Visualizing Principal Stresses

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

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.

Open the sample24.CATAnalysis document from the samples directory.

  • Compute the solution.
    To do this, click Compute .

  1. Click Principal Stress in the Image toolbar.

    The stress principal tensor symbol image is displayed, and a Stress principal tensor symbol.1 image appears in the specification tree under Static Case Solution.1.

    You can visualize the Stress principal tensor symbol image in different ways by modifying the Custom view modes. To do this, select 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.

    When passing the cursor over the tensor symbol representations, the principal values are displayed.

  2. Select a tensor symbol to obtain a steady display.

  3. Double-click the Stress principal tensor symbol object in the specification tree to edit the image.

    The Image Edition dialog box appears.
    For more details, refer to Image Edition.

  4. Click OK in the Image Edition dialog box.

With the ELFINI Structural Analysis product, you can generate reports on this image.
To know more, refer to Generating Reports.