Contact Pair on cylindrical surfaces, Error - "No surface elements wer

[HStruct]

FEA Gurus,

I have a Cylindrical Ring (solid45) on which I need to put a Sheet (shell63).
I want to lay the Sheet on the cylindrical outer surface of the Cylindrical Ring in segments or say in stages of say 20 degrees (I have 2 of such segments for now, later I may have more of these segments laid on the ring).

It is going to be a contact analysis because I have friction between the surfaces. Thus I need to have contact pairs between the out side surfaces of the Cylindrical Ring and the inside surfaces of the Sheet. I need to apply a cylindrical tension force (in theta direction) which I apply by resolving force in X and Y direction in Cartesian system. (I know I can rotate the nodal coordinate system and apply force in theta direction however for now I think that is not the concern).

Finally this is what I do-

I build the Cylindrical Ring and mesh it.
I start with 1st segment of 20 degrees. I create it, mesh it, and make a contact pair between this and the Cylindrical Ring.
It solves pretty good (this is my 1st load step).
Then I create 2nd segment and mesh it by going into prep7
However for this 2nd segment I can’t create the contact pair. I get a message “No surface elements were generated”.
Thus I can’t go ahead and solve for second load step because I don’t have the contact pair between Cylindrical Ring and Sheet surfaces.
Note on what I have tried different - Even if I don’t solve (comment with !) for 1st load step. ANSYS doesn’t create contact pair for my 2nd segment. I have tried to make the area for the secong segment with key points instead of extruding like in this code. Neither worked for me.

Could any of you please let me know what I am doing wrong here and what I can do to fix it? Code is here.

Regards,
-HMT

!----------------------------------------------------
/CLEAR,NOSTART
/FILNAM,RingSheetContactPair
/TITLE, With Restart Jun 23rd 2006
/PREP7 $SMRT,OFF

!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RingDia = 50000
RingRadi = RingDia/2
RingThick = 15000
SheetThick = 20
SheetRadi = RingRadi+(SheetThick/2)
SheetHeight = 15000
MODULUS_E1 = 5
Mu1 = 0.25
MODULUS_E2 = 6
Mu2 = 0.3
Tension = 1000
COF = 0.1
!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ANTYPE,STATIC
ET,1,SOLID45 ! 3-D SOLID ELEMENTS
MP,EX,1,MODULUS_E1
MP,NUXY,1,Mu1

ET,2,SHELL63 ! 2-D SHELL63 ELEMENTS
R,1,SheetThick, , , , , ,
MP,EX,2,MODULUS_E2
MP,NUXY,2,Mu2

!------------------------- Ring ---------------------------------------------------------
FLST,2,2,8
FITEM,2,0,0,0
FITEM,2,RingRadi,0,0
CIRCLE,P51X

FLST,2,2,8
FITEM,2,0,0,RingThick
FITEM,2,RingRadi,0,RingThick
CIRCLE,P51X

FLST,2,2,8
FITEM,2,0,0,0
FITEM,2,0.95*RingRadi,0,0
CIRCLE,P51X

FLST,2,2,8
FITEM,2,0,0,RingThick
FITEM,2,0.95*RingRadi,0,RingThick
CIRCLE,P51X


V, 5, 13, 16, 8, 1, 9, 12, 4

V, 6, 14, 13, 5, 2, 10, 9, 1

V, 7, 15, 14, 6, 3, 11, 10, 2

V, 8, 16, 15, 7, 4, 12, 11, 3

RingDivisions = 27
RingDivisionsCross = 5

LESIZE,1,,,RingDivisions
LESIZE,2,,,RingDivisions
LESIZE,3,,,RingDivisions
LESIZE,4,,,RingDivisions

LESIZE,5,,,RingDivisions
LESIZE,6,,,RingDivisions
LESIZE,7,,,RingDivisions
LESIZE,8,,,RingDivisions

LESIZE,9,,,RingDivisions
LESIZE,10,,,RingDivisions
LESIZE,11,,,RingDivisions
LESIZE,12,,,RingDivisions

LESIZE,13,,,RingDivisions
LESIZE,14,,,RingDivisions
LESIZE,15,,,RingDivisions
LESIZE,16,,,RingDivisions

LESIZE,21,,,RingDivisionsCross
LESIZE,24,,,RingDivisionsCross
LESIZE,28,,,RingDivisionsCross
LESIZE,32,,,RingDivisionsCross

LESIZE,17,,,1
LESIZE,18,,,1
LESIZE,25,,,1
LESIZE,29,,,1

LESIZE,20,,,1
LESIZE,23,,,1
LESIZE,27,,,1
LESIZE,31,,,1

CSYS,1
MAT,1
MSHK,1 ! MAPPED VOLUME MESH
MSHA,0,3D ! USING HEX

!ESIZE,,1
VMESH,ALL

!-------------------------------- 1st Segment -------------------------
Gap = 0
ThicknessFactor = 0
CSYS,1

! Modeling 1st Seg
FirstWrapRadi = RingRadi + ThicknessFactor*SheetThick + Gap

K,1001,FirstWrapRadi,0,0
K,1002,FirstWrapRadi,0,RingThick

K,1003,FirstWrapRadi,20,0
K,1004,FirstWrapRadi,20,RingThick

L,1001,1002
L,1002,1004
L,1004,1003
L,1003,1001

FLST,2,4,4
FITEM,2,33
FITEM,2,34
FITEM,2,35
FITEM,2,36
AL,P51X

!------------------------------ Meshing 1st Seg--------------------------------------
SegmentElements = 20*(RingDivisions/90)

LESIZE,33,,,5
LESIZE,34,,,SegmentElements
LESIZE,35,,,5
LESIZE,36,,,SegmentElements

CSYS,1
MAT,2
MSHK,1 ! MAPPED MESH

ESIZE,,5
AMESH,21
! --------------------------------------- CONTACT PAIR ----------------------------

! /COM, CONTACT PAIR CREATION - START
CM,_NODECM,NODE
CM,_ELEMCM,ELEM
CM,_KPCM,KP
CM,_LINECM,LINE
CM,_AREACM,AREA
CM,_VOLUCM,VOLU
! /GSAV,cwz,gsav,,temp
MP,MU,3,COF
MAT,3
MP,EMIS,3,7.88860905221e-031
R,3
REAL,3
ET,3,170
ET,4,174
R,3,,,1.0,0.1,0,
RMORE,,,1.0E20,0.0,1.0,
RMORE,0.0,0,1.0,,1.0,0.5
RMORE,0,1.0,1.0,0.0,,1.0
KEYOPT,4,4,0
KEYOPT,4,5,1
KEYOPT,4,7,0
KEYOPT,4,8,0
KEYOPT,4,9,0
KEYOPT,4,10,1
KEYOPT,4,11,0
KEYOPT,4,12,0
KEYOPT,4,2,0
KEYOPT,3,5,0
! Generate the target surface
ASEL,S,,,10
CM,_TARGET,AREA
TYPE,3
NSLA,S,1
ESLN,S,0
ESURF,ALL
CMSEL,S,_ELEMCM
! Generate the contact surface
ASEL,S,,,21
CM,_CONTACT,AREA
TYPE,4
NSLA,S,1
ESLN,S,0
ESURF,ALL
*SET,_REALID,3
ALLSEL
ESEL,ALL
ESEL,S,TYPE,,3
ESEL,A,TYPE,,4
ESEL,R,REAL,,3
! /PSYMB,ESYS,1
! /PNUM,TYPE,1
! /NUM,1
! EPLOT
ESEL,ALL
ESEL,S,TYPE,,3
ESEL,A,TYPE,,4
ESEL,R,REAL,,3
CMSEL,A,_NODECM
CMDEL,_NODECM
CMSEL,A,_ELEMCM
CMDEL,_ELEMCM
CMSEL,S,_KPCM
CMDEL,_KPCM
CMSEL,S,_LINECM
CMDEL,_LINECM
CMSEL,S,_AREACM
CMDEL,_AREACM
CMSEL,S,_VOLUCM
CMDEL,_VOLUCM
! /GRES,cwz,gsav
CMDEL,_TARGET
CMDEL,_CONTACT
! /COM, CONTACT PAIR CREATION - END

DL,33, , ALL, ,
DA,3,ALL,
DA,9,ALL,
DA,14,ALL,
DA,18,ALL,
FINISH

!-------------------------------- Solution 1st Segment -----------------------------
/SOLU
AUTOTS,ON ! TURN ON AUTOMATIC LOAD STEPPING
NSUBST,10
OUTPR,,10

FLST,2,6,1,ORDE,3
FITEM,2,1303
FITEM,2,1309
FITEM,2,-1313
F,P51X,FX,-(Tension*(0.34202014332566873304409961468226)/6 )

FLST,2,6,1,ORDE,3
FITEM,2,1303
FITEM,2,1309
FITEM,2,-1313
F,P51X,FY, (Tension*(0.93969262078590838405410927732473)/6 )

SOLVE
SAVE
FINISH

!-------------------------------- 2nd Segment --------------------------------
/PREP7
K,2003,FirstWrapRadi,40,0
L,2003,1003

ADRAG, 35, , , , , , 37
ANORM, 21,

!------------------------------ Meshing 2nd Segment --------------------------------------
LESIZE,39,,,SegmentElements
LESIZE,38,,,5
LESIZE,40,,,SegmentElements

CSYS,1
MAT,2
MSHK,1 ! MAPPED MESH

ESIZE,,5
AMESH,22
!-------------------------------- Contact Pair 2nd Segment --------------------------------
! /COM, CONTACT PAIR CREATION - START
CM,_NODECM,NODE
CM,_ELEMCM,ELEM
CM,_KPCM,KP
CM,_LINECM,LINE
CM,_AREACM,AREA
CM,_VOLUCM,VOLU
! /GSAV,cwz,gsav,,temp
MP,MU,4,COF
MAT,4
MP,EMIS,4,7.88860905221e-031
R,4
REAL,4
ET,5,170
ET,6,174
R,4,,,1.0,0.1,0,
RMORE,,,1.0E20,0.0,1.0,
RMORE,0.0,0,1.0,,1.0,0.5
RMORE,0,1.0,1.0,0.0,,1.0
KEYOPT,6,4,0
KEYOPT,6,5,1
KEYOPT,6,7,0
KEYOPT,6,8,0
KEYOPT,6,9,0
KEYOPT,6,10,1
KEYOPT,6,11,0
KEYOPT,6,12,0
KEYOPT,6,2,0
KEYOPT,5,5,0
! Generate the target surface
ASEL,S,,,10
CM,_TARGET,AREA
TYPE,5
NSLA,S,1
ESLN,S,0
ESURF,ALL
CMSEL,S,_ELEMCM
! Generate the contact surface
ASEL,S,,,22
CM,_CONTACT,AREA
TYPE,6
NSLA,S,1
ESLN,S,0
ESURF,ALL
*SET,_REALID,4
ALLSEL
ESEL,ALL
ESEL,S,TYPE,,5
ESEL,A,TYPE,,6
ESEL,R,REAL,,4
! /PSYMB,ESYS,1
! /PNUM,TYPE,1
! /NUM,1
! EPLOT
ESEL,ALL
ESEL,S,TYPE,,5
ESEL,A,TYPE,,6
ESEL,R,REAL,,4
CMSEL,A,_NODECM
CMDEL,_NODECM
CMSEL,A,_ELEMCM
CMDEL,_ELEMCM
CMSEL,S,_KPCM
CMDEL,_KPCM
CMSEL,S,_LINECM
CMDEL,_LINECM
CMSEL,S,_AREACM
CMDEL,_AREACM
CMSEL,S,_VOLUCM
CMDEL,_VOLUCM
! /GRES,cwz,gsav
CMDEL,_TARGET
CMDEL,_CONTACT
! /COM, CONTACT PAIR CREATION - END

FINISH
!---------------------------- Loadin 2nd Segment ------------------------------------------------------
/SOL
ANTYPE,,REST ! RESTART ANALYSIS

AUTOTS,ON ! TURN ON AUTOMATIC LOAD STEPPING
NSUBST,10
OUTPR,,10

FLST,2,6,1,ORDE,3
FITEM,2,1339
FITEM,2,1345
FITEM,2,-1349
F,P51X,FX,-(Tension*(0.64278760968653932632264340990726)/6 )

FLST,2,6,1,ORDE,3
FITEM,2,1339
FITEM,2,1345
FITEM,2,-1349
F,P51X,FY, (Tension*(0.76604444311897803520239265055542)/6 )

ALLSEL
SOLVE
SAVE
FINISH
! ------------------------ Plot -------------------------------------------------
/POST1
AVPRIN,0, ,
PLNSOL,U,SUM,0,1

 

[Stringmaker]

HStruc,
I too generated the same error you were. When looking at the elements attached to the area component _CONTACT when generating the second set of contact elements there appears to be something very funny going on there. When plotting elements attached to the area there are extra elements on the Line 35 side of the area. Also, when you plot element normals these appear on Line 35 which is not in the center of an element, and should not be happening. Have you tried creating your geometry (areas, volumes, solid & shell elements in this case) via GUI then performing all contact element generation and solution execution with an input file? If you can contact Ansys support about this. I'm stumped too.

-Brian