The 2D simplification option models the problem using a plane strain
assumption. The displacement in one of the directions is negligible compared to the other
two.
The plane strain assumption is valid when the following conditions occur:
- One of the dimensions is much larger than the other two.
- In-plane forces do not vary along the largest dimension.
- Forces acting normal to the section plane are negligible.
The figure shows a thick solid under uniform loads. The dimension in Y is much larger than the X and Z dimensions. To model the problem, you create a section plane parallel to the XZ plane, specify the thickness, and apply the loads and fixtures to the edges.
You can create multiple 2D bodies using a section plane and define contact conditions between them.
The following simplifications are valid for the simulation results.
| Displacement, Load, and Temperature |
Displacement and temperature do
not vary along the thickness. For the thick solid:
 where u is the
displacement vector. Also, uy = 0,
 where P
is the load vector. Also, Py=0,
and  where T is the
temperature.
|
| Stress |
All stress components are nonzero. However,
out-of-plane stress components exist because of the Poisson's effect and are not
critical for the analysis. |
| Strain |
Out of plane strain components are zero. Only in-plane strain
components exist. For the thick solid:
 where ε
represents normal strain and γ represents shear strain.
|