You should always take advantage of a model’s symmetry when carrying out a simulation. By splitting the model in half, you can often save half the computational effort, time, and core hours. Bear in mind that some boundary condition values must be halved, while others remain the same.
The following boundary conditions must be halved:
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FEA
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Force
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Remote force
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Elastic support
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Bolt preload (if the bolt is cut in half by the symmetry plane)
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Point mass (if the mass is on the symmetry plane)
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CFD
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Flow-rates (but not velocities!)
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Absolute power sources (but not specific power sources!)
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Area or volume-specific values are not halved but receive the same value as for the full model