7/14/2021 OS-T: 6010 Multiaxial Fatigue Analysis (Damage Calculation) using S-N Approach

2021

OS-T: 6010 Multiaxial Fatigue Analysis (Damage

Calculation) using S-N Approach
In Multiaxial Fatigue Analysis, OptiStruct uses the
stress tensor directly to calculate damage.

Multiaxial Fatigue Analysis theories are based on assumption that stress is in the
plane-stress state. In other words,
only free surfaces of structures are of interest
in Multiaxial Fatigue Analysis in OptiStruct.

For solid elements, a shell skin is automatically generated by OptiStruct, shell elements are used as-is. Multiaxial
Fatigue
Analysis features are activated by setting
MAXLFAT=YES on the
FATPARM Bulk Data Entry.

Further for the S-N approach, the Goodman and the Findley models are used to check
the damage caused by the
tensile and the shear cracks.

The following files found in the optistruct.zip file are needed

to perform this tutorial. Refer to Access the Model
Files.

ctrlarm.fem, load1.csv and

load2.csv

or

A copy of the model files used in this tutorial are available on

<install_directory>/tutorials/hwsolvers/optistruct/.

In this tutorial, a control arm loaded by brake force and vertical force is used, as
shown in Figure 1. Two load time
histories acquired for 2545
seconds with 1 HZ, shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3, are adopted. Because a crack always
initiates from
the surface, a skin meshed with shell elements is designed to cover the solid
elements, which can
improve the accuracy of calculation as well.

To incorporate the multiaxial behavior additional parameters are introduced.

Figure 1. Control Arm for Fatigue Analysis Model

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Figure 2. Load Time History for Vertical Force

Figure 3. Load Time History for Braking Force

Step 1. Launch HyperMesh and Set the OptiStruct User Profile

1. Launch HyperMesh.
The User Profile dialog opens.

2. Select OptiStruct and click OK.

This loads the user profile. It includes the appropriate template, macro
menu, and import reader, paring down
the functionality of HyperMesh to what is relevant for generating models for
OptiStruct.

Step 2. Import the Model

1. Click File > (and then) Import > (and then) Solver Deck.
An Import tab is added to your tab menu.

2. For the File type, select OptiStruct.

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3. Select the Files icon .

A Select OptiStruct file browser
opens.

4. Select the ctrlarm.fem file you saved

to your working directory. Refer to Access the Model Files.

5. Click Open.

6. Click Import, then click Close to

close the Import tab.

The outline of the Fatigue Analysis setup to be achieved in the following

steps.

Figure 4. Fatigue Setup – MultiAxial SN

Step 3. Set Up the Model

3.1 Define TABFAT Load Collector

The first step in defining the

loading sequence is to define the TABFAT cards. This card
represents the loading history.

1. Make sure the Utility menu is selected in the View

menu. Click View > (and then) Browsers > (and
then) HyperMesh > (and then) Utility.

2. Click on the Utility menu beside the Model tab in the

browser. In the Tools section, click on TABLE
Create.

3. Set Options to Import table.

4. Set Tables to TABFAT.

5. Click Next.

6. Browse for the loading file.

7. In the Open the XY Data File dialog box, set the Files of
type filter to CSV (*.csv).

8. Open the load1.csv file you saved to your working directory from the
optistruct.zip file.

9. Create New Table with Name table1 .

10. Click Apply to save the table.

The load collector table1 with
TABFAT card image is created.

11. Browse for a second loading file load2.csv.

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12. Create New Table with Name table2 .

13. Click Apply to save the table.

The load collector table2 with TABFAT card image is
created.

14. Exit from the Import TABFAT window.

Tables appear under Load Collector in the Model Browser.

Note: A file in DAC format can very

easily be imported in HyperGraph and converted
to CSV format to be
read in HyperMesh.

3.2 Define FATLOAD Load Collector

1. In the Model Browser, right-click and select Create > (and then) Load Collector.

2. For Name, enter FATLOAD1 .

3. Click Color and select a color from the color

palette.

4. For Card Image, select FATLOAD.

5. For TID(table ID), select table1 from the list

of load collectors.

6. For LCID (load case ID), select SUBCASE1 from the

list of load steps.

7. Set LDM (load magnitude) to 1 .

8. Set Scale to 3.0 .

9. Repeat the process to create another load collector named

FATLOAD2 with FATLOAD Card
Image and pointing
to table2 and
SUBCASE2.

10. Set LDM to 1 and Scale to 3.0 .

3.3 Define FATEVNT Load Collector

1. In the Model Browser, right-click and select Create > (and then) Load Collector.

2. For Name, enter FATEVENT .

3. For Card Image, select FATEVNT.

4. For FATEVNT_NUM_FLOAD, enter 2 .

5. Click on the Table icon

next to the Data field and select FATLOAD1 for FLOAD(1)
and FATLOAD2 for
FLOAD(2) in the pop-out window.

3.4 Define FATSEQ Load Collector

1. In the Model Browser, right-click and select Create > (and then) Load Collector.

2. For Name, enter FATSEQ .

3. For Card Image, select FATSEQ.

4. For FID (Fatigue Event Definition), select FATEVENT

.
Defining the sequence of events for the fatigue analysis is completed.
The Fatigue parameters are defined
next.

3.5 Define Fatigue Parameters

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1. In the Model Browser, right-click and select Create > (and then) Load Collector.

2. For Name, enter fatparam .

3. For Card Image, select FATPARM.

4. Verify TYPE is set to SN.

5. Set MAXLFAT to Yes for the

multiaxial method.

6. Set STRESSU to MPA (Stress Units).

7. Set RAINFLOW RTYPE to LOAD.

3.6 Define Fatigue Material Properties

The material curve for the fatigue analysis can be defined on the
MAT1 card.

1. In the Model Browser, click on the MAT1 material.

The Entity Editor opens.

2. In the Entity Editor, set MATFAT to SN.

3. Set UTS (ultimate tensile stress) to 600 .

4. For the SN curve set (these values should be

obtained from the material's SN curve):

SRI1 1903.0

B1 -0.123

NC1 1e6

B2 0.0

FL 0.0

SE 0.0

3.7 Define PFAT Load Collector

1. In the Model Browser, right-click and select Create > (and then) Load Collector.

2. For Name, enter pfat .

3. For Card Image, select PFAT.

4. Set LAYER to TOP.

5. Set FINISH to NONE.

6. Set TRTMENT to NONE.

7. Set Kf to 1.0.

3.8 Define FATDEF Load Collector

1. In the Model Browser, right-click and select Create > (and then) Load Collector.

2. For Name, enter fatdef .

3. Set the Card Image to FATDEF.

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4. Activate PSOLID in the Entity Editor.

5. Edit FATDEF_PSOLID_NUMIDS to 2. The model contains 2 solid properties defined in the model.

6. Click on the Table icon

next to the Data field and select PSOLID_2 for PID(1),
pfat for PFATID(1) and
PSOLID_5 for PID(2) and pfat
for PFATID(1) in the pop-out window.

7. Click Close.

3.9 Define the Fatigue Load Step

1. In the Model Browser, right-click and select Create > (and then) Load Step.

2. For Name, enter Fatigue .

3. Set the Analysis type to fatigue.

4. For FATDEF, select fatdef.

5. For FATPARM, select fatparam.

6. For FATSEQ, select fatseq.

Step 4. Submit the Job

1. From the Analysis page, enter the OptiStruct

panel.

2. Click save as following the input file field.

The Save As dialog opens.

3. For File name, enter the name ctrlarm_fatigue.fem .

4. Click Save.

5. Click OptiStruct to submit

the analysis.

Step 5. Review the Results

1. From the OptiStruct panel, click HyperView.

HyperView is launched and the results are
loaded. A message window appears to inform of the successful
model and result
files loading into HyperView.

2. Go to the Results tab.

3. Change the Load Case to Subcase 3 - fatigue.

4. On the Results toolbar, click to open the

Contour panel.

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5. Set Result type to Damage and click on

Apply to contour the elements.

Figure 5. Elemental Damage Results

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