FEA ASSIGNMENT - FLAT CIRCULAR PRESSURE PLATE -

2010

Introduction:
The aim of this assignment is to prepare a computer model of the thin flat aluminium circular
plate with clamped edges tested in Practical Lab 1 with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in
SloidWorks. Two different load cases are applied on the simulated plate and the deflection data
acquired is compared with the experimental and theoretical deflections respectively.

Load Case 1

Load Case 2

Discussion
1. Comparing the experimental, theoretical and FEA results obtained for deflection and radial
stress it can be deduced that there are little discrepancies between the three for Load Case 1.

2. The lack of discrepancy can be explained by the nature of the FEA modeling program that is
developed mathematically from the basic flat circular plate theory calculations. In actual fact, the
FEA modeling should give a more accurate simulation of the deformation and stress
concentration areas on the circular plate. This is due to the FEA program being able to simulate
the constant pressure applied on all areas of the surface of the disc.

3. However for Load Case 2, there is quite a distinct difference between the theoretical and FEA
curves.

4. The reason for this anomaly is the use of the superposition method used where the theoretical
profile for the constant pressure case and central point load case are added together to obtain the
total deflection profile for load case 2. This method might not be accurate as it does not take into
account how the central point load and the constant pressure might affect their respective
deflection profiles when intersected. Using the FEA simulation, a more accurate deflection
profile for Load Case 2 can be obtained as the program considers all factors to produce its
simulations.

5. The FEA program does provide for a faster and more accurate means of simulating an external
force on a constrained object in this case being a thin flat circular plate.

Conclusion
From the experiment done, it can be seen that the theoretical and experimental results of
deflection and radial stress are relatively consistent with that of the FEA results for specific
diameters. The FEA results might be more accurate because the program simulates all load
points on every part of the surface of the disc.

Appendix
Load Case 1

Deflection
 Radius
(mm) 0.0 25.0 50.0 75.0 95.0

Theoretical
p=0.2b (mm) ×10- 26.4 23.7 16.6
ar 2 4 8 4 7.57 1.71

Experiment
al (mm)
×10-2 28.0 24.0 19.0 7.0 0.0

Theoretical
p=0.4b (mm) ×10- 52.8 47.5 33.2 15.1
ar 2 7 5 8 4 3.42

Experiment
al (mm)
×10-2 51.0 45.0 30.0 9.50 -0.50

FEA
Results
Radius(mm Radius(mm
) Deflection(mm) ) Deflection(mm)
0.2bar 0.4bar 0.2bar 0.4bar
0 0.264 0.529 62.5 0.121 0.242
2.5 0.264 0.528 65 0.112 0.224
5 0.263 0.527 67.5 0.103 0.206
7.5 0.262 0.524 70 0.094 0.187
10 0.26 0.52 72.5 0.085 0.169
12.5 0.258 0.515 75 0.076 0.151
15 0.255 0.509 77.5 0.067 0.134
17.5 0.251 0.502 80 0.059 0.117
20 0.247 0.494 82.5 0.051 0.101
22.5 0.243 0.485 85 0.043 0.086
25 0.238 0.476 87.5 0.036 0.071
27.5 0.232 0.465 90 0.029 0.058
30 0.227 0.453 92.5 0.023 0.045
32.5 0.22 0.441 95 0.017 0.034
35 0.214 0.427 97.5 0.012 0.024
37.5 0.207 0.413 100 0.008 0.016
40 0.199 0.398 102.5 0.005 0.009
42.5 0.191 0.383 105 0.002 0.004
45 0.183 0.367 107.5 0.001 0.001
47.5 0.175 0.35 110 0 0
 50 0.166 0.333
52.5 0.158 0.315
55 0.149 0.297
57.5 0.14 0.279
60 0.13 0.261

Stress

p=0.2bar p=0.4bar

Stress Stress
(MPa) Stress (MPa) (MPa) Stress (MPa)

Radius
(mm) Direction Theoretical Experimental Theoretical Experimental

25 Radial 9.11 12.05 18.23 24.6

72 Radial -3.42 -2.02 -6.85 -4.29

97.5 Radial -15.03 -16.22 -30.62 -31.51

FEA
Results
Radius(mm Radius(mm
) Stress(Pa) ) Stress(Pa)
0.2bar 0.4bar 0.2bar 0.4bar
0 13102869 26205738 62.5 2338566 4676418
2.5 13065378 26135492 65 1479571 2960490
5 13027888 26065248 67.5 551769.3 1113099
7.5 12925704 25861280 70 -376032 -734293
10 12823520 25657310 72.5 -1372860 -2741820
12.5 12656002 25313104 75 -2369689 -4749348
15 12488484 24968898 77.5 -3436158 -6902946
17.5 12246492 24490556 80 -4502627 -9056545
20 12004501 24012216 82.5 -5615123 -1.1E+07
22.5 11697484 23393208 85 -6727619 -1.4E+07
25 11390466 22774198 87.5 -7935054 -1.6E+07
27.5 11012320 22021294 90 -9142489 -1.8E+07
30 10634175 21268390 92.5 -1E+07 -2.1E+07
32.5 10181020 20375288 95 -1.2E+07 -2.3E+07
35 9727866 19482186 97.5 -1.3E+07 -2.6E+07
37.5 9212118 18452924 100 -1.4E+07 -2.9E+07
40 8696371 17423662 102.5 -1.6E+07 -3.2E+07
 42.5 8112445 16259912 105 -1.7E+07 -3.5E+07
45 7528519 15096163 107.5 -1.9E+07 -3.7E+07
47.5 6875168 13795022 110 -2E+07 -4E+07
50 6221817 12493880
52.5 5500634 11037665
55 4779451 9581450
57.5 3988506 7986898
60 3197561 6392346

Load Case 2

Radius
(mm) 25.0 50.0 75.0 95.0

40000k
Pa + Theoretical 0.97 0.73 0.43 0.17
400N (mm) 1 6 2 1

FEA 40000kPa + 40000kPa +

Results 400N 400N
Radius(mm Deflection(m Radius(mm Deflection(mm
) m) ) )
0 1.086 62.5 0.416
2.5 1.082 65 0.382
5 1.075 67.5 0.348
7.5 1.064 70 0.315
10 1.05 72.5 0.282
12.5 1.033 75 0.251
15 1.014 77.5 0.221
17.5 0.993 80 0.192
20 0.97 82.5 0.165
22.5 0.945 85 0.139
25 0.918 87.5 0.115
27.5 0.89 90 0.092
30 0.861 92.5 0.072
32.5 0.83 95 0.054
35 0.798 97.5 0.038
37.5 0.766 100 0.025
40 0.732 102.5 0.014
42.5 0.698 105 0.006
45 0.663 107.5 0.002
47.5 0.628 110 0
 50 0.593
52.5 0.557
55 0.522
57.5 0.486
60 0.451