pycalculix 1.1.4

Python 3 library to build and solve finite element analysis (FEA) models in Calculix.

• Meshing uses Calculix or GMSH

• Website: http://justinablack.com/pycalculix/

• Source Code: https://github.com/spacether/pycalculix

• Documentation: https://pythonhosted.org/pycalculix/

Useful applications of Pycalculix:

• Trade studies for plane stress, plane strain, or axisymmetric parts

• Quick Kt analysis of 2D geometry

• Learning finite element analyis (FEA) and Python

Notes:

I build a chunker in python which tries to cut big areas (> 5 sides) which cgx can’t mesh into smaller areas (<= 5 sides) which are meshable in cgx. The chunker may not always be able to cut areas correctly.

Elements Supported:

Axisymmetric, plane stress, and plane strain elements are supported. First and second order triangles and quadrilaterals are supported.

• First order elements only have corner nodes

• Second order elements have corner and mid-side nodes

Second order elements produce more accurate results Setting element divisions on lines is supported

Geometry Building:

One can build separate parts made of points, lines, arcs, and areas. One can draw a part made of straight lines, then smooth out corners by adding blends/fillets with the part method: part.fillet_lines(L1, L2, arc_radius) The new fillet will be tangent to both adjacent lines.

Loading:

• Force loading

• Constant pressure

• Linearly varying pressure (water pressure)

• Gravity

• Rotational speed forces

• Displacement constraints are supported

• Loads are stored on geometry primitives (points lines etc) and can be applied before or after meshing

Examples:

https://github.com/spacether/pycalculix/tree/master/examples