6-1

CHAPTER 6

Analyzing a Model

Objectives In this exercise you will learn to

• Set the initial condition.

• Use simulation controls.
• Measure reaction forces.
• Display vectors.
• Specify the translucency of a body.
• Fine-tune a simulation and verify the result.

Software SimWise 4D or SimWise 3D Motion

Support Files • Tutorials\Chapter 06\Piston.wm3

6-2 Chapter 6—Analyzing a Model

The SimWise models that you analyze can be

created by 1) exporting a model from your favorite CAD software as
discussed in Chapter 5, “Exploring CAD Integration and Associativity”,
2) building a model from scratch in SimWise, as discussed in Chapter 7,
“Building a Model”, or 3) opening a CAD file within SimWise.

Open the Model File

1. Launch SimWise.

2. Choose Open from the File menu.

3. Browse to locate Tutorials\Chapter 06\Piston.wm3 and click Open.

The model of the piston assembly is displayed in the document
window, as shown in the figure below.

Figure 6-1
Model of a Piston Assembly

4. Click the Run button in the Tape Player Control.

This base model shows the piston mechanism in motion, driven by the
motor attached to the crankshaft. Since this is the first time the simulation
is run, SimWise calculates the dynamics and stores the
data.

5. Repeat the simulation by clicking the Stop button, then the Reset
button, and then the Run button again. The animation may be faster this
time because the history has already been calculated.
 Set the Initial Condition 6-3

Set the Initial Condition

SimWise allows you to manipulate and configure parts
without breaking the assembly constraints that were created when the
model was built in SimWise or in the CAD system. In this
step, you will move the piston assembly’s configuration so that the
simulation starts halfway through the combustion or compression cycle.

1. Click the Move tool in the Edit toolbar.

2. Move the mouse over the side surface of the crankshaft counterweight.

As you move the mouse over objects in the modeling window, a dashed box
appears around them to show that they are framed.

Figure 6-2
Bounding Box Showing
Framed Object

3. Hold the mouse button down, and drag the mouse to rotate the
crankshaft. As you drag the mouse, the crank rotates around the crank
pin.

4. Position the crankshaft so that the piston is halfway through the down
stroke, as shown in the next figure.
6-4 Chapter 6—Analyzing a Model

Figure 6-3
Piston Rotated Halfway through
the Full Stroke

You can change the configuration by using the Move tool to drag any
of the moving parts in the model. Try dragging the piston head or the
connecting rod. The movement stops when the parts are dragged to the
mechanical limits imposed by the physical joints.

5. Click the Run button in the Tape Player Control. The simulation runs
again, starting from its new initial position.

6. Click the Stop button, then reset the simulation by clicking the Reset
button. The piston assembly returns to the new initial position, halfway
through the full stroke.

Use Simulation Controls

You can add input sliders to dynamically change the properties of a
constraint as the simulation is running. You can also use data from a table to
control a simulation. Unlike input sliders, the table data input is not an
interactive control. In the table, you specify values to be applied at listed
times throughout the simulation.

Use an Input Slider as a Simulation Control

In this step, you will add an input slider that controls the angular velocity of the
motor that turns the piston’s crank.
 Use Simulation Controls 6-5

1. Select the revolute motor Concentric1 in the Object List.

2. In the Insert menu, Choose Control, and then choose Rotational

Velocity in the Control submenu. This displays the Choose Input
Type dialog.

Figure 6-4
Choose Input Type Dialog

3. Choose Slider and click OK. An input slider window appears above the
modeling window with the title Rot. Velocity of Concentric1 as shown
in the figure below.

Figure 6-5
New Input Slider for Rotational
Velocity of Motor

4. Select the input slider, then choose Properties in the Edit menu.

5. Click the Appearance tab in the Properties window, then enter Motor
Rotational Velocity as the name for this input slider. The new name
appears as the title of the input slider window.
6-6 Chapter 6—Analyzing a Model

Figure 6-6
Properties Window
(Appearance Page) for Input
Slider

6. Click the Input tab in the Properties window, then enter 0 as the
minimum value for the input range and 3600 as the maximum value.
The numbers are interpreted in degrees per second.

Figure 6-7
Properties Window
(Input Page) for Input Slider

7. Close the Properties window.

8. Click the Run button in the Tape Player Control.

9. As the simulation runs, try dragging the input slider to higher and lower
values.

As you drag the slider to the right, the angular velocity of the motor
increases and the crank rotates more quickly. Conversely, as you drag the
slider to the left, the crank rotates more slowly.

10. Click the Stop button, then reset the simulation by clicking the Reset
button. The piston assembly returns to the initial position, halfway
through the down stroke.

11. Close the input slider window.

 Use Simulation Controls 6-7

The input slider is still available in the Object List, but it is temporarily
hidden from view. You can re-display the input slider by double-clicking it in the
Object List.

The slider is also listed on Charts and Meters page of the Object
Manager.

Use a Table as a Simulation Control

You can also use data from tables to control a simulation. You can directly
enter data in a table in SimWise, or you can import the table data from a file.

In this section, you will create a table that provides torque inputs to the
revolute motor.

NOTE: The default table configuration is to index value parameters to time.

However, you can index value parameters to any other variable. To do so, you
use Formulas as shown below.

To create an input control for table data:

1. Select Concentric1, a revolute motor, in the Object List.

2. In the Insert menu, choose Control, and then choose Torque in the
Control submenu.

3. Select Table as the Input Type and click OK. The Insert Table window
is displayed.
6-8 Chapter 6—Analyzing a Model

Figure 6-8
Insert Table Window
“Lookup” refers to the
independent variable
(here, time) to be used when
“looking up” the corresponding
dependent variable (Value).

4. Enter the time (independent variable) and Value (dependent variable)

entries in the table as shown above. Use the data shown in the figure.
You can also click the Browse (...) button to enter a formula for the
Lookup value.

5. Click OK.

6. Run the simulation.

SimWise applies the torque values at the time intervals specified in the table
during the simulation.

7. Stop and reset the simulation.

Measure Reaction Forces

You can add meters to the model to measure the reaction forces in the
piston assembly. For example, in this step, you will create a meter to
measure the constraint force experienced by the revolute joint connecting the
connecting rod and piston pin.

1. Select Piston Pin-1 in the Object List. The list of constraints and
Coords connected to the piston pin appears in the Connections List.

2. Select Concentric5, the revolute joint that connects the connecting rod
to the piston pin, in the Connections List.

Note that coord[39] on Piston Pin-1 and coord[38] on Connecting Rod-

1 are listed as the Coords attached to Concentric5 in the Connections
List.
 Measure Reaction Forces 6-9

3. Make sure that Concentric5 is selected in the Object List and choose
Meter in the Insert menu. Then choose Constraint Force... in the
Meter submenu. The Measure Constraint Force/Torque dialog
appears.

Figure 6-9
Constraint Force Settings
Dialog

4. Choose to “Measure Concentric5 Force on Connecting Rod-1

expressed in coord[38] on Connecting Rod-1” and click OK.

A new meter window opens, titled Concentric5 Force on Connecting

Rod-1 in coord[38] on Connecting Rod-1.

5. The Tiling Options dialog appears. Select Tile Horizontally and click
OK to display the model and the meter side-by-side.

The new meter will display the x, y, and z components and the total
constraint force exerted by Concentric5 on the Connecting Rod-1 as
separate curves on the same graph.
6-10 Chapter 6—Analyzing a Model

Figure 6-10
Constraint Force Meter Window

6. Click the Run button in the Tape Player Control.

As the simulation runs, the values of the x, y, and z components and the
total constraint force between the piston pin and the connecting rod are
plotted in the meter window. Notice how Fx and Fy oscillate as the crank
rotates through a full stroke, as shown in figure below.

Figure 6-11
Constraint Force Meter Window
 Display the Angular Acceleration of the Connecting Rod 6-11

NOTE: Your results may not match the figure shown. The appearance of the plots
depends upon the initial position of the crankshaft and the torque values
entered in the table that drives the motor.

7. Click the Stop button. Reset the simulation by clicking the Reset
button. The piston assembly returns to the initial position.

8. Close the meter window.

The meter is still available in the Object List, but it is temporarily hidden
from view. You can redisplay the meter by double-clicking it in the meter
page of the Object List.

Display the Angular Acceleration of the

Connecting Rod
SimWise allows you to visualize vectors in 3D space as
the simulation runs. Although the animated simulation itself serves as a
powerful visualization tool, hard-to-see qualitative data such as vectors
reveal even more information that can’t be seen in a physical prototype.

In this step, you will display vectors that show the acceleration of the
connecting rod.

1. Double-click Connecting Rod-1 in the Object List.

2. Click the Vectors checkbox in the Properties List.

The Vectors page is displayed in the Properties window, as shown in

following figure.

Figure 6-12
Properties Window
(Vectors Page) for the
Connecting Rod
6-12 Chapter 6—Analyzing a Model

3. Click the Angular Acceleration box to put a check mark in it. Close
the Properties window.

4. Click the Toggle Wireframe button in the View toolbar.

The modeling window changes to a wireframe rendering, which will make it

easier for you to see the acceleration vector (which is often hidden by the
sides of the crank) as the simulation runs.

5. Click the Run button in the Tape Player Control.

As the simulation runs, the angular acceleration vector is displayed, but can
be difficult to see because of its size. In the next step, you will resize the
acceleration vector to make it easier to see.

6. Click the Stop button, then reset the simulation by clicking the Reset
button.

Make the Angular Acceleration Vector More Visible

You can change the size and color of the vectors displayed to make them
more visible as the simulation runs.

1. Choose Display Settings in the World menu and click Vectors in the
Display Settings menu pane. The vector settings dialog appears.

Figure 6-13
Vector settings

2. Enter 0.07 for the scaling factor for the length of the Angular
Acceleration vector and click the Apply button.

3. Click the color button next to the Angular Acceleration label. Click the
Other button to select a different color for the vector. The Color dialog
appears.
 Display the Angular Acceleration of the Connecting Rod 6-13

Figure 6-14
Color Dialog

4. Choose a bright red color and click OK to close the Color dialog. The
angular acceleration vector will now be displayed in red.

5. Close the vector settings dialog.

6. Click the Run button in the Tape Player Control.

As the simulation runs, note that the angular acceleration vector attached to
the connecting rod switches sides (because the acceleration switches
direction halfway through the full cycle), as shown in following figure.

Figure 6-15
Angular Acceleration Vector on
Connecting Rod

Angular
Acceleration
Vector

7. Click the Stop button, then reset the simulation by clicking the Reset
button.
6-14 Chapter 6—Analyzing a Model

See Through Bodies

SimWise provides an alternative to selecting a shaded or wireframe view of your
drawing. The alternative is variable translucency, a feature that allows you to
quickly render one or several bodies translucent. This is helpful when you want
to view internal constraints and coords or obstructed bodies before or during
a simulation.

1. Choose Shaded from the View menu.

2. Double-click the piston head to view its Properties window.

3. Click the Color checkbox in the Properties List of the Object

Manager. The Color page appears as shown in the figure below.

Figure 6-16 Scroll here

Properties Window
Color Page

Specify
Translucency

4. Enter 0.4 in the Translucency text region and press Enter.

You may have to move the dialog so that you can view the piston head in the
modeling window.
 Fine-tune the Simulation 6-15

Figure 6-17
Translucent Piston Head

5. Try entering different translucency values ranging from 0 (least

translucent or opaque) to 1 (most translucent or invisible).

Fine-tune the Simulation

Up to this point, the piston mechanism has been driven by a motor
constraint attached to the crankshaft. In a more realistic simulation of an
internal combustion engine, a throttle force generated by a gas explosion in
a cylinder chamber would push the piston down to torque the crankshaft. In
this last step, you will fine-tune the model to simulate this more realistic
scenario.

Convert the Motor

First, you will convert the motor to a revolute joint.

1. Double-click the revolute motor Concentric1 in the Object List. The

constraint’s properties are displayed in the Properties window.

2. Click the Constraint tab.

3. Select Revolute Joint from the list of available constraints, as shown

in the following figure. The motor is replaced by a revolute joint.

4. Close the dialog.

6-16 Chapter 6—Analyzing a Model

Figure 6-18
Constraint Settings Dialog

Attach a Force Load

Next, you will attach a force load to the top of the piston to simulate the force
generated by a gas explosion in a cylinder chamber.

1. If you have not already done so, select Shaded from the View menu.
The modeling window changes to a shaded rendering of the piston,
which will make it easier to complete the next steps.

2. Click on the background to de-select everything and then press “T” on

the keyboard so that you can see the top of the piston head. Click the
Rotate Around tool in the View toolbar and use the mouse to rotate
the piston.

Your view should be similar to that in the following figure.

Figure 6-19
Top of the Piston Head

3. Click the Force tool in the Sketch toolbar.

4. Click the mouse pointer at the top of the piston, near the center. (The
precise location of the attachment is not important for this exercise.)

5. Double-click the force icon in the modeling window or in the Object

List to display the Properties window.
 Fine-tune the Simulation 6-17

6. Click the Structural Load tab, then enter -10 in the y-field to apply a
10 Newton force downward. The force’s Coord attachment dictates this
orientation setting.

Figure 6-20
Properties Window
(Structural Load Page)

7. Close the dialog.

8. Choose Go Home in the View menu to restore the original view of the
piston assembly.

9. Click the Run button in the Tape Player Control.

As the simulation runs, the piston behaves like a pendulum because the force
is applied constantly, which isn’t a realistic scenario.

10. Click the Stop button, then reset the simulation by clicking the Reset
button.

Modify the Force to Simulate Realistic Throttle

As a final step, you will modify the force to simulate realistic throttle by using a
formula to control when the force is applied.

1. Double-click the force icon in the modeling window or in the Object

List to display its Properties window.

2. Click the Active tab to go to the Active page of the Properties window.

3. Click the Active while: radio button, and then click the (...) button to
display the Formula Editor dialog.
6-18 Chapter 6—Analyzing a Model

Figure 6-21
Formula Editor Dialog
(Active Page) for Force

4. Enter the following formula, and click OK.

and(body[12].v.z<=0, mag(body[4].w)<600 rpm)

The expression returns angular velocity in radians per second. The formula
applies the explosive force only when the piston is coming down, and cuts off
the push to limit the motor to approximately 600 rpm.

Figure 6-22
Properties Window
(Active Page) for Force

5. Close the Properties window.

6. Run the simulation. The piston behaves as expected under the

realistic throttle force.

7. Stop the simulation and click the reset button.

Verify the Result

You can verify that your model is accurate by creating a meter to measure
angular velocity of the crankshaft, and setting the angular velocity unit
system to RPM. The angular velocity of the crankshaft should settle at
around 600 rpm.

1. Select Crank-1, the left half of the crank, in the Object List.
 Fine-tune the Simulation 6-19

2. Choose Meter in the Insert menu, and then choose Angular Velocity
in the submenu. A new meter window appears.

3. Select Tile Horizontally and click OK.

4. Choose Display Settings in the World menu and click Units tab of the
Display Settings menu.

Figure 6-23
Units Page

Choose
“rpm”

5. Choose rpm in the Rot. Vel. pull-down list.

6. Close the settings window.

7. Run the simulation.

As the simulation runs, the angular velocity, |W|, grows to approximately

600 rpm, then levels off, as shown in Figure 6-24.

8. Stop the simulation and click the reset button.

6-20 Chapter 6—Analyzing a Model

Figure 6-24
Angular Velocity Meter