FATIGUE EVALUATION

USING ANSYS NCODE

DESIGNLIFE
Short overview of fatigue
Introduction to nCode Design Life products
nCode Design Life basic procedure
Main Glyph items
Duty Cycle procedure example
New features for nCode 6.0
OBJECTIVES
To make it simple, fatigue is a special structural failure structural failure, due
to crack growth caused by repeated loading cycles repeated loading cycles.
Usually loads that result in fatigue failure cause stress levels
that are below the yield stress limit of the material.
In other words, a specific load magnitude may not cause failure in a not cause failure in a
single application single application, but it may result in fatigue failure after several fatigue failure after several
cycles cycles.
FATIGUE ANALYSIS
Why perform a fatigue analysis? Why perform a fatigue analysis? Cant the resistance to
fatigue be estimated from a stress analysis?
Sometimes it can! Sometimes it can!
Other design factors may contribute to fatigue life.
Parts subjected to very simple loading conditions.
But, if the component is subjected to complex loads that complex loads that
vary with time vary with time, a simple stress study can lead to incorrect
results. In this case, a fatigue analysis is recommended.
FATIGUE ANALYSIS
nCode Design Life is an advanced tool for fatigue evaluation,
developed by HBM.
Fully integrated with ANSYS WorkBench 11.0 SP1.
New version (for ANSYS 12.1) to be released this month.
INTRODUCTION TO NCODE DESIGN LIFE PRODUCTS
Different modules are available, with specific capabilities.
INTRODUCTION TO NCODE DESIGN LIFE PRODUCTS
Package/Module Description
ANSYS nCode DesignLife Standard Base package including Stress-Life, Strain-
Life and Dang Van analyzers
ANSYS nCode DesignLife Modules/add-ons
ANSYS nCode DesignLife
Vibration
Adds ability to do vibration fatigue
analysis. Simulate swept sine and PSD
loadings
ANSYS nCode DesignLife
Accelerated Testing
Signal processing package complementary
to vibration option. Design accelerated virtual
and physical vibration tests.
ANSYS nCode DesignLife
Welds
Fatigue life prediction for seam welds and
spot welds.
ANSYS nCode DesignLife
Parallelization
DesignLife is multi-threaded and licensed
per core with one core included in the base
package.
What does nCode Design Life and ANSYS Fatigue tools have
in common?
They are both post post--processors processors, reading results from ANSYS.
Some basic features basic features are available in both modules.
nCode Design Life provides some additional advanced
features, unavailable in ANSYS Fatigue Tools:
Several signal treatment tools signal treatment tools, for load time histories;
More material models material models (like Dang Van multiaxial method);
More complex fatigue calculations complex fatigue calculations (like vibration analysis and
accumulated damage evaluation);
Easier to capture fatigue design intent design intent (with workflow templates
and reference files);
More detailed post post--processing processing (like hot-spot identification).
NCODE DESIGN LIFE x ANSYS FATIGUE TOOLS
nCode Design Life reads the stress results from the ANSYS
simulation.
Loading histories can be defined directly in Design Life.
NCODE DESIGN LIFE BASIC PROCEDURE
nCode Design Life main screen
NCODE DESIGN LIFE BASIC PROCEDURE
Desktop
Reference Files
(*.RST, loading curves...)
Glyph Library
A Glyph Glyph is a tool that represents a specific stage or operation
from the fatigue calculation.
For example, there are glyphs for geometry import, material definition,
postprocessing
Each glyph has input and output connections.
Right-clicking a glyph provides advanced properties
configuration.
In Design Life, the user can define a fatigue calculation
procedure by assembling some glyphs, creating a workflow creating a workflow.
NCODE DESIGN LIFE BASIC PROCEDURE
Some Glyph libraries available in nCode Design Life.
NCODE DESIGN LIFE BASIC PROCEDURE
Considering a typical SN fatigue calculation, the following
glyphs are used:
FE Input : FEA results import and load case combination
SN Analysis : material definitions, loading conditions and fatigue solution
advanced properties
Hot Spot Detection : identification of critical points for damage plots
FE Display : result plots
Data Values Display : result tables
NCODE DESIGN LIFE BASIC PROCEDURE
Glyphs are connected, sharing and transferring information.
This fatigue map can be saved can be saved as a Design Life workflow.
NCODE DESIGN LIFE BASIC PROCEDURE
Direct recognition Direct recognition of ANSYS results files (*.RST);
Several cases can be combined in one single results file.
Results from the FEA model can be visualized in the Design
Life interface;
FINITE ELEMENT INPUT
nCode DesignLife automatically recognizes groups automatically recognizes groups, based
on FEA file information.
Parts, materials, element types
User defined groups User defined groups can be created, with on-screen
selection of nodes or elements.
FINITE ELEMENT INPUT
nCode DesignLife allows the definition of several fatigue
material models, including:
SN curves SN curves (standard, mean multi-curves, R-ratio multi-curves, Haigh
multi-curves, Bastenaire and temperature multi-curves);
N curves N curves (standard, mean multi-curves, R-ratio multi-curves and
temperature multi-curves);
Dang Van Dang Van multiaxial safety factor;
Spot Weld Spot Weld analysis;
Seam Weld Seam Weld analysis;
MATERIAL MODELS
nCode Design Life comes
with a demo material
database, with 100+
example materials, with
different curves!
Fatigue curves can be derived from mechanical properties derived from mechanical properties.
For example, curve based on ultimate tensile stress of the material.
The curves can also be manually specified manually specified.
For example, a list of stress-cycle pairs to define a SN curve.
MATERIAL MODELS
Time Series
Time history is obtained from transient analysis.
Constant Amplitude
Creates a 2 point stress history, by scaling and linear superposition.
Time Step
Combination of static loadcases to generate stress/strain history.
Vibration
Determines the rain flow to be used for further analysis.
Duty Cycle
Evaluates the combined effect of repeating loading events, with
accumulated damage calculation.
These loading conditions can be derived from FEA results,
from static, transient, modal and harmonic analysis.
LOADING CONDITIONS
The fatigue solver provides some advanced setup options advanced setup options,
such as:
Result to be read Result to be read from FEA (stress, strain, displacement );
Method for combination Method for combination of stress/strain components (Absolute Max
Principal, Signed von Mises, Signed Shear, Critical Plane);
Mean stress correction Mean stress correction (Goodman, Gerber, Morrow, SWT);
Elastic plastic correction Elastic plastic correction (Hoffmann-Seeger, Neuber);
Duty cycle event processing event processing (independent, combined);
Calculations on surface nodes only surface nodes only;
Groups Groups to be processed;
Unit system Unit system of the imported file;
Check for static failure static failure;
ADVANCED OPTIONS
The fatigue solver provides results like damage, life, biaxiality
ratio and dominant stress direction.
Results are available in contour plots contour plots and data tables data tables.
The hotspot glyph identifies the most critical regions most critical regions.
POST-PROCESSING FEATURES
Study of a steel lever, subjected to 4 loading classes.
Each class is defined by two loads, shown on the next slide.
SN Fatigue study is performed, with accumulated damage
evaluation (via duty cycle).
Frictionless supports are defined on the holes and hub base.
DUTY CYCLE EXAMPLE
DUTY CYCLE EXAMPLE
Class
Numb. of
Cycles
Tension Force (N) Remote Force (N)
Max Min Max Min
1 10598 1500 200 700 -600
2 8673 600 400 950 -1200
3 4802 1700 500 450 -300
4 2610 200 50 100 -250
A
B
Tension Force, applied on the hole,
in the X-direction
Remote Force, aligned with holes
axis, at Z = 30mm, in the Y-direction
Two simulations are performed (max. and min. angles).
Each simulation includes 4 loadsteps (one for each class).
DUTY CYCLE EXAMPLE
2 RST files are created.
They are renamed for
easier reference, as
MAX.RST and MIN.RST
Design Life is available on the WorkBench launcher.
A working directory is selected, where the RST files are.
DUTY CYCLE EXAMPLE
Workflow for the fatigue duty cycle calculation.
DUTY CYCLE EXAMPLE
Reads FEA results
Combine files
Material Properties
Loading Definition
Advanced Run Options
Critical Regions
Contour Plots
Data Tables
RST files are dragged to the FE Input glyph.
Since a duty cycle analysis will be performed, those files are
combined in a single one.
Mesh and FEA results can be visualized in this glyph as well.
DUTY CYCLE EXAMPLE
A demo material will be used, with fatigue behavior derived
from mechanical properties (UTS = 400 MPa).
DUTY CYCLE EXAMPLE
Loading history must be defined as a duty cycle.
Each class is a duty cycle event (time step load provider).
Number of cycles (repeats) is defined for each event.
DUTY CYCLE EXAMPLE
In each event, results can be selected from the global file,
defining the loading conditions of this event.
DUTY CYCLE EXAMPLE
Class #1 is defined by the results from
loadstep 1, from both simulations
(MAX.RST and MIN.RST).
Class
Numb. of
Cycles
Tension Force (N) Remote Force (N)
Max Min Max Min
1 10598 1500 200 700 -600
It is important to check if the run options are properly defined,
in the Advanced Edit window.
DUTY CYCLE EXAMPLE
The solution is ready to run. Diagnostic messages can be
obtained during the calculation for debug purposes.
DUTY CYCLE EXAMPLE
In the results post-processing, damage values can be studied.
The hotspot feature identifies the 10 most critical nodes, showing
their location over the geometry.
DUTY CYCLE EXAMPLE
Fully-integrated with ANSYS 12.1, available in May 2010
Main new features:
Virtual Strain Gage
Glyph for fatigue crack propagation
Better integration with optimization tools like DesignXplorer and
modeFrontier
Named Selections recognition from WorkBench
NEW FEATURES FOR NCODE 6.0
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
NCODE DESIGN LIFE,
CONTACT OUR TEAM
THANK YOU