian the force normal to what would be the surface of the aircraft wing.

 

Thanks,

-Dave

Altair Forum User

Well for some reason I keep getting an error when I try to upload an image ('server responded with an error').  I have a 2D airfoil shape from an aircraft wing and would like to simulate the aerodynamic pressure on the surface of the wing by applying a series of force vectors normal to what would be the surface.  Somethine similar to the image shown below (found online).

Merula_20758

Is pressure as a loading possible for your problem ? That would be the easiest way of getting the 'series of normal lodas'.

 

Maybe you can devide your boundary line into segments were you want to apply pressure according to the segments length.

Altair Forum User

Hi

 

as Merula said you can apply pressure. But as you are saying the structure is XY plane (no thickness or extruded Z direction) forces should be applied on nodes (as element normal in XY plane would be Z direction)

 

Other way I was thinking is by using equation in force panel. 

 

As I dont have the model at my end, can you try with Equation option in forces panel?

Altair Forum User

So a pressure would actually be ideal, but from my understanding a pressure can only be applied to a surface. Since the model is 2D, and therefore has no thickness to apply a pressure in the XY plane, pressure loading would then be in the z direction and not applicapable to this problem.

 

When I apply forces, I applied them to nodes on the edges of the surface but I can only apply forces in a single direction (X or Y direction in this case). I could figure out the tangent at every point and apply loading that way, but that is very tedious. I may have been confusing, but I don't want the forces normal to the XY plane, but rather normal to the edge of the design (as in the figure above). I can write an equation, but that still only applies a force in a singe direction when in reality I want it to allways be applied normal to the edge of the design (always in the XY plane).

 

Hope that is more clear,

 

Thanks

 

-Dave