Loading - Fusion 360

[LeninGX8ZE]

Greetings,

Does anyone know how the load is applied  in the following situation:

Assume I have a 2kN/m2 load (unfactored) - that I want to apply to a surface area..

Scenario 1 - Should it be applied as pressure over the surface in MPa 

or 

Scenario 2- Apply the load as force on the selected surface area (if so, does it take the load to be 2kN/m2 or 2 kN over the whole surface )

[jhackney1972 · Accepted solution]

You would use Scenario 2 since you want a Force applied to the area you select.  The second part of the question needs some consideration.  You mentioned a force per unit area.  This means that you have to calculate the area of the structural surface in your model and then compare it to the area in your force quantity.  You gave 2kN/m2 so it your area you are applying the force to is calculated as 2 square meters, then you would apply a force of 4kN.  That is my interpretation.  

[LeninGX8ZE · Accepted solution]

Good morning John,

Beforehand, thank you for the time you took to reply to my question.

Do you know in which scenarios  we would be using Pressure as loading ? 

Since one could convert either units (Mpa to kN/m2 and viceversa) , to either have force or pressure. I would have assumed that having one type of loading input (eg. all loads to be applied in kN or kN/m2 ) would be far simpler to have?

[jhackney1972 · Accepted solution]

Force is a directional load where Pressure is a multi-directional load such as the pressure within a bottle.  Force can be applied to a defined area where pressure cannot.  You are applying a force to the complete surface but you could isolate specific areas, using the split face tool, but you cannot do that with pressure.