6.

Reference IDs

Several of the Control File entries use reference ID numbers. It is suggested that some ranges of IDs be reserved for particular uses,
for example, the 9000 entries could be reserved for load entries made using external programs (like MATLAB).

7
7.1

Software Installation on Windows

Installing the Software

The instructions below should be followed in order to install and test the CAEfatigue VIBRATION program in a Windows environment.
For Linux installation please refer to the separate installation script.
Locate the self extracting installation image CAEfatigue VIBRATION.exe. This should have been provided to you as part of your
installation package, as well as a valid license file. Place CAEfatigue VIBRATION.exe in a temporary folder (e.g. C:/temp).

Then double click to unzip and create a set of installation files.

Then double click the SETUP icon and follow installation instructions. You may be asked to install the Visual C++ Redistributable
Package as below,

27

If the installation of the Visual C++ Redistributable Package fails (as below) don't worry and just continue.

To continue with the installation you will need to accept the End User License Agreement.

28

29

7.2

Testing the Installation

Once installation has completed the following directory will be created in Program Files (x86) - if the default installation was used.

It may be difficult to use the Test_Problem_Library (TPL) directly in this location because of write protection so it is recommended that
the directory be copied or moved to a user area (e.g. C:\Users\myfiles).

It might also be a good idea to copy the User Guide and Quick Reference Guide (QRG) which are in the documentation directory to a
more convenient location.
Inside the TPL directory you will find a number of ready made Control Files which (along with the loading, materials and stress
OP2_files subdirectories) contain everything needed to run the User Guide examples. Inside this directory put a command prompt
(look in the accessories folder of the windows start programs directory for a CMD command, copy this and paste it). Then change the
properties to start in %CWD% - this can then be used as an easy way to run programs from within the directory.

To run a particular Control File from within this directory (and depending on your particular installation) it should be enough to type
CAEfatigue then a space followed by the first letter of the Control File name and TAB.

The line should then auto complete and pressing return should run the program.

30

If the license file was not specified during installation this (demo.lic) will now be asked for. Locate and point at this file.

The program should then run through the required frequencies several times (2 times all frequencies for each subcase in the OP2 file).

31

Depending on the options chosen in the Control File (see User Guide) there will be a mixture of CSV, els_fef and log files written as
follows,

Results1.CSV contains the results in CSV format as follows,

if these results are sorted in excel for the worst Damage (Duty Cycle) the following results appear.

A Control File with LOGLVL=2 (note that ELSET should then be used to reduce the number of output points) will also write additional
CSV files with detailed results for input PSD, transfer functions, response PSDs Rainflow cycle counts and damage results. The log
file will contain information about how the job ran and summary results.

32

User Guide Examples

As part of the software installation a Test_Problem_Library (TPL) is installed inside the installation directory. It is recommended that
this directory is moved or copied to a user area, for example C:\Users\username\TPL. Inside this directory are 3 subdirectories with
all the materials, loading and stress results files that are needed for each example. The Nastran input files (BDF and DAT) are also
provided should it be required to rerun the Nastran jobs.
In order for the examples to work as provided the subdirectory structure will need to remain intact, i.e., loading, materials and
OP2_files must all be below TPL. These can easily be changed using the INCDIR command.

8.1

List of User Guide Examples 1 24 (a further 17 Examples are covered in later chapters)

User Guide Example 1: Basic run with LOGLEVL=0, no FEF whole model
User Guide Example 2: Change LOGLEVL=1 elem 13897
User Guide Example 3: Change LOGLEVL=2 elem 13897
User Guide Example 4: Add FEF (put LOGLVEL=0) whole model
User Guide Example 5: Change OP2 to full model (S2) whole model
User Guide Example 6: Use TOPRMS=10% on standard OP2 (LOGLEVL=2) whole model
User Guide Example 7: PSD + sine sweep (single DETLOAD) elem 13897/LOGLEVL=2
User Guide Example 8: Sine sweep (with SINGSINE) with ZeroPSD elem 13897/LOGLEVL=2
User Guide Example 9: NB sweep (with NBLOAD and NB) with ZeroPSD elem 13897/LOGLEVL=2
User Guide Example 10: Multiple events with same OP2 & subcase elem 13897/LOGLEVL=2
User Guide Example 11: Multiple events with same OP2 & different subcase elem 13897/LOGLEVL=2
User Guide Example 12: Same as TP3 but using NB method - LOGLEVL=2 elem 13897
User Guide Example 13a-f: Different types of S-N curve - LOGLEVL=2 elem 13897
User Guide Example 14a-b: 2 examples that show use of FE_MAG and CNVRT1
User Guide Example 15 &15a-h: Mean stress correction (15 is whole model) 15a-h different methods - LOGLEVL=2 elem 13897
User Guide Example 16: MMPDS on whole model same as 15 - LOGLEVL=2 elem 13897
User Guide Example 17: Check on MMPDS method with a series of sine wave analyses at different Smax and R ratio
User Guide Example 18: Static, PSD and sine sweep on whole model
User Guide Example 19: Static, PSD and NB sweep on whole model
User Guide Example 20: Static, PSD and simultaneous (4) detloads.
User Guide Example 21: 4 simultaneous sine waves.
User Guide Example 22: Random response (rms) calculation.
User Guide Example 23: Random response (transfer function and response PSD) calculation.
User Guide Example 24: Damage sensitivity calculation.
The Nastran model shown below was used for examples 1 to 24 in this User Guide. Note that different models are used for a further
17 examples covered later in the User Guide. The geometry, nodes and elements for this model are given in the Nastran input file
model.bdf.
The necessary case control instructions to run specific jobs are then given in the following Nastran input files,
!
!
!
!
!
!

KNrandom.dat. This file contains the case control instructions necessary to run a steady state modal analysis (Nastran
SOL111) with output requested on the skin of the model (QUAD4 elements).
KNstatic.dat. This file contains the case control instructions necessary to run a static analysis (Nastran SOL101) with
output requested on the skin of the model (QUAD4 elements).
KN_lnstatic.dat. This file contains the case control instructions necessary to run a static analysis (Nastran SOL106) with
output requested on the skin of the model (QUAD4 elements).
KNrandomS2.dat. This file contains the case control instructions necessary to run a steady state modal analysis (Nastran
SOL111) with output requested on the complete model.
KNstaticS2.dat. This file contains the case control instructions necessary to run a static analysis (Nastran SOL101) with
output requested on the complete model.
KNrandom13897_5971.dat. This file contains the case control instructions necessary to run a steady state modal analysis
(Nastran SOL111) with output requested for element 13897 (QUAD4 element) and 5971 (TRIA6 element).

The model is loaded at three points as shown below. Note that time histories are shown here but in CAEfatigue VIBRATION PSDs of
these load histories will be applied.

33

Figure 25. Loading applied in x, y and z direction

Figure 24. First 5 mode shapes of knuckle model

The first 5 modes for the model are shown here and the frequency content of the loading is also shown which clearly shows that
dynamic response is significant.

34

Figure 26. PSD loading in x direction (being defined using 300_PSDload.txt)

vtabrnd 300
0.0
endt

0.0

0.43

11.2E6

5.77

1.88E6

50

1000

Stress&(MPa)&

Table 6. This is "include" 300_PSDload.txt

100#

1.E+00#

1.E+01#

1.E+02#

1.E+03#

1.E+04#

1.E+05#

1.E+06#

1.E+07#

1.E+08#

1.E+09#

1.E+10#

1.E+11#

1.E+12#

1.E+13#

1.E+14#

1.E+15#

Life&(N)&

Figure 27. This is the S-N data represented by 60_mat1.txt

vmatftg 60
static 135
table
vtabrnd 60
1.0E15
1.0E6
endt

MPa
500
60
log
121.10
265.50

Range
7.17E4
log
2.0E11
1.71E3

121.10
400.00

7.19E9
5.31E1

Table 7. This is "include" 60_mat1.txt

35

150.00
500.00

1.86E7
1.0E0

220.00
645.50

User Guide Example 1. Knuckle analysis with single PSD load and LOGLVL set to 0

Model used: KNrandom.dat.

Control File: TPL1.txt
Stress results file: knrandom.op2
The objective of this User Guide Example is to perform a basic random vibration response and fatigue calculation with limited output
switched on (LOGLVL=0, only CSV file output no FEF file).
vibfat 777
csv
nastran Corner
vftgdef 777
Dirlik 100
60
include materials/60_mat1.txt
vftgparm777
sn
stress sgvon
none
vftgseq 777
1
seconds 1.0
100
1.0
vftgevnt100
401
vftgload401
PSD
500
1.0
1
"OP2_files/knrandom.op2"
vrandps 500
1
1
1.0
include loading/300_PSDload.txt

0
16

Results1
99.9
16

64

matout

0.0

300

Table 8. Control File for User Guide Example 1

In order to use this Control File without change it is necessary to adhere to the appropriate directory structure with the loading,
materials and stress results (OP2) files being in subdirectories of the directory in which the Control File is present.

This example uses the knuckle model stress file "knrandom.op2.

The vftgload entry references the stresses from load case ID 1.
Material is specified using 8 N,S points in table format (this is in an include file called 60_mat1.txt).
The vftgseq entry specifies that event 100 should be applied for 1.0 seconds.
EVNTOUT=1 specifies reporting for all events (in this case only one event is used).
The vftgevnt entry shows that the event contains only one load with reference 401. This reference points at a vrandps entry
where we see J=K and X=1, Y=0 which means it is a single direct PSD (no cross terms).
Then the vrandps entry includes a reference to a linear - linear PSD table (this is in an include file called 500_PSDload.txt).
A CSV file output is requested.
Minimal (LOGLVL=0) output is requested for the whole model.
Signed von-Mises equivalent stress is specified.
A request to write a detailed copy of the S-N material is made using "matout" on the vftgparm entry.
An output file name of Results1 is specified and so results will therefore be written to the Results1.csv and Results1.log files.

In order to run this User Guide Example open a command prompt (one is provided in the TPL) and type

caefatigue

TPL1.txt

This should take a few seconds to run and the following files should be produced
Results1.log
Results1.csv
Results1_vmatftg_60.txt
Because LOGLVL was set to 0 only minimal runtime information is written to the log file (see below). The main results are written to
the CSV file as below.

36

9.1

CSV (Comma Separated File)

The CSV file contains all the output results in condensed format as follows
Column
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

Results Type
0th moment
1st moment
2nd moment
4th moment
Root Mean Square (stress)
Root Mean Square (strain)
E[0]
E[P]
Irregularity factor
Mean Stress
Mean + P*sigma (stress)
Mean P*sigma (stress)
Mean + P*sigma (strain)
Mean P*sigma (strain)
Damage per second
Log of Damage per second
Life in seconds
Life in cycles
Margin of safety

A description of how spectral moments are calculated

is given as part of User Guide Example 2. 4 moments are
calculated m0, m1, m2 and m4 and all 4 are reported.
The intensity of the process given by sqrt(m0)
The intensity of the process in terms of strain
Zero crossings or number of mean crossings per second
Number of peaks per second
Zeros divided by peaks per second
Mean stress (in COMB units) obtained from SOL101/106 OP2 file
This is P (Maxpeak) times the rms added to the mean
This is P (Maxpeak) times the rms taken from the mean
This is the strain corresponding to the stress in column 17
This is the strain corresponding to the stress in column 17
Palmgren Miner Damage sum
Log of the damage sum
1/damage per second per second
Life in seconds times E[P]

Blue columns are as per release 1.0 but with change to heading. Red columns are new in release 2.0. All other columns as per
release 1.0.
A

Mean
Mean
MeanMean+3sigma_
MeanElement Grid Layer ELSETID MID Event m0 m1 m2 m2 rms_stress rms_strain E[0] E[p] Irr_Factor Stress +3sigma_stress 3sigma_stress
strain
3sigma_strain

Damage (Duty
Cycle)

Log Damage
(Duty Cycle)

Life(sec
Log of
onds) Life(seconds) MOS

To make it easier to read these columns they have been enlarged below.

Mean
Element Grid Layer ELSETID MID Event m0 m1 m2 m2 rms_stress rms_strain E[0] E[p] Irr_Factor Stress

Mean
MeanMean+3sigma_
Meanstrain
3sigma_strain
Stress +3sigma_stress 3sigma_stress

Damage (Duty
Cycle)

Log Damage
(Duty Cycle)

An individual result is written for each grid ID in the model. There will be an individual grid ID for each element, grid (node), layer and
event.

37

Life(sec
Log of
onds) Life(seconds) MOS

The User Guide Example 1 results have been sorted in excel (using Data Sort based on damage) and then shown below.

Table 9. Output CSV file after sorting with excel

The most highly damaged grid ID is for element 12994 and grid (node) 2622 (damage of 1.01E-03). Note that the most highly
damaged element center (grid ID 0) is for element 13897 with a damage of 2.88E-07. There is only one event (100) included in this
analysis.

38

9.2

LOG (Detailed ASCI Text File).

The LOG file contains different quantities of information, depending on the LOGLVL value, which is specified. If LOGLVL=0 then basic
runtime information is produced as follows,

Table 10. LOG file that is written with LOGLVL=0

39