7.5.

Procedure for Eigenvalue Buckling Analysis

Again, remember that eigenvalue buckling analysis generally yields unconservative results, and should usually not be used for design of actual structures. If you decide that eigenvalue buckling analysis is
appropriate for your application, follow this procedure:

1. Build the model.

2. Obtain the static solution.

3. Obtain the eigenvalue buckling solution.

4. Review the results.

7.5.1. Build the Model

See Building the Model in the Basic Analysis Guide. For further details, see the Modeling and Meshing Guide.

7.5.1.1. Points to Remember

Only linear behavior is valid. Nonlinear elements, if any, are treated as linear. If you include contact elements, for example, their stiffnesses are calculated based on their initial status and are never
changed. The program assumes that the initial status of the contact elements is the status at the completion of the static prestress analysis.

Young's modulus (EX) (or stiffness in some form) must be defined. Material properties may be linear, isotropic or orthotropic, and constant or temperature-dependent. Nonlinear properties, if any,
are ignored.

7.5.2. Obtain the Static Solution

The procedure to obtain a static solution is the same as described in Structural Static Analysis, with the following exceptions:

Prestress effects (PSTRES) must be activated. Eigenvalue buckling analysis requires the stress stiffness matrix to be calculated.

Unit loads are usually sufficient (that is, actual load values need not be specified). The eigenvalues calculated by the buckling analysis represent buckling load factors. Therefore, if a unit load is
specified, the load factors represent the buckling loads. All loads are scaled. (A lso, the maximum permissible eigenvalue is 1,000,000 - you must use larger applied loads if your eigenvalue exceeds
this limit.)

It is possible that different buckling loads may be predicted from seemingly equivalent pressure and force loads in a eigenvalue buckling analysis. The difference can be attributed to the fact that
pressure is considered as a “follower” load. The force on the surface depends on the prescribed pressure magnitude and also on the surface orientation. Forces are not considered as follower loads.
As with any numerical analysis, it is recommended to use the type of loading which best models the in-service component. See Pressure Load Stiffness of the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference for
more details.

Note that eigenvalues represent scaling factors for all loads. If certain loads are constant (for example, self-weight gravity loads) while other loads are variable (for example, externally applied loads),
you need to ensure that the stress stiffness matrix from the constant loads is not factored by the eigenvalue solution.

One strategy that you can use to achieve this end is to iterate on the eigensolution, adjusting the variable loads until the eigenvalue becomes 1.0 (or nearly 1.0, within some convergence tolerance).

Consider, for example, a pole having a self-weight W 0, which supports an externally-applied load, A. To determine the limiting value of A in an eigenvalue buckling solution, you could solve
repetitively, using different values of A, until by iteration you find an eigenvalue acceptably close to 1.0.

Figure 7.2: Adjusting Variable Loads to Find an Eigenvalue of 1.0

You can apply a nonzero constraint in the prestressing pass as the static load. The eigenvalues found in the buckling solution will be the load factors applied to these nonzero constraint values.
However, the mode shapes will have a zero value at these degrees of freedom (and not the nonzero value specified).

At the end of the solution, leave SOLUTION (FINISH).

7.5.3. Obtain the Eigenvalue Buckling Solution

This step requires file Jobname.ESAV from the static analysis. Also, the database must contain the model data (issue RESUME if necessary). Follow the steps below to obtain the eigenvalue buckling
solution.

1. Enter the ANSYS solution processor.

Command(s): /SOLU
GUI: Main Menu> Solution

2. Specify the analysis type.

Command(s): ANTYPE,BUCKLE
GUI: Main Menu> Solution> Analysis Type> New Analysis

Note: Restarts are not valid in an eigenvalue buckling analysis.

Note: When you specify an eigenvalue buckling analysis, a Solution menu that is appropriate for buckling analyses appears. The Solution menu will be either "abridged" or "unabridged",
depending on the actions you took prior to this step in your ANSYS session. The abridged menu contains only those solution options that are valid and/or recommended for buckling
analyses. If you are on the abridged Solution menu and you want to access other solution options (that is, solution options that are valid for you to use, but their use may not be
encouraged for this type of analysis), select the Unabridged Menu option from the Solution menu. For details, see Using Abridged Solution Menus in the Basic Analysis Guide.

3. Specify analysis options.

Command(s): BUCOPT, Method, NMODE, SHIFT, LDMULTE, RangeKey

GUI: Main Menu> Solution> Analysis Type> Analysis Options

Regardless of whether you use the command or GUI method, you can specify values for these options:

For Method, specify the eigenvalue extraction method. The methods available for buckling are Block Lanczos and Subspace Iteration. Both methods use the full system matrices. See
Eigenvalue and Eigenvector Extraction in the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference for more information on these two methods.

For NMODE, specify the number of buckling modes (i.e., eigenvalues or load multipliers) to be extracted. This argument defaults to one, which is usually sufficient for eigenvalue buckling. We
recommend that you request an additional few modes beyond what is needed in order to enhance the accuracy of the final solution.

For SHIFT, specify the initial shift point about which the buckling modes are calculated (defaults to 0.0). When RangeKey is set to RANGE, SHIFT is the lower end of the load multiplier
range of interest. Modifying the shift point can be helpful when numerical problems are encountered.
 For LDMULTE, specify the boundary of the load multiplier range of interest (defaults to ). When RangeKey is set to CENTER, LDMULTE is used to determine the lower and upper ends of
the load multiplier range of interest. When RangeKey is set to RANGE, the LDMULTE value is the upper end of the load multiplier range of interest.

For RangeKey, specify either CENTER or RA NGE. When RangeKey = CENTER, the program computes NMODE buckling modes centered around SHIFT in the range of (-LDMULTE,
+LDMULTE). When RangeKey = RANGE, the program computes NMODE buckling modes in the range of (SHIFT, LDMULTE).

Specify expansion pass options.

Command(s): MXPAND, NMODE,,,Elcalc

GUI: Main Menu> Solution> Load Step Opts> ExpansionPass> Expand Modes

Regardless of whether you use the command or GUI method, the following options are required for the expansion pass:

For NMODE, specify the number of modes to expand. This argument defaults to the total number of modes that were extracted.

For Elcalc, indicate whether you want ANSYS to calculate stresses. "Stresses" in an eigenvalue analysis do not represent actual stresses, but give you an idea of the relative stress or force
distribution for each mode. By default, no stresses are calculated.

4. Specify load step options.

The only load step options valid for eigenvalue buckling are output controls.

Database and Results File Output:

Command(s): OUTRES
GUI: Main Menu> Solution> Load Step Opts> Output Ctrl> DB/Results File

Output File:

Command(s): OUTPR,NSOL,ALL
GUI: Main Menu> Solution> Load Step Opts> Output Ctrls> Solu Printout

Note: The FREQ field on OUTPR OUTRES can be only ALL or NONE, meaning that the data are written for all modes or no modes. For example, you cannot write information for every
other mode.

5. Save a backup copy of the database to a named file.

Command(s): SAVE
GUI: Utility Menu> File> Save As

6. Start solution calculations.

Command(s): SOLVE
GUI: Main Menu> Solution> Solve> Current LS

The output from the solution mainly consists of the eigenvalues, which are printed as part of the printed output (Jobname.OUT). The eigenvalues represent the buckling load factors; if unit loads were
applied in the static analysis, they are the buckling loads. No buckling mode shapes are written to the database or the results file, so you cannot postprocess the results yet. To do this, you need to
expand the solution (explained next).

Sometimes you may see both positive and negative eigenvalues calculated. Negative eigenvalues indicate that buckling occurs when the loads are applied in an opposite sense.

7. Exit the SOLUTION processor.

Command(s): FINISH
GUI: Close the Solution menu.

7.5.4. Review the Results

Results from a buckling expansion pass are written to the structural results file, Jobname.RST. They consist of buckling load factors, buckling mode shapes, and relative stress distributions. You can review
them in POST1, the general postprocessor.

Note: To review results in POST1, the database must contain the same model for which the buckling solution was calculated (issue RESUME if necessary). Also, the results file
(Jobname.RST) from the expansion pass must be available.

1. List all buckling load factors.

Command(s): SET,LIST
GUI: Main Menu> General Postproc> Results Summary

2. Read in data for the desired mode to display buckling mode shapes. (Each mode is stored on the results file as a separate substep.)

Command(s): SET,SBSTEP
GUI: Main Menu> General Postproc> Read Results> load step

3. Display the mode shape.

Command(s): PLDISP
GUI: Main Menu> General Postproc> Plot Results> Deformed Shape

4. Contour the relative stress distributions.

Command(s): PLNSOL or PLESOL

GUI: Main Menu> General Postproc> Plot Results> Contour Plot> Nodal Solution
Main Menu> General Postproc> Plot Results> Contour Plot> Element Solution

See the Command Reference for a discussion of the ANTYPE, PSTRES, D, F, SF, BUCOPT, EXPASS, MXPAND, OUTRES, SET, PLDISP, and PLNSOL commands.

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