Performing Fatigue Analysis
To perform fatigue analysis:
Create
one or more static, nonlinear or modal time history dynamic studies.
Create a fatigue study (constant amplitude or
variable amplitude) and define its properties.
Make sure to set the proper options before running the study.
Notice the events type shown with the name of
the Loading folder in the Simulation
study tree. Right-click the Loading
folder and select Add
Event to define a fatigue event based on a reference static
study, or on a particular solution step from a nonlinear or modal time
history dynamic study. To define a fatigue event based on multiple reference
studies, set Loading Type to Find Cycle Peaks.
Variable amplitude events
usually contain large amount of data. The Function
Curve dialog lets you import text files containing the data
as load history curves. The data become available when defining a variable
amplitude fatigue event.
You must define at least one SN curve for each material.
Click the Fatigue SN Curves tab
in the Material dialog box to
define SN curves.
Right-click Result
options and select Define/Edit
to request results at all nodes or at boundary nodes only. If the study
is based on variable amplitude events, you can request the Rainflow
matrix chart at the desired locations.
For variable-amplitude fatigue studies, right-click
a fatigue event icon and select Plot
3D Rainflow matrix or Plot
2D rainflow matrix to plot a chart for the bins of the input load
history
Run
the fatigue study. If the results of a reference study, used in defining
an event, are not available, the program runs the reference study automatically
before running the fatigue study.
View results:
Double-click an icon in a results folder to
display the associated plot.
To define a plot,
right-click the Results folder
and select the Define Fatigue Plot.
To list results, right-click the Results
folder and select List Fatigue Results.
For studies with variable amplitude events,
right-click the Results folder
and select Define Matrix
Charts to view Matrix
Charts.
Click here for
more result viewing options.
If you run a study before
meshing it, the program meshes the study automatically before running
it. You can also request to run the study by checking Run
analysis after meshing in the Mesh
PropertyManager.
When you run a study that
does not have any result folders, the software creates the folders and
plots specified in the Result
Options for the study type. If result folders are present,
the software updates the existing plots.
Related Topics
Definitions
Fatigue
Analysis
Theory
of Accumulative Damage
Fatigue
Plots