Cyclic Symmetry

Cyclic symmetry is another type of symmetry about a line. It is best described in terms of a cylindrical coordinate system having its Z axis on the line of symmetry. The structure, loading, and displacements are each said to be cyclically symmetric about a line if they vary with angular position in a repeated (periodic) fashion.

Enforce cyclic symmetry using the Local Constraint as follows:

For example, suppose a structure is composed of six identical 60° sectors, identically loaded. If two adjacent sectors were modeled, each Local Constraint would apply to a set of two joints, except that three joints would be constrained on the symmetry planes at 0°, 60°, and 120°.

If a single sector is modeled, only joints on the symmetry planes need to be constrained.