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Figure 2. Deflection Results Using Three Different Nonlinear Settings

The document discusses nonlinear analysis in Autodesk Nastran 2022. It describes large displacement effects, stress stiffening, and differences between linear and nonlinear material analyses. Examples are given of a pre-stiffened drum membrane and a metal bracket to illustrate the impact of nonlinear effects.

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23 views2 pages

Figure 2. Deflection Results Using Three Different Nonlinear Settings

The document discusses nonlinear analysis in Autodesk Nastran 2022. It describes large displacement effects, stress stiffening, and differences between linear and nonlinear material analyses. Examples are given of a pre-stiffened drum membrane and a metal bracket to illustrate the impact of nonlinear effects.

Uploaded by

Dan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Autodesk Nastran 2022 Nonlinear Analysis Handbook

LGDISP=OFF LGDISP=2 LGDISP=ON

Figure 2. Deflection Results Using Three Different Nonlinear Settings.

The third large displacement effect is called stress stiffening (sometimes referred to as geometric
stiffening). This effect is most pronounced in thin structures where the bending stiffness is very small
compared to the axial stiffness. For instance, consider a pre-stiffened drum membrane (Figure 3)
subjected to a uniform pressure load. The structure is fixed around the perimeter. This thin walled
structure will undergo significant stress stiffening as the part transitions from reacting the load in bending,
to reacting the load in-plane.

Figure 3. Pre-stiffened Drum Membrane Subjected to a Uniform Pressure Load.

Figure 4 shows two results of the pre-stiffened drum membrane. The first image is an actual deflection
with large displacement effects turned on (peak deflection is 0.8 inches). The second image is the
deformed shape with large displacements turned off. Note in the second image the deformation is
scaled down, as the peak deflection is over 5,000 inches.

Autodesk Nastran 7
Autodesk Nastran 2022 Nonlinear Analysis Handbook

Figure 4. Displacements from a Nonlinear Analysis.

Nonlinear material effects can be important when you want to find out what happens past initial yield of
the material. Alternatively, non-metal materials like rubber and plastic can show a highly nonlinear stress
strain curve even at low strain values, so getting a more accurate picture of the stiffness of the material
through its strain range is important to accurately predicting the stiffness of the overall model. Brittle
materials such as cast iron have little inelastic deformation before failure, so a linear analysis approach
for these types of materials is generally okay. However, the majority of materials and even metals have
some amount of ductility. This ductility allows hot-spots to locally yield thus reducing the stresses
compared to what a linear analysis would predict.

The bracket in Figure 5 shows the very different stress distribution between linear and nonlinear
materials. The metal has a yield stress of 50ksi. The left image contains the results of a linear material
analysis and show peak stresses well above yield. The nonlinear material analysis on the right shows a
much different contour due to the stress redistribution. Peak plastic strain was 1% in the nonlinear
material analysis.

Figure 5. Stress Contour of a Metal Bracket with and without Nonlinear Materials.

Boundary conditions such as surface contact are generally regarded as nonlinear. However, a new
trend has emerged lately that allows a contact analysis to run in a linear solution in some FEA
applications. In deciding between a linear and nonlinear contact analysis it is best to ask these
questions:

Autodesk Nastran 8

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