Workshop 7B

Introduction to Contact

Penetration Tolerance Study

(FTOLN)
REFERENCE:
Training Manual
Introduction to Contact (7-36)

7B. Introduction to Contact

Penetration Tolerance Study

Workshop Supplement

Demonstrate the effect of varying the penetration tolerance

Goal
Perform a sensitivity study by varying the penetration
tolerance factor (+FTOLN) and comparing the results
Model Description
2D plane stress
Applied pressure load

5500 psi
0 psi

applied
pressure load
0 psi

Beam #1

1/2 symmetry

contact zone

Beam #2

Basic Structural Nonlinearities

Purpose

1/2 symmetry

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7B. Introduction to Contact

Penetration Tolerance Study

Workshop Supplement

1.

Open (or read in) the input file named BNL_W07B_FTOLN.inp:

Use the GUI menu method:

Select the Open ANSYS File ICON

Select the file BNL_W07B_FTOLN.inp

Click OK

Or Command Input Method:

/INPUT, BNL_W07B_FTOLN.inp

Note: This file consists of APDL input which

will automatically erase the current database
from previous session, change the jobname
to W07B-BNL. It will then generate the
geometry, including the contact pair, define
the materials and apply boundary conditions
to begin the current exercise.

Basic Structural Nonlinearities

Steps to Follow:

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Penetration Tolerance Study

Redirect output to a file:

3.

Without changing the default contact settings, solve the analysis:

4.

Utility Menu > File > Switch output to > File

FTOLN.output
[OK]
OR enter the following command:
/OUTPUT, FTOLN, output

Main Menu > Solution > Solve > Current LS

[OK]
OR enter the following commands:
/SOLUTION
SOLVE

Plot the von Mises stress:

Main Menu > General Postproc > Plot Results

Contour Plot > Nodal Solu
Stress
von Mises SEQV
[OK]
OR enter the following commands:
/POST1
PLNSOL, S, EQV

Basic Structural Nonlinearities

2.

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7B. Introduction to Contact

Penetration Tolerance Study

Plot the contact pressure:

Using the contact manager as in previous workshop

OR enter the following command in the General Postprocessor:
PLNSOL, CONT, PRES

Basic Structural Nonlinearities

5.

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7B. Introduction to Contact

Penetration Tolerance Study

Review the contents of the output file (FTOLN.output):

The solution converged after

4 equilibrium iterations.

Basic Structural Nonlinearities

6.

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7B. Introduction to Contact

Penetration Tolerance Study

Tighten the penetration tolerance factor to 0.00001:

Select the Properties button

Specify a penetration tolerance

FTOLN = 0.00001

[OK]

Close the Contact Manager by right clicking

on the top bar of the dialogue box and selecting Close

OR enter the following commands:
/PREP7
R,2,,,,0.00001

Basic Structural Nonlinearities

7.

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7B. Introduction to Contact

Penetration Tolerance Study

Solve the contact analysis again:

Main Menu > Solution > Solve > Current LS

[OK]
OR enter the following commands:
/SOLUTION
SOLVE

9.

Plot the von Mises stress:

Main Menu > General Postproc >

Contour Plot >Plot Results > Nodal Solu

Stress

von Mises SEQV

[OK]
OR enter the following commands:
/POST1
PLNSOL, S, EQV

Basic Structural Nonlinearities

8.

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7B. Introduction to Contact

Penetration Tolerance Study

Main Menu > General Postproc > Plot Results > Contour Plot > Nodal Solu

Contact

Pressure PRES

[OK]
OR enter the following command:
PLNSOL, CONT, PRES

11. Redirect output to the output window:

Utility Menu > File > Switch Output to

> Output Window
OR enter the following command:
/OUTPUT, TERM

Basic Structural Nonlinearities

10. Plot the contact pressure:

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7B. Introduction to Contact

Penetration Tolerance Study

Workshop Supplement

penetration correction
due to
equilibrium iterations
Penetration tolerance
checking is turned on
after initial equilibrium
is achieved.

penetration correction
due to
augmented contact
pressure

The augmented Lagrangian

method required 6 additional
iterations to satisfy the
penetration tolerance.

Basic Structural Nonlinearities

12. Review the contents of the output file (FTOLN.output):

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Penetration Tolerance Study

Workshop Supplement

FTOLN von Mises Stress Contact Pressure Iterations

0.1

5953

4912

0.00001

5959

4943

10

The von Mises stress only

increased by about 0.1%.
The contact pressure only
increased by about 0.6%.

The augmented Lagrangian

method required 6 additional
iterations to satisfy the
penetration tolerance.

Since the solution time for a nonlinear analysis is directly proportional to

the number of equilibrium iterations, we have increased the run time by
approximately 2 1/2 times for only a small increase in accuracy!

For larger models this difference in run time can be significant!

Basic Structural Nonlinearities

13. Compare the results from varying the penetration tolerance factor (+FTOLN):

Do not use a soft FKN and a tight FTOLN:

Use a reasonably stiff value for FKN
Fine-tune the penetration with a reasonable value of FTOLN
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