Workshop A12

Fatigue
Fatigue Module
Workshop A12 – Goals Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Goal:
– In this workshop our goal is to perform a Fatigue analysis of the
connecting rod model (ConRod.x_t) shown here. Specifically, we will
analyze two load environments: 1) Constant Amplitude Load of 4500 N,
Fully Reversed and 2) Random Load of 4500N.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 - Start Page Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

From the launcher start Simulation.
• Choose “Geometry > From File . . . “
and browse to the file “ConRod.x_t”.

• When DS starts, close the Template

menu by clicking the ‘X’ in the corner
of the window.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Preprocessing Workshop Supplement

• Change the working unit system to metric (m, kg, Pa …).

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

1. “Units > Metric (m, kg, Pa, C, s)”

1.

• Verify the material is set to “Structural Steel”.

2. Highlight the “Part 1” in the geometry branch.
3. If not, click in the “Material” field and “browse”.

2.

3.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Preprocessing Workshop Supplement

4. Select the “Structural_Steel” material and then click [Open].

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

4.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Preprocessing Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Apply the following boundary conditions (see next page):

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Preprocessing Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

5. Highlight the Environment branch.
6. Highlight the connecting rod surface shown… 5.

6.

7. Insert a force load.

– “RMB > Insert > Force”

8. From the detail window change to

“Components” and “Z = - 4500 N”.

7. 8.

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 Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Preprocessing Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

9. Highlight the Environment branch.
10. Highlight the connecting rod surfaces shown… 9.
11. Insert a cylindrical support.
10.
– “RMB > Insert > Cylindrical Support”

• From the Details of “Cylindrical Support”

window:
12. Set Radial=“Fixed”, Axial=“Free”,
Tangential=“Free”

11.
12.
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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Preprocessing Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

13. Highlight the Environment branch.
14. Highlight the connecting rod surface shown… 13.

14.

15. Insert a fixed support.

– “RMB > Insert > Fixed Support”

15.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Solution Setup Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Add results to Solution:
16. Highlight the solution branch.

16.

17. RMB > Insert > Stress > Equivalent (von Mises).

17.

18. RMB > Insert > Deformation > Total.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Solution Setup Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Insert fatigue tool:
19. Highlight the solution branch.

19.

20. RMB > Insert > Fatigue > Fatigue Tool.

20.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Solution Setup Workshop Supplement

• From the Details of “Fatigue Tool” window:

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

21. Specify a Fatigue Strength Factor (Kf) of .8
(material data represents a polished
specimen and the in-service component is
cast).
21.
22. Specify fully reversed loading to create
22.
alternating stress cycles.
23. Specify a stress-life fatigue analysis (No 23.
mean stress theory needs to be specified 24.
since no mean stress will exist – fully
reversed loading).
24. Specify that Von Mises stress will be used
to compare against fatigue material data.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Solution Setup Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Add results to the Fatigue Tool:
25. Insert “Safety Factor”:
– RMB > Insert > Fatigue > Safety Factor.

25.
• From the Details of “Safety Factor” window:
26. Set the Design Life to 1e6 cycles.

26.
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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Solution Setup Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Add results to the Fatigue Tool (cont.):
27. Insert “Fatigue Sensitivity”:
– RMB > Insert > Fatigue > Fatigue Sensitivity

27.

• From the Details of “Fatigue Sensitivity”

window:
28. Specify a minimum base load variation of
28.
50% (an alternating stress of 2250N) and a
maximum base load variation of 200% (an
alternating stress of 9000N). March 29, 2005
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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Solution Setup Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Add results to the Fatigue Tool (cont.):
29. Insert “Biaxiality Indication”:
– RMB > Insert > Fatigue > Biaxiality Indication

29.

• Solve

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Results Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

View Results
• Highlight and plot the “Total Deformation” result.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Results Workshop Supplement

• Highlight and plot the “Equivalent Stress” result.

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Results Workshop Supplement

• Highlight and plot the “Safety Factor” result for a design life of 1e6

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

cycles.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Results Workshop Supplement

• Highlight and plot the “Fatigue Sensitivity” result for a minimum base

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

load variation of 50% and a maximum base load variation of 200%.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Results Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Find the sensitivity of available life with respect to loading for a
maximum base load variation of 400%. Note, must resolve to obtain
the new Fatigue Sensitivity results.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Results Workshop Supplement

• Highlight and plot the “Biaxiality Indication” result. Note, the stress

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

state near the critical location is not far from uniaxial (.1~.2), which
gives an added measure of confidence since the material properties
are uniaxial. Recall, a biaxiality of zero corresponds to uniaxial
stress, a value of –1 corresponds to pure shear, and a value of 1
corresponds to a pure biaxial state.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Solution Setup Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Insert a second fatigue tool to analyze a random load of 4500N.
Assume that we have strain gauge results that were collected
experimentally from the component and that we know that a strain
gauge reading of 200 corresponds to an applied load of 4500N:
30. Highlight the solution branch.

30.

31. RMB > Insert > Fatigue > Fatigue Tool.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Solution Setup Workshop Supplement

• From the Details of “Fatigue Tool 2”

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

window:
32. Specify a Fatigue Strength Factor (Kf) of .8
(material data represents a polished
specimen and the in-service component is
cast).
33. Specify fatigue loading as coming from a 32.
scale history and select scale history file
containing strain gauge results over time 33.
(browse and open the 34.
“SAEBracketHistory.dat” file).
34. Define the scale factor to be .005 (we must
normalize the load history so that the FEM
load matches the scale factors in the load
history file):
 1 FEM load   1000lbs   1 FEM load 
         .005
 1000lbs   200 strain gauge   200 strain gauge  March 29, 2005
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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Solution Setup Workshop Supplement

• From the Details of “Fatigue Tool” window

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

(cont.):
35. Specify Goodman theory to account for
mean-stress effects.
36. Specify that a signed Von Mises stress will
be used to compare against fatigue
material data (use signed since Goodman
theory treats negative and positive mean
stresses differently).
37. Specify a bin size of 32 (Rainflow and
Damage matrices will be of dimension
32x32).

35.
36.
37.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Solution Setup Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Add results to the Fatigue Tool 2:
38. Insert “Life”:
1. RMB > Insert > Fatigue > Life

38.

39. Insert “Safety Factor”:

– RMB > Insert > Fatigue > Safety Factor

39.

• From the Details of “Safety Factor” window:

40. Set the Design Life to 1000 cycles.

40.
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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Solution Setup Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Add results to the Fatigue Tool (cont.):
41. Insert “Fatigue Sensitivity”:
– RMB > Insert > Fatigue > Fatigue Sensitivity

41.

• From the Details of “Fatigue Sensitivity”

window:
42. Specify a minimum base load variation of
50% (an alternating stress of 2250N) and a 42.
maximum base load variation of 200% (an
alternating stress of 9000N). March 29, 2005
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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Solution Setup Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Add results to the Fatigue Tool (cont.):
43. Insert “Biaxiality Indication”:
– RMB > Insert > Fatigue > Biaxiality Indication

43.

44. Insert “Rainflow Matrix”:

– RMB > Insert > Fatigue > Rainflow Matrix

44.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Solution Setup Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Add results to the Fatigue Tool (cont.):
45. Insert “Damage Matrix”:
– RMB > Insert > Fatigue > Damage Matrix

45.

• From the Details of “Damage Matrix” window:

46. Set the Design Life to 1000 cycles.

46.

• Solve March 29, 2005

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Results Workshop Supplement

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

View Results
• Highlight and plot the “Life” result.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Results Workshop Supplement

• Highlight and plot the “Safety Factor” result for a design life of

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

1000 cycles.

If the loading history corresponded

to the loading experienced by the
part over a months time, the
damage and FS will be at a design
life of 1000 months. Note that
although a life of only 112 loading
blocks is calculated, the needed
scale factor (since FS @ 1000=.64)
is only .64 to reach a life of 1000
blocks.

Note, the “scale factor” is the scale

factor for the loading to make it
meet the life of 1000 months.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Results Workshop Supplement

• Highlight and plot the “Fatigue Sensitivity” result for a minimum base

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

load variation of 50% and a maximum base load variation of 200%.

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Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Results Workshop Supplement

• Highlight and plot the “Biaxiality Indication” result.

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

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 Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Results Workshop Supplement

• Highlight and plot the “Rainflow Matrix” result.

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Here, one can see from the
rainflow matrix that the majority of
the cycle counts are for low mean
stress and low stress amplitude
(range).

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 Fatigue Module
. . . Workshop A12 – Results Workshop Supplement

• Highlight and plot the “Damage Matrix” result.

ANSYS Workbench - Simulation

Although, from the previous slide,
one saw that most of the counts
were for the low mean and range
bins, these do not cause the most
damage at the critical location, as
shown in this damage
matrix. Instead, the 'medium'
stress amplitude cycles cause the
most damage at the critical
location.

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