Applying Pressure

In nonlinear analysis using force control, loads are applied in incremental steps through the use of time curves. A time curve prescribes how a load or restraint changes during solution steps. The X-axis of a time curve represents the time and the Y-axis represents the intensity of the applied loads at a certain solution step. Time in this problem is a pseudo variable that is used to increment the loads.

1. In the Study 1 study tree, right-click the External Loads icon and select Pressure.
2. In the PropertyManager:
   1. Make sure that Type is set to Normal to selected face.
   2. In the graphics area, click the front face of the plate as shown in the figure.
      
      Selected face appears in the Faces for Pressure box .
   3. Under Pressure Value, set Unit to N/m^2 then type 20000 in the Pressure Value box .
   4. Under Variation with Time, click Curve then click Edit.
3. In the Time curve dialog box:
   1. In the curve data table, make sure that zeros appear in the X and Y columns of the first row.
   2. In the second row, type 20 and 1 in the X and Y columns respectively and click OK.
4. In the Pressure PropertyManager:
   1. Click View to graph the time curve.
      The following Time curve window opens.

      

      Notice that the Y axis represents the actual value of the applied pressure during each solution step.
   2. Click .