Symmetry Full

SYMMETRY
Many structures exhibit some form of symmetry. The following figure shows the different types of common structural symmetry.
WHY TO USE SYMMETRY? To simplify the modelling process To reduce the DOFs To reduce the computational time required for the analysis Accuracy of the analysis can be improved as the equation system becomes smaller Error in computation is reduced
MIRROR OR PLANE SYMMETRY: Mirror symmetry is the symmetry about a particular plane. A half of the structure is the mirror image of another. The position of the mirror is called plane of symmetry. A structure is said to have mirror structural symmetry if there is symmetry of geometry, support conditions and material properties. Some of the structures are symmetric with respect to multiple planes (as shown in fig. 11.16). The 2D solid in fig. 11.17 is symmetric with respect to an axis of symmetry of x = c.
The following symmetric boundary conditions can be applied at the nodes on the symmetric axis: u1 = 0 u2 = 0
u3 = 0 The above equation gives a set of Single Point Constraints (SPC). Loading conditions on the symmetrical structure must also be taken into consideration. A loading is considered symmetric if the loading can also be reflected off a particular plane. A problem is said to be symmetric if the structure, its support conditions, as well as loading is symmetric (as shown in fig. 11.18). A problem is said to anti-symmetric if the structure is symmetric but loading is anti-symmetric (as shown in fig. 11.19).
The following general rules can be applied when deciding the boundary conditions at the plane of symmetry:
Symmetric problem (fig.11.18) 1. There are no translational displacement components normal to the plane of symmetry. 2. There are no rotational displacement components with respect to the axis that is parallel to the plane of symmetry.
Anti-symmetric problem (fig. 11.19) 1. There are no translational displacement components parallel to the plane of symmetry.
2. There are no rotational displacement components with respect to the axis that is normal to the plane of symmetry.
Any load can be decomposed into a symmetric load and an anti-symmetric load, if the structure is symmetric. Consider now a case as shown in fig. 11.20a where the simply supported beam structure is symmetric structurally, but the loading is asymmetry. The structure can always be treated as a combination of (a) the same structure with symmetric loading and (b) the same structure with anti-symmetric loading. In this case, one needs to solve two problems, with each problem having half the numbers of DOFs if the whole structure is modelled. Figure 11.21 shows a more complex example of the above stated concept.
AXIAL SYMMETRY A solid or structure is said to have axial symmetry when the solid can be generated by rotating a planar shape about an axis. For example, a cylindrical shell structure can be modelled using 1D axisymmetric beam elements, as shown in Fig. 11.23. Fig. 11.24 shows an example of a 3D solid under axially symmetric loads, which can be modelled using 2D axisymmetric elements.
Any axial asymmetric load can be expressed in a Fourier superimposition of both axial symmetric and axial anti-symmetric components in direction (see Fig. 11.23). Therefore, the problem can always be decomposed into two sets of axial symmetric and axial anti-symmetric problems, as long as the structure is axial symmetric (in geometry, material and boundary support).
CYCLIC SYMMETRY Cyclic symmetry prevails in problems where both geometry and loading appear as repeated sectors. In each case, a complete solution can be obtained by analysing only one sector as a representative cell with a set of cyclic boundary conditions on the boundaries of the cell, as shown in Fig. 11.25.
The cyclic symmetric boundary condition for the problem shown in Fig. 11.25 should be that all the variables along side A must match exactly those on side B. Constraint equations at all the corresponding nodes along sides A and B can therefore be written as
uAn = uBn uAt = uBt
........ (1) ........ (2)
Note that in Eqns. (1) and (2), both uAn and uBn (or uAt and uBt ) are unknowns. Thus the above equations are constraint equations involving more than one DOF in one equation. So these involve Multi Point Constraints.
REPETITIVE SYMMETRY Repetitive symmetry prevails in structures consisting of continuously repeating sections under certain loading conditions (usually in the direction of a repeating section), as shown in Fig. 11.26. In such a case, only one section needs to be modelled and analysed. Similar to cyclic symmetry, constraint equations are used for the corresponding nodes at the sectioned surface, such that
uAx = uBx
which is again an MPC equation.
....... (3)

Symmetry Full

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SYMMETRY

uAn = uBn uAt = uBt

........ (1) ........ (2)

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