The most important command in an automated cyclic symmetry analysis is CYCLIC, which initiates a cyclic analysis and configures the database accordingly. The command automatically detects cyclic symmetry model information such as edge components, the number of sectors, the sector angles, and the corresponding cyclic coordinate system.
The ANTYPE command specifies the analysis type (for example, static, modal or buckling), and the SOLVE command obtains the cyclic solution.
Other cyclic-specific commands include:
/CYCEXPAND for graphically expanding displacements, stresses and strains of a cyclically symmetric model (/PREP7 and /POST1)
CYCPHASE for determining minimum and maximum possible modal result values from frequency couplets during postprocessing (/POST1)
EXPAND as an alternate method for displaying the results of a modal cyclic symmetry analysis.
Depending upon the type of cyclic symmetry analysis that you want to perform and your specific needs, it may be necessary to issue other commands. For example:
In a prestressed modal cyclic symmetry analysis, you must issue the PSTRES,ON command during the static portion of the analysis to calculate the prestress effects for the subsequent modal analysis. (The PSTRES command is not needed if the linear perturbation analysis procedure is used.)
During modal postprocessing, you may want to issue the ANCYC command to apply a traveling wave animation to your cyclic model.
The sections of this document describing various cyclic symmetry analyses mention such commands as necessary. For more information, see Cyclic Symmetry Overview.