MSC Nastran SOL 400 Getting Started Guide

MSC Nastran 2022.1

SOL 400 Getting Started Guide
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 Contents
SOL 400 Getting Started Guide
Content

Contents

Preface
Using this Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Goals of this Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Contents of This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
List of MSC Nastran Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Using other Manuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Patran Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Typographical Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Accessing MSC Nastran Manuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Downloading the PDF Documentation Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Navigating the PDF Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Printing the PDF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Training and Internet Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Visit SimCompanion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Help Us Help You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

1 Nonlinear Analysis
Linear vs. Non-linear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Nonlinear Analysis: Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
When to Consider Nonlinear Analysis? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Causes of Nonlinearity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Nonlinear Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
General Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
General Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Applications for Nonlinear Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Industry Uses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Limitations of Nonlinear Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Performing Nonlinear Static Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Main Index
 2 MSC Nastran SOL 400 Getting Started Guide

2 Overview of SOL 400

What’s New in SOL 400 since 2016 Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Introduction to SOL 400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
History of SOL 400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Advantages of SOL400. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Capabilities of SOL400. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Converting Nastran Linear to Nastran Nonlinear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Analysis Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Analysis Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
SUBCASEs and STEPs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

3 Capabilities
Nonlinear Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Applications for Nonlinear Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Static Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Linear Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Linear Perturbation Analysis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Linear Static. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Normal Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Direct and Modal Linear Transient Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Direct and Modal Frequency Response. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Direct and Modal Complex Eigenvalue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
General Nonlinear Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Nonlinear Static . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Nonlinear Transient Dynamic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Creep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Viscoelastic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Heat Transfer Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Nonlinear Transient Response Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Nonlinear Transient Response Analysis Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Time Step Definition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Coupled Thermal-Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Thermal Contact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

4 SOL 400 Files

SOL 400 Input File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Main Index
 Contents 3

SOL 400 Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Running Existing Nonlinear Models in SOL 400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Generating and Editing the Bulk Data File in Patran. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
SOL 400 Output File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
The .sts file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Postprocessing with Patran. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Setting Up a SOL 400 Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Executive Control Statements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Solution Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Specifying the Solution Type. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Steps and Subcases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Specifying Subcases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Multi-step or Multi-subcase Analyses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

5 Elements
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Element Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
0-D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
1-D Elements – Not Numerically Integrated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
1-D Elements that are Numerically Integrated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Beam Element Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Large Displacement/Large Strain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Planar Continuum Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Axisymmetric Shell Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
3-D Membrane, Plate, and Shell Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Shells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Shear Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
3-D Solid Shell Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
3-D Volumetric Solid Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Composite Solid Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Interface Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Automatic Property Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

6 Materials
Material Model Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Material Property Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
SOL 400 Material Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Linear Elastic Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Element Selection for Incompressible Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Main Index
 4 MSC Nastran SOL 400 Getting Started Guide

Linear Elastic Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Isotropic Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Orthotropic Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Anisotropic Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Viscoelastic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Elasto-plastic Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Elastoplastic Material Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Strain Rate Dependent Yield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Creep (MATVP, CREEP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Viscoplasticity (Explicit Formulation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Creep (Implicit Formulation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
ANAND Solder Creep Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Specifying Creep Material Entries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Composite (PCOMP or PCOMPG) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Specifying Composite Material Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Cohesive Zone Modeling (MCOHE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Progressive Composite Failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Micro-mechanics Material Models (MATDIGI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

7 Contact
Introduction to Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Contact Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Touching Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Glued Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Cohesive Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Contact Definition Method. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Contact Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Deformable Contact Bodies (3D/2D/1D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Creating a Deformable Body. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Rigid Contact Bodies (3D/2D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Control of Rigid Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Contact in MSC Nastran. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Defining Contact Interactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Contact Settings for a SOL400 Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Node-to-segment (NTS) Contact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Segment-to-Segment (STS) contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Contact Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Contact Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Main Index
 Contents 5

8 Constraints
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Single-Point Constraints (SPC and SPC1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Enforced Motion Constraints (SPCD and SPCR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Applying Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Single Point Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Multipoint Constraints (MPC). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Static Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Using Patran to Apply Loads and Boundary Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
CWELD/CFAST/CSEAM Element Enhancements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Description of Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Enhanced Search Algorithm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Additional Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Connector Stiffness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Detailed Projection Algorithm for Best Possible Projection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

9 Boundary Conditions
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Zero and Enforced Displacements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Enforced Motion Constraints (SPCD and SPCR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Fixed Direction Grid Point Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
p-Element Loads and Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Thermal Loads (TEMP and TEMPD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Inertial and Dynamic Loads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Gravity and Centrifugal Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Initial Stress and Initial Plastic Strain Mapping from Previous Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

10 Iteration Control in Nonlinear Analysis

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Nonlinear Characteristics and General Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Starting the Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Load Increments and Iterations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Load Incrementation and Iteration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Nonlinear Solution Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Main Index
 6 MSC Nastran SOL 400 Getting Started Guide

Adaptive Solution Strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Load Increment Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Fixed Load Incrementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Adaptive Load Incrementation in SOL 400 (NLSTEP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
NLSTEP Bulk Data Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Convergence Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Solution Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Requesting Output For a Step. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Defining Subcases in Patran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Define History by Selecting Load Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Subcase Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Static Subcase Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Specifying Creep Subcase Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Normal Modes Subcase Parameters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Specifying Transient Dynamic Subcase Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Specifying Body Approach Subcase Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Specifying Complex Eigenvalue Subcase Parameters in Patran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Specifying Frequency Response Subcase Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Thermal So lution Subcases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

11 Trouble Shooting
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Review Fatal Error Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Review the .sts File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Review the .f06 File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Review NLSTEP parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Review Nonlinear Iteration Diagnostics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Request for More Diagnostics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Review the Intermediate Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
SOL 400 Analysis Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Reviewing Convergence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Determining if Your Simulation has failed to Converge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Review Plot Results from Converged Increments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Reviewing the MSC Analysis Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Tips for Starting with Nonlinear Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Output Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

A Frequently Asked Questions

Main Index
 Preface

Preface


Using this Manual 2

List of MSC Nastran Guides 3

Using other Manuals 4

Typographical Conventions 5

Accessing MSC Nastran Manuals 6

Training and Internet Resources 7

Technical Support 8

Main Index
 2 MSC Nastran SOL 400 Getting Started Guide
Using this Manual

Using this Manual

This guide is written for a new user wanting to use SOL 400. No prior experience with commercial finite
element software is assumed, and no finite element-specific university coursework is required.

Prerequisites
No prior experience with commercial finite element software is assumed and no finite element-specific
university coursework is required. It is assumed that you have a bachelor’s degree in any of the fields relevant
to structural analysis: mechanical engineering, civil engineering, engineering mechanics, or the equivalent.

Goals of this Manual

This manual provides a basic background to MSC Nastran Implicit Nonlinear (SOL 400) Analysis and
describes using SOL 400 within the MSC Nastran environment. The theoretical aspects of nonlinear analysis
methods, types, and techniques are included as well as thorough descriptions for nonlinear material models,
properties, and loads and constraints.
The goal is to provide material relevant to this subject in such a manner that so that you understand MSC
Nastran Implicit Nonlinear (SOL 400). For details, refer to the Nonlinear SOL 400 User’s Guide. Where
appropriate, Patran forms and menus are shown so that you can easily use SOL 400 from the Patran pre- and
postprocessing software environment.

Contents of This Guide

A brief description of what is in each chapter follows:
1. Chapter 1: Nonlinear Analysis: This chapter gives you an overview of nonlinear analysis. It discusses the
capabilities, characteristics, recommendations, limitations and general considerations of nonlinear
analysis. It also ties to give you a overall picture of the general procedure for nonlinear static analysis
2. Chapter 2: Overview of SOL 400: This chapter introduces you at SOL 400—it is a set of application
modules in the MSC Nastran system that pairs the full features of MSC Nastran with the nonlinear
capabilities to analyze a wide variety of structural problems subjected to geometric and material
nonlinearity, and contact. It discusses the capabilities, the input files, and the output files of SOL 00.
3. Chapter 3: Capabilities: This chapter describes the capabilities of SOL 400.
4. Chapter 4: SOL 400 Files: This chapter describes the input and output files associated with SOL 400.
5. Chapter 5: Elements: This chapter provides information regarding elements types and classes.
6. Chapter 6: Materials: This chapter discussing SOL 400 support for linear, non-linear and composite
materials.
7. Chapter 7: Contact: This chapter describes the contact capabilities in MSC Nastran SOL 400 that may
be used in solving nonlinear structural and thermal analysis problems. It also provides an introduction
to contact (Tied and Touching). It describes the various contact types, bodies, and interactions. It
also describes contact definition method and contact in MSC Nastran.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 3
Preface

8. Chapter 8: Constraints:This chapter discusses the procedures for applying loads and constraints which
can be used in SOL 400 models.
9. Chapter 9: Boundary Conditions: This chapter describes the types of loads and boundary conditions which
can be applied using SOL 400
10. Chapter 10: Iteration Control in Nonlinear Analysis: This chapter provides a comprehensive FE solution for
multi-physics problems such as structure analysis, thermal analysis, as well coupled analysis.
11. Chapter 11: Trouble Shooting: This chapter provides some trouble shooting tips that you can review,
when you receive non-convergence error messages (when a job does not converge).
12. Appendix A: Frequently Asked Questions: This Appendix contains a list of frequently asked question
regarding SOL 400 and the answers to those questions.

List of MSC Nastran Guides

A list of some of the MSC Nastran guides is as follows:
Installation and Release Guides
 Installation and Operations Guide
 Release Guide
Reference Guides
 Quick Reference Guide
 DMAP Programmer’s Guide
 Reference Guide
 Utilities Guide
Demonstration Guides
 Linear Analysis
 Implicit Nonlinear (SOL 400)
 Explicit Nonlinear (SOL 700)
 MSC Nastran Verification Guide
User’s Guides
 Getting Started
 Linear Static Analysis
 Dynamic Analysis
 Embedded Fatigue
 Embedded Vibration Fatigue
 Thermal Analysis
 Superelements and Modules
 Design Sensitivity and Optimization

Main Index
 4 MSC Nastran SOL 400 Getting Started Guide
Using other Manuals

 Rotordynamics
 Implicit Nonlinear (SOL 400)
 Explicit Nonlinear (SOL 700)
 Aeroelastic Analysis
 User Defined Services
 Non Linear (SOL 600)
 High Performance Computing
 DEMATD
You may find any of these documents from Hexagon at:
https://simcompanion.hexagon.com/customers/s/article/MSC-Nastran-Support-Home-Page

Using other Manuals

If you are new to the MSC Nastran SOL400, we recommend that you first read the Getting Started
Manual.After reading Getting Started, we recommend that you refer to the following:
 Nonlinear (SOL 400) User’s Guide: This manual provides a complete background to MSC Nastran
Implicit Nonlinear (SOL 400) and describes using SOL 400 within the MSC Nastran environment.
The theoretical aspects of nonlinear analysis methods, types, and techniques are included as well as
thorough descriptions for nonlinear material models, properties, and loads and constraints. The goal
is to provide material relevant to this subject in such a manner that this book can be used both as a
learning tool and as a reference text.
 MSC Nastran Quick Reference Guide (QRG): The QRG contains a complete description of all the
input entries for MSC Nastran. Within each section, entries are organized alphabetically so they are
easy to find. Each entry provides a description, formats, examples, details on options, and general
remarks. You will find the full descriptions for all SOL 400 input entries in the QRG.
This guide contains many excerpts from the QRG which contains complete descriptions of all the
finite element input data and options available in MSC Nastran. Most of the excerpts have been
edited-some extensively-to eliminate material that is not relevant to the topics covered in this book.
 The MSC Nastran Linear Static Analysis User’s Guide: It provides support information on the basic
use of MSC Nastran which can also be applied to SOL 400.
 MSC Nastran Dynamic Analysis User’s Guide: It provides support information on the basic use of
MSC Nastran which can also be applied to SOL 400.
 MSC Nastran Reference Guide: It provides supporting information that relates to the theory of MSC
Nastran inputs, element libraries, and loads and boundary conditions.
 MSC Nastran Demonstrations Problems Manual: It provides example problem and includes
description of the input, procedures, and results information that relates to the practical use of the
MSC Nastran inputs, element libraries, and loads and boundary conditions.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5
Preface

This guide contains many highlighted links (in blue) to other MSC Nastran documents and all the
documents were delivered together as a collection. If you keep the collection together the links between
documents will work.
Two ways of working with links are as follows:
 Use alt  to return back to the window your curser is in.
 Open the other linked to documents in a new window from an Adobe Reader.
Edit  Preferences  Documents Open.
a. Choose
b. Cross-document links in the same window.
c. Uncheck the checkbox.
d. Select OK.

Patran Documentation
Three key books from the Patran library may be of assistance in running MSC Nastran Nonlinear:
 Patran User’s Guide: This introductory guide gives you the essential information you need to
immediately begin using Patran for MSC Nastran Nonlinear projects. Understanding and using the
information in this guide requires no prior experience with CAE or finite element analysis. •
 Patran Reference Manual: This a counterpart to the MSC Nastran Reference Guide, this manual
provides complete descriptions of basic functions in Patran, geometry modeling, finite element
modeling, material models, element properties, loads and boundary conditions, analysis, and results.
 MSC Nastran Preference Guide: This gives specific information that relates to using Patran with
MSC Nastran as the intended analysis code. All application forms and required input are tailored to
MSC Nastran.

Typographical Conventions
The section provides a brief overview of the typographical conventions used in the document to help the user
better follow the MSC Nastran documentation.
This section describes some syntax that will help you in understanding text in the various chapters and thus
in facilitating your learning process. It contains stylistic conventions to denote user action, to emphasize
particular aspects of a MSC Nastran run or to signal other differences within the text.
Courier New Represents command-line options of MSC Nastran and results from f04/f06 files.

Example: nast20170 memorymax=16gb myjob.dat

Quoted Text Represents command-line options of MSC Nastran for in-line text.

Example: memorymax=16gb
Arial font To represent elements.

Example: RBE3 and RSPLINE are interpolation elements and are not rigid.

Main Index
 6 MSC Nastran SOL 400 Getting Started Guide
Accessing MSC Nastran Manuals

Red Text Represents items in the examples that we to emphasize.

Example: smp=16
Bold Text Represents items in the text that we want to emphasize.

Example: dmp=4
Italic Text Represents references to manuals/documents.

Note: Since there is no user interface in MSC Nastran, we shall use bold font to emphasize.

Accessing MSC Nastran Manuals

This section describes how to access the MSC Nastran documentation outside of Hexagon. MSC Nastran
documentation is available through PDF files. The PDF files can be obtained from the following sources:
 MSC Nastran documentation installer
 SimCompanion
 Combined documentation
The PDF documentation files are appropriate for viewing and printing with Adobe Acrobat Reader (version
5.0 or higher), which is available for most Windows and Linux systems. These files are identified by a .pdf
suffix in their file names.

Downloading the PDF Documentation Files

You can download the PDF documentation from SimCompanion (http://simcompanion.hexagon.com).

Navigating the PDF Files

For the purpose of easier online document navigation, the PDF files contain hyperlinks in the table of
contents and index. In addition, links to other guides, hyperlinks to all cross-references to chapters,

Printing the PDF Files

Adobe Acrobat PDF files are provided for printing all or part of the manuals. You can select the paper size to
which you are printing in Adobe Acrobat Reader by doing the following:
1. Click File.
2. Select the Print.... option. The Print dialog box is displayed.
3. Select Page Setup....
4. Choose the required paper size in the Page Setup menu.
The PDF files are recommended when printing long sections since the printout will have a higher quality.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 7
Preface

If the page is too large to fit on your paper size, you can reduce it by doing the following:
1. Select the File -> Print.
2. Under Page Scaling, choose the Shrink to Printable Area option.

Training and Internet Resources

Hexagon corporate site has the information on the latest events, products and services for the
CAD/CAE/CAM marketplace.
http://simcompanion.hexagon.com

The SimCompanion link above gives you access to the wealth of resources for Hexagon products. Here you
will find product and support contact information, product documentations, knowledge base articles,
product error list, knowledge base articles and SimAcademy Webinars. It is a searchable database which
allows you to find articles relevant to your inquiry. Valid MSC customer entitlement and login is required to
access the database and documents. It is a single sign-on that gives you access to product documentation for
complete list of products from Hexagon, allows you to manage your support cases, and participate in our
discussion forums.
http://www.mscsoftware.com/msc-training

Main Index
 8 MSC Nastran SOL 400 Getting Started Guide
Technical Support

The MSC-Training link above will point you to schedule and description of MSC Seminars. Following
courses are recommended for beginning Nastran users.
NAS120 - Linear Static Analysis using MSC Nastran and Patran

This seminar introduces basic finite element analysis techniques for linear static, normal modes, and buckling
analysis of structures using MSC Nastran and Patran. MSC Nastran data structure, the element library,
modeling practices, model validation, and guidelines for efficient solutions are discussed and illustrated with
examples and workshops. Patran will be an integral part of the examples and workshops and will be used to
generate and verify illustrative MSC Nastran models, manage analysis submission requests, and visualize
results. This seminar provides the foundation required for intermediate and advanced MSC Nastran
applications.

Technical Support
If you encounter difficulties while using MSC Nastran, first refer to the section(s) of the manual containing
information you are trying to use or the type of problem you are trying to solve.

Visit SimCompanion
The product documentation is available in SimCompanion (http://simcompanion.hexagon.com). The
SimCompanion gives you access to a wealth of resources for Hexagon products. You will find various
information such as:
 Product documentations
 Knowledge base articles
 Product error lists (fixed and known issues for each release)
 SimAcademy webinars
 Product and support contact information
SimCompanion is a searchable database which allows you to find articles relevant to your inquiry. Valid MSC
customer entitlement and login is required to access the database and documents. It is a single sign-on that
gives you access to product documentation for complete list of products from Hexagon, allows you to manage
your support cases, and participate in our discussion forums.

Help Us Help You

Clients frequently call up the support engineers at Hexagon with enquiry regarding models that do not run
correctly. Our technical support staff can help you much more efficiently and effectively if you are working
with a small model, since debugging a small model is much easier, and the turnaround time to rerun a
(hopefully) corrected test model is minutes rather than hours.
 For information on the latest events, products and services for all products, refer to
www.mscsoftware.com.
 For technical support phone numbers and contact information, please visit:
https://simcompanion.hexagon.com/customers/s/article/support-contact-information-kb8019304

Main Index
 Chapter 1: Nonlinear Analysis

1 Nonlinear Analysis


Linear vs. Non-linear 10

Nonlinear Analysis: Basics 10

When to Consider Nonlinear Analysis? 11

Causes of Nonlinearity 11

General Classification 12

General Recommendations 13

Applications for Nonlinear Analysis 14
 Limitations of Nonlinear Analysis 14

Performing Nonlinear Static Analysis 15

Main Index
 10 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Linear vs. Non-linear

Linear vs. Non-linear

A linear static analysis is an analysis where a linear relation holds between applied forces and displacements.
In practice, this is applicable to structural problems where stresses remain in the linear elastic range of the
used material. In this case, the response of the structure (deformation, stress and strain) is linearly
proportional to the magnitude of the load (force, pressure, moment, torque. temperature etc.). In short, linear
analysis does not consider any change in stiffness matrix.
Nonlinear analysis occurs when the load to response relationship is not linearly proportional. In a nonlinear
analysis, a nonlinear relation holds between applied forces and displacements. In case of nonlinear analysis
stiffness matrix change is considered.
All physical processes are inherently nonlinear to a certain extent. For example, when you stretch a rubber
band, it gets harder to pull as the deflection increases; or when you flex a paper clip, permanent deformation
is achieved. Several common every day applications like these exhibit either large deformations and/or
inelastic material behavior. Failure to account for nonlinear behavior can lead to product failures, safety issues,
and unnecessary cost to product manufacturers.
Nonlinear response could be caused by any of several characteristics of a system, like large deformations and
strains, material behavior or the effect of contact or other boundary condition nonlinearities. In reality many
structures exhibit combinations of these various nonlinearities. Hexagon provides solutions to help you
simulate accurately and efficiently systems with any or all of the nonlinearities, with applications
encompassing multiple industries.

Nonlinear Analysis: Basics

In many structures the deflections and the stresses do not change proportionately with the loads. In these
problems the structure’s response depends upon its current state and the equilibrium equations reflect the fact
that the stiffness of the structure is dependent on both u and P .

P = K  P u u
As the structure displaces due to loading, the stiffness changes, and as the stiffness changes the structure’s
response changes. As a result, nonlinear problems require incremental solution schemes that divide the
problem up into steps calculating the displacement, then updating the stiffness. Each step uses the results
from the previous step as a starting point. As a result the stiffness matrix must be generated and inverted many
times during the analysis adding time and costs to the analysis.In addition, because the response is not
proportional to the loads, each load case must be solved separately and the principle of superposition is not
applicable.

Main Index
 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual 11
Nonlinear Analysis

When to Consider Nonlinear Analysis?

The following table lists different types of analysis, when you must consider them.

Table 1-1 Different Analysis Types

Type of Analysis Explanation
Strength analysis How much load can the structure support before a global
failure occurs
Deflection analysis When deflection control is of primary importance
Stability analysis Finding critical points (limit points or bifurcation points)
closest to operational range
Service configuration analysis Finding the operational equilibrium form of ceratin slender
structures when the fabrication and service configurations are
different (e.g cables, inflatable structures and helicoids)
Reserve strength analysis Finding the load carrying capacity beyond critical points to
asses safety under abnormal conditions
Progressive failure analysis A variant of stability and strength analysis in which progressive
deterioration (e.g cracking) is considered.
Envelope analysis A combination of previous analyses in which multiple
parameters are varied and the strength information thus
obtained is condensed into failure envelopes.

Causes of Nonlinearity
Nonlinear response can be caused by any of several characteristics of a structure:
 Large deformations and strains. (Geometric Nonlinearity)
 Material behavior (Material Nonlinearity)
 The effect of contact (Contact Nonlinearity)
 Boundary condition nonlinearities
In reality many structures exhibit combinations of these various nonlinearities. Most of the time either
material behavior is not linear in the operating conditions, or geometry of the structure itself keeps it from
responding linearly.
Due to cost or weight advantage of nonmetals (polymers, woods, composites etc.) over metals, nonmetals are
replacing metals for variety of applications, which have nonlinear load to response characteristics, even under
mild loading conditions. The structures are also optimized to make most of its strength, pushing the load
level so close to the strength of the material, that it starts behaving nonlinearly. In order to accurately predict
the strength of the structures in these circumstances, it is necessary to perform nonlinear analysis.

Main Index
 12 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Nonlinear Characteristics

Nonlinear Characteristics
Modeling for nonlinear analysis is not exempted from the guidelines for good modeling practice pertaining
to linear analysis, which are summarized as follows:
 The analyst should have some insight into the behavior of the structure to be modeled; otherwise, a
simple model should be the starting point.
 Substructuring should be considered for the modularity of the model and/or synergism between
projects and agencies involved. The structure represented by a substructure is always linear.
 The size of the model should be determined based on the purpose of the analysis, the trade-off
between accuracy and efficiency, and the scheduled deadline.
 Prior contemplation of the geometric modeling will increase efficiency in the long run. Factors to be
considered include selection of coordinate systems, symmetric considerations for simplification, and
systematic numbering of nodal points and elements for easy classification of locality.
 Discretization should be based on the anticipated stress gradient, i.e., a finer mesh in the area of
stress concentrations.
 Element types and the mesh size should be judiciously chosen. For example, avoid highly distorted
and/or stretched elements (with high aspect ratio).
 The model should be verified prior to the analysis by some visual means, such as plots and graphic
displays.

General Classification
Nonlinear problems of any type require iterative solution methods and incremental loading to obtain
(converge to) a solution, and are generally far more computationally difficult than linear problems. Nonlinear
problems are classified into the following three broad categories:
 Geometric nonlinearity: In the structures where stiffness is dependent on the displacement which
they may undergo are termed geometrically nonlinear. If a continuum body undergoes large finite
deformations, the strain-displacement relations become nonlinear. For structural mechanics
problems, under large deformations, the stiffness changes with deformation thus making the
problem nonlinear. (Buckling problems are also nonlinear).
Geometric nonlinearity accounts for phenomena such as:
• The stiffening of a loaded clamped plate,
• Buckling or snap-through behavior in slender structures or components.
Without taking these geometric effects into account, a computer simulation can fail to predict the
real structural behavior.
 Material nonlinearity: It refers to the ability for a material to exhibit a nonlinear stress-strain
(constitutive) response. This is one of the most common forms of nonlinearity. Material
nonlinearity is often, but not always, characterized by a gradual weakening of the structural response
as an increasing force is applied, due to some form of internal decomposition.

Main Index
 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual 13
Nonlinear Analysis

Elasto-plastic, hyperelastic, crushing, and cracking are good examples, but this can also include
temperature and time-dependent effects such as visco-elasticity or visco-plasticity (creep). For
thermal problems, a temperature dependent thermal conductivity will produce nonlinear equations.
This is required to predict plastic strains in metallic parts, cracking or crushing of concrete, or
extreme deformation of plastic or rubber materials. It is nonlinear constitutive relation.
 Boundary/Contacts nonlinearity: When considering either highly flexible components, or
structural assemblies comprising multiple components, progressive displacement gives rise to the
possibility of either self or component-to-component contact. This characterizes to a specific class of
geometrically nonlinear effects known collectively as boundary condition or contact nonlinearity.
In boundary condition nonlinearity the stiffness of the structure or assembly may change
considerably when two or more parts either contact or separate from initial contact. Examples
include bolted connections, toothed gears, and different forms of sealing or closing mechanisms.
Problems involving contact mechanics normally include a boundary condition that depends on the
deformation thereby producing a nonlinear formulation. Thermal problems involving melting or
freezing (phase change) also include such nonlinear boundary conditions.
They are required to predict change in status and/or sliding friction between assembly parts. It is on-
constant displacement BCs.

General Recommendations
With these points in mind, additional recommendations are imperative for nonlinear analysis:
 Identify the type of nonlinearity and localize the nonlinear region for computational efficiency. If
unsure, perform a linear analysis to help understand the problem.
 Segregate the linear region by using superelements and/or linear elements if possible. Notice that the
potentially nonlinear elements can be used as linear elements.
 The nonlinear region usually requires a finer mesh. Use a finer mesh if severe element distortions or
stress concentrations are anticipated.
 The step/subcase structure should be utilized properly to divide the load or time history for
conveniences in data recovery, and database storage control, not to mention changing constraints
and loading paths.
 The load or time for the subcase with NLSTEP should then be further divided into increments, for
the purpose of convergence control. Automatic adaptive load incrementation, such as is available via
NLSTEP, is the recommended method.
 Many options are available in solution methods to be specified on the NLSTEP data entries. The
defaults should typically be used on all options to gain experience before experimenting with other
options.
 Normal rotation for the drilling degree of freedom of shell elements restrained by the default value of
100 on the K6ROT parameter when the geometric nonlinearity is involved. In rare cases it may be
necessary to adjust his value. This can help with convergence, but may also affect the results.
 Understand the basic theory of plasticity, creep, or rubber elasticity before using these capabilities.

Main Index
 14 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Applications for Nonlinear Analysis

 The time step size for a transient response analysis should be carefully considered based on the
highest natural frequency of interest because it has significant effects on the efficiency as well as the
accuracy of the solution. The automated procedures used by NLSTEP is adequate for this purpose.

Applications for Nonlinear Analysis

Early development of nonlinear finite element technology was mostly influenced by the nuclear and
aerospace industries. In the nuclear industry, nonlinearity is mainly due to high-temperature behavior of
materials. Nonlinearity in the aerospace industry are mainly geometric in nature and range from simple linear
buckling to complicated post-bifurcation behavior. Nonlinear finite element techniques are now applied to
problems as diverse as automotive, biomechanics, civil, manufacturing, ship building, and many more.

Industry Uses
 Aerospace and Defense: Landing gear, Wing structures, Fuselage, Seals and hoses, Sheet metal
forming
 Automotive: Power train, Tire, Seals and gaskets, Exhaust systems, Brakes, Suspension, Gear
contact, welding, joints and connectors
 Electronics: Soldering, Welding, Drop tests, Sealing, Switches and connectors
 Energy: Wind turbine blades, Composite blade failure, Gear trains, Packers, blow out preventers,
Seals and gaskets, Pipes and casings, Weldments, Drill bits
 Heavy Equipment and Machinery: Gears, Steering yokes, Belts, Hoses, Metal forming, Hose
crimping, Wire crimping, Curing, Welding, Extrusion
 Medical: Stents, Catheters, Pacemakers, Dental and knee implants, Prosthetics, Muscle and tissue,
Hospital equipment like beds, wheel chairs
 Rail: Tip-over stability study, Structural components, Welding, Joints and connectors
 Shipbuilding: Structural analysis, Riveting, Bolts, Welding, Sealing

Limitations of Nonlinear Analysis

For the analyst familiar with the use of LFEA, there are a number of consequences of nonlinear behavior that
have to be recognized before embarking on a NFEA:
 The principle of superposition cannot be applied
 Results of several load cases cannot be scaled, factored and combined as is done with LFEA
 Only one load case can be handled at a time
 The loading history (i.e. sequence of application of loads) are important
 The structural response can be markedly non-proportional to the applied loading, even for simple
loading states
 Careful thought needs to be given to what is an appropriate measure of the behavior.

Main Index
 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual 15
Nonlinear Analysis

 The initial state of stress (e.g. residual stresses from welding, temperature, or prestressing of
reinforcement and cables) may be extremely important for the overall response

Performing Nonlinear Static Analysis

For a typical nonlinear static analysis project, perform the following steps:
1. Build FE model: FE model building is very important step in FE analysis, irrespective of what kind
of analysis to be performed. Selection of appropriate element for certain application need to be done
to care.The FEA group is provided with part surface data, which is required to be meshed with
elements to get the component mesh.
When all the parts in the assembly are meshed, they are al1 connected together using appropriate
fastening elements. In genera1,Quad and Hex elements should be preferred over Tria, Penta and
Tetra. Important features like fillets, holes, cutouts should be captured in the model appropriately.
If there are fasteners or welds between two parallel surfaces, attempts should be made to create
similar mesh on both surfaces, this will facilitate placement of weld or rigid elements normal to the
surfaces without distorting the shell elements. However, many FEA codes support node
independent welds which is based on tied contact concept, which allow the FEA user to place weld
elements independent of the nodes in the parts to be welded.
It's recommended to mesh the complex portion of a part first then proceed towards the simple or
plane areas to ensure good quality mesh in the model. Correct representation of fasteners, joints and
welds are necessary in the model for correct load transfer within the structure.The stiffness and pre-
loading should be defined for these elements as applicable for better accuracy. If load transfer is
supposed to take place from one surface in a structure to the other, a contact set should be defined
between them. Each FEA code has its own format to input contact parameters. A typical contact
definition requires primary and secondary nodes or elements, coefficient of friction, offset (gap)
distance between surfaces and contact algorithm.
2. Assign material properties: Material nonlinearity is defined in the FE model via this very important
step. The response of the structure depends on the properties supplied to the FE model.The software
manual should be referred to understand the input format of the material data card. as different
software codes may have different format. If the software expects the true stress-strain data then the
test stress-strain data should be converted into true data before feeding them to the FE model.
Sufficient stress-strain data points should be included to capture the nonlinearity of the material.
Analysts should request material suppliers to provide certified properties for the exact same material
which is going to be used to build the partS.
3. Apply loads and boundary conditions: No matter how good the FE mesh is, the results will not be
accurate if the FE model is not constrained appropriately or if the load applied is not representative
of intended loading.The mesh size and node location sometimes puts constrains on how and where
loads and boundary conditions are applied to the model, It would not hurt to re-mesh the FE model
locally at the locations where to be applied to make sure loads and boundary conditions are
represented best possible way.

Main Index
 16 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Performing Nonlinear Static Analysis

If the FE analysis is being done to virtually validate any test done at lab, then it is a good practice to
visit the testing facility and take important measurements on test fixtures and loading devices. These
measurements will help apply loads and boundary conditions in FE model to in the same way as the
part or test specimen is subjected to at the time of testing. For example, measurements of loading
device would help placing the loads on certain nodes or elements. Similarly the fixture dimensions
would dictate constraints locations (nodes) and its degrees of freedom.
4. Specify nonlinear analysis control parameters: The basic controlling parameters for nonlinear static
analysis are initial increment, minimum and maximum increment, maximum numbers of iterations,
the interval at which results file are to be output and convergence criteria for iterations (acceptable
residual load).
5. Run the analysis: The FE model is now ready to be run.The analysis run command may have options
to specify solver version, memory size, and number of CPUs to better control execution.
6. Review and interpret results: It is highly recommended that the analysis results should be carefully
reviewed and checked for accuracy before making any conclusions based on simulations. There are
many ways the FEA results can be checked, some of them are:
• Observe for unexpected movements in the animation.
• Compare the reaction forces against applied forces.
• Check if stresses and strains are as per material properties supplied to the FE model
• Check interacting surfaces in the contact set for any malfunction
• Make quick hand calculations by simplifying the problem and compare it with the FE results.
While reporting the FE results, you should always share all the assumptions made while building the FE
model. The FEA results should always be verified using engineering judgment and past results with similar
FE model.
If there are unrealistically high or low results, you should review the model. It is recommended to maintain
consistency in the model to increase accuracy of the results, especially when analysis is being performed to
evaluate effect of changing certain parameter in the model.

Main Index
 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual 17
Nonlinear Analysis

Main Index
 Chapter 2: Overview of SOL 400

2 Overview of SOL 400


What’s New in SOL 400 since 2016 Release 19
 Introduction to SOL 400 21

History of SOL 400 22

Advantages of SOL400 22

Capabilities of SOL400 23

Converting Nastran Linear to Nastran Nonlinear 24

Analysis Types 25

Analysis Procedures 27

Main Index
 CHAPTER 2 19
Overview of SOL 400

What’s New in SOL 400 since 2016 Release

2021.2
 New BDF entries for Co-Simulation
 Contact detection of PCOMP(G) with Z0

2021.1
 Accelerated separation check for node-to-segment contact

2021
 Brake squeal enhancement
 Support specification of contact status in linear perturbation analysis with touching contact
 Segment-to-segment contact default settings
 SOL 400 algorithm improvements
 Element strain energy (ESE) and kinetic energy (EKE) with linear perturbation analysis
 External Superelement MONPNT1 and MONPNT3 Data Recovery
 Addition of Lossy Compression for Nastran HDF5 Matrix and NLOUT Outputs (NH5RDB)

2020
 Geometric perturbation
 Nonlinear buckling analysis
 New MATVE format
 Check Input errors when using Advanced Nonlinear Elements
 Support for NLLOAD output in HDF5

2019FP1
 Linear perturbation buckling analysis
 Surface contact
 Linear contact in segment-to-segment contact

2019
 Model contact check
 Support for SEGANGL on BCPARA (and BCAUTOP)
 Support for N3DSUM on NLOPRM, NLDBG to provide the simplified debug output
 Output of advanced composites
 Monitor points with NLSTAT and NLTRAN

2018
 Nonlinear CFAST/PFAST

Main Index
 20 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
What’s New in SOL 400 since 2016 Release

 External superelement capability

 Support for automatic contact generation (ACG)
 Contact model check
 Output Geometry Adjustment in Initial Stress Free Contact
 Output analytical Smooth Surface in Contact
 Allow Real Zero BIAS in BCONPRG and BCTABLE
 GPFORCE

2017
 Solder creep material model
 Cohesive contact
 Output the resultant contact force and moment for each contact pair
 THRU capability for BCTABL1 entry

2016
 Support advance elements in Superelements and NLRESTART
 Contact in small deformation simulations
 Segment-to-segment contact enhancements
 Beam contact
 Interference fit
 Clearance (initial gap)
 Contact separation improvement
 Support connector elements (CWELD/CFAST/CSEAM) in SOL 400
 RC Network heat transfer analysis

Main Index
 CHAPTER 2 21
Overview of SOL 400

Introduction to SOL 400

SOL 400 is a set of application modules in the MSC Nastran system that pairs the full features of MSC
Nastran with the nonlinear capabilities of the Marc solver to analyze a wide variety of structural problems
subjected to geometric and material nonlinearity, and contact.

In MSC Nastrans advanced integrated nonlinear solution (SOL 400), all the MSC Nastran infrastructure is
available. This is the recommended default solution for solving nonlinear problems. SOL 400 is a powerful,
easy to use tool for simulating manufacturing processes and component designs. An extensive finite element
library for building your simulation model, and a set of solution procedures for the nonlinear analysis, which
can handle very large matrix equations, are available in both solution sequences of MSC Nastran implicit
nonlinear.
There are two forms of this combination.
 The first form is used in SOL 400 where the algorithms of Marc are embedded completely in MSC
Nastran to form a completely integrated MSC Nastran solution. We recommend this as the default
solution for solving MSC Nastran nonlinear problems.
 The second method is SOL 600 where MSC Nastran preprocesses the data and calls the Marc
solver. In SOL 400, all MSC Nastran infrastructure is available, while in SOL 600 only selected
MSC Nastran infrastructure capabilities have been integrated.
This is why MSC recommends that SOL 400 be the default solution method for solving nonlinear
problems. An extensive finite element library for building your simulation model, and a set of
solution procedures for the nonlinear analysis, which can handle very large matrix equations, are
available in both solution sequences of MSC Nastran implicit nonlinear.

Main Index
 22 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
History of SOL 400

History of SOL 400

The following figure gives an idea of the history and progression of SOL 400.

Advantages of SOL400
The advantages of SOL 400 are as follows:
 Allows for analysis chaining which are:
• Automatically chains together sequences of analyses with output state of one used as input state
for another
• Model complete processes in a single simulation through analysis chaining.
 Utilizes native Nastran elements, where no translation is required.
 Follower force distributed loads.
 Temperature applied to nodes. Temperature can be applied as a load in a structural analysis. The
reference temperature is user definable.
 Inertial body forces, acceleration and velocity can be applied in the global coordinate system.
 Combines static and transient into one analysis
• Pre-stress, transient, steady-state analysis chaining
• Thermal-structural analysis chaining
• Multiple, independent loadcases in one run
• Linear perturbation
 Use general contact capability: Solid-to-solid, surface-to-surface, edge-to-edge and beam-to-beam,
etc.
 Not restricted to small-strain element limitations

Main Index
 CHAPTER 2 23
Overview of SOL 400

• Large strain elements/materials (shells, solids)

 Model large displacement/rotation rigid elements
• Kinematic RBEi elements

Capabilities of SOL400
It is an advanced nonlinear solution process that combines capabilities of multiple solution sequences and
software components into a common solution.
 SOL 400 solves linear and nonlinear (material, contact and/or geometric) static, heat transfer,
modal (vibration), buckling, and transient dynamic structural finite element problems.
 Eigenvalue solutions are available in SOL 400 for solving linear or nonlinear modal analyses and
linear buckling analysis using either Lanczos or inverse power sweep methods of iteration. Through
the use of parameters you can control the convergence of the eigenvalues, and the modes to retain.
 Forces can be applied to nodes in any coordinate system.
 Constrained nodal displacements (zero displacements at specified DOF). Enforced nodal
displacements (nonzero displacements at specified DOF in the nodal coordinate system). Both
constrained and enforced displacements can be specified as relative or absolute.
 Defines contact between two bodies by selecting the contacting bodies and defining the contact
interaction properties, where gluing and un-gluing properties are provided. Enforced motion or
velocity of rigid contacts surfaces is available.
 Supports the following elements types:
• Scalar elements
• Beams
• Shells
• 2D plane strain
• 2D plane stress
• Axisymmetric
• 3D solids
• Lower-order elements
• Higher-order elements
 RBE elements and multi-point constraint equations are supported to tie specific nodes or DOFs
with each other. Special MPC entities are supported, (e.g. rigid links) which can be used to tie two
nodes together or equate the motion of two degrees of freedom. Both small and large rotations are
supported.
 SOL 400 supports both temperature independent and dependent, isotropic, orthotropic, and
anisotropic material properties. They can be defined for elastic, elastic-plastic, hyper-elastic, hypo-
elastic, visco-elastic, and creep constitutive models.

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 24 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Converting Nastran Linear to Nastran Nonlinear

 SOL 400 also supports cohesive material, gasket material, and thermo-mechanical shape memory
material. Nonlinear elastic-plastic materials can be defined by specifying piecewise linear stress-strain
curves, which may be temperature and / or rate dependent.
 Physical properties can be associated with SOL 400 elements such as the cross-sectional properties of
the beam element, the area of the beam and rod elements, the thickness of shell, plane stress, plane
strain, and membrane elements, spring parameters, and point masses among others.
 Fracture mechanics capabilities include VCCT crack propagation and cohesive zone interface and
closure analysis, and a large number of failure index criterion for analyzing delamination of
composite elements.
 Laminated composite solid and shell elements are supported in SOL 400 through the PCOMP,
PCOMPG, and PCOMPLS entries of the materials capability. Each layer has its own material, thickness,
and orientation and represents linear or nonlinear material behavior, failure index calculations are
also supported. Fast integration techniques are available with the PCOMPF entry. Equivalent material
models may be incorporated using PSHELL.
 Analysis jobs can consist of (possibly) complicated loading histories (such as would occur in a multi-
step manufacturing process). A single SOL 400 analysis (sub-case) may consist of multiple steps that
specify the loading sequence.
 Geometric Nonlinearity
• Large displacement RBEs, Bush, and Connectors
• Large displacement beam and shell offsets
 Material Nonlinearity
• Extensive nonlinear material library
• Large strain elements
• User subroutines and digimat support
 Boundary Nonlinearity
• 3D contact: touching and glued
 Adaptive load incrementing (NLSTEP)
 Multidiscipline Analysis: chained, linear perturbation, coupled, multiple independent sub-cases

Converting Nastran Linear to Nastran Nonlinear

Converting from Nastran linear to Nastran Nonlinear solutions 400 require less effort in modifying than
recreating the model from scratch. Most of the additional effort goes in preparing the model for the challenges
of a nonlinear solution. These challenges include:
 Making sure the system is well conditioned (model is fully constrained, no autospc!, not force
balance only!)
 Ensuring that the model behaves as desired due to nonlinear effects. Plasticity, large displacement
and contact must be defined and checked carefully even for a converged solution.
 Defining the proper (efficiency but accurate) parameters for a nonlinear solution (e.g. convergence
criteria)

Main Index
 CHAPTER 2 25
Overview of SOL 400

Analysis Types
A large class of stress analysis problems can be solved with SOL 400. A fundamental division of stress
problems is whether a static, transient dynamics, or perturbation analysis is to be performed. In a dynamic
response, the inertia effects are important. SOL 400 allows complete flexibility in making this distinction, so
that the same analysis may contain several static, dynamic, and pertubation phases.
An important aspect of the flexibility is the manner in which MSC Nastran SOL 400 allows you to step
through the loading history to be analyzed. This is accomplished by defining the job steps for the analysis.
A basic concept in MSC Nastran SOL 400 is the division of the problem history into job steps. A clear
distinction is made in MSC Nastran SOL 400 between linear analysis and nonlinear analysis procedures.
Loading conditions are defined differently for the two cases, time measures are different, and the results
should be interpreted differently. A step is any convenient phase of the history – a thermal transient, a creep
period, a dynamic transient, etc. In its simplest form, a step is just a static analysis of a load change from one
magnitude to another.
An analysis step during which the response may be nonlinear is called a general analysis step. An analysis step
during which the response may only be linear is called a linear perturbation analysis step. Since MSC Nastran
SOL 400 treats such linear analysis as a linear perturbation about a preloaded, predeformed state, its
capability for doing linear analysis is rather more general than that of a purely linear analysis program.
Analysis types for steps/subcases in SOL 400 include the following:

Type Description
Linear Static Static stress analysis is used when inertia effects can be neglected. During a linear
static step, the model’s response is defined by the linear elastic stiffness at the base
state, the state of deformation and stress at the beginning of the step.
Nonlinear Static Nonlinear static analysis requires the solution of nonlinear equilibrium equations,
for which SOL 400 uses Newton’s method. Many problems involve history
dependent response, so that the solution is usually obtained as a series of
increments, with iteration within each increment to obtain equilibrium. For most
cases, the automatic incrementation provided by SOL 400 is preferred, although
direct user control is also provided for those cases where you have experience with
a particular problem. This includes creep, viscoelastic and body approach
Normal Modes This solution type uses eigenvalue techniques to extract the frequencies of the
current system,
Modal Transient The Duhamel Integral method integrates all of the equations of motion through
Dynamic time. The accuracy is based upon the number of modes extracted.
Nonlinear This solution type is used when nonlinear dynamic response is being studied. For
Transient Dynamic most cases, the automatic incrementation provided is preferred, although direct
user control is also provided for those cases where you have experience with a
particular problem. The Generalized-alpha method has been presented as an
unconditionally stable (for linear systems), second-order algorithm that allows
user-controllable numerical dissipation.

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 26 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Analysis Types

Direct Frequency Frequency response analysis is a method used to compute structural response to
Response steady-state oscillatory (such as rotating machinery) excitation. In frequency
response analysis the excitation is explicitly defined in the frequency domain. The
direct method solves the coupled equations of motion in terms of forcing
frequency
Modal Frequency The modal method utilizes the mode shapes of the structure to reduce and
Response uncouple the equations of motion. The solution for a particular forcing frequency
is obtained through the summation of the individual modal responses.
Direct Complex Complex eigenvalue analysis is used to compute the damped modes of structures
Eigenvalue and assess the stability of systems modeled with transfer functions. Direct
Complex eigenvalue analysis solves the coupled equations of motion.
Modal Complex The modal method utilizes the mode shapes of the structure to reduce and
Eigenvalue uncouple the equations of motion.
Steady State Heat This solution type is for heat transfer problems where the temperature field can be
Transfer found for the current contact and deformation states of the bodies being studied.
(e.g., it is assumed that there are no changes in the structure during the heat
transfer analysis). For cases where there are mechanical changes in the structure a
coupled thermal-structural solution must be performed.
Transient Heat This solution type is for transient heat transfer problems where the temperature
Transfer field can be found based on the current state of stress and deformation of the
bodies being studied (e.g., it is assumed that there are no changes in the structure
during the heat transfer analysis). For cases where there are mechanical changes in
the structure a coupled thermal-structural solution must be performed. For all
transient heat transfer cases, the time increments may be specified directly, or will
be selected automatically based on a user prescribed maximum nodal temperature
change in a step. Automatic time incrementation is generally recommended.

A complete description of the available analysis types is provided in Chapter 3: Nonlinearity and Analysis
Types.
In each step, choose the solution type. This defines the type of analysis to be performed during the step:
dynamic stress analysis, eigenvalue buckling, transient heat transfer analysis, etc. The procedure choice may
be changed from step to step in any meaningful way, so that you have great flexibility in performing analyses.
Since the state of the model (stresses, strains, temperatures, etc.) is updated throughout all nonlinear analysis
steps, the effects of previous history are always included in the response in each new step. Thus, for example,
if natural frequency extraction is performed after a geometrically nonlinear static analysis step, the preload
stiffness will be included. Superposition cannot be applied in nonlinear problems. In general, a different
loading sequence (reordering of the steps) requires a complete new analysis.
In a nonlinear static analysis, you first determine the total value of loading to be applied at a particular stage
of the analysis. This loading value is selected with the LOAD case control command specifying a load set ID
that exists in the bulk data. In this case, the step functions as a type of landmark in the loading history. It may
be an expected point or a point at which the nature of the loading changes (for example, first applying an
internal pressure loading and then an axial loading on a cylinder). The steps is a major partition of the loading

Main Index
 CHAPTER 2 27
Overview of SOL 400

history. The loading history should be divided into subcases since this provides you with more control over
the solution and restart strategy.

Analysis Procedures
This section describes the practical steps involved in setting up and running MSC Nastran SOL 400 jobs,
including the use of Patran. The Patran UI is set up to guide you through the process of setting up the SOL
400 analysis, including
 The job information for the executive section (select the solution type and solution parameters),
 The subcases and steps (create subcases and steps and use subcase parameters to specify the required
step/subcase control information)
 The job submission (use Analyse --> Entire Model -> Full Run)
 Monitoring the job while it is running and once it is done (user Monitor -> Job -> View sts to
monitor and Monitor -> Job -> View f06 to debug).
It covers the Patran user interface (UI) and its capabilities for setting up, submitting, and monitoring the job.
It shows the user how to specify the analysis type, but does not go into any detail about the analysis types of
the individual steps being set up. See Nonlinearity and Analysis Types for the details of analysis types.
The STEP is the SOL 400 mechanism for associating loads and boundary conditions, output requests, and
various other parameters to be used during part of a complete run. Each step can be designated with one of
the analysis types listed below. For each Analysis Type, define the Solution Parameters and Output
Requests; these collectively constitute the Analysis Procedures.
In MSC Nastran, case control commands provide the loads and constraints, and load incrementation
method, and controls the program after the initial elastic analysis. Case control commands also include
blocks which allow changes in the initial model specifications. Case control commands can also specify print-
out and postprocessing options.
Each set of load sets must begin with a SUBCASE/STEP command and be terminated by another
SUBCASE/STEP or a BEGIN BULK command. If there is only one load case, the SUBCASE/STEP entry is
not required. The SUBCASE option requests that the program perform another increment or series of
increments. The input format for these options is described in MSC Nastran Quick Reference Guide.

SUBCASEs and STEPs

Each set of load sets must begin with a SUBCASE/STEP command and be terminated by another
SUBCASE/STEP or a BEGIN BULK command. If there is only one load case, the SUBCASE/STEP entry is

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 28 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Analysis Procedures

not required.

The SUBCASE option requests that the program perform another increment or series of increments. The
input format for these options is described in MSC Nastran Quick Reference Guide.
In SOL 400, all SUBCASEs are independent from each other. Sub-cases are independent, multidiscipline
load cases. Like SOL 101, many independent subcases can be performed in one single run. Each STEP can
be performed with another type of analysis, i.e. statics, transient, normal modes, and frequency response, etc.

Main Index
 Chapter 3: Capabilities

3 Capabilities


Applications for Nonlinear Analysis 30
 Nonlinear Analysis 30

Static Analysis 30

Linear Analysis 31

General Nonlinear Analysis 34

Nonlinear Transient Response Analysis 36
 Coupled Thermal-Mechanical 38
 Thermal Contact 38

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 30 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Nonlinear Analysis

Nonlinear Analysis
However, we know that in many structures the deflections and the stresses do not change proportionately
with the loads. In these problems the structure’s response depends upon its current state and the equilibrium
equations reflect the fact that the stiffness of the structure is dependent on both u and P .

P = K  P u u
As the structure displaces due to loading, the stiffness changes, and as the stiffness changes the structure’s
response changes. As a result, nonlinear problems require incremental solution schemes that divide the
problem up into steps calculating the displacement, then updating the stiffness. Each step uses the results
from the previous step as a starting point. As a result the stiffness matrix must be generated and inverted many
times during the analysis adding time and costs to the analysis.In addition, because the response is not
proportional to the loads, each load case must be solved separately and the principle of superposition is not
applicable.

Applications for Nonlinear Analysis

Early development of nonlinear finite element technology was mostly influenced by the nuclear and
aerospace industries. In the nuclear industry, nonlinearity is mainly due to high-temperature behavior of
materials. Nonlinearity in the aerospace industry are mainly geometric in nature and range from simple linear
buckling to complicated post-bifurcation behavior. Nonlinear finite element techniques are now applied to
problems as diverse as automotive, biomechanics, civil, manufacturing, ship building, and many more. MSC
Nastran SOL 700 may be used for solving high speed events such as crash and explosions.

Static Analysis
Static stress analysis is used when inertia effects can be neglected. The problem may still have a real time scale,
for example when the material has a viscoplastic response, such as rate dependent yield. The analysis may be
linear or nonlinear. Nonlinearity may arise from large displacement effects, material nonlinearity and
boundary nonlinearity (such as contact and friction).
Linear static analysis involves the specification of load cases and appropriate boundary conditions. Solutions
may be combined in a postprocessing mode.
Nonlinear static analysis requires the solution of nonlinear equilibrium equations, for which the program uses
Full Newton-Raphson or Modified Newton-Raphson. Many problems involve history dependent response,
so that the solution is usually obtained as a series of increments, with iteration within each increment to
obtain equilibrium. Increments must sometimes be kept small (in the sense that rotation and strain
increments must be small) to assure correct modeling of history dependent effects, but most commonly the
choice of increment size is a matter of computational efficiency – if the increments are too large, more
iteration will be required. Each solution method has a finite radius of convergence, which means that too
large an increment can prevent any solution from being obtained because the initial state is too far away from
the equilibrium state that is being sought – it is outside the radius of convergence. Thus, there is an

Main Index
 CHAPTER 3 31
Capabilities

algorithmic restriction on the increment size. For most cases, the automatic incrementation scheme is
preferred, because it will select increment sizes based on these considerations. Direct user control of
increment size is also provided because there are cases when you have considerable experience with his
particular problem and can therefore select a more economic approach. A complete discussion of the
numerical methods used to solver nonlinear static problems is included in this chapter; to get a converged
solution, see Chapter 6: Setting Up, Monitoring, and Debugging the Analysis.
Geometrically nonlinear static problems frequently involve buckling or collapse behavior, where the load-
displacement response shows a negative stiffness, and the structure must release strain energy to remain in
equilibrium. Several approaches are possible in such cases. One is to treat the buckling response dynamically,
thus actually modeling the kinetic response with inertia effects included as the structure snaps. This is easily
accomplished by using the restart option to terminate the static procedure and switch to a dynamic procedure
when the static solution goes unstable. In some simple cases, displacement control can provide a solution,
even when the conjugate load (the reaction force) is decreasing as the displacement increases. More generally,
static equilibrium states during the unstable phase of the response can be found by using the modified Riks
method. This method is for cases where the loading is proportional – that is, where the load magnitudes are
governed by a single scalar parameter. The method obtains equilibrium solutions by controlling the path
length along the load-displacement curve within each increment (rather than controlling the load or
displacement increment), so that the load magnitude becomes an unknown of the system. The method can
provide solutions even in cases of complex, unstable response. The Riks method cannot be used in contact,
heat transfer, coupled, or enforced motion.

Linear Analysis
In a linear analysis, we implicitly assume that the deflections and strains are very small and the stresses are
smaller than the material yield stresses. Consequently, there is assumed to be a linear relationship between
the applied loads and the response of the structure. The stiffness can be considered to remain constant (i.e.,
independent of the displacements and forces) and the finite element equilibrium equations
P = Ku
are linear where the stiffness matrix K is independent of both u , the generalized displacement vector, and
P , the generalized force vector. This linearity implies that any increase or decrease in the load will produce
proportional increase or decrease in displacements, strains, and stresses. Because of the linear relationship,
you only need to calculate the stiffness of the structure once. From this stiffness representation, you can find
the structure’s response to other applied loads by multiplying the load vectors by the decomposed stiffness
matrix. Linear static problems are solved in a single step. In addition, solutions can be combined using the
principle of superposition.
A linear analysis is the simplest and most cost effective type of analysis to perform. Because linear analysis is
simple and inexpensive to perform and often gives satisfactory results, it is the most commonly used
structural analysis. Nonlinearities due to material, geometry, or boundary conditions are not included in this
type of analysis. The behavior of an isotropic, linear, elastic material can be defined by two material constants:
Young’s modulus, and Poisson’s ratio.

Main Index
 32 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Linear Analysis

In actuality, linear analysis is merely an approximation to the true behavior of a structure. In some cases the
approximation is very close to the true behavior, in other cases linear analysis may provide highly inaccurate
results.
Linear analysis is obtained by considering the response in the step as the linear perturbation response about
the base state. The base state is the current state of the model at the end of the last general, nonlinear analysis
step prior to the linear perturbation step. Thus, the concept of linear analysis in MSC Nastran SOL 400 is
rather general. A simple example of the value of this generalization is the natural frequencies of a violin string
under increasing tension. In this case, geometrically nonlinear analysis of the string can be done in several
steps, in each of which the tension is increased. At the end of each such step, the frequencies can be extracted
in a linear perturbation analysis step.
Load magnitudes (including the magnitudes of prescribed boundary conditions), during a linear perturbation
analysis step, are defined as the magnitudes of the load perturbations only.
Likewise, the value of any solution variable is output as the perturbation value only – the value of the variable
in the base state is not included.
During a linear perturbation analysis step, the model’s response is defined by its linear elastic stiffness at the
base state. Plasticity and other inelastic effects are ignored. For hyperelastic materials, the tangent elastic
moduli in the base state are used. Contact conditions cannot change during a perturbation analysis – they
remain as they are defined in the base state. Frictional slipping is not allowed during perturbation analyses –
all points in contact are assumed to be sticking if friction is present. If geometric nonlinearity is included in
the general, nonlinear analysis upon which the linear perturbation study is being based, stress stiffening or
softening effects and (pressure and other follower force) load stiffness effects are included in the linear
perturbation analysis. In this case, perturbation stresses and strains are defined relative to the base state
configuration. The effects of temperature and field variable perturbations are ignored for materials that are
dependent on temperature and field variables. However, temperature perturbations will produce
perturbations of thermal strain.
Some procedures are purely linear perturbation procedures. These are:
 Linear Statics: ANALYSIS = STATICS
 Bifurcation Buckling: ANALYSIS = BUCK
 Natural Frequency: ANALYSIS = MODES
 Modal Linear Transient: ANALYSIS = MTRAN
 Modal Complex Eigenvalue: ANALYSIS = MCEIG
Modal linear transient analysis and linear static analysis are done in the time domain. The step time of linear
perturbations is never accumulated into the total time. For linear static perturbations the step time always
begins at zero for each new step.

Linear Perturbation Analysis

Linear perturbation analysis may be performed from time to time during a fully nonlinear analysis. This is
done by continuing the nonlinear response steps between the linear perturbation steps. The linear
perturbation response has no effect as the nonlinear analysis is continued. Generally, dynamic analyses may

Main Index
 CHAPTER 3 33
Capabilities

not be interrupted to perform perturbation analyses: before performing the perturbation analysis, MSC
Nastran SOL 400 requires that the structure be brought into static equilibrium.
In SOL 400, the ANALYSIS case control command may be used to define a linear perturbation analysis STEP.
Pertubation analysis implies a linearized solution about a nonlinear, preloaded state. The preloaded state may
be either a nonlinear static, nonlinear transient analysis, or a thermo-mechanically coupled analysis. When
performing a perturbation analysis in SOL 400 with large displacement activated:
 The preload will be performed including large displacements and other material nonlinearities.
 The stress obtained will be included in the initial stress stiffness of the perturbation step.

Linear Static
Static stress analysis is used when inertia effects can be neglected. The problem may still have a real time scale,
for example when the material has a viscoplastic response, such as rate dependent yield. The analysis may be
linear or nonlinear.
In linear static analysis, ANALYSIS = STATICS
Linear static analysis involves the specification of load cases and appropriate boundary conditions.
Traditionally, linear static analysis is performed using SOL 101.

Normal Modes
This solution type uses eigenvalue techniques to extract the frequencies of the current system. The stiffness
determined at the end of the previous step is used as the basis for the extraction, so that small vibrations of a
preloaded structure or nonlinearly deformed structure can be modeled.

Direct and Modal Linear Transient Dynamics

Depending upon the structure and the nature of the loading, two different numerical methods can be used
for a transient response analysis: direct and modal.
 The direct method (DTRAN): It performs a numerical integration on the complete coupled
equations of motion.
ANALYSIS = DTRAN
 The modal method (MTRAN): It utilizes the mode shapes of the structure to reduce and uncouple
the equations of motion (when modal or no damping is used); the solution is then obtained through
the summation of the individual modal responses.
ANALYSIS = MTRAN
It is used when the transient dynamic response of a linear system, which includes inertial effects, is
being studied. Since the use of modal transient analysis is covered completely in the MSC Nastran
Dynamic Analysis User’s Guide, it will not be covered in this manual.

Main Index
 34 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
General Nonlinear Analysis

Direct and Modal Frequency Response

Frequency response analysis is a method used to compute structural response to steady-state oscillatory
excitation. Examples of oscillatory excitation include rotating machinery, unbalanced tires, and helicopter
blades. In frequency response analysis the excitation is explicitly defined in the frequency domain. All of the
applied forces are known at each forcing frequency. Forces can be in the form of applied forces and/or
enforced motions (displacements, velocities, or accelerations).
Two different numerical methods can be used in frequency response analysis.
 The direct method (ANALYSIS = DFREQ) solves the coupled equations of motion in terms of
forcing frequency.
 The modal method (ANALYSIS = MFREQ) utilizes the mode shapes of the structure to reduce and
uncouple the equations of motion.

Direct and Modal Complex Eigenvalue

Complex eigenvalue analysis is used to compute the damped modes of structures and assess the stability of
systems modeled with transfer functions (including servomechanisms and rotating systems).
ANALYSIS = DCEIG, MCEIG
Complex eigenvalue analysis solves for the eigenvalues and mode shapes similar to normal modes analysis
except that damping is added and the eigenvalue is now complex. In addition, the mass, damping, and
stiffness matrices may be unsymmetric, and they may contain complex coefficients.

General Nonlinear Analysis

A general analysis step is one in which nonlinear effects are included (although this is not necessary – it is
possible to define a problem using general analysis procedures so that the response is entirely linear). The
starting condition for each general step is generally the ending condition from the last general step, with the
state of the model evolving throughout the history of general, nonlinear analysis steps as it responds to the
history of loading.
In a general, nonlinear analysis step the loads must be defined as total values. MSC Nastran SOL 400 always
considers total time to increase throughout the general, nonlinear analysis. Each step also has its own step
time, which begins at zero in each step. If the analysis procedure for the step has a physical time scale, as in a
dynamic analysis, step time corresponds to that physical time. Otherwise, step time is any convenient time
scale, typically 0.0-1.0, for the step. The step times of all general nonlinear analysis steps accumulate into total
time.

Nonlinear Static
Nonlinearity may arise from large displacement effects, material nonlinearity and boundary nonlinearity
(such as contact and friction).
ANALYSIS = NLSTATICS

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 CHAPTER 3 35
Capabilities

This behavior requires the solution by a series of increments, with iteration within each increment to obtain
equilibrium. For most cases, the automatic incrementation provided by SOL 400 is preferred, although
direct user control is also provided for those cases where you have experience with a particular problem.
For static analysis, which involves post buckling behavior, where the load-displacement response shows a
negative stiffness, and the structure must release strain energy to remain in equilibrium, an automatic load
incrementation procedure must be used.
For local buckling, a quasi-static damping procedure via the ADAPT option on the NLSTEP bulk data entry
may be used. However, this option only works in conjunction with advanced nonlinear elements. For global
buckling, an arc length based procedure via the ARCLN option on the NLSTEP bulk date entry may be used.
This option only works for non-contact scenarios.

Nonlinear Transient Dynamic

This solution type is used when the transient dynamic response, which includes inertial effects, is being
studied. When nonlinear behaviors are included in the problem, the direct integration method, ANALYSIS
= NLTRAN, must be used.
For most cases, the automatic load incrementation method provided by NLSTEP is preferred, although direct
user control is also provided for those cases where you have experience with a particular problem. For linear
transient dynamic analysis, the MTRAN perturbation method should be used.

Creep
This analysis procedure performs a transient, static, stress/displacement analysis.
ANALYSIS = NLSTATICS
It is especially provided for the analysis of materials which are described by the MATVP material form. The
time integration method is controlled by (and described under) the NLSTEP bulk data entry.

Viscoelastic
This is especially provided for the time domain analysis of materials which are described by the MATVE
material options.
ANALYSIS = NLSTATICS
The dissipative part of the material behavior is defined through a Prony series representation of the
normalized shear and bulk relaxation moduli. The time integration method is controlled the same as a creep
analysis using (and described under) the NLSTEP bulk data entry.

Heat Transfer Procedures

Heat transfer problems including conduction, forced convection, and boundary radiation and convection
can be solved with MSC Nastran SOL 400.
ANALYSIS = HSTAT or HTRAN

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 36 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Nonlinear Transient Response Analysis

The problems can be transient or steady-state, linear or nonlinear. The heat transfer elements allow for heat
storage (specific heat) and heat conduction, and also allow for forced convection caused by fluid flowing
through the mesh. Heat interface elements are also provided, to model the heat transfer across the boundary
layer between a solid and a fluid, or between two closely adjacent solids. Shell-type heat transfer elements are
included, since so many structures are of this type. The second order elements usually give more accurate
results for the same number of nodes in the mesh. Analyses that involve both thermal and mechanical
solutions are referred to in SOL 400 as multi-physics solutions.

Nonlinear Transient Response Analysis

Nonlinear analysis requires iterative solution methods, thereby making it far more computationally intensive
than a corresponding linear analysis. Nonlinear transient response analysis is available in MSC Nastran in
SOL 129 and 400, ANALYSIS = NLTRAN. Nonlinear problems are classified into three broad categories:
geometric nonlinearity, material nonlinearity, and contact.
The primary solution operations are load and time steps, iterations with convergence tests for acceptable
equilibrium error, and stiffness matrix updates. The iterative process is based on the Newton-Raphson
method. The tangent matrix updates are performed automatically to improve the computational efficiency,
and may be overridden at your discretion.
The adaptive method is implemented using the two-point recurrence (or one-step) formula as its foundation.
The optimum time step size, which is required for accuracy and efficiency, changes continuously in the
transient dynamic environment. The primary concept of automatic time step adjustment is that the proper
size of the time step can be predicted based on the dominant frequency in the incremental deformation
pattern at the previous time step. This concept presents a deficiency of time lag involved in the prediction
process. Furthermore, changes in nonlinearity cannot be predicted from the deformation pattern at the
previous time step.

Nonlinear Transient Response Analysis Interface

User Interface
The nonlinear properties and/or effects are defined by nonlinear material data (MATS1, MATEP, and
TABLES1), and PARAM,LGDISP for geometric nonlinearity. The transient effects are produced by
time-dependent loading functions (TLOADi, DAREA, etc.), damping (parameters, elements and material data),
and mass properties.
The unique data required for SOL 400 is supplied on the NLSTEP, an all-encompassing time/load
incrementation control entry for nonlinear analysis. See Chapter 4: Solution Strategies for Nonlinear
Analysis: NLSTEP Bulk Data Entry for a detailed description of the NLSTEP entry and using it for
nonlinear static and transient analyses.

Case Control
Each subcase and step defines a time interval starting from the last time step of the previous subcase or
subcase, subdivided into smaller time steps using the NLSTEP entry. The output time is labeled by the
cumulative time, including all previous subcases. The data blocks containing solutions are generated at the

Main Index
 CHAPTER 3 37
Capabilities

end of each subcase for storage in the database for output processing and restarts. As such, converged
solutions are apt to be saved at many intermediate steps in case of divergence and more flexible control
becomes possible with multiple subcases. Results from converged increments can be output to *.op2 files
using the NLOPRM case control entry.
The input loading functions may be changed for each subcase or continued by repeating the same DLOAD
request. However, it is recommended that one use the same TLOAD bulk data for all the subcases in order to
maintain the continuity between subcases, because TLOADi data defines the loading history as a function of
cumulative time. Static loads (PLOADi, FORCEi, MOMENTi) may be associated with time-dependent functions
by matching the EXCITEID on the TLOADi entries. Nonlinear forces as functions of displacements or
velocities (NOLINi) may be selected and printed by the case control commands NONLINEAR and NLLOAD,
respectively. Each subcase may have a different time step size, time interval, and iteration control selected by
the NLSTEP request. Case control requests that may not be changed after the first subcase are SPC, MPC,
DMIG, and TF.

Output requests for each subcase are processed independently. Requested output quantities for all the
subcases are appended after the computational process for actual output operation. See Chapter 8 for a
discussion on output requests and see the MSC Nastran Quick Reference Guide for a complete list of output
requests.
Initial conditions (displacement or velocity) can be specified by the bulk data input, TIC, selectable by the
case control command IC. If initial conditions are given, all of the nonlinear element forces and stresses must
be computed to satisfy equilibrium with the prescribed initial displacements. On the other hand, initial
conditions can be generated by applying static analysis for the preload using PARAM,TSTATIC in the first
subcase. Then the transient analysis can be performed in the ensuing subcases. Associated with the adaptive
time stepping method, the PARAM,NDAMP is used to control the stability in the ADAPT method. The NDAMP
parameter represents the numerical damping (a recommended value for usual cases is 0.01), which is often
required to improve the stability and convergence in contact problems.

Time Step Definition

In a transient dynamic analysis, time step parameters are required for integration in time. These parameters
are specified in SOL 400 through the NLSTEP entry. These can be used for the Newmark beta operator to
invoke the adaptive time control. Enter parameters to specify the time step size and period of time for this
set of boundary conditions.
When using the Newmark-beta operator, decide which frequencies are important to the response. The time
step in this method should not exceed 10 percent of the period of the highest relevant frequency in the
structure. Otherwise, large phase errors will occur. The phenomenon usually associated with too large a time
step is strong oscillatory accelerations. With even larger time steps, the velocities start oscillating. With still
larger steps, the displacement eventually oscillates. In nonlinear problems, numerical instability usually
follows oscillation. When using adaptive dynamics, you should prescribe a maximum time step.
As in the Newmark-beta operator, the time step in Houbolt integration should not exceed 10 percent of the
period of the highest frequency of interest. However, the Houbolt method not only causes phase errors, it
also causes strong artificial damping. Therefore, high frequencies are damped out quickly and no obvious
oscillations occur. It is, therefore, completely up to the engineer to determine whether the time step was
adequate. The damping problem is alleviated to a large extent with the Single Step Houbolt operator.

Main Index
 38 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Coupled Thermal-Mechanical

In nonlinear problems, the mode shapes and frequencies are strong functions of time because of large
displacement effects, so that the above guidelines can be only a coarse approximation. To obtain a more
accurate estimate, repeat the analysis with a significantly different time step (1/5 to 1/10 of the original) and
compare responses.

Coupled Thermal-Mechanical
Traditionally, structural simulations and thermal simulations have been performed independently of one
another in separate analysis codes specialized in solving each physical discipline. In large companies there are
different structural and thermal specialists and departments. These groups interact with each other as the
thermal analysts provide the structural analysts with temperature data for thermal distortion and thermal
stress analysis. For sophisticated systems, the thermal analysis is dependent on the structural deflection, so an
iterative loop is set up to capture all the effects properly. MSC Nastran has had nonlinear structural and heat
transfer capabilities since its inception.
One of the keys to multi-physics simulations is to capture the structural and thermal load path changes caused
by contact. MD Nastran has had structural contact capabilities since its inception. General structural contact
allows mechanical meshes to come in to contact and change the load path. Glued structural contact will weld
mechanical meshes together. Thermal contact is a similar concept but for thermal analysis rather than
structural analysis. In addition, the multi-physics aspect of MSC Nastran allows for coupling thermal and
mechanical contact in the same run. In thermal analysis, thermal contact is available for both steady state and
transient.
For coupled thermal-mechanical analysis the mechanical analysis can be static or dynamic and the thermal
analysis can be steady state or transient. This allows four combinations of coupled thermo mechanical
analysis:
 HSTAT-NLSTAT
 HSTAT-NLTRAN
 HTRAN-NLSTAT
 HTRAN-NLTRAN,

where HSTAT, HTRAN, NLSTAT, and NLTRAN stand for steady state heat transfer, transient heat transfer,
structural nonlinear statics, and structural nonlinear transient respectively.
The coupled analysis can account for plasticity and frictional heat coupling and proper updating of interface
conditions when there is relative motion between bodies. The bi-directional coupling is a weakly coupled
approach between thermal and mechanical passes. The available bi-directional coupling schemes are
identified in the figure below and they allow simulation of thermo-mechanical effects associated with large
deformation problems and frictional contact.

Thermal Contact
As described in the multi-physics introduction, one of the keys to multi-physics simulations is to capture the
structural and thermal load path changes caused by contact. MSC Nastran has had structural contact
capabilities since its inception. General structural contact allows mechanical meshes to come in to contact
and change the load path. Glued structural contact will weld mechanical meshes together.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 3 39
Capabilities

Thermal contact is a similar concept but for thermal analysis rather than structural analysis. You will be able
to analyze thermal interactions between different contact bodies for the body areas that are in contact and
thermal interactions between contact bodies and the environment for the body areas that are not in contact.
In addition to contact and no contact from the pure mechanical case, there is near contact which allows thermal
interactions between bodies that are getting near to each other, but not yet in real (mechanical) contact.
Thermal contact is available for both steady state and transient analysis.

Benefits
This functionality provides a user-friendly interface to defining thermal contact conditions. The user defines
contact bodies with their thermal properties and contact tables defining the possible contact pairings with
the thermal properties for each pairing. The program automatically identifies the body areas involved in
contact and the body areas exposed to the environment and for each situation, it sets up the appropriate
interface conditions for the thermal interactions.
In a coupled thermal-mechanical analysis, bodies may have relative motions, causing the contact conditions
to change over time. Due to friction forces in the contact interface, heat may be generated adding an extra
heat flux load in the thermal phase of the analysis. All changes in the interface conditions and resulting loads
are updated automatically.

Main Index
 Chapter 4: SOL 400 Files

4 SOL 400 Files


SOL 400 Input File 41
 SOL 400 Output File 44

Setting Up a SOL 400 Job 47

Main Index
 CHAPTER 4 41
SOL 400 Files

SOL 400 Input File

To perform an analysis using MSC Nastran, you must generate an input file describing the structure’s
geometry, material properties, boundary conditions, and loads. In addition to defining the physical structure,
the input file also specifies the type of analysis to be performed and other pertinent information. The input
file is an ASCII text file which can be created using any text editor or one of the many preprocessors that
interface with MSC Nastran.

After the generation of the input file is complete, it is submitted for execution as a batch process. Once the
input file has been submitted, you have no additional interaction with MSC Nastran until the job is
complete.
The MSC Nastran Input File, often referred to as the Bulk Data File (.bdf), (or .dat in the MSC Nastran
manuals), is made up of three distinct sections:
 Executive Control: It describes the problem or solution type and optional file management.
 Case Control: It defines the load history and output requests.
 Bulk Data: It defines a detailed model, load and constraint description.
For details, refer to the MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide or the MSC Nastran Quick Reference Guide.

SOL 400 Example

The following text illustrates a simple example of a SOL 400 input file. It includes the required Executive
Control, Case Control, and Bulk Data Sections that are required for any MSC Nastran analysis.
See Install.dir/Doc/pdf_nastran/user/implicit_nonlinear_examples/example_input_files

Listing 4-1 Sample Implicit Nonlinear Solution 400 Input

$ NASTRAN input file created by Patran 64-Bit
input file
NASTRAN SYSTEM(316)=19 Executive Control Section
SOL 400
CEND
$ Direct Text Input for Global Case Control
Data
TITLE = MSC.Nastran job
SUBCASE 1
STEP 1
TITLE=This is a default subcase.
ANALYSIS = NLSTATIC
NLSTEP = 1 Case Control Section
BCONTACT = ALLBODY
SPC = 2
LOAD = 1
DISPLACEMENT(SORT1,REAL)=ALL
SPCFORCES(SORT1,REAL)=ALL
STRESS(SORT1,REAL,VONMISES,BILIN)=ALL
NLSTRESS(SORT1)=ALL
BOUTPUT(SORT1,REAL)=ALL
$ Direct Text Input for this Subcase

Main Index
 42 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
SOL 400 Input File

BEGIN BULK
$ Direct Text Input for Bulk Data
PARAM POST 1
PARAM PRTMAXIM YES
PARAM MRNOECHO 123
BCPARA 0 NLGLUE 1
PARAM LGDISP 1
NLSTEP 1 1.
GENERAL 10 1 10
ADAPT .01 1.-5 .5 4 1.2 0
6 2.-4 Bulk Data Section
MECH PV PFNT
.2
$ Elements and Element Properties for region : solids
PSOLID 1 1 0
PSLDN1 1 1
C8 SOLID L
$ Pset: "solids" will be imported as: "psolid.1"
CHEXA 1 1 1 2 8 7 37
38
44 43
CHEXA 2 1 2 3 9 8 38
39
45 44

Running Existing Nonlinear Models in SOL 400

Some users may have existing models that have been developed and analyzed using MSC Nastran Nonlinear
Solution Sequences 106 or 129 (or others). These models may be run through SOL 400 by changing the
SOLUTION procedure input to SOL 400 with the proper Analysis, such as NLSTATIC or NLTRAN, case
control command in each SUBCASE/STEP as described in the following chapters. It is advantageous to read
the model into Patran and change the Solution Type on the Analysis menu. In this case, Patran then modifies
the input it writes to match that required by the specific SOL 400 solution sequence being written out. This
method is especially useful to activate advanced nonlinear capabilities.

Generating and Editing the Bulk Data File in Patran

Patran offers a MSC Nastran interface that provides a communication link between Patran and MSC
Nastran. The interface is a fully integrated part of the Patran system.

Generating the BDF

Selecting MSC Nastran as the analysis code preference in Patran, activates the customization process. These
customizations ensure that sufficient and appropriate data is generated for the MSC Nastran interface.
Specifically, the Patran forms in these main areas are modified:
 Materials
 Element Properties
 Finite Elements/MPCs and Meshing
 Loads and Boundary Conditions

Main Index
 CHAPTER 4 43
SOL 400 Files

 Analysis Forms
Using Patran, you can run a MSC Nastran analysis or you may generate the MSC Nastran Input File to run
externally. For information on generating the MSC Nastran Input file from within Patran, see Chapter 3:
Running an Analysis, Analysis Form in the Patran Interface to MSC Nastran Preference Guide.

Editing the BDF

Once the bulk data file has been generated, you can edit the file directly from Patran.
1. Click the Analysis Application button to bring up Analysis Application form.
2. On the Analysis form, set the Action > Object > Method combination to Analyze > Existing Deck
> Full Run and click Edit Input File...
Patran finds the bulk data file with the current job name and displays the file for editing in a text editing
window.

Input File Processing (IPF) Checking

Checking of MSC Nastran bulk data entries are done during IFP. When one of these entries has erroneous
data entered, the IFP will flag the entry and issue a FATAL ERROR. One needs to examine the output (.fo6)
to observe the field and continuation line where the erroneous data occurs.

SOL 400 uses the Nastran input format which are same as elements, materials, properties, loadings and
formats.

Main Index
 44 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
SOL 400 Output File

 SOL 400 for Nonlinear Analysis

• Nonlinear statics and transient Analysis
• Perturbation STEPs
 Nonlinear Iteration Strategy
• NLPARM: Nonlinear Parameters for Statics
• TSTEPNL: Nonlinear Parameters for Transient
• NLSTEP: Replaces NLPARM, TSTEPNL, NLPCI, NLADAPT
 Geometric Nonlinear Analysis
• PARAM, LGDISP, 1: For large displacement effects
 Material Nonlinear Analysis
• MATS1, MATEP: For elasto plastic materials.

SOL 400 Output File

As a part of the input, you can request which results quantities you want to be written to the output from
MSC Nastran, and also what formats (MASTER/DBALL, OP2, HDF5) of the results files to use. These output
requests are placed in the case control section of the input (refer to the example below).

Main Index
 CHAPTER 4 45
SOL 400 Files

While the DISPLACEMENT, SPCFORCES, and STRESS requests are common with most MSC Nastran
solution sequences, the NLSTRESS and BOUTPUT requests are unique to SOL 400 and are required to get
the output unique to nonlinear analyses such as failure indices and contact interaction status, forces and
stresses. Control of these options is available through the Analysis menu job setup interface in Patran (see
Chapter 8 or the Patran MSC Nastran Preference Guide for more information on this topic).
SUBCASE 1
STEP 1
TITLE=This is a default subcase.
ANALYSIS = NLSTATIC
NLSTEP = 1
BCONTACT = ALLBODY
SPC = 2
LOAD = 1
DISPLACEMENT(SORT1,REAL)=ALL
SPCFORCES(SORT1,REAL)=ALL
STRESS(SORT1,REAL,VONMISES,BILIN)=ALL
NLSTRESS(SORT1)=ALL
BOUTPUT(SORT1,REAL)=ALL
MSC recommends to us either the MASTER/DBALL or new OP2 (PARAM,POST,1) output file formats for
SOL 400 analysis. The advantage of using the MASTER/DBALL format is that it contains all of the database
information from the MSC Nastran run and so can be used to retrieve the attributes of the model at a later
time. The disadvantages to this format is that it is platform specific (e.g. not portable across platforms) and
takes up more disk space. The advantages of the new OP2 format is that it takes less disk space than the
MASTER/DBALL and has limited cross-platform portability (see Chapter 2: File Management Statements,
The File Management Section (FMS) of the QRG for more details on portability).

The .sts file

SOL 400 provides a status file that can be queried periodically to see how the analysis is progressing and if
the job is completed. If not, how much of it was completed before the analysis was terminated. The easiest
way to have a real-time monitor of your SOL 400 job is to open the .sts file with a text editor that
automatically updates when the file is changed. The name of an STS file consists of the root name of the job
and the extension of STS, for instance, jobname.sts.
While an STS file provides MSC Nastran users a convenient and succinct means to monitor the incremental
solution process and examine the relevant information of the overall iteration procedure, a sophisticated user
is encouraged to look into the F06 file for the nonlinear iteration module output, which is led by the percent
sign % in each entry. The .f06 file provides all nonlinear solution information.

Postprocessing with Patran

The results application in Patran provides the capabilities for creating, modifying, deleting, posting, un-
posting and manipulating results visualization plots as well as viewing the finite element model. In addition,
results can be derived, interpolated, extrapolated, transformed, and averaged in a variety of ways, which can
be controlled by you.

Main Index
 46 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
SOL 400 Output File

Control is provided for manipulating the color/range assignment and other attributes for plot tools, and for
controlling, and creating animations of static, and transient results. Results are selected from the database,
and assigned to plot tools using simple forms. Results transformations are provided to derive scalars from
vectors, and tensors as well as to derive vectors from tensors. This allows for a wide variety of visualization
tools to be used with all of the available results.
If the job was created within Patran where a Patran jobname has the same name as the MSC Nastran
jobname, you are only required to use the Results tools and Patran will import or attach the
jobname.xxx file without you having to select it. If you did not create the job in Patran, you can still import
the model and results and postprocess.

Results
Like the enormous amount of data needed to define the simulation model to an analysis code, there is a large
volume of data returned from the simulation analysis. And just as it is virtually impossible to construct a
model with a text editor alone, it is equally difficult to read and interpret the results by hand. Hence, the use
of a postprocessor with a graphical user interface such as Patran, or SimXpert is highly recommended.
The Patran Results application gives you control of powerful graphical capabilities to display results
quantities in a variety of ways:
 Deformed structural plots
 Color banded fringe plots
 Marker plots (vectors, tensors)
 Freebody diagrams
 Graph (XY) plots
 Animations of most of these plot types.
The Results application treats all results quantities in a very flexible and general manner. In addition, for
maximum flexibility results can be:
 Sorted
 Reported
 Filtered
 Derived
 Deleted
All of the above features help give meaningful insight into results interpretation of engineering problems that
would otherwise be difficult.
The Results application is object oriented, providing postprocessing plots which are created, displayed, and
manipulated to obtain rapid insight into the nature of results data. The imaging is intended to provide
graphics performance sufficient for real time manipulation. Performance will vary depending on hardware,
but consistency of functionality is maintained as much as possible across all supported display devices.
Capabilities for interactive results postprocessing also exist. Advanced visualization capabilities allow creation
of many plot types which can be saved, simultaneously plotted, and interactively manipulated with results
quantities reported at the click of the mouse button to better understand mechanical behavior. Once defined,

Main Index
 CHAPTER 4 47
SOL 400 Files

the visualization plots remain in the database for immediate access and provide the means for results
manipulation and review in a consistent and easy to use manner.
For more information, see Chapter 1: Introduction to Results Postprocessing in the Patran Reference Manual.

Setting Up a SOL 400 Job

Executive Control Statements

The SOL 400 executive control statement is as follows:
SOL 400
See Chapter 2: MSC Nastran Files, The Executive Control Section Overview for a description on some of the
options.

Solution Type
MSC Nastran SOL 400 can simulate different types of structural and thermal responses. In general, an
structural analysis can be either static or dynamic. Both static, and dynamic analysis may simulate linear
response, or nonlinear response. SOL 400 incorporates the formulations and functionality to simulate
nonlinear static and dynamic structural responses.

Specifying the Solution Type

The specific procedure MSC Nastran will run is specified on the ANALYSIS case control entry. SOL 400
represents multiple types of analysis procedures including structural, thermal, or multi-physics; any of which
can be specified using the case control entries (see Analysis Procedures on how to use case control to specify the
analysis procedures, including multi-physics/multistep).

Entry Description
ANALYSIS Specifies the analysis procedure to be used for the step or subcase being set up.

Steps and Subcases

Creating multiple steps allows you to simulate complex loading histories and even mix, and match different
analysis procedures as required to get an accurate and efficient solution. Each step is a collection of loads and
boundary conditions that define one phase of the behavior being modeled. For SOL 400, nonlinear analysis
runs the starting point of each step is the ending point of the previous step.
Creating multiple subcases allows you to stack simulations and efficiently analyze multiple stand-alone jobs
in one run. Each subcase should represent a complete stand-alone loading history, while gaining the
efficiency of not having to re-form any matrices that can be re-used. In SOL 400, multi-subcase runs the
starting point of each subcase is an unstressed, un-deformed state that is completely independent of the
previous subcase.

Main Index
 48 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Setting Up a SOL 400 Job

Specifying Subcases
Each subcase is designated with the following case control commands:

Entry Description
SUBCASE Delimits and identifies a subcase.
STEP Delimits and identifies a section of a subcase, typically delineating one load step, or
perturbation step in the analysis (see Chapter 4: Solution Strategies for Nonlinear
Analysis, on multi-stepping for a more detailed explanation of how STEPs and
SUBCASEs work together).

Multi-step or Multi-subcase Analyses

SOL 400 analysis allows for six analysis type combinations:
 Nonlinear single physics
 Nonlinear chained physics
 Nonlinear coupled physics
 Linear perturbation analysis
 Nonlinear chained analysis with mesh/time change physics, and
 Standard linear physics.
If there are multiple subcases, the linear subcases will be solved first.
The general rule for this is: The solutions of all SUBCASEs are independent of each other. The solution of any
STEP is a continuation of the solution of the previous STEP in the same SUBCASE. The solutions of the
SUBSTEPs occur sequentially within a STEP (coupled analysis).

Main Index
 CHAPTER 4 49
SOL 400 Files

Main Index
 Chapter 5: Elements

5 Elements


Introduction 51
 Element Classes 51

Automatic Property Mapping 77

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 51
Elements

Introduction
An element is the basic building block of finite element analysis (FEA). There are several basic types of
elements. Which type of element is used for the analysis depends on two factors:
 The type of analysis that is going to be performed
 The type of object that is to be modeled
An element is a mathematical relation that defines how the degrees of freedom of a node relate to the next.
It also relates how the deflections create stresses. Elements can be:
 Lines (trusses or beams)
 Areas (2-D or 3-D plates and membranes)
 Solids (bricks or tetrahedrals)
The element is used as a mechanism to integrate a physical quantity over a volume, a surface, a curve, or a
point. For the simplest simulation, it provides a transfer function (or impedance) between the degrees of
freedom of one grid and the degrees of freedom of another grid. This is a very general definition which may
be applied to any type of physics including structural analysis, thermal analysis, acoustic analysis, and fluid
dynamics among others.
The selection of the element type and the design of the finite element mesh are important to obtain an
accurate solution. The design of a finite element mesh is done either fully automatically by a mesh generator
available from MSC (Patran, SimXpert) or any other mesh generator available in the market.
In MSC Nastran, there are two aspects of element definition:
1. The definition of the location of the element, by identifying grid points comprising the element. This
is often called the element topology.
2. The definition of the characteristics of the element.
For nonlinear analysis, the topology of the elements, is generally the same for linear analysis (SOL 101) and
for nonlinear analysis (SOL 400), though there are some restrictions. Additionally, there are elements
available in the implicit nonlinear procedure that are not available in the linear solution sequences. For a
detailed description of MSC Nastran element technology, see the MSC Nastran Linear Static Analysis User’s
Guide, MSC Nastran Elements (Ch. 4), MSC Nastran Reference Guide, Structural Elements (Ch. 3) and QRG, Bulk
Data Entries.

Element Classes
In MSC Nastran, the elements are divided into classes based upon their dimensionality and function. In
structural applications such as automotive body, aerospace, and civil engineering, the use of shells, beams,
and rods is prevalent. In applications such as generators, rockets, and pressure vessels, axisymmetric elements
may be used advantageously; while in automotive engines, housing, etc., 3-D solid elements dominate.
MSC Nastran uses Standard and Advanced elements. Standard elements are the native Nastran elements
which are popular for linear static and dynamic analyses. The elements CQUAD, CTRIA, CHEXA,
CPENTA, CTETRA, CBEAM and CBAR are available in both standard and advanced element versions and

Main Index
 52 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Element Classes

these elements provide identical solutions for all linear simulations. The standard elements are defined using
conventional property cards PSHELL, PLPLANE, PSOLID, PBEAM, PBAR, etc.
Advanced elements are activated explicitly by using additional property cards (in addition to conventional
property card) PSHLN1, PSHLN2, PSLDN1, PBEMN1 and PBARN1. While Nastran uses its standard
elements mostly for the linear simulations and also for the limited nonlinear simulations in SOL 106 and
SOL 129, it uses its advanced elements for more advanced nonlinear simulations (large strain material and
contact nonlinear solutions) in SOL 400. Few advanced elements (new type which have no equivalent in
standard element type) are also directly defined using only the conventional property cards (PLCOMP,
PCOMPLS, PCOHE, PAXISYM, etc.).
Nastran also allows the capability of automatic activation of advanced elements when the model uses certain
nonlinear materials or analysis procedures. For more information, refer to See “Automatic Property Mapping”
on page 77.

0-D
0-D elements are a single grid; hence, they do not really have a geometry associated with them. Because of
this, no numerical integration is required.
These elements include:
CELAS1, CELAS2, CELAS3, and CELAS4 (if only one grid identified) – provides a stiffness matrix
CBUSH (if only one grid identified) – provides a stiffness, damping and mass matrix
CDAMP1, CDAMP2, CDAMP3, and CDAMP4 (if only one grid identified) – provides a damping
matrix
CMASS1, CMASS2, CMASS3, and CMASS4 (if only one grid identified) – provides a mass matrix
CONM1 and CONM2 – provides a mass/inertia matrix
Note that only CBUSH allows the ability to change the stiffness due to the deformation, and hence, is more
powerful for nonlinear analysis.
The property options used with these elements are

Element Conventional Property Auxiliary Property for Nonlinear

CELAS1 PELAS Not Applicable
CELAS2 Not Required Not Applicable
CELAS3 PELAS Not Applicable
CELAS4 Not Required Not Applicable
CBUSH PBUSH Not Required
CDAMP1 PDAMP Not Applicable
CDAMP2 Not Required Not Applicable
CDAMP3 PDAMP Not Applicable

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 53
Elements

Element Conventional Property Auxiliary Property for Nonlinear

CDAMP4 Not Required Not Applicable
CMASS1 PMASS Not Applicable
CMASS2 Not Required Not Applicable
CMASS3 PMASS Not Applicable
CMASS4 Not Required Not Applicable
CONM1 Not Required Not Applicable
CONM2 Not Required Not Applicable

1-D Elements – Not Numerically Integrated

1-D elements that have two grid (or scalar) points, but have no geometry, do not need to be numerally
integrated. They effectively represent a spring or damper between two points. These elements include:
CELAS1, CELAS2, CELAS3, and CELAS4 – provides a stiffness matrix
CBUSH – provides a stiffness, damping and mass matrix.
CDAMP1, CDAMP2, CDAMP3, and CDAMP4 – provides a damping matrix.
Note that only CBUSH allows the ability to change the stiffness due to the deformation and, hence, is more
powerful for nonlinear analysis.
The property options used with these elements are:

Element Conventional Property Auxiliary Property for Nonlinear

CELAS1 PELAS Not Applicable
CELAS2 Not Required Not Applicable
CELAS3 PELAS Not Applicable
CELAS4 Not Required Not Applicable
CBUSH PBUSH Not Required
CBUSH1D PBUSH1D If CID=0 this element supports large rotation
CDAMP1 PDAMP Not Applicable
CDAMP2 Not Required Not Applicable
CDAMP3 PDAMP Not Applicable
CDAMP4 Not Required Not Applicable

1-D Elements that are Numerically Integrated

Physically, these elements represent slender structures, where the behavior may be considered uniaxial and
the stresses in the other directions are negligible.

Main Index
 54 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Element Classes

These elements include:

CROD provides a membrane behavior plus twist, but no bending stiffness. The CROD element
is a 2-node element with linear interpolation. One needs to only define the rod cross-
section area.
CBAR provides membrane, bending and torsion behavior. The CBAR is a 2-grid element that
supports linear or nonlinear material behavior. The type of numerical integration along
the length and the numerical integration across the cross section is determined on the
PBARN1.
CBEAM provides general beam behavior. The CEAM is a 2-grid element that will support linear
or nonlinear material behavior. The type of numerical integration along the length and
the numerical integration across the cross section is determined on the PBEMN1.
CBEAM3 provides general beam behavior. The CEAM3 is a 3-grid element with quadratic
interpolation along the length, but only supports linear elastic material.
CBEND is a tube element that may also be used as a curved element. The CBEND is a 2-grid
element that only supports linear elastic material.

Connectivity of Typical 1-D Element

Degrees of Freedom for Rods

Global displacement degrees of freedom:
1 = u displacement
2 = v displacement
3 = w displacement

Output of Strains
Uniaxial in the truss member.

Output of Stresses
Uniaxial in the truss member.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 55
Elements

Beam Element Considerations

When beam elements are used in an engineering simulation, the following considerations need to be made:
Beam cross-section definition – this is the same for linear solutions and nonlinear solutions.
Beam section orientation – the beam cross section may be either a solid section, an open section, or
a hollow closed section. The definition of the beam section cross section is the same for classical and
advanced elements, but the numerical procedure is different. When using the advanced elements
and closed section cross sections, there is an additional restriction in that the cross section may have
only one cavity.

Acceptable Cross Section Illegal Cross section for

Nonlinear Material Behavior

A detailed description of beam cross section and beam orientations is given in the QRG.
Beam cross-section integration – this is substantially different for nonlinear analysis when the
additional property option. In the case of linear elastic material behavior, the cross section of the
beam is integrated to obtain the area, moments of inertia, and the torsional moment. When
nonlinear material models are present, the behavior has to be integrated through the cross section.
Beam offsets – MSC Nastran has two different methods to apply Beam and Shell offsets:
a. Using rigid elements which is the default.
a. Large rotation method activated by the MDLPRM,OFFDEF,LROFF – this is the recommended
approach for a nonlinear analysis.
Beam pin codes – this is the same for linear and nonlinear solutions.

Degrees of Freedom for Beams

1 = ux = global Cartesian x-direction displacement
2 = uy = global Cartesian y-direction displacement
3 = uz = global Cartesian z-direction displacement
4 = x = rotation about global x-direction
5 = y = rotation about global y-direction
6 = z = rotation about global z-direction

Main Index
 56 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Element Classes

Layer Stresses for Fully Nonlinear Solid Section Beam

1 =  zz
2 =  zx
3 =  zy

The Property options used with these elements are:

1-D
Auxiliary Large
Number of Property Rotation/ Permits
Number Integration Interpolation Conventional for Large Nonlinear
Element of Grids Points Scheme BEH INT Property Nonlinear Strain Sect Material
CROD 2 1 L ROD L PROD PRODN1 Yes/Yes S Yes
*
CBAR 2 3 LC PROD LC PBAR(L) PBARN1 Yes/No S No
CBAR 2 3 LC PROD LC PBAR(L) PBARN1 Yes/No N Yes
CBAR 2 1 LC PROD LS PBAR(L) PBARN1 Yes/No S No
CBAR 2 1 LC PROD LS PBAR(L) PBARN1 Yes/No N Yes
CBEAM 2 3 LC BEAM LC PBEAM(L) PBEMN1 Yes/No S No
CBEAM 2 3 LC BEAM LC PBEAM(L) PBEMN1 Yes/No N Yes
CBEAM 2 1 LC BEAM LS PBEAM(L) PBEMN1 Yes/No S No
CBEAM 2 1 LC BEAM LS PBEAM(L) PBEMN1 Yes/No N Yes
CBEAM 2 2 LC BEAM LCC PBEAML PBEMN1 Yes/No N Yes
CBEAM 2 2 LC BEAM LCO PBEAML PBEMN1 Yes/No N Yes
* When a PRODN1 is used with a CROD to permit nonlinear material behavior, the element behavior changes such that it no longer supports torsion.

These elements cannot be used with the Hill, Barlat, Linear Mohr-Coulomb, Parabolic Mohr-Coulomb, or
the IMPLICIT CREEP model specified on the MATEP option.
The user can change the Integration along the length when using PBARN1 or PBEMN1. The choices are:

INT Code Integration Type

LC Linear/Cubic
LCC Linear/Cubic Closed Section
LCO Linear/Cubic Open Section
LS Linear-shear

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 57
Elements

Linear/cubic means that linear interpolation of the displacement is used along the axis and cubic
displacement variation normal to the beam axis. This results in linear variation of curvature.
The CBAR, PBAR, and PBARN1 does not support LCO which requires element warping.
The cross-section behavior can either be specified by entering an S or N on the SECT option, where N means
numerically integrated and S means smeared. When a nonlinear material behavior needs to be captured, you
should use the N option.

Large Displacement/Large Strain

These 1-D elements support large displacement and large rotation. The beam elements do not support large
strain in the sense that the cross-section geometry, whether solid section, open section, or closed section, does
not change. The CROD element does support large strain, but it is assumed to be incompressible such that
the volume remains constant, hence:
A*L = A 0 L 0  L

The resultant quantities are always given with respect to an element axis attached to the 1-D element. When
large displacement is included, this is co-rotated with the element.

Planar Continuum Elements

This is a group of elements that include plane stress, plane strain, and axisymmetric elements. The advanced
elements include lower-order and higher-order triangular and quadrilateral elements with a variety of
integration schemes that have the following geometry as shown in the following figure. For all these elements,
the output is given with respect to the basic system.

3 3

3
6 5

1 2
1 2 1 4 2
3-node triangular element, 6-node element,
1-point integration point 3-point integration point

Main Index
 58 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Element Classes

4 3
4 3
3 4

1 2

1 2 1 2
4-node quadrilateral, 4-node,
4-point integration point 1-point integration point

4 7 3 4 7 3
7 8 9
3 4

8 4 5 6 6 8 6

1 2
1 2 3
1 5 2 1 5 2
8-node quadrilateral, 8-node,
9-point integration point 4-point integration point

2-D Planar Plane Stress Elements

MSC Nastran has a set of elements that can be used for 2-D plane stress simulations. Plane stress can be
characterized by no variation through the thickness, and zero stress through the thickness. The coordinates
must be aligned with one of the planes of the basic coordinate system. Besides the topology, one needs to
define the thickness; the default is 1.0.
These elements are summarized.
Set BEH=PSTRS on PSHLN2

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 59
Elements

Plane Stress
Number Auxiliary Large Permits
of Property Rotation/ Nonlinea
Number Integratio Interpolatio Conventiona for Large r
Element of Grids n Points n Scheme BEH INT l Property Nonlinear Strain Material*
CTRIA3 3 1 L PSTRS L PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CQUAD4 4 4 L PSTRS L PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CQUAD4 4 1 L PSTRS LRIH PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CTRIA6 6 7 Q PSTRS Q PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CQUAD8 8 9 Q PSTRS Q PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CQUAD8 8 4 Q PSTRS QRI PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
* With exceptions

INT Code Integration Type

L Linear
LRIH Linear Reduced Integration
Q Quadratic
QRI Quadratic Reduced Integration
LT Linear with Twist

Output of Strains
1 = xx
2 = yy
3= zz
4 = xy

Output of Stresses
1 = xx
2 = yy
3= zz = 0
4 = xy
These elements cannot be used with the IMPLICIT CREEP model specified on the MATEP option.

Main Index
 60 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Element Classes

2-D Plane Strain Elements

MSC Nastran has a set of elements that can be used for 2-D plane strain simulations. Plane strain can be
characterized by no variation through the thickness, and zero strain through the thickness. The coordinates
must be aligned with one of the planes of the basic coordinate system. Besides the topology, one needs to
define the thickness; the default is 1.0.
These elements are summarized.
Set BEH=PLSTRN on PSHLN2.

Plane Strain
Number Auxiliary Large
of Property Rotation/ Permits
Number Integratio Interpolatio Convention for Large Nonlinear
Element of Grids n Points n Scheme BEH INT al Property Nonlinear Strain Material
CTRIA3 3 1 L PLSTRN L PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CTRIA3 4 3 L & Cubic IPS L PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
Bubble
CQUAD4 4 4 L PLSTRN L PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CQUAD4 4 1 L PLSTRN LRIH PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CTRIA6 6 7 Q PLSTRN Q PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CQUAD8 8 9 Q PLSTRN Q PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CQUAD8 8 4 Q PLSTRN QRI PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes

Output of Strains
1 = xx
2 = yy
3= zz = 0
4 = xy

Output of Stresses
1 = xx
2 = yy
3= zz
4 = xy

Caution: The conventional CTRIA element with BEH=PLSTRN is known to give very poor results when
used with incompressible or nearly incompressible behavior (including rubber materials, elastic-
plastic or creep), the BEH=IPS should be used.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 61
Elements

2-D Axisymmetric Elements

MSC Nastran has a set of elements that can be used for 2-D axisymmetric simulations. Axisymmetric can be
characterized as having no variation in the circumferential direction. The coordinates must be aligned with
the basic X-Y system; which is interpreted as the R-Z system. Nonlinear analysis does not support
superposition, so the use of Harmonic (Fourier) analysis to describe a load variation in the circumferential
direction is not supported. Do not use the PAXSYMH property option. These elements are summarized.
Set BEH=AXISOLID on PSHLN2

Axisymmetric
Auxiliary Large
Number of Property Rotation/ Permits
Number Integration Interpolation Convention for Large Nonlinear
Element of Grids Points Scheme BEH INT al Property Nonlinear Strain Material
CTRIAX 3 1 L AXISOLID L PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CTRIAX 4 4 L & Cubic IAX L PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
Bubble
CQUADX 4 4 L AXISOLID L PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CQUADX 4 1 L AXISOLID LRIH PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CTRIAX 6 7 Q AXISOLID Q PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CQUADX 8 9 Q AXISOLID Q PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CQUADX 8 4 Q AXISOLID QRI PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes

Output of Strains
1 = rr
2 = zz
3= 
4 = rz

Output of Stresses
1 = rr
2 = zz
3 = 
4 = rz
To apply a distributed load on this element one needs to apply the pressure using PLOADX1. Note that the
distributed loads are integrated over one radian. Hence, any point force applied should also be prescribed
over one radian.

Main Index
 62 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Element Classes

Caution: The conventional CTRIA element with BEH=AXISOLID is known to give very poor results when
used with incompressible or nearly incompressible behavior (including rubber materials, elastic-
plastic or creep), the BEH=IAX should be used.

2-D Axisymmetric Elements with Twist

MSC Nastran has a set of elements that can be used for 2-D axisymmetric simulations with twist.
Axisymmetric can be characterized as having no variation in the circumferential direction; that is, these
elements uniformly twist in the circumferential direction. The coordinates must be aligned with the basic X-
Y system; which is interpreted as the R-Z system. Nonlinear analysis does not support superposition, so the
use of Harmonic (Fourier) analysis to describe a load variation in the circumferential direction is not
supported. Do not use the PAXSYMH property option. These elements are summarized.
Set BEH=AXISOLID on PSHLN2.

Axisymmetric with Twist

Auxiliary Large
Number of Property Rotation/ Permits
Number Integration Interpolation Conventional for Large Nonlinear
Element of Grids Points Scheme BEH INT Property Nonlinear Strain Material
CQUADX 4 4 L AXISOLID LT PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes
CQUADX 8 9 Q AXISOLID QT PLPLANE PSHLN2 Yes/Yes Yes

Output of Strains
1 = rr
2 = zz
3= 
4 = rz
5 = z
6 = z

Output of Stresses
1 = rr
2 = zz
3 = 
4 = rz
5 = z
6 = z

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 63
Elements

Note the displacements for this element are U r , U z , and U  which represents the angular displacement
about the symmetry axis measured in radians. This is given as the third degree of freedom, and all torques or
single points constraints on this quantity should be treated as the third degree of freedom.

Large Displacement/Large Strain

All of the 2-D plane stress, plane strain, axisymmetric, and axisymmetric with twist support large
displacements and large rotations. For plane stress elements, the thickness of the element is updated due to
the in-plane membrane distortion.
The output of the results is always in the basic coordinate system.

Axisymmetric Shell Elements

MSC Nastran does support the use of axisymmetric shell elements that is entered as the CAXISYM in SOL
400. This element may be used as either a 2-node linear element or a 3-node quadratic element. It is not
available for the classical linear solution sequences. The CCONEAX may be used for linear solution
sequences, but it should not be used in nonlinear solution sequences.
To apply a distributed load on this element, one needs to apply the pressure using PLOADX1. Note that the
distributed loads are integrated over one radian. Hence, any point force applied should also be prescribed
over one radian.

Axisymmetric Shell
Number of Large Permits
Number of Integration Property for Rotation/ Large Nonlinear
Element Grids Points Nonlinear Strain Material
CAXISYM 2 2 PAXISYM Yes/Yes Yes
CAXISYM 3 3 PAXISYM Yes/Yes Yes

Output of Strains
1 = s = meridional membrane
2 =  = circumferential membrane
3 = t = transverse shear strain

Output Of Stresses
1 = s = meridional stress
2 =  = circumferential stress
3 = t = transverse shear stress
The degrees of freedom for this element are:
Ur , Uz , Ut

Main Index
 64 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Element Classes

3-D Membrane, Plate, and Shell Elements

In MSC Nastran terminology, these are considered to be 3-D plane stress type elements. In Patran
terminology, because topologically they are not volumes they are labeled as 2-D elements. In MSC Nastran,
the definition of membranes, plates, and shells are done through the same topological classes. These element
satisfy plane-stress conditions as the normal stresses through the thickness are zero.
These elements exhibit significant differences between the classic and the advanced formulation. MSC
Nastran has multiple flavors of these elements:
Homogeneous linear behavior for combined membrane, bending and transverse shear.
Homogeneous linear behavior for pure membrane or bending or transverse shear.
Non-homogeneous linear behavior for combined membrane, bending and transverse shear.
Homogeneous nonlinear behavior for combined membrane, bending and transverse shear.
Homogeneous nonlinear behavior for membranes.
Layered (composite) behavior where material behavior is linear.
Layered (composite) behavior where material behavior is nonlinear.
Here, the word Homogeneous refers to the thickness direction. One can use user subroutines to vary the
material behavior over the surface of a membrane or shell element.

Material Nonlinear Behavior

If nonlinear material occurs in the model, the recommended solution is to use PSHLN1 and when using
composites, LAM on the PCOMP or PCOMG should not be set to SMEAR or SMCORE.
Additionally, the NOCOMPS parameter should be set to 1 to insure that the ply stresses, strains and failure
indices are calculated and available for output.

Pure Membrane Behavior

If pure membrane behavior is required than set BEH=MB on the PSHLN1 option. This results in a membrane
element which utilizes only the translational degrees of freedom. This formulation has no resistance to
bending and caution may be required to insure non-singular behavior. When Large Displacement is set, the
differential stiffness matrix is created and for tension based structures; such as balloons, a stable system will
occur.

3-D Membrane Elements

Auxiliary Large
Number of Property Rotation/ Permits
Number Integration Interpolation Conventional for Large Nonlinear
Element of Grids Points Scheme BEH INT Property Nonlinear Strain Material
CTRIA3 3 1 L MB L PSHELL PSHLN1 Yes/Yes Yes
CQUAD4 4 4 L MB L PSHELL PSHLN1 Yes/Yes Yes

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 65
Elements

CTRIA6 6 7 Q MB Q PSHELL PSHLN1 Yes/Yes Yes

CQUAD8 8 9 Q MB Q PSHELL PSHLN1 Yes/Yes Yes
* With exceptions

Output of Strains
1 = xx
2 = yy
3= xy

Output of Stresses
1 = xx
2 = yy
3 = xy

Shells
There are two classes of advanced shell elements in MSC Nastran SOL 400.
The first group (marked LDK) is thin shell elements based upon Kirchhoff theory. The second group
(marked L, LRIH, and QRI) is thick shell elements that support transverse shears based upon Mindlin
theory. There are the preferred elements for composite simulation.

3-D Shell
Auxiliary Large
Number of Property Rotation/ Permits
Number Integration Interpolation Convention for Large Nonlinear
Element of Grids Points Scheme BEH INT al Property Nonlinear Strain Material*
CTRIA3 3 1 L DCTN LDK PSHELL or PSHLN1 Yes/Yes Yes
PCOMP or
PCOMPG
CQUAD4 4 4 L DCT L PSHELL or PSHLN1 Yes/Yes Yes
PCOMP or
PCOMPG
CQUAD4 4 1 L DCT LRI PSHELL or PSHLN1 Yes/Yes Yes
H PCOMP or
PCOMPG
CQUAD4 4 4 L DCTN LDK PSHELL or PSHLN1 Yes/Yes Yes
PCOMP or
PCOMPG
CQUAD8 8 4 Q DCT QRI PSHELL or PSHLN1 Yes/Yes Yes
PCOMP or
PCOMPG
* With exceptions

Main Index
 66 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Element Classes

INT Code Integration Type

LDK Linear Displacement and Rotation, Kirchhoff theory (thin shell)
L Linear Displacement and Rotation
LRIH Linear Displacement and Rotation, Reduced Integration
QRI Quadratic Displacement and Rotation, Reduced Ingetration

The output of strains and stresses are given with respect to a coordinate system attached to the element. This
coordinate system is updated with the deformation if the LGDISP parameter is activated.

Output of Strains
1 = xx
2 = yy
3 = zz
4 = xy
5 = yz for thick shell only
6 = zx for thick shell only

Output of Stresses
1 = xx
2 = yy
3 = zz = 0
4 = xy
5 = yz for thick shell only
6 = zx for thick shell only
These elements cannot be used with the IMPLICIT CREEP model specified on the MATEP option.

Large Displacement/Large Strain

Whether one uses the classical MSC Nastran formulation or the advanced element formulation, these
elements support large displacement and large rotations. When using the advanced element formulation, the
membrane strains may become large, but the curvature strains remain small. The bending versions of these
elements always satisfy the Kirchhoff assumptions that the normal to the shell remains normal and plane
through the thickness remains a plane. If either of these assumptions are violated, one effectively has a three
dimensional stress distribution, and one should use solid elements.

Shear Panel
MSC Nastran supports a 4-node shear panel element for linear analysis. Here, linear analysis means small
deformation and linear isotropic elastic material.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 67
Elements

While SOL 400 has an alternative formulation when PSHEARN is entered, it provides a membrane
formulation to the element. It is not recommended that one uses the PSHEARN option in SOL 400.

3-D Solid Shell Element

The solid shell element is an element that may be used for structural problems that transition between shell
behavior and solid behavior. The element appears like a CHEXA element and is input using this option, but
it is an oriented element such that it has very good bending characteristics.
The solid shell element uses different integration schemes in the plane of element and in the thickness
direction of element:
 In the element plane, it uses a reduced integration scheme with single integration point. An
additional variationally consistent stiffness term is included to eliminate the hourglass modes that
are normally associated with reduced integration.
 In the thickness direction, the element is integrated numerically using differenr points through the
element thickness based upon if it is COMPOSITE or NON-COMPOSITE material. The
numerical integration for non-composite material is done using Simpson’s rule with 5 points, the
first and last points are located on the top and bottom surface. For composite material, every layer
will have three integration points with the first and third on the surface of each layer.
The following Figure 5-1 demonstrates the arrangement of the integration schemes for non-composite and
composite.
The element relaxes the Kirchhoff shell assumptions that normal remain normal, and it results in a full (6-
component) stress state. The element may be used either as a homogenous material or as a composite
(layered) material. It is not necessary to define the thickness because this is obtained directly from the
coordinates.
The element system has a local coordinate system which is updated with large displacements. In versions
prior to the MSC Nastran 2014 release, the results were given with respect to the basic coordinate system.
Currently, the results are given with respect to the local system.

Figure 5-1 Connectivity and Integration Points for Composite and Non Composite Materials

Main Index
 68 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Element Classes

Output of Strains
1 = xx
2 = yy
3 = zz
4 = xy
5 = yz
6 = zx

Output of Stresses
1 = xx
2 = yy
3 = zz
4 = xy
5 = yz
6 = zx
For a homogeneous material, use PSLDN1.
Set BEH=SOLID on PSLDN1

Auxiliary Large Permits

Number of Integration – Conventional Property for Rotation/ Nonlinear
Element Grids INT Property Nonlinear Large Strain Material
CHEXA 8 ASTN PSOLID PSLDN1 Yes /Yes Yes
1 per layer
Assumed Strain

For a layered composite material, use PCOMPLS. Note in the Figure 5-1 that for each layer, there are three
layer points, which allows an accurate calculation of the inter laminar shear.

Large Permits
Number of Property for Rotation/ Nonlinear
Element Grids Integration – INT Nonlinear Large Strain Material
CHEXA 8 ASTN PCOMPLS Yes /Yes Yes
1 per layer
Assumed Strain

3-D Volumetric Solid Elements

MSC Nastran has a set of elements that can be used for 3-D volumetric/solid simulations. These simulation
are characterized by having no dominate geometric direction and a complete (6-component) stress state. The

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 69
Elements

advanced elements include lower- and higher-order tetrahedral, pentahedral, and hexahedral elements with
a variety of integration schemes that have the following geometry.

Output of Strains
1 = xx
2 = yy
3 = zz
4 = xy
5 = yz
6 = zx

Output of Stresses
1 = xx
2 = yy
3 = zz
4 = xy
5 = yz
6 = zx

Main Index
 70 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Element Classes

4 4

10
3
8

7 9

6
1 1

3 2 2

4-node tetralhedral element, 10-node tetrahedral element integration

1-point integration
4

X
4
3
X
3

X
2
X
1
2
4-point integration

6 G6

+6
+4 G15 G14
5 G12
+5
G13
G4 G5
+3
+1 3
G10 G3
2 G11
1 + G9 G8

G7
G1
2 G2
6-node pentahedral, 15-node pentahedral,
6-point integration 21-point integration

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 71
Elements

8 6
5
5
7
5 7
8 2
6 6 7
1 1
3 4
1 8
1 4
2
3 3

2 4

8-node hexahedral, 8-node hexahedral,

8-point integration 1-point integration

G18
6 G7
13 G6
5
14
16 G19
15 7
G15 G17
8 18 G14
17 G20
G8
G2
19 G10 G5
20 2 G16 G3
9
1 G11 G13
10 G9
12
3 G12
11 G4
4
G1
20-node hexahedral, 20-node hexahedral,
27-point integration 8-point integration

These elements are summarized.

Set BEH=SOLID on PSLDN1 unless indicated otherwise

Main Index
 72 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Element Classes

3-D Solid
Auxiliary Large
Number of Property Rotation/ Permits
Number Integration Interpolation Convention for Large Nonlinear
Element of Grids Points Scheme BEH INT al Property Nonlinear Strain Material
CTETRA 4 1 L SOLID L PSOLID PSLDN1 Yes/Yes Yes
CTETRA 4 4 L & CUBIC ISOL L PSOLID PSLDN1 Yes/Yes MATEP
CPENTA 6 6 L SOLID L PSOLID PSLDN1 Yes/Yes Yes
CHEXA 8 8 L SOLID L PSOLID PSLDN1 Yes/Yes Yes
CHEXA 8 1 L SOLID LRIH PSOLID PSLDN1 Yes/Yes Yes
CTETRA 10 9 Q SOLID Q PSOLID PSLDN1 Yes/Yes Yes
CTETRA 10 4 Q SOLID LRIH PSOLID PSLDN1 Yes/Yes Yes
CPENTA 15 21 Q SOLID Q PSOLID PSLDN1 Yes/Yes Yes
CHEXA 20 27 Q SOLID Q PSOLID PSLDN1 Yes/Yes Yes
CHEXA 20 8 Q SOLID QRI PSOLID PSLDN1 Yes/Yes Yes

Caution: The conventional CTETRA element with BEH=SOLID is known to give very poor results when
used with incompressible or nearly incompressible behavior (including rubber materials, elastic-
plastic or creep), the BEH=ISO should be used.

Composite Solid Elements

There are a series of continuum elements that may also be used to model composite materials and are also
used for gasket simulations. These elements are available for plane strain, axisymmetric, and three-
dimensional behavior. These elements are conventional from the degrees of freedom perspective and the
interpolation functions. What makes them different from conventional elements is that in one direction,
there are multiple layers that support multiple materials. The advantage of these elements are that they are
relatively easy to use, but it should be recognized that they are not tuned for bending behavior and multiple
elements through the thickness may be required.
8 8 8 Y 7
7 7
5 6 5 6 5 6
ply 3

z
ply 2

ply 3
ply 1
ply 1

ply 3
ply 2

ply 2
ply 1 3 3 3

1 2 1 x 2 1 2

DIRECT = +1 DIRECT = +2 DIRECT = +3

8-node or 20-node solid continuum composite elements

To activate the characteristics of these elements for composites, one needs to specify additional Property data.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 73
Elements

Large Permits
Number of Integration – Property for Rotation/ Nonlinear
Element Grids INT Nonlinear BEH Large Strain Material
Plane Strain
CQUAD4 4 L 2 per layer PLCOMP COMPS Yes/Yes Yes
CQUAD8 8 Q 2 per layer PLCOMP COMPS Yes/Yes Yes
Axisymmetric
CQUADX 4 L 2 per layer PLCOMP AXCOMP Yes/Yes Yes
CQUADX 8 Q 2 per layer PLCOMP AXCOMP Yes/Yes Yes
Hexahedral
CHEXA 8 L 4 per layer PCOMPLS SLCOMP Yes/Yes Yes
CHEXA 20 Q 4 per layer PCOMPLS SLCOMP Yes/Yes Yes

Gasket Elements
The lower-order continuum composite elements are also used to model gasket materials. When used in this
manner, the number of layers is one and the material is defined through the MATG option. Note that these
elements may be collapsed to a pentahedral so they can model the gasket between two regions modeled with
tetrahedral elements. Care should be exercised to make sure the collapsing occurs in the plane of the gasket
material. It is not necessary that the elements match the mesh in the surrounding material. One may utilize
the contact capability to overcome the mesh incompatibility.

Large
Auxiliary Rotation/ Permits
Number Conventiona Property for Large Nonlinear
Element of Grids Integration – INT l Property Nonlinear BEH Strain Material
Plane Strain
CQUAD4 4 L 2 per layer PLPLANE PSHNL2 COMPS Yes/No MATG
Axisymmetric
CQUADX 4 L 2 per layer PLPLANE PSHNL2 AXCOMP Yes/No MATG
Hexahedral
CHEXA 8 L 4 per layer PSOLID PSLDN1 SLCOMP Yes/No MATG

Interface Elements
There are a series of elements that are used to model the onset and progression of delamination of the
bonding materials using the Cohesive Zone Method. These elements are available for plane strain,
axisymmetric, and three-dimensional behavior. From a meshing perspective, these elements are unique

Main Index
 74 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Element Classes

because one can enter a zero thickness. The interface elements provide two integration schemes. The first uses
the conventional Gaussian integration scheme while the other uses a nodal lumping scheme (Lobatto-Cotes).
The latter scheme may be advantageous when the interface material is relatively stiff compared to the
surrounding material.
Note that the orientation of the element dictates the direction of the interface/delamination. It is not
necessary that the elements match the mesh in the surrounding material. One may utilize the contact
capability to overcome the mesh incompatibility. The material properties are defined using the MCOHE
material model Cohesive Zone Modeling (MCOHE). Note that delamination simulations are highly
nonlinear and one must exercise caution in applying the boundary conditions.
The element is written with respect to a local coordinate system, relating the relative displacement and the
normal and shear traction. The output is given with respect to the local coordinate system. This system is
updated (rotated) when large displacement is used. The element does not include a mass matrixor a geometric
or initial stress stiffness matrix. It also does not support application of distribute loads.
The higher-order elements are not fully quadratic; they are quadratic in the plane of the interface but linear
through the thickness.
The elements are shown below.

v 3
˜1
2  3
˜1 6
2
7
v  5
˜2
˜2
4 4
8
1 1
4-node linear planar interface element 8-node quadratice planar interface element

4 3

1 1 2 2
4 7 3
4 3 8 6
1 2 1 5 2
1 2 Element mid-line
Gaussian integration scheme
Nodal lumping scheme

1 2 3 1 2 3
Gauss Integration Scheme Newton-Cotes/Lobatto Integration Scheme

Integration point schemes for linear interface element

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 75
Elements

8 8
16
4 4 19
20
v v1 11
˜1 v 7 12 7
˜3 ˜ v3 15
3 ˜ 3
5 v 18
˜2 13
5
v2
1 1
17 ˜ 10

6 9 6
14
2 2

8-node linear 3-D interface element 20-node quadratic interface element

8
4
 7

5 3

1
6
2
Element Mid-plane

3
3
4 4
1
2
1
Gauss Integration Scheme
2
Newton-Cotes/Lobatto Integration Scheme

Integration point schemes for linear 3-D interface element

Main Index
 76 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Element Classes

8
4
 7

5 3

1
6
2
Element Mid-plane

7
7 8
8
4 9
5 4 9
1 6
2 5
3
1 6
Gauss Integration Scheme 2
3
Newton-Cotes/Lobatto Integration Scheme

Integration point schemes for quadratic 3-D interface element

Large Permits
Number of Property for Rotation/ Nonlinear
Element Grids Integration – INT Nonlinear Large Strain Material
Plane Strain
CIFQUAD 4 2 PCOHE Yes/No MCHOE
L
CIFQUAD 8 2 PCOHE Yes/No MCHOE
Q/L
Axisymmetric
CIFQDX 4 2 PCOHE Yes/No MCHOE
L
CIFQDX 8 2 PCOHE Yes/No MCHOE
Q/L
Solid
CIFPENT 8 3 PCOHE Yes/No MCHOE
L

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 77
Elements

Large Permits
Number of Property for Rotation/ Nonlinear
Element Grids Integration – INT Nonlinear Large Strain Material
CIFPENT 15 6 PCOHE Yes/No MCHOE
Q/L
CIFHEX 8 4 PCOHE No MCHOE
L
CIFHEX 20 8 PCOHE No MCHOE
Q/L

Output of Strain
The three strain components are given at the element integration points. They are determined by the relative
displacements between the top and bottom face and are given in the local element system:
1 = u top – u bottom
˜ ˜
2 = v top – v bottom
˜ ˜
3 = w top – w bottom for 3-D element only
˜ ˜

Output of Stress
1 = n
2 = s1
3 = s2 for 3-D element only

Large Displacement/Large Rotation

These elements support large displacements and large rotations. It should be noted that there is no
differential (initial) stress stiffness associated with this element.

Automatic Property Mapping

The “SPROPMAP” keyword in the NLMOPTS bulk data entry provides a convenient option to automatically
flag secondary properties like PBARN1, PBEMN1, PRODN1, PSHEARN, PSHLN1, PSHLN2, and PSLDN1. Note
that these secondary property entries expose the user to a set of sophisticated 2-D continuum, 3-D beam,
shell, and continuum elements in SOL 400. The rules governing the flagging of the additional properties are
many and are a function of the problem dimension, material type and procedure. All these rules have been
incorporated into the automatic flagging option. These are briefly summarized in the following table:

Main Index
 78 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Automatic Property Mapping

Unsupported
Auxiliary Conventional Features of
Property Property Dimension Material Notes Primary Entry
PBARN1 PBARL 1-D MAT4 Note 4
MATS1 Note 1
MATEP
MATF
MATSMA Note 2
MATVE
MATVP Note 3
PBEMN1 PBEAML 1-D MAT4 Note 4 Tapered Sections
MATS1 Note 1
MATEP
MATF
MATSMA Note 2
MATVE
MATVP Note 3
PRODN1 PROD 1-D MAT4 Note 4 J,C
MATS1 Note 1
MATEP
MATF
MATSMA Note 2
MATVE
MATVP Note 3
PSHEARN PSHEAR 3-D MAT4 Note 4 F1,F2
MAT8
MATS1 Note 1
MATS8 Note 1
MATEP
MATF
MATORT
MATSMA Note 2
MATVE
MATVP Note 3

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 79
Elements

Unsupported
Auxiliary Conventional Features of
Property Property Dimension Material Notes Primary Entry
PSHLN1 PSHELL 3-D MAT4 Note 4 TS/T, nondefault Z1
and Z2, 121/T3
MAT5 Note 4
MATS1 Note 1
MATS8 Note 1
MATEP
MATF
MATORT
MATSMA Note 2
MATVE
MATVP Note 3
PSHLN1 PCOMP/ 3-D MAT4 Note 4 FT, GE, LAM options
PCOMPG other than BLANK
MAT5 Note 4 and SYM, SOUTi
MAT8
MATS1 Note 1
MATS2 Note 1
MATS8 Note 1
MATEP
MATF
MATORT
MATSMA Note 2
MATVE
MATVP Note 3

Main Index
 80 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Automatic Property Mapping

Unsupported
Auxiliary Conventional Features of
Property Property Dimension Material Notes Primary Entry
PSHLN2 PLPLANE 2-D MAT4 Note 4
MAT5 Note 4
MATG Note 5
MATS1 Note 1
MATS3 Note 1
MATS8 Note 1
MATEP
MATF
MATORT
MATSMA Note 6
MATVE
MATVP Note 7
PSLDN1 PSOLID 3-D MAT4 Note 4 IN, ISOP, FCTN
MAT5 Note 4
MATS1 Note 1
MATEP
MATF
MATORT
MATSMA
MATVE
MATVP

Main Index
 CHAPTER 5 81
Elements

Note: 1. Only when NLMOPTS, LRGSTRN, 1 is flagged or HGENPLAS is provided NLSTEP

entry for coupled analysis.
2.
3. For shape memory materials, define through MATSMA only the thermo-mechanical model
is available.
4.
5. For creep, define through MATVP, VALC=0 must be set on NLMOPTS for explicit
formulation.
6.
Only when phase changes are flagged.
7.
Gasket materials for BEH4=COMPS or AXCOMP,INT4=L.

For shape memory materials, define through MATSMA and BEH=PLSTRS only the
thermo-mechanical model is available.

For creep, define through MATVP and BEH=PLSTRS VALC=0 must be set on
NLMOPTS for explicit formulation.

The “SPROPMAP” does not support MATDIGI

Please refer to the Remark 8, related to SPROPMAP, in NLMOPTS (p. 2565) in the Quick Reference Guide.
The NLMOPTS entry has more information on property mapping.

Main Index
 82 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Automatic Property Mapping

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials

6 Materials

Material Model Overview 84

Material Property Definitions 84

Linear Elastic Behavior 88

Linear Elastic Materials 89

Viscoelastic 93

Elasto-plastic Behavior 97

Elastoplastic Material Entries 99

Strain Rate Dependent Yield 101

Creep (MATVP, CREEP) 103
 Composite (PCOMP or PCOMPG) 107

Cohesive Zone Modeling (MCOHE) 113

Progressive Composite Failure 113

Main Index
 84 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Material Model Overview

Material Model Overview

A wide variety of materials are encountered in structural analysis problems, and for any one of these materials
a range of constitutive models is available to describe the material's behavior. We can broadly classify the
materials of interest as those which exhibit the following behavior:
 Elastic – which fully recovers when the load is removed
 Rate dependent – where the behavior is dependent upon the rate of the deformations. This includes
viscoelastic materials like rubber and glass
 Inelastic – which do not recover when loads are removed and demonstrate permanent deformation.
These materials include metals represented by elastic-plastic materials, ice, and material that exhibits
damage.
The following sections describe how to model material behavior in SOL 400. Modeling material behavior
consists of both specifying the constitutive models used to describe the material behavior and defining the
actual material data necessary to represent the material. Directional dependency can be included for materials
other than isotropic materials. Each section discusses the constitutive (stress strain) relation, provides graphic
representation of the models, and includes recommendations and cautions concerning the use of the models.

Material Property Definitions

It is assumed that the material is a continuum and the material properties remain constant. This means that
the material does not contain gaps or voids and the temperature of the structure is constant.
Definition and properties of materials are listed in the Table 6-1.

Linear Deformations are directly proportional to the applied load (i.e., strain is
directly proportional to stress).
Elastic An elastic structure returns to its original, undeformed shape when the load is
removed.
Homogeneous The material is the same throughout — material properties are independent
of location within the material.
Isotropic Material properties do not change with the direction of the material.
Modulus of elasticity E is the constant of proportionality relating stress-to-strain for uniaxial
(Young’s modulus) E behavior in the linear region. The greater the value of E, the stiffer the
material.
Shear modulus (Modulus G is the constant of proportionality relating shear stress to shear strain in the
of rigidity) G linear region.
Poisson’s ratio It is the absolute value of the ratio of lateral linear strain to axial linear strain.

Table 6-1 Definitions and Properties of Materials

If the loading on a structure is sufficient to exceed the linear elastic limit of the material, then nonlinear
methods are required to predict the nature of the plastically (permanently) deformed state.

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials 85
Material Property Definitions

A typical stress–strain curve of structural steel is shown in the Figure 6-1.

Figure 6-1 Stress–Strain Curve of Structural Steel

Modeling of nonlinear material behavior is a critical component to obtain the structural response of
structures; especially, when either the loads are large, the temperatures are high, and/or the non-metallic
material is used. MSC Nastran SOL 400 provides a variety of models and, in some cases, multiple numerical
implementation of these models. This latter is due to the historical incorporation of solution sequences 106
and 129. The newer implementations of material models is based upon incorporating technology from Marc
and is the preferred approach. The newer material formulation also requires the use of the newer element
methodology which is often labeled the “advanced” elements. Aspects of these elements are described in
Chapter 11: Element Library. Hence, to use the advanced material models, it is necessary to supplement the
traditional property entries with new property entries (PBARN1, PBEMN1, PRODN1, PSHLN1,
PSHLN2, and PSLDN1). An alternate approach is to use the NLMOPTS bulk data option with the
PROPMAP keyword.

SOL 400 Material Entries

The following material bulk data entries are available in SOL 400. An overview of each of these options is
presented in the sections of this chapter and detailed in the QRG, Chapter 8: Bulk Data Entries. All standard
MSC Nastran materials are also available in SOL 400.

Main Index
 86 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Material Property Definitions

A summary of material models is given in Table 6-2.

Table 6-2 Material Model Summary

Physics Bulk Data Constraint
Isotropic elasticity MAT1
Anisotropic elasticity MAT2 Shells only
Orthotropic elasticity MAT3 CTRIA6X only
Orthotropic elasticity MAT8 Shells only
3-D orthotropic elasticity MATORT
Conventional plasticity (small strain) MATEP or
MATS1
Plasticity with Chaboche model, Barlat, Viscoplastic, Power MATEP
Law, Johnson-Cook, Kumar
Large strain plasticity MATEP
Advanced failure model MATF
Gasket Material MATG
Hyperelastic (Mooney, Ogden, Aruda-Boyce, Gent, Foam) MATHE
Generalized Mooney MATHP
Shape memory material MATSMA
Small strain nonlinear elasticity MATS1
Orthotropic nonlinear elastic MATSORT
Digimat composite model MATDIGI
Small strain isotropic viscoelastic MATVE
Large strain viscoelastic MATVE
Viscoplastic MATVP‘
Creep (model) CREEP NLPARM
Creep MATVP
Cohesive zone model MCOHE

Table 6-3 Material Characteristics and Application

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials 87
Material Property Definitions

Material Characteristics Examples Models

Failure Criteria Determines failure initiation and Aircraft panels Maximum stress
(MATF) progressive failure. Tasi-Wu
Puck
Failure Criteria Determines failure initiation and Fiber reinforced plastic Unit cell model
(MATDIGI) progressive failure.
Hyperelastic Stress function of instantaneous Rubber Mooney
(MATHE) strain. Nonlinear load- Ogden
displacement relation. Unloading Arruda-Boyce
path same as loading. Gent
Hypoelastic Rate form of stress-strain law Concrete User-defined
(MATUSR)
Nonlinear Elastic Loading with mutiple unloading Automotive gaskets Gasket model
(MATG) curves due to damage.
Nonlinear Elastic Simlified nonlinear orthotropic Wood Simple
(MATSORT) elasticity
Creep Strains increasing with time under Metals at high Norton
(MATVP) constant load. Stresses decreasing temperatures, polymide Maxwell
with time under constant films, semiconductor
deformations. Creep strains are materials
noninstantaneous.
Elastoplasticity Yield condition flow rule and Metals von Mises
(MATEP) hardening rule necessary to Soils Isotropic
calculate stress, plastic strain. Hill’s Anisotropic
Permanent deformation
upon unloading.
Viscoelastic Time dependence of stresses in Rubber, Simo Model
(MATVE) elastic material under loads. Full Glass, industrial Narayanaswamy
recovery after unloading. plastics
Viscoplastic Combined plasticity and creep Metals Power law
(MATVP) phenomenon Powder
Shape Memory Thermal - Mechanical Aruchhio’s model
(MATSMA) Asaro-Sayeedvafa
model
Cohesive Zone Cohesive material model Glue Linear and
Method quadratic
(MCOHE)

Main Index
 88 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Linear Elastic Behavior

The following sections describe how to model material behavior in SOL 400. Modeling material behavior
consists of both specifying the constitutive models used to describe the material behavior and defining the
actual material data necessary to represent the material. Directional dependency can be included for materials
other than isotropic materials. Data for the materials can be entered either directly through the input file or
by user subroutines, or material models may be defined in the Patran Materials Application. Each section of
this chapter discusses various options for organizing material data for input. Each section also discusses the
constitutive (stress-strain) relation and graphic representation of the models and includes recommendations
and cautions concerning the use of the models.

Linear Elastic Behavior

SOL 400 is capable of handling problems with any combination of isotropic, orthrotropic, or anisotropic
linear elastic material behavior.
The isotropic linear elastic model is the model most commonly used to represent engineering materials. This
model, which has a linear relationship between stresses and strains, is represented by Hooke’s Law. Figure 6-2
shows that stress is proportional to strain in a uniaxial tension test. The ratio of stress to strain is the familiar
definition of modulus of elasticity (Young’s modulus) of the material.
E (modulus of elasticity) = (axial stress)/(axial strain) (6-1)
Stress

Strain

Figure 6-2 Uniaxial Stress-Strain Relation of Linear Elastic Material

Experiments show that axial elongation is always accompanied by lateral contraction of the bar. The ratio for
a linear elastic material is:
v = (lateral contraction)/(axial elongation)
This is known as Poisson’s ratio. Similarly, the shear modulus (modulus of rigidity) is defined as:
G (shear modulus) = (shear stress)/(shear strain) (6-2)

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials 89
Linear Elastic Materials

Element Selection for Incompressible Materials

A Poisson’s ratio of 0.5, which would be appropriate for an incompressible material, can be used for the
following elements: plane stress, shell, truss, or beam. A Poisson’s ratio which is close (but not equal) to 0.5
can be used for constant dilation elements and reduced integration elements in situations which do not
include other severe kinematic constraints. Using a Poisson’s ratio close to 0.5 for all other elements usually
leads to behavior that is too stiff. A Poisson’s ratio of 0.5 can also be used with the updated Lagrangian
formulation in the multiplicative decomposition framework using the standard displacement elements. In
these elements, the treatment for incompressibility is transparent.

Linear Elastic Materials

A wide variety of materials are encountered in stress analysis problems, and for any one of these materials a
range of constitutive models are available to describe the material's behavior, including directional
dependencies. We can broadly classify the materials of interest as those which exhibit almost no directional
dependence (isotropic materials), versus those that exhibit three mutually orthogonal planes of symmetry
(orthogonal materials), versus those that exhibit different elastic properties in different directions (anisotropic
materials).

Material Characteristics
Isotropic (MAT1) Isotropic material – No Directional Dependency – most commonly
used material property
Two Dimensional Anisotropic General anisotropic two-dimensional material used with plate and
(MAT2) shell elements
Axi-symmetric / Solid Orthotropic Orthotropic three-dimensional material for use with CTRIAX6,
(MAT3) PSHLN2, or PLCOMP
Two Dimensional Orthotropic Two-dimensional orthotropic stress-strain used with the plate and
(MAT8) shell elements
Three-Dimensional Anisotropic Orthrotropic material property for the CHEXA, CPENTA, and
Material (MATORT) CTETRA solid elements and solid shell and plane strain element

Isotropic Materials
Most linear elastic materials are assumed to be isotropic (their elastic properties are the same in all directions).
For an isotropic material, every plane is a plane of symmetry and every direction is an axis of symmetry. It
can be shown that for an isotropic material:
G = E  21 + v (6-3)

The shear modulus G can be easily calculated if the modulus of elasticity E and Poisson’s ratio v
are known.

Main Index
 90 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Linear Elastic Materials

Specifying Isotropic Material Entries

Isotropic material models are designated with the MAT1 Bulk Data entry in the MSC Nastran Input File.

Entry Description
MATBV Defines the material properties for linear isotropic materials.

Patran Materials Application Input Data

To define an isotropic material in Patran:
1. From the Materials Application form, set the Action>Object>Method combination to Create >
Isotropic > Manual Input.
2. Click Input Properties...
Isotropic linear elastic material models require the following material data via the Input Options subform on
the Materials Application form.

Isotropic-Linear Elastic Description

Elastic Modulus Defines the elastic modulus. This property is generally required. May vary
with temperature via a defined material field.
Poisson’s Ratio Defines the Poisson’s ratio. This property is generally required. May vary with
temperature via a defined material field.
Density Defines the mass density. This property is optional.
Coefficient of Thermal Defines the coefficient of thermal expansion. This property is optional. May
Expansion vary with temperature via a defined material field.
Reference Temperature Defines the stress free temperature. This property is optional. When defining
temperature dependent properties, this is the reference temperature from
which values will be extracted or interpolated.

The material density, used to define the mass of the structure, and the damping value are used in dynamic
loadings, while the expansion coefficient is used to identify the thermal strains.

Orthotropic Materials
An orthotropic material has three mutually orthogonal planes of symmetry. With respect to a coordinate
system parallel to these planes, the constitutive law for this material is given by the following more general
form of Hooke’s Law:

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials 91
Linear Elastic Materials

 11 1   E1  –   12    E 1  –   13    E 1  0 0 0  11
 22  –  12    E 1  1   E2   –  23    E 2  0 0 0  22
 33  –  13    E 1   –  23    E 2  1   E3  0 0 0  33
=
 12 0 0 0 1   G 12  0 0  12
 23 0 0 0 0 1   G 23  0  23
 13 0 0 0 0 0 1   G 13   13

3-D Orthotropic
Due to symmetry of the compliance matrix,  11  21 =  22  12 ,  22  32 =  33  23 , and  33  13 =
 11  31 . Using these relations, a general orthotropic material has nine independent constants:

 11 ,  22 ,  33 ,  12 ,  23 ,  31 , G 12 , G 23 , G 31

These nine constants must be specified in constructing the material model.

Note: The inequalities E22 >  23 E33, E11 >  12 E22, and E33 >  31 E11 must be satisfied in
order for the orthotropic material to be stable. This is checked by MSC Nastran
Implicit Nonlinear.

2-D Orthotropic
Orthotropic material models can be used with 2-D elements, such as plane stress, plane strain, and
axisymmetric elements. For example, the orthotropic stress-strain relationship for a plane stress element is:

E1  21 E 1 0
1
C = ------------------------------  12 E 2 E2 0 (6-4)
 1 –  12  21 
0 0  1 –  12  21 G

Specifying Orthotropic Material Entries

2-D and 3-D othrotropic materials are characterized in MSC Nastran using the following bulk data entries.

Main Index
 92 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Linear Elastic Materials

Entry Description
MAT3 Defines the material properties for linear orthotropic materials used by the
CTRIAX6 element entry.
MAT2 Defines the material property for an orthotropic material for solids and
isoparametric shell elements.
MAT8
MATORT Specifies elastic orthotropic material properties for three-dimensional and plane
strain behavior for linear and nonlinear analyses in MSC Nastran Implicit
Nonlinear in a more general way than MAT2 or MAT8.

Patran Materials Application Input Data

To define an orthotropic material in Patran:
1. From the Materials Application form, set the Action>Object>Method combination to Create>2D or
3D Orthotropic>Manual Input.
2. Click Input Properties...
The required properties for orthotropic linear elastic material models vary based on dimension, element type,
and thermal dependencies. 3-D orthotropic material models require the following material data (2-D requires
a reduced set) via the Input Properties subform on the Materials Application form.

Orthotropic-Linear Elastic Description

Elastic Modulus 11/22/33 Defines the elastic moduli in the element’s coordinate system. This is
required data. May vary with temperature via a defined material field.
Poisson’s Ratio 12/23/31 Defines the Poisson’s ratios relative to the element’s coordinate system.
This is required data. May vary with temperature via a defined
material field.
Shear Modulus 12/23/31 Defines the shear moduli relative to the element’s coordinate system. This
is required data. May vary with temperature via a defined material field.
Coefficient of Thermal Defines the coefficients of thermal expansion relative to the element’s
Expansion 11/22/33 coordinate system. These properties are optional. May vary with
temperature via a defined material field.
Reference Temperature Defines the stress free temperature which is an optional property. When
defining temperature dependent properties, this is the reference
temperature from which values will be extracted or interpolated.
Density Defines the mass density which is an optional property.

Anisotropic Materials
Anisotropic material exhibits different elastic properties in different directions. The significant directions of
the material are labeled as preferred directions, and it is easiest to express the material behavior with respect
to these directions.

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials 93
Viscoelastic

The stress-strain relationship for an anisotropic linear elastic material can be expressed as
 ij = C ijkl  kl (6-5)

The values of C ijkl (the stress-strain relation) and the preferred directions (if necessary) must be defined for
an anisotropic material.

Specifying Anisotropic Material Entries

Anisotropic materials are characterized in MSC Nastran using the following bulk data entries.

Entry Description
MAT2 Defines the material properties for linear anisotropic materials for two-
dimensional elements.

Patran Materials Application Input Data

To define anisotropic material in Patran:
1. From the Materials Application form, set the Action > Object > Method combination to Create>2D
or 3D Anisotropic>Manual Input.
2. Click Input Properties...
Anisotropic linear elastic material models require the following material data via the Input Properties
subform on the Materials Application form.

Anisotropic-Linear Elastic Description

Stress-Strain Matrix, Cij Defines the upper right portion of the symmetric stress-strain matrix
relative to the element’s coordinate system.
Coefficient of Thermal Defines the coefficients of thermal expansion relative to the element’s
Expansion coordinate system. They are optional properties.
Reference Temperature Defines the stress free temperature which is an optional property. When
defining temperature dependent properties, this is the reference
temperature from which values will be extracted or interpolated.
Density Defines the mass density which is an optional property.

Viscoelastic
Viscoelasticity models rate effects in the deformation of materials. Their behavior becomes time dependent
and typical phenomena associated with this behavior are relaxation and creep. Relaxation is the diminishing
of stress at constant deformation level (figure 1). Creep is the progression of deformation at constant load
level (figure 2)

Main Index
 94 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Viscoelastic

The data required to perform this analysis are the static material constants like Young's moduls and Poisson's
ratio or the material constants used in the strain energy function of a hyperelastic material. In a viscoelastic
analysis these material constants correspond to the instantaneous or short term behavior of the material. In
addition viscoelastic material data are needed to describe the rate effects in the material.
Viscoelastic analysis can be performed in the time domain or in the frequency domain.
In time domain viscoelasticity we study the transient response due to arbitrary time varying loads to capture
the rate effects in the deformation process.
In the time domain two models are available:
 The hereditary integral model for linear viscoelasticity and the Simo model for nonlinear
viscoelasticity. The Simo model is an extension of the linear model to finite strain viscoelasticity and
leads to similar hereditary integrals as the linear model.
 The Bergstrom-Boyce (B-B) model, which is a phenomenological highly nonlinear model.
In frequency domain viscoelastity we study the stationary dynamic response due to harmonic loads to capture
the rate effects in the deformation process. The stationary response due to harmonic loads that are applied
with a certain excitation frequency is a response with the same frequency. Frequency domain viscoelasticity
is always based on a linear perturbation around a static equilibrium state, which can be the undeformed stress-
free state or some other deformed equilibrium state and is therefore limited to small amplitude vibrations
around the static equilibrium state. Frequency domain viscoelasticity leads to the concepts of storage modulus
and loss modulus, which characterize the frequency dependent stiffness and damping properties of a material.
Within the considered amplitude range, the size of the amplitude may still have a substantial effect on the
harmonic response, which is known as the Payne effect or Fletcher-Gent effect. With the Payne effect, storage
modulus and loss modulus of a material also become vibration amplitude dependent, turning the frequency

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials 95
Viscoelastic

response problem into a nonlinear problem. Without the Payne effect the frequency response problem is
always linear.
In the frequency domain the hereditary integral models for linear viscoelasticity and nonlinear viscoelasticity
(Simo model) are available only. The Bergstrom-Boyce model is not available in the frequency domain.
Because of the presence of damping there is energy dissipation, which in general will be frequency dependent
Viscoelasticity can be applied:
 To determine the current state of deformation based on the entire time history of loading.
 To include temperature dependencies.
 To use in conjunction of isotropic, orthotropic, and anisotropic material for small strain problems.
 To use in conjunction with rubber or foam material for large strain problems.

Hereditary Integral Model

The stress-strain equations in viscoelasticity are not only dependent on the current stress and strain state (as
represented in the Kelvin model), but also on the entire history of development of these states. This
constitutive behavior is most readily expressed in terms of hereditary or Duhamel integrals. These integrals
are formed by considering the stress or strain build-up at successive times. Two equivalent integral forms
exist: the stress relaxation form and the creep function form. In SOL 400, the stress relaxation form is used.

Isotropic Viscoelastic Material

For an isotropic viscoelastic material, SOL 400 assumes that the deviatoric and volumetric behavior are fully
uncoupled and that the behavior can be described by a time dependent shear and bulk modules. The bulk
moduli is generally assumed to be time independent; however, this is an unnecessary restriction of the general
theory.

Large Strain Viscoelasticity

For an elastomeric time independent material, the constitutive equation is expressed in terms of an energy
function W . For a large strain viscoelastic material, Simo generalized the small strain viscoelasticity material
behavior to a large strain viscoelastic material.

Thermal-Rheologically Simple Materials

The relaxation behavior of most viscoelastic materials is temperature dependent. For many of these materials
it is observed that when displaying the relaxation curves for different temperatures on a logarithmic time
scale, the shape of the curves doesn't change, but they shift along the logarithmic time axis as shown for two
normalized relaxation curves in figure Figure 6-3. Such material behavior is called Thermo-Rheologically
simple (TRS) material behavior. In general it is expected that when the temperature is higher than the
reference temperature, the relaxation is faster so the curve makes a left-shift and when the temperature is
lower than the reference temperature, the relaxation is slower so the curve makes a right-shift
A “reduced” or “pseudo” time can be defined for the materials of this type and for a given temperature field.
This new parameter is a function of both time and space variables. The viscoelastic law has the same form as

Main Index
 96 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Viscoelastic

one at constant temperature in real time. If the shifted time is used, however, the transformed viscoelastic
equilibrium and compatibility equations are not equivalent to the corresponding elastic equations.
In the case where the temperature varies with time, the extended constitutive law implies a nonlinear
dependence of the instantaneous stress state at each material point of the body upon the entire local
temperature history. In other words, the functionals are linear in the strains but nonlinear in the temperature.
The time scale of experimental data is extended for Thermo-Rheologically Simple materials. All characteristic
functions of the material must obey the same property. The shift function is a basic property of the material
and must be determined experimentally. As a consequence of the shifting of the mechanical properties data
parallel to the time axis (see Figure 6-3), the values of the zero and infinite frequency complex moduli do not
change due to shifting. Hence, elastic materials with temperature-dependent characteristics neither belong to
nor are consistent with the above hypothesis for the class of Thermo-Rheologically Simple viscoelastic solids.

T0
f(T1)
T1
T2 f(T2)
GT

ln t
Figure 6-3 Relaxation Modulus vs. Time at Different Temperatures

Narayanaswamy Model
The annealing of flat glass requires that the residual stresses be of an acceptable magnitude, while the
specification for optical glass components usually includes a homogenous refractive index. The design of heat
treated processes (for example, annealing) can be accomplished using the Narayanaswamy model. This allows
you to study the time dependence of physical properties (for example, volumes) of glass subjected to a change
in temperature.
The glass transition is a region of temperature in which molecular rearrangements occur on a scale of minutes
or hours, so that the properties of a liquid change at a rate that is easily observed. Below the glass transition
temperature T g , the material is extremely viscous and a solidus state exists. Above T g , the equilibrium
structure is arrived at easily and the material is in liquidus state. Hence, the glass transition is revealed by a
change in the temperature dependence of some property of a liquid during cooling. If a mechanical stress is
applied to a liquid in the transition region, a time-dependent change in dimensions results due to the
phenomenon of visco-elasticity.
If a liquid in the transition region is subjected to a sudden change in temperature, a time-dependent change
in volume occurs as shown in Figure 6-4. The latter process is called structural relaxation. Hence, structural
relaxation governs the time-dependent response of a liquid to a change of temperature.

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials 97
Elasto-plastic Behavior

T1

T(t)

T2

t0 t
(a) Step Input for Temperature

V(0,T1)
g(T2-T1)
V(0,T2) l(T2-T1)

V(,T2)

t0 t
(b) Volume Change as Function of Temperature

Figure 6-4 Structural Relaxation Phenomenon

Specifying Viscoelastic Material Entries

The viscoelastic MATVE and MATTVE material entries are provided for cases where dissipative losses
caused by “viscous” (internal friction) effects in materials must be modeled. For time domain analysis, this
option is used with an elastic model to define classical linear, small strain, viscoelastic behavior, or with
hyperelastic or foam models to define finite linear, large deformation, viscoelastic behavior. As described in
the previous section, viscoelastic relaxation data can be fit using the experimental data fitting capability
available in Patran.

Entry Description
MATVE Specifies isotropic viscoelastic material properties to be used for quasi-static or
dynamic analysis in SOL 400.
MATTVE Specifies temperature-dependent visco-elastic material properties in terms of
Thermo-Rheologically Simple behavior to be used for quasi-static or transient
dynamic analysis in SOL 400.

Elasto-plastic Behavior
Most materials of engineering interest initially respond elastically. Elastic behavior means that the
deformation is fully recoverable, so that, when the load is removed, the specimen returns to its original shape.
If the load exceeds some limit (the “yield load”), the deformation is no longer fully recoverable. Some parts
of the deformation will remain when the load is removed as, for example, when a paper clip is bent too much,

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 98 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Elasto-plastic Behavior

or when a billet of metal is rolled or forged in a manufacturing process. Plasticity theories model the material’s
mechanical response as it undergoes such nonrecoverable deformation in a ductile fashion. The theories have
been developed most intensively for metals, but they are applied to soils, concrete, rock, and ice. These
materials behave in very different ways (for example, even large values of pure hydrostatic pressure cause very
little inelastic deformation in metals, but quite small hydrostatic pressure may cause a significant, non-
recoverable volume change in a soil sample), but the fundamental concepts of plasticity theories are
sufficiently general that models based on these concepts have been successfully developed for a wide range of
materials. A number of these plasticity modes are available in the SOL 400 material library.
In nonlinear material behavior, the material parameters depend on the state of stress. Up to the proportional
limit, i.e., the point at which linearity in material behavior ceases, the linear elastic formulation for the
behavior can be used. Beyond that point, and especially after the onset of yield, nonlinear formulations are
required. In general, two ingredients are required to ascertain material behavior:
1. an initial yield criterion to determine the state of stress at which yielding is considered to begin
2. mathematical rules to explain the post-yielding behavior
There are two major theories of plastic behavior that address these criterion differently. In the first, called
deformation theory, the plastic strains are uniquely defined by the state of stress. The second theory, called flow
or incremental theory, expresses the increments of plastic strain (irrecoverable strains) as functions of the
current stress, the strain increments, and the stress increments. Incremental theory is more general and can
be adapted in its particulars to fit a variety of material behaviors. The plasticity models in SOL 400 are
“incremental” theories, in which the mechanical strain rate is decomposed into an elastic part and a plastic
(inelastic) part through various assumed flow rules.
The incremental plasticity models are formulated in terms of:
 A yield surface, which generalizes the concept of “yield load” into a test function which can be used
to determine if the material will respond purely elastically at a particular state of stress, temperature,
etc.;
 A flow rule that defines the inelastic deformation that must occur if the material point is no longer
responding purely elastically;
 and some evolution laws that define the hardening – the way in which the yield and/or flow
definitions change as inelastic deformation occurs.
The models also need an elasticity definition, to deal with the recoverable part of the strain models divide
into those that are rate-dependent and those that are rate-independent.
SOL 400 includes the following models of inelastic behavior.
 Metal Plasticity (von Mises, Hill, or Barlat)
 Pressure-Dependent models – models the behavior of granular (soil and rock) materials or polymers,
in which the yield behavior depends on the equivalent pressure stress.
• Linear Mohr-Coulomb
• Parabolic Mohr-Coulomb

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials 99
Elastoplastic Material Entries

Elastoplastic Material Entries

Each of the elastoplastic models described in this section can be selected with the MATEP bulk data entry.

Entry Description
MATEP Specifies elasto-plastic material properties to be used for large
deformation analysis.
MATTEP Specifies temperature-dependent elasto-plastic material properties to be used
for static, quasi-static, or transient dynamic analysis.

Patran Materials Application Input Data

To define an inelastic material in Patran:
1. From the Materials Application form, set the Action>Object>Method combination to Create >
Isotropic-or-Orthotropic-or-Anisotropic > Manual Input.
2. Click Input Properties..., and select Elastoplastic from the Constitutive Model pull-down menu.
The required properties for describing elasticplastic behavior vary based on material type, dimension, type of
nonlinear data input, hardening rule, yield criteria, strain rate method, and thermal dependencies.

Table 6-4 shows the various input options and criteria available to you for defining elastoplastic behavior.

Table 6-4 Elastoplastic Model Summary

Constitutive Nonlinear Data Strain Rate
Model Input Hardening Rule Yield Criteria Method
 Plastic  Stress/Strain  Isotropic  von Mises  Piecewise Linear
Curve  Kinematic  Tresca  Cowper-
 Combined  Mohr-Coulomb Symonds

 Drucker-Prager
 Parabolic Mohr-
Coulomb
 Hardening Slope  Isotropic  von Mises  None
 Kinematic  Piecewise Linear
 Tresca
 Combined  Cowper-
 Mohr-Coulomb
 Piecewise Symonds
 Drucker-Prager
Linear
 None

Patran Nonlinear Data Input

The type of nonlinear data input you choose to use to define elastoplastic material behavior determines the
input data required for the Input Properties subform on the Materials Application form.

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 100 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Elastoplastic Material Entries

 Stress/Strain Curve – All stress-strain curves are input as piecewise linear. Patran transfers the stress-
strain curve input on the material property field directly to the TABLES1 entry.
The number of linear segments used to define the stress-strain curve may be different from one
material to another. The same strain breakpoints need not be used for all of the different material’s
stress-strain curves. It is recommended to define the stress-strain curves throughout the range of
strains which the analysis is likely to predict. If the analysis predicts a plastic strain greater than the
last point defined by you, SOL 400 continues the analysis after shifting the last strain breakpoint on
that curve to match the predicted value, thereby changing (reducing) the work hardening slope for
the last segment of the curve.
 Hardening Slope – The hardening slope and the yield point are required with this Nonlinear Data
Input option.
 Perfectly Plastic – Perfect plasticity is described by simply specifying the yield point.
Tables 6-5 through 6-7 provide descriptions for the input data for each of the four types of nonlinear input.

Table 6-5 Isotropic - Stress/Strain Curve or Perfectly Plastic: All Yield Functions
Property Name Description
Stress /Strain Curve or Defines the Cauchy stress vs. logarithmic strain (also called equivalent
Yield Stress tensile stress versus total equivalent strain) by reference to a tabular field.
The field is selected from the Field Definition list. The field is created
using the Fields application. For Perfectly Plastic models, only a Yield
Stress needs to be entered.
Can also be strain rate dependent if Strain Rate Method is Piecewise
Linear. Accepts field of yield stress vs. strain rate.
Coefficient C Visible if Strain Rate Method is Cowper-Symonds.
Inverse Exponent P Visible if Strain Rate Method is Cowper-Symonds.
Alpha When set to Linear Mohr-Coulomb, defines the slope of the yield surface
in square root J2 versus J1 space. This property is required.
Beta When set to Parabolic Mohr-Coulomb, defines the beta parameter in the
equation that defines the parabolic yield surface in square root J2 versus
J1 space. This property is required.
Note: Perfectly Plastic is identical to Stress/Strain except that no hardening rules apply.

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials 101
Strain Rate Dependent Yield

Table 6-6 Anisotropic/Orthotropic - Stress/Strain Curve or Perfectly Plastic: All Yield Functions
Property Name Description
Stress vs. Strain or Tensile Same as description for Isotropic Elastic-Plastic. If Strain Rate Method is
Yield Stress Piecewise Linear, accepts field of yield stress vs. strain rate.
Or defines an isotropic yield stress. It is a required property when the
Plasticity Type is Perfectly Plastic.
Stress 11/22/33 Yield Defines the ratios of direct yield stresses to the isotropic yield stress in the
Ratios element’s coordinate system.
Stress 12/23/31 Yield Defines the ratios of shear yield stresses to the isotropic shear yield stress (yield
Ratios divided by square root three) in the element’s coordinate system.
Note: Perfectly Plastic is identical to Elastic-Plastic except that no hardening rules apply.

Hardening Slope - Nonlinear Data Input

Table 6-7 Isotropic/Anisotropic/Orthotropic - Hardening Slope

Property Name Description
Hardening Slope Slope of the stress-strain curve once yielding has started.
Yield Point Defines the stress level at which plastic strain begins to develop.
Internal Friction Angle When yield function is set to Mohr-Coulomb or Drucker-Prager this gives the
parameter describing the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the yield stress.

Strain Rate Dependent Yield

Strain rate effects cause the structural response of a body to change because they influence the material
properties of the body. These material changes lead to an instantaneous change in the strength of the
material. Strain rate effects become more pronounced for temperatures greater than half the melting
temperature ( T m ), but are sometimes present even at room temperature.

Yield stress variation with strain rate is given using one of four options:
1. The breakpoints and slopes for a piecewise linear approximation to the yield stress strain rate curve
are given. The strain rate breakpoints should be in ascending order, or
2. The Cowper and Symonds model is used. The yield behavior is assumed to be completely determined
by one stress-strain curve and a scale factor depending on the strain rate.
3. The yield stress may be given as a function of the plastic strain, strain, and/or the temperature using
the TABLD3 bulk data entry.
4. The Power Law, Rate Power Law, Johnson Cook model, or Kumar model.

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 102 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Strain Rate Dependent Yield

Note: If multiple material models are used, they must all be expressed as piecewise linear or as Cowper
and Symonds model.

Perfectly Plastic
A material is said to be “perfectly plastic” if, upon the stress state touching the yield surface, an infinitesimal
increase in stress causes an arbitrarily large plastic strain. The uniaxial stress-strain diagram for an elastic-
perfectly plastic material is shown in Figure 6-5. Some materials, such as mild steel, behave in a manner which
is close to perfectly plastic.

xx
.

YS

 xx

Figure 6-5 Perfectly Plastic Material Stress-Strain Relationship

Power Law Model

m ·n
 y = A   0 +  p  + B p

where  y is the yield stress,  0 is the strain corresponding to initial yield stress,  p is equivalent plastic
·
strain,  p is rate of equivalent plastic strain rate and A , B , m , and n are material parameters.

Rate Power Law Model

m n
·
 y = A p  p + B

where the parameters are same quantities as that of Power law.

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials 103
Creep (MATVP, CREEP)

Johnson-Cook Model
· m
 pn
  p    T – T room  
----
-
 y =  A + B   1 + C ln  ·    1 –  --------------------------------
-  
   0    T melt – T room 
·
where  y is the yield stress,  p is the equivalent plastic strain,  p is the current equivalent plastic strain
·
rate,  0 is strain rate of material characterization and A , B , C , m and n are material parameters. T ,
T room , T melt are, respectively, the current, room, and melting temperatures of the material in absolute
scale.
The following conditions should be noted for the Johnson-Cook model.
 T should be between T room and T melt . If T  T room , T is set to T room . If T  T melt ,
T = T melt – 0.01 .
· · ·
  0  0 and    0 . If either condition is violated, the middle term in the above expression is set to
1.0.

Kumar Model
· 1n
  p
y = B0 * sin h – 1  ----- e Q   nRT 
 A
·
where  y is the yield stress,  p is equivalent plastic strain rate, Q is the activation energy, T is temperature,
and A , B 0 , and n are material parameters.

Creep (MATVP, CREEP)

Creep is an important factor in elevated-temperature stress analysis. In SOL 400, creep is represented by a
Maxwell model. Creep is a time-dependent, inelastic behavior, and can occur at any stress level (that is, either
below or above the yield stress of a material). The creep behavior can be characterized as primary, secondary,
and tertiary creep, as shown in (Figure 6-6). Engineering analysis is often limited to the primary and secondary
creep regions. Tertiary creep in a uniaxial specimen is usually associated with geometric instabilities, such as
necking. The major difference between the primary and secondary creep is that the creep strain rate is much
larger in the primary creep region than it is in the secondary creep region. The creep strain rate is the slope
of the creep strain-time curve. The creep strain rate is generally dependent on stress, temperature, and time.
The creep data can be specified in either an exponent form or in a piecewise linear curve.
· d c-
 c = ------- (6-6)
dt

Main Index
 104 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Creep (MATVP, CREEP)

Creep Strain
C

Tertiary
Creep

Secondary
Creep
Primary
Creep

Time (t)
Note: Primary Creep:Fast decrease in creep strain rate
Secondary Creep:Slow decrease in creep strain rate
Tertiary Creep:Fast increase in creep strain rate
Figure 6-6 Creep Strain Versus Time (Uniaxial Test at Constant Stress and Temperature)

Viscoplasticity (Explicit Formulation)

The creep (Maxwell) model can be modified to include a plastic element (as shown in Figure 6-7). This plastic
element is inactive when the stress (  ) is less than the yield stress (  y ) of the material. The modified model
is an elasto-viscoplasticity model and is capable of producing some observed effects of creep and plasticity. In
addition, the viscoplastic model can be used to generate time-independent plasticity solutions when
stationary conditions are reached. At the other extreme, the viscoplastic model can reproduce standard creep
phenomena. The model allows the treatment of nonassociated flow rules and strain softening which present
difficulties in conventional (tangent modulus) plasticity analyses.
It is recommended that you use the implicit formulation described in the following paragraphs to model
general viscoplastic materials.

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials 105
Creep (MATVP, CREEP)

ee

evp

p vp
 =  Plastic Element
Inactive if < y

Figure 6-7 Uniaxial Representation of Viscoplastic Material

Creep (Implicit Formulation)

This formulation, as opposed to that described in the previous section, is fully implicit. A fully implicit
formulation is unconditionally stable for any choice of time step size; hence, allowing a larger time step than
permissible using the explicit method. Additionally, this is more accurate than the explicit method. The
disadvantage is that each increment may be more computationally expensive. There are two methods for
defining the inelastic strain rate. The creep model definition option can be used to define a Maxwell creep
model. The back stress must be specified through the field reserved for the yield stress in the MAT1 or other
material definitions. There is no creep strain when the stress is less than the back stress. The equivalent creep
strain increment is expressed as
·c m ·c n P q–1
 = A      T  qt (6-7)

and the inelastic deviatoric strain components are

3 i  ij
 iji = ---  --------
2 
where ij is the deviatoric stress at the end of the increment and  y is the back stress. A is a function of
temperature, time, etc. Creep only occurs if  sigma is greater  y .

One of three tangent matrices may be formed. The first uses an elastic tangent, which requires more
iterations, but can be computationally efficient because re-assembly might not be required. The second uses
an algorithmic tangent that provides the best behavior for small strain power law creep. The third uses a
secant (approximate) tangent that gives the best behavior for general viscoplastic models.
As an example of the usage of MATVP for defining the creep behavior, see Creep of a Tube (Ch. 34) in the
Demonstration Problems Manual - Implicit Nonlinear.

Main Index
 106 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Creep (MATVP, CREEP)

ANAND Solder Creep Model

In the process of IC produce and package, solder is widely used to connect different chips or lines, its creep
behavior has significantly influence of the IC performance and durability. ANAND model is widely accepted
in IC industries to describe the creep behavior of solder materials. Enhanced capability of SOL 400 with
ANAND creep model will benefit all current and potential Nastran users.
The Anand Solder model uses a single scalar internal variable representing deformation resistance (s), which
denotes the averaged isotropic resistance to macroscopic plastic flow offered by the underlying isotropic
strengthening mechanisms.

Specifying Creep Material Entries

Each of the creep models described in this section can be selected with the MATVP bulk data entry. MATVP
is the only form of creep data material input supported by SOL 400 when the advanced elements are used.

Entry Description
MATVP Specifies viscoplastic or creep material properties to be used for quasi-static
analysis in SOL 400.

Patran Materials Application Input Data

To define creep behavior in Patran:
1. From the Materials Application form, set the Action>Object>Method combination to Create >
Isotropic-or-Orthotropic-or-Anisotropic > Manual Input.
2. Click Input Properties..., and select Creep from the Constitutive Model pull-down menu and
MATVP from the Creep Data Input pull-down menu.
Creep material models require the following MATVP material data via the Input Properties subform on the
Materials Application form.

Figure 6-8

Isotropic – Anisotropic – Description

Orthotropic
Coefficient Specifies the coefficient, A.
Exponent of Temperature Defines temperature exponent.
Temperature vs. Creep Strain References a material field of temperature vs. value. Overrides
Exponent of Temperature if present.
Exponent of Stress Defines stress exponent
Creep Strain vs. Stress References a material field of stress vs. value. Overrides Exponent
of Stress if present.
Exponent of Creep Strain Defines creep strain exponent.

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials 107
Composite (PCOMP or PCOMPG)

Isotropic – Anisotropic – Description

Orthotropic
Strain Rate vs. Creep Strain References a material field of strain rate vs. value. Overrides
Exponent of Creep Strain if present.
Exponent of Time Defines time exponent.
Time vs. Creep Strain References a material field of time vs. value. Overrides Exponent
of Time if present.
Back Stress Defines the back stress for implicit creep
ANAND The Anand solder material model which consists of a simple set of
constitutive equations for large, isotropic, viscoplastic problems.
(if this is used, next 9 fields for parameters of Material properties
must be filled with value.)
PREXF Pre-exponential factor. A, (s-1)
ACTEN Activation energy. Q
MULST Multiplier of stress.
STNRT Strain rate sensitivity of stress. M
SATCO Deformation resistance saturation coefficient. s,(MPa)
STNSA Strain rate sensitivity of saturation. n
HRCN Hardening constant. h0,(MPa)
STNHR Stain rate sensitivity of hardening. A
DEFRS Initial value of deformation resistance. s0, (MPa)

Composite (PCOMP or PCOMPG)

Composite materials are composed of a mixture of two or more constituents, giving them mechanical and
thermal properties which can be significantly better than those of homogeneous metals, polymers and
ceramics.
Laminate composite materials are based on layering homogeneous materials using one of several methods. In
order to define a laminate composite material, you must define the homogeneous materials that form the
layers, the thickness of each layer, and the orientation angle of the layers relative to the standard coordinate
axis being used for the model. The orientation is particularly important for orthotropic and anisotropic
materials, whose properties vary in different directions. The material in each layer may be either linear or
nonlinear. Tightly bonded layers (layered materials) are often stacked in the thickness direction of beam,
plate, shell structures, or solids.

Main Index
 108 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Composite (PCOMP or PCOMPG)

Each layer is a “ply”, and each ply can

have a different material, thickness, or
material orientation (angle).

Figure 6-9 identifies the locations of integration points through the thickness of beam and shell elements with
and without a composite formulation.
Note that when the COMPOSITE option is used, as shown in Figure 6-9, the layer points are positioned
midway through each layer. When the COMPOSITE option is not used, the layer points are equidistantly
spaced between the top and bottom surfaces. MSC Nastran Implicit Nonlinear performs a numerical
integration through the thickness. If the COMPOSITE option is used, the trapezoidal method is employed;
otherwise, Simpson’s rule is used.

*
* *
* *
* *
*
Beams or Shells with *
Beams or Shells without
Composite Option Composite Option
Figure 6-9 Integration Points through the Thickness of Beam and Shell Elements

Figure 6-10 shows the location of integration points through the thickness of continuum elements. MSC
Nastran Implicit Nonlinear forms the element stiffness matrix by performing numerical integration based on
the standard isoparametric concept.

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials 109
Composite (PCOMP or PCOMPG)

* *
* *
* *
* *
Figure 6-10 Integration Points through the Thickness of Continuum Elements

Specifying Composite Material Entries

You specify the material properties and orientation for each of the layers. Additional stress and strain output
is generated for each layer and between the layers.
The format of the PCOMP bulk data entry in the QRG is as follows:

PCOMP
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PCOMP PID Z0 NSM SB FT TREF GE LAM
MID1 T1 THETA1 SOUT1 MID2 T2 THETA2 SOUT2
MID3 T3 THETA3 SOUT3 etc.

Field Contents
PID Property identification number.
Z0 Distance from the reference plane to the bottom surface.
NSM Nonstructural mass per unit area.
SB Allowable shear stress of the bonding material.
FT Failure theory.
TREF Reference temperature.
LAM “Blank”, “SYM”, “MEM”, “BEND” option.
MIDi Material ID of the various plies. The plies are identified by serially numbering them from
1 at the bottom layer.
Ti Thicknesses of the various plies.
THETAi Orientation angle of the longitudinal direction of each ply with the material axis of the
element.
SOUTi Stress or strain output request.

Main Index
 110 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Composite (PCOMP or PCOMPG)

An alternative to the PCOMP entry is the PCOMPG entry. The PCOMPG entry includes a global ply ID,
so it is easier to track the output for the same ply across the model. The format for the PCOMPG bulk data
entry in the QRG is as follows:

PCOMPG
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
PCOMPG PID Z0 NSM SB FT TREF GE LAM
GPLYID1 MID1 T1 THETA1 SOUT1
GPLYID2 MID2 T2 THETA2 SOUT2

Field Contents
PID Property identification number. (0 < Integer < 10000000)
Z0 Distance from the reference plane to the bottom surface. (Real; Default = -0.5 times the
element thickness.)
NSM Nonstructural mass per unit area. (Real)
SB Allowable shear stress of the bonding material (allowable interlaminar shear stress).
Required if FT is also specified. (Real > 0.0)
FT Failure theory. The following theories are allowed (Character or blank. If blank, then no
failure calculation will be performed)
“HILL” for the Hill theory.
“HOFF” for the Hoffman theory.
“TSAI” for the Tsai-Wu theory.
“STRN” for the Maximum Strain theory.
TREF Reference temperature. (Real; Default = 0.0)
GE Damping coefficient. (Real; Default = 0.0)
LAM Laminate Options. (Character or blank, Default = blank).
“Blank” All plies must be specified and all stiffness terms are developed.
“MEM” All plies must be specified, but only membrane terms (MID1 on the
derived PSHELL entry) are computed.
“BEND” All plies must be specified, but only bending terms (MID2 on the derived
PSHELL entry) are computed.
“SMEAR” All plies must be specified, stacking sequence is ignored MID1=MID2 on
the derived PSHELL entry and MID3, MID4, TS/T, and 12I/T**3 terms
are set to zero).

Main Index
 Chapter 6: Materials 111
Composite (PCOMP or PCOMPG)

Field Contents
“SMCORE” All plies must be specified, with the last ply specifying core properties and
the previous plies specifying face sheet properties. The stiffness matrix is
computed by placing half the face sheet thicknesses above the core and the
other half below with the result that the laminate is symmetric about the
mid-plane of the core. Stacking sequence is ignored in calculating the face
sheet stiffness.
GPLYIDi User-defined Global (External) Ply ID. The global ply identification number should be
unique with respect to other plies in the entry. The plies are defined in stacking sequence
starting with the bottom layer. (Integer > 0)
MIDi Material ID of the various plies. The plies are identified by serially numbering them from
1 at the bottom layer. The MIDs must refer to MAT1, MAT2, or MAT8 bulk data entries.
(Integer > 0 or blank, except MID1 must be specified.)
Ti Thicknesses of the various plies. (Real or blank, except T1 must be specified.)
THETAi Orientation angle of the longitudinal direction of each ply with the material axis of the
element. (If the material angle on the element connection entry is 0.0, the material axis and
side 1-2 of the element coincide.) The plies are to be numbered serially starting with 1 at
the bottom layer. The bottom layer is defined as the surface with the largest -Z value in the
element coordinate system. (Real; Default = 0.0)
SOUTi Stress or strain output request. (Character: “YES” or “NO”; Default = “NO”)

Using the material properties for each of the lamina with conventional shell elements, MSC Nastran
calculates the equivalent PSHELL and MAT2 entries generated as shown in Figure 6-11. If nonlinear material
behavior including progressive failure occurs, then the advanced elements should be activated using the
PSHLN1 bulk data entry.

Main Index
 112 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Composite (PCOMP or PCOMPG)

CQUAD4

PCOMP
or

MAT1 MAT2 MAT8

EQUIV PSHELL

Output if
ECHO = SORT
MID1 MID2 MID3 MID4 (the default)

MAT2 MAT2 MAT2 MAT2

Figure 6-11 Equivalent PSHELL and MAT2 Entries Are Generated

The output you may request for a composite analysis includes:

 Stresses and strains for the equivalent plate.
 Force resultants.
 Stresses and/or strains in the individual laminate including approximate interlaminar shear stresses
in the bonding material output.
 A failure index table.
If you want stress and/or the failure indices for the composite elements, ELSTRESS must be requested in the
case control section for the appropriate elements. Also, if you want the failure index table, you must enter the
stress limits for each lamina on the appropriate material entry, the shear stress limit Sb, and the failure theory
method FT on the PCOMP/PCOMPG entries.
As shown in Figure 6-11, each PCOMP/PCOMPG (together with the material entries for each lamina) is
processed to form an equivalent PSHELL and four MAT2 entries. To print the equivalent PSHELL and
MAT2 entries in the output file, use NASTRAN PRTPCOMP=1 provided that ECHO=NONE is not set. If you
wish to use them for future runs, they may be punched to an ASCII file. The ID numbers of the MAT2s are
important. The MID1 material has an ID in the range of 100000000 to 199999999. The MID2 material has
an ID in the range of 200000000 to 299999999, etc. These ranges are used to inform MSC Nastran that the
material is part of a composite analysis. If you are using the equivalent properties in a future analysis instead
of using the PCOMP/PCOMPG entries and you are entering a thermal coefficient of expansion, do not

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 Chapter 6: Materials 113
Cohesive Zone Modeling (MCOHE)

change the ID numbers. Also, if you use the equivalent PSHELL and MAT2s, you will not be able to obtain
the laminae stress or the failure index table. For the failure index, you have a choice of four failure theories:
Hill’s theory, Hoffman’s theory, Tsai-Wu’s theory, and the maximum strain theory.
As an example of the usage of PCOMP, see Laminated Strip under Three-point Bending (Ch. 7) in the
Demonstration Problems Manual - Implicit Nonlinear.

Cohesive Zone Modeling (MCOHE)

MSC Nastran has a library of interface elements, which can be used to simulate the onset and progress of
delamination. These elements are defined with the CIFHEX, CIFPENT, CIFQDX, and CIFQUAD bulk
data entries. The constitutive behavior of these elements is expressed in terms of tractions versus relative
displacements between the top and bottom edge/surface of the elements (see Figure 6-12).
8
top face
4
v1 7
˜ v3
˜ 3
5
v2 bottom face
1 ˜
6
2
Figure 6-12 3-D Linear Interface Element

Considering a 3-D interface element, the relative displacement components are given by one normal and two
shear components, expressed with respect to the local element system:
top bottom
vn = u1 – u1
top bottom (6-8)
vs = u2 – u2
top bottom
vt = u3 – u3

Based on the relative displacement components, the effective opening displacement is defined as:
2 2 2
v = vn + vs + vt (6-9)

Progressive Composite Failure

MSC Nastran provides two methods to model the failure of composite materials. The first is based upon
Marc technology which is activated by the MATF bulk data entry and is discussed here. The second is
provided by e-Xstreme and is activated using MATDIGI. Failure is indicated by the failure criteria described
in the previous section. When failure occurs, the element stiffness is degraded. MSC Nastran offers two

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 114 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Progressive Composite Failure

different methods for the material degradation as described below. While MSC Nastran allows up to three
failure criteria to be used for failure index calculation, only the first criterion is used for progressive failure.
The material will not heal; the damaged elements keep the degraded properties after unloading.

Model 1 – Selective Gradual Degradation

This model uses a selective degradation of the moduli depending on failure mode. The moduli are decreased
gradually when failure occurs. Within an increment, it attempts to keep the highest failure index less than or
equal to one. Whenever a failure index F larger than one occurs, stiffness reduction factors ri are calculated
based upon the value of the failure indices. The incremental contribution to the total reduction factor is
calculated as

r i = –  1 – e 1 – F  (6-10)

This is done differently for different failure criteria as described below. Six such reduction factors are stored
and updated. They are then used for scaling the respective material modulus according to
new orig
E 11 = r 1 E 11 (6-11)

new orig
E 22 = r 2 E 22 (6-12)

new orig
E 33 = r 3 E 33 (6-13)

new orig
G 12 = r 4 G 12 (6-14)

new orig
G 23 = r 5 G 23 (6-15)

new orig
G 31 = r 6 G 31 (6-16)

The Poisson’s ratios are scaled in the same way as the corresponding shear modulus.
For the maximum stress and maximum strain criteria the reduction factors are calculated separately from each
separate failure index: r 1 is calculated from the first failure index as given by equation 6-11 above, r 2 is
calculated from the second failure index from equation 6-12 etc. Thus, there is no coupling of the different
failure modes for these criteria.

Model 2 – Selective Immediate Degradation

This model uses selective degradation just as Model 1, but the stiffness is abruptly decreased. As soon as
failure is indicated, the stiffnesses are set to a 1 – the residual stiffness factor. The same rules as in Model 1
for how the different factors are defined depending on the type of failure is applied here.
The different options are flagged through the MATF bulk data entry.

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 Chapter 6: Materials 115
Progressive Composite Failure

Micro-mechanics Material Models (MATDIGI)

MSC Nastran SOL 400 integrates with e-Xstream Digimat Material Modeling System. This allows the user
to give the material properties on a component basis in a composite material. This is activated through the
MATDIGI bulk data entry.

Interface
Digimat-CAE/MSC Nastran SOL 400 contains the material library containing the Digimat capabilities and
the required interfaces in order to be linked with the MSC Nastran SOL 400 Finite Element (FE) solver.
Linking MSC Nastran SOL 400 libraries with Digimat-CAE/MSC Nastran SOL 400 gives the user access
to all linear and nonlinear small-strain material models available in Digimat for FE small-strain analyses, just
like any other MSC Nastran SOL 400 material models. It also enables to take into account fiber orientation
computed by an injection molding code. The interface thus allows to model the impact of the injection
process on the structural behavior of composite parts. Note that not all the available Digimat material models
can be used with the Digimat-CAE/MSC Nastran SOL 400 interface.

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 116 MSC Nastran Getting Started Guide
Progressive Composite Failure

Main Index
 Chapter 7: Contact

7 Contact


Introduction to Contact 118

Contact Types 118

Contact Definition Method 123

Contact Bodies 124
 Defining Contact Interactions 131

Contact in MSC Nastran 131
 Contact Settings for a SOL400 Analysis 132
 Contact Considerations 134

Contact Parameters 135

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 118 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Introduction to Contact

Introduction to Contact
The analysis of a finite element model (FEM) with contact bodies, interacting with each other is called
contact analysis. It is the analysis of contact bodies (deformable or rigid) interacting with each other. Many
engineering problems involve contact between two or more components. In these problems a force normal
to the contacting surfaces acts on the two bodies when they touch each other. If there is friction between the
surfaces, shear forces may be created that resist the tangential motion (sliding) of the bodies. The aim of
contact simulations is to identify the areas on the surfaces that are in contact and to calculate the contact
pressures generated.
Contact can be a useful tool when performing FEA simulations. It allows the interaction between multiple
bodies without adding additional elements to the model. By adding the contact condition to a model
correctly it is possible to create a model that more realistically represents reality. However, by adding contact
to a model, it might cause the analysis not to complete because of the added computational complexity and
the number of things the analyst has to take into account.
In a finite element analysis (FEA), contact conditions are a special class of discontinuous constraint, allowing
forces to be transmitted from one part of the model to another. The constraint is discontinuous because it is
applied only when the two surfaces are in contact. When the two surfaces separate, no constraint is applied.
The analysis has to be able to detect when two surfaces are in contact and apply the contact constraints
accordingly. Similarly, the analysis must be able to detect when two surfaces separate and remove the contact
constraints.
By default, MSC Nastran does not assume contact exist between all bodies in a model, simply because of the
computation cost involved in checking for contact between every element and every other element in a
model. This can however be specified, at the expense of the run times, but another reason why this is not
specified by default is because different contact conditions such as varying friction values might exist
throughout the model and therefore the analyst needs a means to specify and control it.
Contact in a model is applied mathematically and unless otherwise specified, MSC Nastran defaults will be
used that are suitable for general contact cases. Default parameters will in most cases be sufficient, however,
it might cause problems under more complex or less common scenarios, or induce unnecessarily longer
solving times if the analyst doesn’t understand these parameters and set them incorrectly.
Contact can be deformable-deformable or rigid-deformable.

Contact Types
Two types of contact interaction exist between two bodies namely glue and touch contact. Although there are
variations in how these contact interactions are applied depending on the software used, these remain the two
main contact interactions.
 Touching Contact: In this case, both glue and touching contact can be separate

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 CHAPTER 7 119
Contact

 Glued Contact: In this case, the bodies are glued together

Full Contact  No separation, no sliding
 SOL 400 calls it Permanent Glue Contact
Sliding contact  No separation, sliding
 SOL 400 does not have it
Breaking contact  Full, but may separate if force/stress > threshold
Linear contact  Glued elastic stiffness

The difference between glue and touching is glue contact does not allow sliding, but touching does.

Touching Contact
In touching contact bodies can separate
 Touch contact is a valuable tool to use in FEA models although it comes with the cost of a much
longer analysis time and it does require additional considerations to ensure that the model solves
successfully.
 With this method of contact, the parts in the model can move as it is allowed to by the constraints
on the body, however with touch contact active between two bodies the additional condition is that
the one body is not allowed to penetrate the other. With the movement of the body allowed it is
therefore important to consider the position of one body relative to another.

Glued Contact
Glue contact is an ideal option to use in a model with multiple parts in a structure. It allows two bodies to
be fixed at the contact surface without having the elements of both bodies be the same size and attempting
to have the nodes on the two surfaces match.
It can be applied as a linear contact which means that two element faces remain in contact no matter what
happens with the structure around it. As long as the contact condition is detected between two bodies, this
will not cause for a longer analysis time and it should not cause further struggle with the model.
Glue contact can also be applied with certain conditions. For instance, it can be specified that if the stress on
the contact surface exceeds a specified stress, the contact should be released and for the remainder of the
analysis be treated as a broken contact.
MSC Nastran internally generates MPC equations to represent the glued contact. MPCs are generated by
MSC Nastran internally to represent the glued contact. The MPCs generated to model glued contact can be
written during the analysis in a punch (*.pch) file. You can also request for the MPC equations be output
to a punch file so that the you can visualize what is glued and what is not by plotting MPCs.
These MPCs can then be directly imported into the Patran database to provide a visual reference to the glued
contact. The MPC punch file is created with the following Case Control Command:

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 120 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Contact Types

NLOPRM MPCPCH = BEGN

Permanent Glue Contact

This is a special case of contact, where the initial configuration is used to determine the contact constraint,
and these contact constraint should not change throughout the analysis. It is designed to help users quickly
assemble components with dissimilar meshes. Nodes or segments which are not initially in contact do not
come into contact, and in fact may penetrate the model. The constraint is a glue type, meaning there will be
no relative normal or tangential displacement. The bodies will never separate.
Permanent glued is designed to help users:
 To quickly assemble components with dissimilar meshes and connect dissimilar meshes
 Help in simple assembly modeling when no other contact occurs.
It is applicable to SOL 101, 103, 105, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, SOL 200, and SOL 400. Permanent
glued contact is activated if the BCTABLE or BCTABL1 that is referenced in the first Loadcase (SOL 100*) or
in the first Step (SOL 200) has a value of IGLUE greater than zero for all contact body pairs.
If you require conventional (general) contact for the complete simulation, but permanent glued contact is
invoked, enter bulk data BCPARA,0,NLGLUE,1 to deactivate the permanent glue in a subsequent step.
Because glued contact is very useful in assembly modeling problems encountered in engineering practice,
several special cases are considered as well.
Some characteristics of the permanent glue contact are as follows:
 It should not be used in models that experience large rotations.
 Bodies should be in contact initially since contact detection is performed only in the beginning of
the analysis
 A linear solution. Permanent contact constraint MPC equations are used. No nonlinear increments
or iterations involved

Step Glue Contact

Step glued contact is available only for SOL 400. Step Glued contact is activated using a value a negative
value of IGLUE for each contact pair. It is similar to Glued Contact, there are two conditions.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 7 121
Contact

 The contact status is checked at the beginning of the step, and those nodes or segments that are in
contact will remain in glued contact for the entire step. The constraints will change due to large
rotations.
Furthermore, if a large tensile force or stress developed over the interface in the current loadcase, no
separation would occur for these regions which are initially in contact. Performing an unglue of
breaking glue would also not be enforced during the step for these regions. This may be successfully
used to model the union of dissimilar meshes, where at a later time one wanted to separate the
bodies (e.g., opening of a door).
 When using step glue conventional contact occurs for the nodes/segments of the body which are not
in contact at the beginning of the step. That means when they come into contact, they will glue, but
they may separate within the same step

General Glue Contact

Two bodies may come into contact and separate at any point in the simulation, but when in contact, there
is no relative sliding. The fundamental constraint is no relative normal displacement or tangential
displacement when bodies are in contact. General contact is available only in SOL 101, SOL 400, SOL 600,
and SOL 700.
One can consider this equivalent to two surfaces that have infinite friction. The word glued only refers to the
constraint on the tangential behavior. Bodied that are in glued contact may lose contact if the separation
(force or stress based) separation criteria is exceeded, due to unglue or breaking glue.
Some characteristics of the general glue contact are as follows:
 Simulates a glued joint
 Initially, the bodies do not have to be in contact. They can come in contact during the analysis and
become glued
 After being glued together, the bodies can separate again or stay glued based on user specified
criteria uch as breaking glued contact
 Just like touching contact, the general glued contact utilizes the nonlinear solver which is an
incremental and iterative process
 Because contact status can change during the analysis in general glued contact, it is an incremental
and iterative process.
 Separation force is infinite FNTOL = 1E20

Breaking Glue Contact

In engineering problems that involve delamination, it is often useful to indicate that two surfaces are glued
together, but may separate if a certain stress level is reached. The simplest is based upon a normal stress
(preferred) or a force condition. For problems like tape peeling, it is useful to include both the normal and
shear stress condition. This can be invoked by JGLUE on BCTABLE or BCONPRG:
 0: glued contact nodes will stay in contact. Default.
 1: to invoke the standard separation behavior
 2: breaking glued with a breaking criterion

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 122 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Contact Types

BKGL, keyword for breaking glued:

 BGST, maximum tangential stress (default=0.0)
 BGSN, maximum normal stress (default=0.0)
 BGM, the first exponent associated with tangential stress (default=2.0)
 BGN, the exponent associated with normal stress (default=2.0)

Summary of Glue Contact

In summary, the glue condition between bodies can be defined via BCTABLE or BCONPRG through the
IGLUE keyword as follows:

IGLUE Keyword Description

0 No gluing
1 Activates the glue option. In the glue option, all degrees-of- freedom of the
contact nodes are tied in case of deformable-deformable contact once the node
comes in contact. The relative tangential motion of a contact node is zero in case
of deformable-rigid contact. The node will be projected onto the contact body.
2 Activates a special glue option to insure that there is no relative tangential and
normal displacement when a node comes into contact. An existing initial gap or
overlap between the node and the contacted body will not be removed, as the
node will not be projected onto the contacted body. To maintain an initial gap,
ERROR should be set to a value slightly larger than the physical gap.
3 Ensures full moment carrying glue when shells contact. The node will be
projected onto the contacted body.
4 Insures full moment carrying glue when shells contact. The node will not be
projected onto the contact body and an existing initial gap or overlap between the
node and the contacted body will not be removed, as the node will not be
projected onto the contacted body.

In SOLs 101 and 400, if contact is initially not true set NLGLUE on BCPARA to 1. For SOL 400 with a
mixture of glued and non-glued bodies, BCPARA,0,NLGLUE,1 must also be used

Cohesive Contact
This is a special case of glued contact. In the modern industries, the product structure like airplane,
automobile, and so on, is becoming more and more complicated with many parts. The assembly process may
be done through a variety of processes such as rivets, bolts, spot weld, seam welds, or adhesives. In the
numerical simulations of the assemblies of many parts into a single structure, it is often too costly to model
each one of these discrete connectors, and the glued contact capability provides an effective and efficient way
to simplify and reduce the computation costs.
While this method is easy to use, however, it often results in too stiff of a structure because effectively the
connection is rigid. To alleviate this, a flexible glued contact capability is available. With cohesive glued

Main Index
 CHAPTER 7 123
Contact

contact, it is necessary to model the detailed connectors but provides the stiffness of the connectors in the
glued contact.
There are many cases in which parts are connected using either discrete entities, such as rivets or bolts, or a
spot or seam weld. It is often too expensive to model these discrete entities so the glued approach is often
used to model these connections. While easy to use, this method is effectively a rigid connection and results
in behavior that is too stiff.
To compensate for this undesirable behavior, instead of entering a non-default constant penalty factor for the
segment-to-segment contact algorithm, you can use cohesive contact. It allows you to apply a separate finite
stiffness in the normal and tangential directions.

The advantages of cohesive contact are:

 Provides a user controllable soft contact mechanism
 Reduces computational costs and improves accuracy of assembly analyses
 Simplifies analysis of bonded Joints: Replace detailed model with simplified model
 Implemented for small sliding segment to segment contact
 User specifies either stiffness or contact stress vs. relative displacement on contact interaction menu.

Contact Definition Method

Before discussing contact in MSC Nastran it should be noted that there are two possible methods of
specifying contact in MSC Nastran. The two contact methods are:
 Contact table method (BCTABLE): With this method of specifying contact, it is difficult to define
the contact interactions between many bodies in the contact table without making any mistakes.
Hence, a new method (contact pairs method) was introduced
 Contact pairs method: In this method, the contact pairs can be created directly and instead of
specifying contact parameters for each pair, contact interaction can be defined and simply
referenced for each pair. This makes it easier to define the contact condition for a large amount of
contact bodies.
The following figure shows the process of defining contact with both the contact table method as well as the
contact pairs method.

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 124 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Contact Bodies

Figure 7-1 Contact Nastran

Both methods of applying contact will have the same outcome but with the contact table it is easier to define
contact for a small number of contact bodies, whereas the contact pairs method will be easier to define contact
for a large number of contact bodies.
Both methods have their own merits. Any one of the two methods can be used for any model although it is
recommended to use the contact table for a model with a small number of contact bodies and contact pairs
for a model with a large number of contact bodies. Contact can be deformable-deformable or rigid-
deformable.

Contact Bodies
These types of contact can be applied between various types of bodies in various combinations. Contact
bodies can be created from:

Main Index
 CHAPTER 7 125
Contact

 Deformable body: It is defined by element IDs or element properties

 Rigid body: It is defined by geometry (curves and surfaces) or 4-node patches

Deformable Contact Bodies (3D/2D/1D)

A deformable contact body is a normal FEM body that can deform and experience stresses while in and due
to contact. For any deformable contact body with a non-square shape or a shape that is not exactly captures
by the elements, analytical edge discontinuities can be activated when creating the contact body. Analytical
edge discontinuities is a function that Nastran uses to determine the possible true curvatures of the edge that
could not be captured accurately by the elements and uses this shape when determining contact.
An example of this is two circular objects in contact. Since the circular objects will consist of a number of
straight lines or faces it is difficult to have an accurate distributions of the forces acting between the two
bodies. The contact might be applied only to some of the faces or have inconsistencies in the contact forces.
Although this might affect the results somewhat, this will also make it difficult for Nastran to correctly detect
the contact or fail to detect the contact at all. With analytical edge discontinuities Nastran uses the change
in angle between the two element faces to construct a closer to circular contact surface.

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 126 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Contact Bodies

Creating a Deformable Body

Here, we discuss about creating a deformable body with BCBODY1. It is used in contact pair Flowchart. With
BCBODY1, the contact body contain the following:
 BCBODY dimension (2D for plane analysis or 3D)
 ID of BSURF or BCPROP for list of element or properties
 Reference of a BCBDPRP entry that contain some contact body physical datas
• Friction coefficient (Friction will be discussed later)
• Contact body Thermal datas for thermal chained or coupled analysis (not discussed in this
document)
• Specific info if analytical contact is used to increase accuracy of the geometrical boundary of the
contact body
Same card to define Rigid Body.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 7 127
Contact

Defining Body Contact via BSRRF

Defining Body Contact via BCPROP

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 128 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Contact Bodies

Rigid Contact Bodies (3D/2D)

A rigid contact body is a useful method in which the body is assumed to remain rigid during the simulation
which means no calculations are performed for the inside of the body. This means you can have a body in the
analysis which affects the rest of the structure without adding significant time to the analysis.
 Rigid bodies can be modeled with geometry or finite elements
• Curves for 2D contact (NURBS2D): allows for 3 DOF: UX, UY, and ROTZ
• Surfaces for 3D contact (NURBS): allows for 6 DOF: UX, UY, UZ, ROTX, ROTY, and ROTZ

• 2D elements (PATCH3D), 3/4-node patches

• It is recommended to use Bezier or NURBs

Main Index
 CHAPTER 7 129
Contact

• Continuity of the normal vector along the surface

• A mathematical description
• Robustness of the Contact Algorithm
 It can be velocity/position/load driven
 It can change shape (growth factor)
 It can have initial velocity to save CPU at start of analysis and touch deformable bodies
The rigid contact body is applied to add the required stiffness to the model without adding additional solving
time. Since a rigid body is simply geometry that is specified as a body, there are no nodes on the body to
either constrain or apply a load to that body.
For rigid contact bodies the approach velocity function is available to assist the initial contact to be detected
in the model. With this a direction is specified for which Nastran will move the rigid body in this direction
until contact between rigid and deformable bodies are detected before a load is applied, thereby ensuring that
the contact condition is met at the start of the analysis.
When creating a rigid contact body, it is important to check the inward normals of the contact body. This
will show an arrow that points in the direction of the solid part of the rigid body and it is therefore very
important that the arrow points in the correct direction.
Creating a Deformable Body

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 130 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Contact Bodies

Control of Rigid Body

Control of rigid body with BCBODY or BCRIGID. Rigid bodies can be stationary (default) or moved in
space. There are three different methods of controlling rigid body movements. The input is done via
CONTROL entry:
 0: velocity controlled
 1: position controlled
 Positive Integer (grid point location): load controlled

 APPROV control the initial body approach (increment 0)

 GROW control the growing changing of a rigid body (shrink or expand)

Main Index
 CHAPTER 7 131
Contact

Contact in MSC Nastran

Linear: SOL101  3D analysis only

 Small deflection theory
 Sliding neglected
 All aspects of the simulation are ‘linear’ with the exception
structural contact
 Glued
SOL101/103/105/108/109/11  Permanent Glued Contact is a special case of glued contact
1/112  Primarily used to join 2 dissimilar meshes
 Contact must initially be true (bodies should be in contact
initially)
 When edges or grids are to be glued, gluing can also be done for
the rotational DOFs (Moment Carrying Glue)
 Permanent contact constraint MPC equations are used. No
nonlinear increments or iterations involved.
Nonlinear: SOL 400  Touch/glue
 Large displacement: allows sliding between element edges/faces
 Large deformation
 2D (axi, plane stress/strain), 3D analysis

In MSC Nastran, there are:

 Two algorithms of contact are available
• Node-to-segment
• Segment-to-segment
 Two friction models are supported
• Bilinear coulomb friction
• Bilinear shear friction
 Two type of contact behavior
• Touching (including auto contact)

Defining Contact Interactions

When defining the contact interaction between two contact bodies, whether with a contact table or contact
pairs, some contact properties can be selected to help with the contact detection.

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 132 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Contact Settings for a SOL400 Analysis

 Primary and secondary option flag: It is a tool that specifies where the contact is applied to. In this
option select the A=1 for all 3D contact bodies, which will specify that contact should occur on the
outside surface of the contact body, whereas for 1D and 2D contact bodies some other options are
available. These include options such as which side of a shell element should be in contact or
whether the edges of a 1D element should be included.
 Coordinate modification: It is a useful tool that will allow MSC Nastran to move nodes (within a
tolerance distance) to avoid some contact problems that might occur. Two options are available here
with the combination of both options available as the third.
In the case of stress free initial contact, nodes are moved in the beginning of the analysis to ensure that the
analysis will start with the nodes in contact. For this option, the nodes will be moved if either the nodes are
already penetrating the contact bodies or a small gap is exist between the two bodies. The nodes will then be
moved (within the tolerance distance) until the nodes are aligned.

Contact Settings for a SOL400 Analysis

When creating a SOL400 analysis, under the solver control settings or in the BCPARA Nastran entry, the types
of contact detection specified with MSC Nastran are:
 Node-to-segment contact
 Segment-to-segment

Node-to-segment (NTS) Contact

Node-to-segment (N2S or NODESURF) contact is the default contact detection type specified with MSC
Nastran. It uses the paradigm of a secondary node interacting with a primary patch—that is, it works on a
primary-secondary basis with one body being defined as the primary and the other as the secondary.
 This is a mature capability, but has some limitations
 Continuous displacement fields, but discontinuous stress (pressure) fields (limited using analytical
contact body definition)
 Available for standard linear contact
 The rule for the contact is that the nodes of the secondary body cannot penetrate the element faces
of the primary body.

Limitations with Node-to-Segment Contact

A common problem is that for a large difference in element size an incorrect primary-secondary configuration
is selected which will mean that nodes from the primary will penetrate the secondary body and cause incorrect
contact results since the contact rule has not been broken. So, important to always choose the body with the
smaller element size to be the secondary body. In cases where this might still be a problem, there is the option
to select double sided contact. This means that both bodies will be checked for contact to avoid this problem.
This will the result in the contact condition will be checked twice per calculated increment increasing the
analysis time significantly.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 7 133
Contact

Segment-to-Segment (STS) contact

The segment-to-segment (S2S or SEGTOSEG) contact detection method results in easier contact detection.
The primary-secondary concept does not exist with this method and both bodies are checked for contact.
This method adds additional points to the element face. It also checks the contact between these point and
thus allows for a larger difference in element size on the contact surface.
 It is the new method of contact and is also the preferred method.
 It uses contact segments defined on both sides of the contact interaction
 The primary-secondary notion disappears
 Better precision in the contact displacement and stress fields
 The preferred method for future evolution
 Not available with all functionality (e.g. enhanced linear contact with LINCNT)
For models such as these the large displacements option (LGDISP Nastran entry) should be used along with
the contact condition.The large-sliding option can be used for any model with large or small-sliding while
the contact main input

Contact bodies  BCBODY1

 BSURF
 BCPROP
 BCHANGE (optional)
Parameters  BCPARA,
 BCOMPRG
 BCOMPRP
 BCBDPRP
Interaction  BCTABLE1
 BCONECT

With segment-to-segment contact comes two options:

 Small-sliding segment-to-segment: For models where the contact bodies do not move relative to
each other, such as the bending of a plate around a cylinder the small-sliding option is sufficient
since the same elements will be in contact during the analysis. Small-sliding option will only be
sufficient for a model with small-sliding contact.
 Large-sliding segment-to-segment contact: For a model with large relative movement between
elements in contact, such as in roller bending, the elements in contact have to be redefined for every
increment and therefore the large-sliding option has to be used.

Main Index
 134 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Contact Considerations

Contact Considerations
When running an analysis that contains contact, whether it is glue or touch contact, there are certain
considerations to be made for the model itself in order to ensure that the contact condition is applied
correctly.
 Always start by using a small version of the model in order to test whether the model is set up
correctly. This applies to models with contact especially since touch contact will significantly
increase the solving time, which will result in an unnecessary loss of time if an analysis fails or
produces incorrect results due to an error with the contact condition.
 Although it is theoretically possible to have elements on the contact surface that vary greatly in size,
this is not always the case. Some errors have been found in detecting the contact correctly when the
size of the element faces on the contact surface varied too greatly.
This is because you are trying to have contact between one surface with element on the other surface.
For example: fifty contact points with another surface with only five. Although you can find the
contact, it is possible to miss a few of elements when checking the contact. The different sizes of
elements can be further evaluated to find the required element size for the contact surface. However
a good starting point is to have a maximum of five elements on one surface in contact with one
element on the other surface.
 A possible way to decrease the size of the elements on the contact surface without increasing the total
amount of elements significantly is to separate the section in contact from the rest of the body and
only increase the amount of elements in that section and apply self-contact to that body. This will
allow the element size to gradually reduce from the one body to the next across the contact surface.

 When working with load controller rigid contact bodies, especially with geometries such as a wheel,
it is important to remember that the body will be treated as rigid and therefore the contact surface
will not increase due to deformation. In such cases the deformable contact body might require even
smaller element faces on the contact surface to ensure that the contact condition is detected correctly
and a penetration condition for the rigid body into the deformable body is avoided.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 7 135
Contact

 Another case is when applying a linear motion to a rigid body for a model where the rigid body is
moved over a deformable body and a load being applied at each step after the body is moved. In
order to select an appropriate distance to move in each step (by choosing the step size) it is
important to select a distance small enough that the rigid body does not move into the deformable
body due to the deformation of the deformable body.

Although having smaller time steps will increase the number of steps to solve for and therefore
increase the total analysis time, having too large steps will either cause the analysis to fail or have an
even longer analysis time in order to solve the penetration condition. It is therefore important to
choose a number of steps for the analysis by considering the distance that the rigid body will move
in each step as well as the size of the elements on the contact face.
Applying contact to a model correctly can therefore allow you to decrease the analysis time by reducing the
total amount of elements. Alternatively it is possible to create a more realistic model by including a realistic
interaction between bodies in your model.

Contact Parameters
Contact parameters defines options for detecting and handling contact

Main Index
 136 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Contact Parameters

 Global contact parameters: BCPARA

 Contact Pairs Geometrical properties: BCONPRG
 Contact Pairs Physical properties: BCONPRP
 Contact Body parameters: BCBDPRP

Main Index
 Chapter 8: Constraints
MSC Nastran Implicit Nonlinear (SOL 600) User’s Guide

8 Constraints


Introduction 138

Constraints 138

Enforced Motion Constraints (SPCD and SPCR) 139

Applying Constraints 139

Multipoint Constraints (MPC) 140

Static Loads 141

CWELD/CFAST/CSEAM Element Enhancements 142

Main Index
 138 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Introduction

Introduction
This chapter describes the procedures for applying loads and constraints which can be used in SOL 400
models. Each type of load or constraint is described on how it is used in finite element modeling and in the
MSC Nastran input. Further information on how the various types of loads and constraints are used can be
found in standard finite element text books, and further information on the MSC Nastran input format can
be found in the MSC Nastran Quick Reference Guide.

Constraints
In static analysis, the rigid body modes must be restrained in order to eliminate singularity of the stiffness
matrix. The required constraints may be supplied with single point constraints, multipoint constraints, or
free body supports. If free body supports are used, the rigid body characteristics will be calculated and checked
for the sufficiency of the supports.
Boundary conditions are imposed in the form of constraints on selected degrees of freedom on the model.
Several degrees of freedom (at least six) are constrained to ground using either SPC bulk data entries or the
PS field of the GRID entry.
Other than single-point constraints, MSC Nastran provides a method for creating linear constraint
relationships between several degrees of freedom known as multiple-point constraints or MPCs.

Single-Point Constraints (SPC and SPC1)

A Single-Point Constraint (SPC) is a constraint that is applied to a single degree of freedom, which can either
be a component of motion at a grid point or the displacement of a scalar point.
The primary applications for single-point constraints are as follows:
 To constrain a structure.
 To remove degrees of freedom that are not used in the structural analysis (i.e., are not connected to
any structural elements or otherwise joined to the structure).
 To remove degrees of freedom that are very weak and coupled to the structure. For example, this
condition can arise in rotation about an axis of a slightly curved shell. In this case, a judgment must
be made whether to remove the degree of freedom using an SPC (in which case the structure may be
over-constrained), or to leave it in the problem (in which case the stiffness matrix is nearly singular).
When you apply a single-point constraint to remove a singularity, it is not required for the restrained
component of motion to be aligned exactly with the singular direction of motion (however, it is highly
recommended). Consider the pair of colinear pin-connected rods, shown in Figure 8-1, that permit
unrestrained motion at point G in any direction perpendicular to the axis of the rods.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 8 139
Constraints

y
n
CROD 1

x
G
CROD 2

Figure 8-1 Pin-Connected Rods

Enforced Motion Constraints (SPCD and SPCR)

An enforced motion constraint is used to apply a prescribed motion at a grid point, which may be either a
component of motion at a grid point or the displacement of a scalar point. SPCD and SPCR define an
enforced displacement value for static analysis and an enforced displacement, velocity or acceleration in
dynamic analysis. SPCD provides the final total displacement, velocity, or acceleration at the end of the
current loadcase, and SPCR determines the incremental displacement, velocity, or acceleration during the
current loadcase, relative to the value of the previous loadcase. For details on SPCD and SPCR refer to MSC
Nastran Nonlinear (SOL400) User’s guide.

Applying Constraints
Once you have designed a model, constraints are added that forces selected portions of your model to remain
fixed or to move by a specified value. These constraints can be either:
 Single Point Constraints
 Multipoint Constraints

Single Point Constraint

A Single Point Constraint (SPC) is constraint on a single degree of freedom. It assigns a zero or nonzero value
to a single degree of freedom. It can be expressed as:
i = u (8-1)

Main Index
 140 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Multipoint Constraints (MPC)

where u is the value of the prescribed displacement on the degree of freedom  i . The case of u = 0 is the
most common case, and is often used as a boundary condition, to “fix” or “ground” the movement of a point
in a certain direction.
Since the value of  i is known, one could, in principle, eliminate the specified degree of freedom from the
other degrees of freedom to be solved for as unknowns. This would reduce the size of the system of equations
to be solved, but on the other hand it would take time to perform the elimination, and this approach adds
complexity to the code.
SOL 400 uses a different technique. A number which is large compared to the stiffness coefficients (say, for
discussion, 10 20 ) is added to the diagonal term K 11 of the equation for the degree of freedom to be
20
constrained. Also, if the degree of freedom is to be constrained to a nonzero value u, then u  10 is added
to the right hand side of the modified equation. This modified equation is now:

K i1  1 +  +  K ii 10 20  i +  + K in  n = F i +  u  10 20  (8-2)

Assuming all K ij to be small with respect to 10 20 , the solution of the system of equations is obtained with
negligible error.
The modified system of equations remain well conditioned. The value used by SOL 400 for the large number
is 10 10 times the largest stiffness coefficient found on the diagonal of the stiffness matrix.

Multipoint Constraints (MPC)

The multipoint constraint, or MPC entry, provides the capability to model rigid bodies and to represent other
relationships which can be treated as rigid constraints. The MPC entry provides considerable generality but
lacks user convenience. Specifically, the user must supply all the coefficients in the equations of constraint
defined through the MPC entry.
To enhance user convenience, nine rigid body elements are available in MSC Nastran. See Table 8-1. These
elements require the specification of the degrees of freedom that are involved in the equations of constraint.
All the coefficients in these equations of constraint are calculated in MSC Nastran.

Table 8-1 Rigid Element and MPC Entries

Finite m = Dependent
Name Description Rotation DOF
RROD A open-ended rod which is rigid in extension Y m = 1
RBAR Rigid bar with six degrees of freedom at each end. Y 1m6
RJOINT Rigid joint with six degrees of freedom at each end. Y 1m6
RTRPLT Rigid triangular plate with six degrees of freedom at each Y 1  m  12
vertex.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 8 141
Constraints

Table 8-1 Rigid Element and MPC Entries (continued)

Finite m = Dependent
Name Description Rotation DOF
RBE2 A rigid body connected to an arbitrary number of grid Y m1
points. The independent degrees of freedom are the six
components of motion at a single grid point. The
dependent degrees of freedom at the other grid points all
have the same user-selected component numbers.
RBE1 A rigid body connected to an arbitrary number of grid Y m1
points. The independent and dependent degrees of
freedom can be arbitrarily selected by the user.
RBE3 Defines a constraint relation in which the motion at a Y 1m6
reference grid point is the least square weighted average of
the motions at other grid points. The element is useful for
“beaming” loads and masses from a “reference” grid point
to a set of grid points.
RSPLINE Defines a constraint relation whose coefficients are derived N m1
from the deflections and slopes of a flexible tubular beam
connected to the referenced grid points. This element is
useful in changing mesh size in finite element models.
RSSCON Define a multipoint constraint relation which models a N m5
clamped connection between shell and solids.
MPC Rigid constraint that involves user-selected degrees of N m = 1
freedom at both grid points and at scalar points. The
coefficients in the equation of constraint are computed and
input by the user.

Static Loads
A load is applied to the model only if it is specifically called out in the case control section. If you forget to
request any load in the case control section, the problem will be solved with zero loads applied. There are no
error or warning messages indicating that there is no load being applied. Forgetting to specify a load request
in the case control section can be a common mistake many new users make. An indication of this problem
is when all of the displacements and stresses come out to be zero.
For more information related on different types of loads refer to MSC Nastran Nonlinear (SOL400)
User’s guide.

Using Patran to Apply Loads and Boundary Conditions

The following table outlines the SOL 400 applied conditions that are supported and can be written into the
MSC Nastran SOL 400 input file.

Main Index
 142 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
CWELD/CFAST/CSEAM Element Enhancements

Object Type
 Displacement/Velocty/Acceleration
 Nodal
 Element Uniform
 Element Variable
 Force • Nodal
 Pressure • Element Uniform
 Element Variable
 Temperature • Nodal
 Element Uniform
 Element Variable
 Inertial Load • Element Uniform
 Initial Displacement • Nodal
 Initial Velocity • Nodal
 Distributed Load • Element Uniform
 Element Variable
 CID Distributed Load • Element Uniform
 Element Variable
 Total Load • Element Uniform
 Contact • Element Uniform
 Crack (VCCT) • Nodal
 Initial Plastic Strain • Element Uniform
 Initial Stress • Element Uniform
 Initial Temperature • Nodal
The Loads and Boundary Conditions application controls which loads and boundaries and contact
information will be created in the MSC Nastran input file.
For more information related on using Patran to apply loads and boundary conditions of loads refer to MSC
Nastran Nonlinear (SOL400) User’s guide.

CWELD/CFAST/CSEAM Element Enhancements

The CWELD /CFAST elements have been changed so that there is now a consistent formulation between
linear and SOL 400 nonlinear analysis. Additionally, the CSEAM element is now supported in SOL 400 and
has a consistent formulation between linear and SOL 400 nonlinear analysis.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 8 143
Constraints

Benefits
 The CWELD/CFAST elements provide the same element output formats in both linear and SOL 400
nonlinear solutions.
 In the CFAST/CSEAM/CWELD analysis, the auxiliary points generated are in the solution set.
 The CWELD/CFAST algorithm has been improved to find the Best Possible Projection with zero
projection tolerance improvements.
 The improved CWELD with options PARTPAT and ELPAT, and CFAST elements do not move GA and
GB if both are supplied by the user, thus maintaining user mesh integrity.
 The 3x3 mesh limitation has been removed for the CWELD with options PARTPAT and ELPAT and the
CFAST elements.
 There are no required changes in the user element input description of the CFAST/CSEAM/CWELD
elements.
 The CFAST/CWELD/CBUSH provides nonlinear force output for SOL 400 ANALYSIS=NLTRAN.
 MPC force output is available for the connector element constraints.
 Besides global search algorithm control there is now local connector element connectivity control
via the new CONCTL bulk data entry.
 A brief summary of connector projection results is output in the F06 file for each connector type.
 A new SWLDPRM, CSVOUT, UNITNUM entry will produce a comma separated file useful for reports.
 The CSEAM and CWELD (not by default) can now contribute mass to the structure.

Description of Features
Details of the improved CWELD/CFAST algorithm are described below.

Formulation Changes
In the new consistent formulation for the CWELD/CFAST elements for linear analysis, RBE3 elements are
written internally, and the auxiliary points are in the solution set and both are identifiable by the
SWLDPRM, PRTSW entry.
 The auxiliary grids generated start with GRID ID 101000001. There are always four auxiliary grids for
patch A and four auxiliary grids for patch B.
 The RBE3 elements generated start with 100001002. An RBE3 is generated for each auxiliary point
for each patch A and B tying each patch grid to that auxiliary point. There is a RBE3 generated for
GA tying GA to its patch auxiliary points and a RBE3 generated for GB tying GB to its patch auxiliary
points.
 Both linear and nonlinear output is consistent.
The new consistent CWELD/CFAST is selected by default. The old CWELD/CFAST can be actuated by using the
PARAM, OLDWELD, YES entry.
It has been determined in testing that the above formulation changes produce little or no change in solution
results when comparing the old CWELD/CFAST against the new CWELD/CFAST results.

Main Index
 144 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
CWELD/CFAST/CSEAM Element Enhancements

Enhanced Search Algorithm

For the new connector logic, the search algorithm has been enhanced based on user inputs in an attempt to
achieve the best possible connections. The new search tolerance starts with a zero projection tolerance. This
may result in changes from the previous connector results using the old CWELD/CFAST elements.
The list below gives a brief summary of the highlights of the improved CWELD/CFAST algorithm.
1. For the CFAST and the CWELD with options PARTPAT and ELPAT, grids GA and GB internally keep the
user-specified IDs and the user-specified locations. This change was primarily introduced because
many users complained that the location of GA and GB represented their modeling procedures and
desired mesh locations.
2. For the CWELD with ELEMID/GRIDID option, grids GA and GB internally keep the user-specified IDs
and the user-specified locations, but in the case when GA and GB are associated with shell patches, a
duplicate internal grid is generated to avoid singularity of the generated RBE3.
CWELD, 5646, 22, , ELEMID, 3276, 3115
, 2191, 1941
CTRIA3, 2191, 8, 3272, 3276, 3271
Grid 3276 as input from standard mesh modeling procedures will automatically be placed in the
independent degree of freedom set, or may have been placed by the analyst in a SPC or MPC set at
generation time. In either case, the CWELD algorithm must create an internal constraint on this grid
using a RBE3 element. This causes a set conflict which is avoided by generating an internal grid.
3. For two stacked connectors having a common patch with a common grid, the program checks
duplicated GA/GB and only a single RBE3 is generated for the common patch.
CWELD, 11, 100, 9001, PARTPAT, 3001, 3002
CWELD, 12, 100, 9002, PARTPAT, 3002, 3003
4. If the user specifies both grids GA and GB, for the CFAST and the CWELD with options PARTPAT and
ELPAT, the SWLDPRM, GSMOVE entry is nonfunctional.
In the CFAST and the CWELD with options PARTPAT and ELPAT, if the user specifies both GA and GB
they will not be moved. This may cause the CFAST/CWELD search algorithm to fail for some welds
that had passed under the old CWELD/CFAST search algorithm. If this occurs, the user can do one of
four things:
a. Determine a better location for GA and GB of the failing welds so that they may project.
b. Remove GA and GB from the CWELD/CFAST entry and replace with a GS entry allowing the
CWELD/CFAST algorithm to move and project and generate internal GA and GB locations.
c. Use SWLDPRM, MOVGAB, 1 to generate internal GA and GB grids at the corrected locations for all
CWELD/CFAST. The locations of the original user specified GA and GB are unchanged.

d. Use the new CONCTL Bulk Data entry with SWLDPRM, MOVGAB, 1" to allow local control of
specific welds to correct the locations of grids GA and GB.
CONCTL, 83, , MOVGAB, 1
Where: SET3, 83, ELEM, 1345, 2678

Main Index
 CHAPTER 8 145
Constraints

5. The maximum tolerance for SWLDPRM, PROJTOL has been relaxed.

a. Regardless of the value of SWLDPRM PROJTOL, the algorithm starts by assuming a zero projection
tolerance for the projections of GA/GB for the CWELD option PARTPAT or the CFAST option
PROP and for GAHi/GBHi for the CWELD options PARTPAT and ELPAT and any CFAST option.

b. The tolerance is increased by 0.02 until a projection is found or the PROJTOL value is reached.
c. This can be turned off while computing the auxiliary grid projection onto EIDA/EIDB by setting
PROJTOL= - value where 0.0 . value . 1.0. In this case, the projection calculation starts at tolerance
= PROJTOL|. For the rest of the projection search, the algorithm reverts back to (a) and (b) above.

6. A brief Connector Summary of projection results is always output in the f06 file for each connector
type: FST-ELEM, WLD-PARTPAT, WLD-ELEMID, etc.
7. For linear connectors, MPCFORCE output is available. In nonlinear SOL 400, the RBE3 elements
generated become Lagrange elements if the default RIGID=LAGRANGE is used and are no longer in
the MPC set; hence, there will be NO MPCFORCE output for RIGID=LAGRANGE.
CWELD will not contribute to MASS by default even if its associated MATi entry has a nonzero
density. To react to a nonzero density SWLDPARM,WMASS,1 is required. If mass is computed, the
PARAM,COUPMASS effects the mass calculation.
8. In the improved CFAST and CWELD, GA and GB are not moved and internal coincident grids are
not generated at a new location; thus, two additional restrictions are required.
a. There can be no user-supplied constraints on GA and GB. A fatal message will be issued if there
are any.
b. The CWELD length must be > 10-6. The point to patch option defined by ELEMID or GRIDID will,
however, still create a new GS internally to obtain a minimum required length; i.e., LDMIN .
length/D . LDMAX. For the point-to-patch connection, GS is used as GB. The algorithm will
use the new GS as GB but keep the user-supplied GS unchanged. Since the point-to-patch is
often used to tack two shell corners, the default LDMIN may cause the connector to be unstable.
To avoid this, it is recommended that the user set LDMIN=1.E-6 on the appropriate PWELD entry.
9. CFAST and the CWELD with options PARTPAT and ELPAT with the improved formulation has
removed the restriction that a connector patch cannot span more than three elements. It will now
span over a patch of as many elements that the value of diameter D of the patch encloses and for
which projections can be found.
The following Figure, all element grids contained in the green circle region of say patch A will be
used in a RBE3 connection in addition to the RBE3 connections generated for the four auxiliary
points. The example for this figure can be found at /tpl/connectr14/cei_103.dat.

The CWELD ELEMID option still only connects by design two elements. The diameter is only used to
compute the beam stiffness.
The green circle passes through the four auxiliary points of the patch (the nine digit grid IDs.). The
user-specified diameter D on the PWELD and PFAST entries determine the locations of the four
auxiliary points. The green circle diameter is approximately 1.253D. The element grids shown
outside the green circle belong only to the respective auxiliary points.

Main Index
 146 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
CWELD/CFAST/CSEAM Element Enhancements

For higher-order shell elements CQUAD8 or CTRIA6 with no missing midside nodes, the RBE3
relationships use only the midside nodes. If one or more midside node is missing, then the corner
nodes are used.
The diameter D on the PFAST/PWELD entry is used to determine the projection location of these
auxiliary points as well as the stiffness properties of the patch to patch connection.
A single RBE3 then connects the four auxiliary points and the shell grids within the green circle to
the connector grid GA=4000065.
The SWLDPRM, PRTSW entry will list the additional grids located within the green circle under
FMESH SHELL A or B GRIDS where FMESH is the f06 file listing title of the additional shell grids
connected in the RBE3 relationships for Finer MESH.
Table 2-1 shows the grids associated with auxiliary grid 101000023 of Figure 2-1 for its RBE3
generation. The WTi's are weight factors based on patch shape functions. Grids G1, G2, G3 are
selected for RBE3 EID 100001026 because they are the shell grids of the triangular element that
contains the projected auxiliary point.

RBE3 EID GAH3 REFC Weight Ci Gi

100001026 101000023 123 WT1 123 G1=4007883
WT2 123 G2=4007884
WT3 123 G3=4007902

Table 2-2 shows the grids associated with grid GA=4000065 of Figure 2-1 through
RBE3=100001022. G5 through Gn are the grids contained within the green circle. Grids
G2=4007884, 4007869, 4007815, and 4007830 are NOT included in any of the G5-Gn entries
because they are included in their associated auxiliary point RBE3 elements 100001026 because they
are the shell grids of the triangular element that contains the projected auxiliary point.

RBE3 EID GRID_A REFC Weight Ci Gi

100001022 4000065 123456 WT1 123 GAH1=101000021
WT2 123 GAH2=101000022
WT3 123 GAH3=101000023
WT4 132 GAH4=101000024
1.0 123 G5= 4007885
... ... ...
1.0 123 Gn=last

Main Index
 CHAPTER 8 147
Constraints

10. The CWELD/CFAST/CBUSH has the additional enhancement that for nonlinear transient SOL 400
with ANALYSIS=NLTRAN they will request Element FORCE output for the CWELD/CFAST/CBUSH
elements. FORCE=ALL will request force output for all CWELD/CFAST/CBUSH elements. Element
FORCE output in SOL 400 nonlinear transient analysis is unique to CWELD/CFAST/CBUSH elements.
Other elements will not list force output in SOL 400 nonlinear transient.
If in a SOL 400 nonlinear transient, you have FORCE=ALL and carry this over to say an
ANALYSIS=NLSTAT, you will get Element FORCE of ALL elements capable of force output, such
as CWELD, CFAST, CBEAM, CQUAD4, etc.
11. For user convenience, an additional SWLDPRM command useful for reports creates a comma separated
file of the SWLDPRM, PRTSW, using the command SWLDPRM, CSVOUT, UNITNUM where UNITNUM is
assigned via the:
ASSIGN USERFILE=myfile.csv, UNIT= UNITNUM , FORM= FORMATTED, DELETE,
STATUS=NEW.

Additional Information
1. In SOL 400, for ANALYSIS=NLSTAT or ANALYSIS=NLTRAN, the generated RBE3 constraints
become Lagrange elements and may undergo large rotation. For ANALYSIS=NLTRAN with initial
conditions (IC=n) in case control that cause large initial stresses in the structure at time t=0, the case
control entry RIGID needs to have the value RIGID=LINEAR to insure convergence.
2. For user desiring to postprocess the CFAST/CSEAM/CWELD connectors with their own methods, the
following is useful:
a. The GEOM2 table contains, after module MODGM2, a record ELCORR that correlates the
CFAST/CSEAM/CWELD and its associated RBE3 elements. Also, this module will, for linear
analysis and for nonlinear SOL 400 analysis run with RIGID=LINEAR, place the internal
generated RBE3 into the GEOM4 table.
b. In SOL 400 with RIGID=LAGRANGE (Default), internally generated RBE3 elements go into the
GEOM2 (as do all other user specified rigid elements) not the GEOM4 table.
c. The CWELD/CFAST/CBUSH force output for ANALYSIS=NLTRAN in SOL 400 is OP2 file
output on OEFNLXX data block. If SCR=POST is run, then this force data is also written to the
data base file OEFNL3 and op2 file OEFNL.op2 is also written.
3. The DISPLACEMENT (CONNECTOR=) Case Control Command works in the same fashion for both
the old connector formulation and the new connector formulation.
For the CFAST with option ELEM and the CWELD with option ELPAT, the shell elements connected
on each patch must have same property identification number of PSHELL entry.
If parameter OSWPPT is used to specify the offset for internally generated grid IDs, its value should
be greater than the maximum identification number of GRID entries to avoid conflict IDs.

Main Index
 148 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
CWELD/CFAST/CSEAM Element Enhancements

Connector Stiffness
Connector contribution to a structural model's overall stiffness is sensitive to the models mesh size and the
orientation of the connector relative to the mesh. Thus, the discretization process itself may cause, for
example, a model using a fine mesh to be stiffer in torsion than a corresponding model using a coarse mesh.
For production models that correlate well with test, refining the mesh may cause an inherent overall loss of
stiffness due to mesh refinement and hence loss of correlation.
To allow you some control over stiffness, improved connectors (CWELD with ELPAT or PARTPAT or CFAST)
are provided with two options to provide additional connector stiffness. The two options may be used
individually or in combination.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 8 149
Constraints

A disadvantage of this method is that as DRATIO is increased using the global command SWLDPRM, DRATIO,
value. So, some connector elements may begin to fail because they may no longer be able to find a patch
projection. To overcome this, the SWLDPRM, NREDIA, can be increased to a value as high as 8 to allow failing
welds to halve their patch diameters up to eight times.
If the SWLDPRM, NREDIA is not an approach the user wishes to pursue, then for these failing elements, the
bulk data entry CONCTL, SETID, ,DRATIO, value can be used to define a set for failing connectors and
set a value of DRATIO for these connectors that allows them to find a projection.
The second stiffening algorithm attempts, based on the diameter of the connector, to determine a measure
of the mesh discretization. This feature is activated by SWLDPRM, SKIN, 1 or CONCTL, SETID, ,SKIN,
1. The default is a 0 which implies no stiffening. There is an associated stiffening factor SWLDPRM,
SCLSKIN with value = 0.10 as default.
Depending on the complexity of the model and the overall mesh size and the number of connectors within
the model and the diameter of the connectors relative to the mesh, the default value tends to stiffen a
structural model from about 0.4% to about 4%. A value of SCLSKIN=10.0 stiffens coarser mesh models by
about 10% to 11% and finer mesh models by about 2% to 6%.
The contribution of the stiffening algorithm to the overall stiffness of the FEM model eventually reaches a
limit. For example, a very large value SCLSKIN=100 increases the stiffness of the models overall by only
about 0.1% to 2% over the stiffness obtained for SCLSKIN=10.
For a correlated structural model evaluated at a specific mesh size, with an aim to refine the mesh for some
portion of this model containing connectors, while leaving other portions containing connectors with an
unmodified mesh, it is recommended that you enter the SKIN, 1 and SCLSKIN, real value on the CONCTL
bulk data entry referring to the connectors within the area of the refined mesh. Different refined mesh areas
within the structural model can have different values of SCLSKIN associated to the specific connectors in
each refined region.

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 150 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
CWELD/CFAST/CSEAM Element Enhancements

For postprocessing of the SKIN option, for the affected shell elements, an updated EPT table is available after
module MODGM2. It contains the PSKNSHL record that correlates the property data of the shells involved and
a list of shell elements for each patch modified.

Detailed Projection Algorithm for Best Possible Projection

1. The Enhanced algorithm applies to the following projection calculations:
a. Find projections of GA/GB for the PARTPAT format of CWELD and PROP format of CFAST.
b. For ELPAT format of the CWELD and the ELEM format of the CFAST, the user has specified the
specific shell elements and therefore no element search for GA/GB projections is required.
Though no search is required, GA/GB, however, must project onto the user specified
EIDA/EIDB.
c. Find projections of the auxiliary grids GAHi/GBHi for the PARTPAT and ELPAT options on the
CWELD and any CFAST option respectively.
2. The projection algorithm searches for possible projections from shell elements with shell grids that
are closest to GS. The closest grid may connect to several shell elements; hence, more than one shell
element may get a projection from GS for curved patches. The shell elements with projections from
GS are collected and the selection is based on the SHIDA/SHIDB pair with the smallest angle between
their normal vectors.
a. The old CWELD/CFAST algorithm used the first shell elements found to get a projection and used
SWLDPRM, GMCHK, 1 and 2 to provide some control. These two options have no effect on the
new formulation.
b. Backward connections sometimes occur if the patch is near the boundary of a structure, and there
is a vertical flange associated with the patch elements. In this case, SWLDPRM, GMCHK, 3 may
be used to prevent backward projection.
3. The minimum angle selected above must be SWLDPRM GSPROJ if GSPROJ. 0.0
4. If the user has not specified both GA and GB and the algorithm cannot find a GSPROJ satisfied
projection, then for SWLDPRM GSMOVE entry, the point GS will be moved in an attempt to satisfy
the projection requirement.
5. Reminder: If user has specified both GA and GB and CFAST and the CWELD with options PARTPAT
and ELPAT are used, then GSMOVE will be ignored and the connector will fail to connect if the user
has taken the default SWLDPRM, NREDIA, 0 for NREDIA. Failed connectors issue USER FATAL
MESSAGE 7635.
6. If the GSMOVE specification limit is reached for the CFAST or the CWELD with options PARTPAT and
ELPAT and SWLDPRM NREDIA ? ‚ 0, then the diameter of the connector will be reduced by half to
compute new locations of auxiliary grids. If necessary this is repeated until the NREDIA specified value
is reached.
a. When the NREDIA ?
‚ 0 is initiated, the GS at its current location is used for GSMOVE . 0.
b. When the NREDIA ?
‚ 0 is initiated, the GS at its original location is used for the new option
GSMOVE < 0.

Main Index
 CHAPTER 8 151
Constraints

Main Index
 Chapter 9: Boundary Conditions
MSC Nastran Implicit Nonlinear (SOL 600) User’s GuideMS

9 Boundary Conditions

 Introduction 153

Zero and Enforced Displacements 153

Fixed Direction Grid Point Forces 153

p-Element Loads and Constraints 154

Thermal Loads (TEMP and TEMPD) 155
 Inertial and Dynamic Loads 156

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 CHAPTER 9 153
Boundary Conditions

Introduction
SOL 400 supports the following loads and boundary conditions:
• Constrained nodal displacements (zero displacements at specified degrees of freedom). Enforced
nodal displacements (nonzero displacements at specified degrees of freedom in the nodal
coordinate system). Both constrained and enforced displacements can be specified as relative or
absolute.
• Forces applied to nodes in any coordinate system.
• Follower force distributed loads.
• Temperature applied to nodes. Temperature can be applied as a load in a structural analysis. The
reference temperature is user definable.
• Inertial body forces, acceleration and velocity can be applied in the global coordinate system.

Zero and Enforced Displacements

Enforced Motion Constraints (SPCD and SPCR)

SPCD and SPCR define an enforced displacement value for static analysis and an enforced displacement,
velocity or acceleration in dynamic analysis. SPCD provides the final total displacement, velocity, or
acceleration at the end of the current loadcase, and SPCR determines the incremental displacement, velocity,
or acceleration during the current loadcase, relative to the value of the previous loadcase.
When a GRID has deformation due to an applied load or motion applied in the previous STEP and the user
wishes to prescribe displacements in the current STEP relative to this unknown magnitude, then the SPCR
capability of applying relative motion will provide an efficient procedure.
The primary applications for enforced motion constraints are as follows:
1. To apply a motion accurately on a structure;
2. To apply an incremental motion on a structure;
It should be noted that SPCD/SPCR are treated as loads. SPC and SPC1 are requested by the SPC Case
Control command, while SPCD and SPCR are requested by the LOAD or DLOAD Case Control commands.
A degree of freedom referenced by SPCD must be also on an SPC or SPC1 entry. A degree of freedom
referenced by SPCR must be also on a SPC1, but cannot be on an SPC.
SPCR: It defines an enforced relative displacement value for a load step in SOL 400 and SOL 600.
SPCD: It defines an enforced displacement value for static analysis and an enforced motion value
(displacement, velocity or acceleration) in dynamic analysis.

Fixed Direction Grid Point Forces

You can categorize a particular type of load as either a point (concentrated) load or surface/volumetric
(distributed) load, depending on application conditions. The spatial distribution of the load can be uniform

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 154 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
p-Element Loads and Constraints

or nonuniform. Special loading types also exist in various analyses. For example, centrifugal loading exists in
stress analysis, and convection and radiation exist in heat transfer analysis. You can add point loads directly
to the nodal force vector, but equivalent nodal forces first must be calculated by MSC Nastran from
distributed loads and then added to the nodal force vector.
For detailed information on Grid Point Forces and Grid Point Follower Forces refer to MSC Nastran
Nonlinear (SOL400) User’s guide.

p-Element Loads and Constraints

Point Loads
The FORCE entry is used to define a static load applied to a geometric grid point in terms of components
defined by a local coordinate system. The orientation of the load components depends on the type of local
coordinate system used to define the load. The directions of the load components are the same as those
indicated on Figure 2-2 of Grid Point and Coordinate System Definition, 32 for displacement components.
The FORCE1 entry is used if the direction is determined by a vector connecting two grid points, and a
FORCE2 entry is used if the direction is specified by the cross product of two such vectors. The MOMENT,
MOMENT1 and MOMENT2 entries are used in a similar fashion to define the application of a
concentrated moment at a geometric grid point. The SLOAD entry is used to define a load at a scalar point.
In this case, only the magnitude is specified since only one component of motion exists at a scalar point.

Line and Pressure Loads in p-Element Analysis

The GMLOAD entry is used to specify line and pressure loads as follows:
 Applying directly to the finite elements entities, FEEDGEs and FEFACEs.
 Applying to the geometry entities GMCURV and GMSURF.

Body Loads
Body loads consists of thermal loads and gravity loads.
For thermal loading, the TEMP Bulk Data entry is used for a temperature distribution that is trilinear over
the element, whereas the TEMPF entry is used over a set of elements. The initial or reference temperature of
a body must be supplied using these entries. Gravity loads are defined by the GRAV entry.

Boundary Conditions
The SPC and SPCD entries are used for the point constraints that are allowed only on corner GRID points.
The GMSPC entry is used to define zero constraints for FEEDGEs, FEFACEs, GMCURVs, and GMSURFs.
For nonzero constraints, the GMBC entry is used. In general, for multiple input data for FEEDGE,
FEFACE, GMCURV, and GMSURF entities, the hierarchy set to resolve these conflicts is as follows:
 GRIDs
 FEEDGEs
 GMCURVs
 FEFACEs

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 CHAPTER 9 155
Boundary Conditions

 GMSURFs

Thermal Loads (TEMP and TEMPD)

Thermal loads can be used on a structure to perform stress analysis or to determine thermal expansion. You
must define a temperature distribution via TEMPij bulk data entries and thermal expansion coefficients.
Thermal expansion coefficients are specified on the material bulk data entries. Temperatures can be specified
at grid points (TEMP and TEMPD bulk data entries in the QRG and interpolated to grid points within
elements.
Alternatively, temperature data can be specified on an element-by-element basis as shown in Table 9-1.

Table 9-1 Bulk Data Entries Used for Temperature Definition on Elements
Elements Temperature Data Bulk Data Entry
CROD, CONROD, Average temperature at ends A and B. TEMPRB
CTUBE
CBAR, CBEAM, CBEND Average temperature and cross-sectional temperature TEMPRB
gradients at ends A and B.
CBEAM3 Temperature field and gradients along the beam TEMPB3
CQUAD4, CTRIA3, Average temperature and gradient in the thickness TEMPP1
CQUAD8, CTRIA6 direction.

Average temperatures specified directly for an element take precedence over the temperatures interpolated
from the element’s connected grid points. Solid elements obtain their temperatures only by interpolation
from connected grid points. Note that interpolated grid point temperatures provide temperature gradients
over the neutral surface of shell elements, whereas the TEMPPi entries do not.
The temperature data and the thermal expansion coefficients are used internally to calculate equivalent forces
and moments acting at the grid points.
The TEMPERATURE (Case) (INIT) and TEMPERATURE (Case) (LOAD) case control commands specify
the initial temperature and applied temperature, respectively. The TEMP(INIT) command must appear
either above the first subcase or inside the first subcase.

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 156 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Inertial and Dynamic Loads

Inertial and Dynamic Loads

Gravity and Centrifugal Force

Gravity (GRAV)
The GRAV entry is used to define the direction and magnitude of a gravity vector in any user-defined
coordinate system. The components of the gravity vector are multiplied by the mass matrix to obtain the
components of the gravity force at each grid point. Since the mass matrix is used to compute the forces, you
must have mass in your model, typically defined by the density on a material entry. Gravity also includes the
effects of nonstructural mass and lumped mass defined through the CONM1 and CONM2 entries. Note that
the GRAV entry must have a unique SID-no other loading entry may use the same ID. The LOAD entry
(discussed in the next section) can be used to combine gravity loading with other types of loading.

Centrifugal (RFORCE)
The RFORCE entry is used when you need to apply a force to your structure due to rotational velocity and/or
acceleration. On the RFORCE entry, you input the components of a spin vector that are used internally to
compute centrifugal forces. Each component of the spin vector is multiplied by the same scale factor.
You must select one of two methods for the internal calculation of the loading vector.
Method=1 yields correct results only when there is no coupling in the mass matrix. This occurs when the
lumped mass option is used with or without the ZOFFS option (see the CQUAD4 entry for a description of
ZOFFS). Method=2 yields correct results for lumped or consistent mass matrix only if the ZOFFS option is
not used. The acceleration terms due to the mass offset (X1, X2, X3) on the CONM2 entry are not computed
with method=2. All the possible combinations of mass matrices and offset and the correct method to be used
are shown in Table 9-2.

Table 9-2 Restrictions when using the RFORCE Entry

No Offset Offset
Lumped Method=1 or Method=1
Method=2
Coupled Method=2 Neither

In addition, for problems with elements that have edge grid points (CQUAD8, CTRIA6, CTRlAX6, CHEXA,
CPENTA, and CTETRA), correct centrifugal loads are produced only if the parameter
PARAM,COUPMASS,x (where x is greater than 1), is included in the input file and Method 2 is used.
Note for PARAM,COUPMASS=-1 (the default) the generation of lumped mass matrices that contains only
translational components for the elements listed above. Notable exceptions to this are the CBAR and CBEAM
elements, both of which will yield rotational and coupling terms in order to preserve the mass center when
element offsets are defined. This offset mass is ‘lumped’ in the sense that it has low matrix rank, and is
‘coupled’ in the sense that there are nonzero off diagonal terms in the mass matrix. The CBEAM element will

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 CHAPTER 9 157
Boundary Conditions

also yield a mass moment of inertia about the local X axis of the element, and if NASTRAN BARMASS > 0,
then this is also true of the CBAR element.
In order to yield a lumped mass matrix containing translational components only for the CBAR and CBEAM
elements, set SYSTEM(414) = 1, along with the default value for PARAM,COUPMASS (-1). The default
value (0) for SYSTEM(414) produces the coupled mass matrices for CBAR and CBEAM.

Acceleration Loads (ACCEL and ACCEL1)

ACCEL and ACCEL1 bulk data entries are used to apply an acceleration load that varies across the structure.
The ACCEL entries apply acceleration loads which may vary over a region of the structural model. The load
variation is based upon the tabular input defined on this bulk data entry. The ACCEL1 entry applies static
acceleration load at individual grid points. The ACCEL and ACCEL1 bulk data entries in the QRG are used
in the same way as other load entries (such as GRAV, FORCE, and MOMENT, etc.) through the MSC Nastran
case control commands.

Initial Stress and Initial Plastic Strain Mapping from Previous Results
MSC Nastran allows you to enter a set of initial stresses through the ISTRESS bulk data entry that simulates
the stress state in the structure at the beginning of an analysis. A typical example is prestress in a tensioned
fabric roof. The set of initial stresses must be self-equilibrating and should not exceed the yield stress of the
material.
MSC Nastran allows you to define the equivalent plastic strain using the IPSTRAIN bulk data entry
throughout the model. This is useful in metal forming analysis in which the previous amount of equivalent
plastic strain is often required. This history dependent variable represents the amount of plastic deformation
that the model was subjected to, and is used in the work (strain) hardening model. This is only used to
determine the value of the strain hardening once plasticity occurs.
Preprocessors such as Patran and SimXpert are very useful in mapping stress states between analyses.

Main Index
 Chapter 10: Iteration Control in Nonlinear Analysis

10 Iteration Control in Nonlinear

Analysis


Introduction 159

Nonlinear Characteristics and General Recommendations 160

Starting the Analysis 161

Load Incrementation and Iteration 166

Load Increment Size 167

Convergence Controls 169

Solution Parameters 170

Defining Subcases in Patran 171

Main Index
 CHAPTER 10 159
Iteration Control in Nonlinear Analysis

Introduction
MSC Nastran SOL 400 provides a comprehensive FE solution for multi-physics problems such as structure
analysis, thermal analysis, as well coupled analysis. Even though it is originally targeted to deal with various
nonlinearities as geometry nonlinearity, material nonlinearity, as well boundary nonlinearity (contact), it is
also embedded with the powerful capabilities of MSC Nastran on linear analyses.
The FEM is a powerful tool for analyzing complex problems in structural and continuum mechanics. The
analysis of a structure using the FEM has four basic steps:
1. Modeling, in which the structure is subdivided into an assemblage of discrete volumes called finite
elements, and properties are assigned to each element.
2. Evaluation of element characteristics, such as stiffness and mass matrices, followed by assembling the
element characteristic matrices to obtain the assembled or “global” matrices characteristic of the
entire structure. A similar process is followed to obtain the total loads, in vector form, applied to the
structure.
3. Solution of the system equations for displacements, natural frequencies and mode shapes, or buckling
load factors.
4. Calculating other quantities of interest, such as strains, stresses and strain energy. MSC Nastran SOL
400 provides a comprehensive FE solution for multi-physics problems such as structure analysis,
thermal analysis, as well coupled analysis. Even though it is originally targeted to deal with various
nonlinearities as geometry nonlinearity, material nonlinearity, as well boundary nonlinearity
(contact), it is also embedded with the powerful capabilities of MSC Nastran on linear analyses. The
FEM is a powerful tool for analyzing complex problems in structural and continuum mechanics. The
analysis of a structure using the FEM has four basic steps:
SOL 400 uses the finite element displacement method, in which a system of equations is solved to obtain
the displacements at all node points of the structure. Comprehensive presentations of the FEM together with
numerous applications are available in textbooks and the research literature. Solving the equations of finite
element analysis involves the manipulation of large matrices of numbers, which is best done using computers.
While modern computers are extremely fast and have vast amounts of memory, the “bottom line” in finite
element analysis is that it is very easy to discretize a structure to the point that it is considered to be a “large”
problem.
Typically, the geometry of the problem will dictate how fine of a mesh is required to get an acceptable
solution. While modern graphical user interfaces (GUI's) such as Patran can provide some guidance and tools
for evaluating the mesh density, in the end it is up to the user to ensure that the problem is adequately
discretized. The size of FEA problems is typically measured by the number of degrees of freedom (or degrees
of freedom) in the finite element mesh.
For nonlinear problems, the size is even more important because the methods used to solve these nonlinear
equations are usually iterative in nature, meaning that the system of equations must be solved many, many
times to follow the behavior of the structure as it changes. The changes characterized may be the shape (called
large deformation), or the status of the material (metal materials typically yield when a certain stress level is
exceeded), or loading changes (the load orientation may follow the deformation of the structure, or different
parts of the structure may come into contact changing the load path). The purpose of this chapter is to

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 160 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Nonlinear Characteristics and General Recommendations

describe the numerical methods and procedures required to solve the linear and nonlinear equations used to
perform finite element simulations.
We begin this chapter with some general observations and recommendations on how to approach the solution
to nonlinear FEA problems, and then move through the details of how to get an accurate, efficient solution
using the algorithms and methods available in MSC Nastran SOL 400. Along with the efficiency, we discuss
the concept of “robustness”, which means choosing alogorithms that will tolerate changes in the problem
(sometimes abrupt, such as contact characterizing impact) with out causing the solution algorithms to fail. A
robust numerical method automates changes in the solution parameters, such as load increment size, as
required by the problem yet still provides a reasonably accurate and efficient solution.
The characteristics of the solution methods and strategies in this chapter include: solution iteration methods,
transient analysis effects such as time step selection, and time integration method, arc-length methods for
post-buckling, and convergence measurements and controls. This chapter may be read as a tutorial, but is
probably best used as a reference when considering specific problems encountered while trying to solve a
nonlinear finite element problem.

Nonlinear Characteristics and General

Recommendations
Modeling for nonlinear analysis is not exempted from the guidelines for good modeling practice pertaining
to linear analysis, which are summarized as follows:
 The analyst should have some insight into the behavior of the structure to be modeled; otherwise, a
simple model should be the starting point.
 Substructuring should be considered for the modularity of the model and/or synergism between
projects and agencies involved. The structure represented by a substructure is always linear.
 The size of the model should be determined based on the purpose of the analysis, the trade-off
between accuracy and efficiency, and the scheduled deadline.
 Prior contemplation of the geometric modeling will increase efficiency in the long run. Factors to be
considered include selection of coordinate systems, symmetric considerations for simplification, and
systematic numbering of nodal points and elements for easy classification of locality.
 Discretization should be based on the anticipated stress gradient, i.e., a finer mesh in the area of
stress concentrations.
 Element types and the mesh size should be judiciously chosen. For example, avoid highly distorted
and/or stretched elements (with high aspect ratio).
 The model should be verified prior to the analysis by some visual means, such as plots and graphic
displays.
Nonlinear analysis requires deeper insight into structural behavior. First of all, the type of nonlinearities
involved must be determined. If there is a change in constraints due to contact during loading, the problem
may be classified as a boundary nonlinear problem and would require contact body creation and contact
modeling. The material nonlinearity is characterized by material properties. However, the material nonlinear
effects may or may not be significant depending on the magnitude and duration of the loading, and
occasionally on environmental conditions. The anticipated stress level would be a key to this issue. The
geometric nonlinearity is characterized by large rotations which usually cause large displacements. Intuitively,

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 CHAPTER 10 161
Iteration Control in Nonlinear Analysis

geometric nonlinear effects should be significant if the deformed shape of the structure appears distinctive
from the original geometry without amplifying the displacements. There is no distinct limit for large
displacements because geometric nonlinear effects are related to the dimensions of the structure and the
boundary conditions. Strain is nondimensional, and a strain greater than 2% indicates a geometrically
nonlinear problem.

Starting the Analysis

Nonlinear analysis is intrinsically a multi-increment load process where the applied loads and/or
displacements are solved for, not in a single load increment but in a number of load increments. The
multiple step procedure is necessary for the FE code to update changing conditions in the model during the
analysis. This situation is routinely encountered in nonlinear analysis because the material properties and/or
boundary conditions can change during the analysis (e.g., with the onset of plasticity (material
nonlinearity)), or with the occurrence of contact (boundary conditions nonlinearity). Below are the steps in
a general linear and a nonlinear analysis. The presence of an extra loop of iterations (Newton-Raphson
iterations) is the unique feature of a nonlinear solution procedure.

A. Steps in Linear Analysis:

1. Set up the model (done by user, before the model is submitted).
• Mesh the part
• Apply Material Properties
• Apply Boundary Conditions
• Submit Job
2. Job Solution (done by FE Code).
• Assembly of stiffness matrix
• Solution of stiffness matrix.
• Compute displacements, strains, stresses (and other results)
3. View Results.
Figure 10-1 shows the basic steps that MSC Nastran follows when solving a linear statics analysis.

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 162 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Starting the Analysis

Represent continuous structure as a collection of grid points

connected by discrete elements

Formulate element stiffness matrices from element properties,

geometry, and material

Assemble all element stiffness matrices into global stiffness

matrix

Apply boundary conditions to constrain model (i.e., remove

certain degrees of freedom)

Generate load vector (forces, moments, pressure, etc.)

Solve matrix equation  K   u  =  p  for

displacements

Calculate element forces and stresses from displacement results

Figure 10-1 Linear Static Analysis in MSC Nastran

You are guaranteed a solution if the boundary conditions and material properties are set up correctly. The
stiffness matrix is assembled and solved only once in the entire analysis.

B. Steps in Nonlinear Analysis:

1. Set up the model (done by you, before model set-up).
• Mesh the part.
• Apply Material Properties.
• Apply Boundary Conditions.
• Submit Job.
2. Job Solution (done by FE Code):

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 CHAPTER 10 163
Iteration Control in Nonlinear Analysis

Newton-Raphson Iteration scheme begins: Apply a portion of the total load to start: (1% in this case):
• Assembly of stiffness Matrix.
• Solution of the Stiffness Matrix.
• Check for convergence (this is an important step which is only seen in nonlinear analysis).
If converged, the solution/structure is in equilibrium. Go to step 3.
If not converged, update information and reassemble, resolve stiffness matrix.
Keep iterating till convergence is achieved.
3. (After convergence) Get displacements, strains, stresses.
4. Apply the next increment of load and go to Step 2. Keep doing this until all the load is applied.
5. View Results.

Load Increments and Iterations

Load Increments
In the loading history, the total change of loading applied during a step can be subdivided into smaller parts
to allow the solution to converge. These subdivisions within a subcase are termed load increments. The
recommended procedure for SOL 400 nonlinear analyses is to use the adaptive load incrementation process
which is the default method used when the job is set up in Patran. In this case, the number of load increments
is specified in Patran on the Load Increments subform and are defined in the bulk data file by the NINC field
on the NLSTEP entry. Selecting fixed incrementation and specifying the number of increments divides the
total load change applied during the subcase into NINC equal parts for FIXED load incrementation, but only
provides the initial load increment size in the case of adaptive load incrementation. The automated adaptive
load incrementation method is strongly recommended over the manual method because it gives the
algorithm the freedom to decrease the load when loading changes occur, such as when bodies come into
contact or sudden discontinuities in the loading history occur. These types of changes often cause
convergence problems when fixed stepping algorithms are used. See the NLSTEP bulk data entry for more
details.

Iterations
In the incremental solution process, the unbalanced forces that occur during a load increment are
reintroduced internally into the solution until the solution has converged. The process of redistributing the
unbalanced force within a load increment is known as an iteration. The iteration is the lowest level of the
solution process. Iterations continue within a load increment until the solution converges or any of the
specified convergence parameters are exceeded. A complete description of the numerical procedure used to
solve the nonlinear problem is given in this chapter.

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 164 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Starting the Analysis

Input Phase:
Read Input Data
Space Allocation
Data Check
Incremental
Loads

Equivalent Nodal
Load Vector

Matrix Assembly
Iteration Loop
Matrix Solution
Time Step Loop

Stress Recovery

No
Convergence

Yes

Output Phase

Yes Next
Increment

No

Stop

Figure 10-2 MSC Nastran Advanced Nonlinear Flow Diagram

The important point to note is that the total load is applied gradually in steps (or increments) and for each
load step, the solution is arrived at after one or more iterations. If the behavior of the model is generally linear,
few iterations are required to solve that load step. If the model behavior is complex/nonlinear, many iterations
might be required. Each iteration involves an assembly and solution of the stiffness matrix. Hence, nonlinear
problems inherently take longer than linear models (of the same size) to solve. At the end of each iteration, a
check is made to see if the solution has converged. If the convergence check fails, the iteration is repeated with
the new information. This process repeats until convergence is achieved. Following that, the next increment
of load is applied. The load increments are applied until the full load of the model is solved.

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 CHAPTER 10 165
Iteration Control in Nonlinear Analysis

To achieve accurate results, three key points have to be paid attention to:
 Iteration method;
 Load increment control; and
 Convergence criterion.
The three points will be discussed in later sections.

What Triggers a Nonlinear Analysis in SOL 400

As for MSC Nastran, the model is treated as a nonlinear analysis, if it consists of:
 Large displacement by LGDISP parameter (for geometric nonlinearity);
 Large strain by LRGSTRN (for geometric nonlinearity);
 any contact (boundary nonlinearity);
 any active nonlinear material input option (material nonlinearity)
 linear perturbation (individual or combined nonlinearities)
 or any combination thereof.
The model may contain superelements, but only the residual structure (superelement 0) may consist of
nonlinear elements, mixed with any type of linear elements. As aforementioned, other potentially nonlinear
elements in the residual structure become actively nonlinear only if a LGDISP or LRGSTRN is used and/or
if they use the nonlinear material data specified on any one of the entries: MATEP, MATVE, MATVP,
MATF, MATS1, MATS3, MATS8, MATSORT, MATG, MATHE, MATHP, MATSMA, and MCOHE,
and/or perturbation analyses.

General Recommendations for Nonlinear Analysis

With these points in mind, additional recommendations are imperative for nonlinear analysis:
 Identify the type of nonlinearity and localize the nonlinear region for computational efficiency. If
unsure, perform a linear analysis to help understand the problem.
 Segregate the linear region by using superelements and/or linear elements if possible. Notice that the
potentially nonlinear elements can be used as linear elements.
 The nonlinear region usually requires a finer mesh. Use a finer mesh if severe element distortions or
stress concentrations are anticipated.
 The step/subcase structure should be utilized properly to divide the load or time history for
conveniences in data recovery, and database storage control, not to mention changing constraints
and loading paths.
 The load or time for the subcase with NLSTEP should then be further divided into increments, for
the purpose of convergence control. Automatic adaptive load incrementation, such as is available via
NLSTEP, is the recommended method.
 Many options are available in solution methods to be specified on the NLSTEP data entries. The
defaults should typically be used on all options to gain experience before experimenting with other
options.

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 166 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Load Incrementation and Iteration

 Normal rotation for the "drilling degree of freedom" of shell elements restrained by the default value
of 100 on the K6ROT parameter when the geometric nonlinearity is involved. In rare cases it may
be necessary to adjust this value. This can help with convergence, but may also affect the results.
 Understand the basic theory of plasticity, creep, or rubber elasticity before using these capabilities.
 The time step size for a transient response analysis should be carefully considered based on the
highest natural frequency of interest because it has significant effects on the efficiency as well as the
accuracy of the solution. The automated procedures used by NLSTEP is adequate for this purpose.

Load Incrementation and Iteration

Nonlinear Solution Procedure

Based on the extensive numerical experiments, an attempt was made to establish a robust, general strategy
suitable for most problems without requiring insight or experience. Variations in combining theories,
algorithms, criteria, and parameter values with numerous test problems resulted in a succinct
implementation.
The major feature of the nonlinear analysis is the requirement for the incremental and iterative processes to
obtain a solution. The main issue is how to choose the most efficient method from the options available for
the incremental and iterative processes in the solution of nonlinear equilibrium equations. The increment size
for loads or time steps has the most significant effect on the efficiency and the accuracy of the computation,
particularly in the path-dependent problems. The incremental and iterative processes are complementary to
each other because the larger the increment size the more iterations the solution requires. While an excessively
small increment reduces the computing efficiency without any significant improvement in accuracy, a large
increment may deteriorate the efficiency as well as the accuracy; it may even cause divergence.
It is impossible to optimize the incremental step size in the absence of prior knowledge of the structural
response. The NLSTEP adaptive load incrementation procedure should be exercised to determine the
increment size based on the severity of the nonlinearity. Needless to say, no incremental load steps are required
when the response is linear. In principle, the size of the load increment (or time increment for creep analysis)
should be so chosen to yield a uniform rate of change in strains or stresses for the material nonlinear problems
and a uniform rate of change in displacements for geometric nonlinear problems. Some adaptive method
controls are available via NLSTEP, such as an automatic time step adjustment criteria and bisection/cut-back
of loads upon divergence. The default method is to use the initial load increment value specified on the
NLSTEP entry, then increase or decrease the size if the number of iterations required to converge varies
significantly from the NDES value. If substantially more than NDES iterations are required the time step size
is decreased. Conversely, if substantially more iterations than NDES are required the time step size will be
decreased. The magnitude of increase/decrease is controlled by the SFACT value.
The increment size can be varied from step to step by specifying different NLSTEP. It is recommended to
define separate NLSTEP for every step even if the same values are specified, so that changes can be
accommodated in the step level as needed.

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 CHAPTER 10 167
Iteration Control in Nonlinear Analysis

Adaptive Solution Strategies

Nonlinear finite element computations comprise material processes, element force computations, and
various global solution strategies. The computational procedure involves incremental and iterative processes
ranging from local subincrements to global solution processes. Performance of the finite element program
can be scrutinized from three different perspectives: computational efficiency, solution accuracy and
effectiveness. All of these attributes of the nonlinear program can be improved by adaptive algorithms.
There is a broad range of processes for which adaptive algorithms may be adopted in the computational
procedure of nonlinear finite element analysis. The size of the load or time increment has the most profound
effect on the efficiency as well as accuracy. However, it is difficult to determine optimal load or time
increment size. The adaptive algorithm alleviates this difficulty. The most CPU consuming processes in
nonlinear analysis are the stiffness matrix update operation and element force calculation. From the efficiency
point of view, the number of stiffness matrix updates and the number of iterations should be minimized,
which may be conflicting requirements.
Adaptive features implemented in MSC Nastran nonlinear capabilities are:
 Newton's iteration for static and implicit dynamic analysis
• Adaptive stiffness matrix update strategies
• Selective BFGS updates
• Selective line search processes
• Adaptive bisection and recovery of load increment
 Arc-length methods for static post-buckling and snap-through problems
• Crisfield's arc-length method
• Riks and modified Riks methods
• Adaptive arc-length adjustment
• Selective BFGS Updates
• Adaptive switching algorithm for limiting cases
• Adaptive correction in case of path reversal
 Direct time integration for transient response analysis
• Quadratically accurate dynamic operators
• Automatic time step adjustment

Load Increment Size

Selecting a proper load step (time step) increment is an important aspect of a nonlinear solution scheme.
Large steps often lead to many recycles per increment and, if the step is too large, it can lead to inaccuracies
or even nonconvergence. On the other hand, using too small steps is inefficient.
The NLSTEP bulk data entry provides a unified load stepping scheme that replaces existing options entries
such as NLPARM, TSTEPNL, NLPCI, and NLSTEP. This option can be used for statics and dynamic
analyses, to select fixed or adaptive time stepping control, and to define the convergence criteria, as well to

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 168 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Load Increment Size

make other options for mechanical, thermal and coupled analysis. MSC has made every attempt to make
MSC Nastran SOL 400 as robust, efficient, and user friendly as possible; especially when used with either of
the MSC graphical user interfaces (GUI’s) Patran or SimXpert. For many problems the defaults entered are
appropriate to minimize the job setup and obtain accurate results.
The NLSTEP option has a keyword CTRLDEF that automatically sets up the entries for the time stepping
adjustment and convergence tolerance based upon how nonlinear you believe the problem is. This makes it
possible to use smart default based on users’ judgment of the nonlinearity of the model to be analyzed.
Under the keyword CTRLDEF, these three options (QLINEAR, MILDLY, and SEVERELY) adjust the parameter
to provide you the desired results. As the names imply, CTRLDEF should be set to QLINEAR for linear
solutions, MILDLY for mildly nonlinear, and SEVERELY for severely nonlinear behavior.

Fixed Load Incrementation

When a fixed load stepping scheme is used, it is important to select an appropriate load step size that captures
the loading history and allows for convergence within a reasonable number of recycles. For complex load
histories, it is often necessary to break up the analysis into separate load cases with different step sizes. For
fixed stepping, there is an option to have the load step automatically bisect/cut back in case of failure to obtain
convergence. When an increment diverges, the intermediate deformations after each recycle can show large
fluctuations and the final cause of program exit can be any of the following: maximum number of recycles
reached, elements going inside out or, in a contact analysis, nodes sliding off a rigid contact body (see
Chapter 6: Setting Up, Monitoring, and Debugging the Analysis for more on user fatal messages and their causes). These
deformations are normally not visible as post results. If the cutback feature is activated and one of these
failures occurs, the state of the analysis at the end of the previous increment is restored from a copy kept in
memory or disk, and the increment is subdivided into a number of sub-increments. The step size is halved
until convergence is obtained or the user-specified number of cutbacks has been performed. Once a sub-
increment is converged, the analysis continues to complete the rest of the original increment. No results are
written to the results file during sub-incrementation. When the original increment is finished, the calculation
continues to the next increment with the original increment count maintained. These issues are avoided by
using the NLSTEP increment option. The adaptive load incrementation procedure of NLSTEP, using the
MSC Nastran defaults, is the recommended method for load incrementation.

Adaptive Load Incrementation in SOL 400 (NLSTEP)

An NLSTEP entry can be selected to execute a nonlinear static or nonlinear transient analysis in SOL 400.
An NLSTEP entry is used in lieu of an NLPARM or TSTEPNL used in earlier solution sequences (SOL 106
or SOL 129) or both. If a NLSTEP is present anywhere in a STEP, then any NLPARM or TSTEPNL entries
in the STEP is ignored. When used for coupled analysis, the NLSTEP entry must be above the first
SUBSTEP command. A single NLSTEP entry is used for all SUBSTEPs of the STEP.

NLSTEP Bulk Data Entry

The following section gives a description of the most commonly used parameters of NLSTEP. A complete
description of all parameters can be found in the QRG under the NLSTEP entry.

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 CHAPTER 10 169
Iteration Control in Nonlinear Analysis

For details, refer to chapter 4 of Sol 400 UG (refer to the exact section)

Convergence Controls
Three methods are available for determining if convergence is obtained on any given iteration: residual force,
displacement, and strain energy. You can select one of these three criteria for convergence or you may specify
a combination of residual and displacement. The AND combination signals that both residual and
displacement must be met, while the OR combination specifies that either one can satisfy convergence
criteria. If you are using residual there may be cases in which the force residuals are null in which case is it
necessary to switch over to displacement. An Autoswitching option (on by default) allows for this switching.
The default measure for convergence in SOL 400 is residual which is based on the magnitude of the
maximum residual load compared to the maximum reaction force. This method is appropriate since the
residuals measure the out-of-equilibrium force, which should be minimized. This technique is also
appropriate for Newton methods, where zero-load iterations reduce the residual load. The method has the
additional benefit that convergence can be satisfied without iteration. You have complete control over how
convergence is defined through the Iterations Parameters form in Patran or through the options on the
NLSTEP entry.
The basic procedures are outlined below.
1. Residual checking: Residual checking has one drawback. In some special problems, such as free
thermal expansion, there are no reaction forces. If the value of the residuals and reactions is less than
1.e-6, this test is ignored. If the AUTOSW flag on the NLSTRAT entry is ON, the program automatically
uses displacement checking in this cases.
2. Displacement checking: With this method, convergence is satisfied if the maximum displacement of
the last iteration is small compared to the actual displacement change of the increment. If the value
of the incremental and iterative displacement is less than 1.e-8, this test is ignored. A disadvantage of
this approach is that it results in at least one iteration, regardless of the accuracy of the solution.
3. Strain energy checking: This is similar to displacement testing where a comparison is made between
the strain energy of the latest iteration and the strain energy of the increment. With this method, the
entire model is checked. A disadvantage of this approach is that it results in at least one iteration,
regardless of the accuracy of the solution. The advantage of this method is that it evaluates the global
accuracy as opposed to the local accuracy associated with a single node.
4. Residual or displacement checking: This procedure does convergence checking on both residuals
(Residual 1) and displacements (Procedure 2). Convergence is obtained if one converges.
5. Residual and displacement checking: This procedure does a convergence check on both residuals and
displacements (Procedure 4). Convergence is achieved if both criteria converge simultaneously.
Different problems require different schemes to detect the convergence efficiently and accurately. To do this,
the combinations of residual checking and displacement checking are also available (as mentioned in the last
two steps.

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 170 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Solution Parameters

Solution Parameters
Solution parameters control a range of functions in the SOL 400 analysis. Functions such as selecting the
solver type, establishing a restart, specifying domain decomposition are all part of the solution parameters.

Defining Solution Parameters in Patran

To set solution parameters:
1. Click on Analysis Application to open the Analysis Application form.
2. On the Analysis Application form, click Solution Type... and select Implicit Nonlinear. Click
Solution Parameters.

Solver Options Specifies the solver to be used in numerically inverting the system of
linear equilibrium equations.
Contact Parameters Defines options for detecting and handling contact.
Direct Text Input This subform is used to directly enter entries in the File Management,
Executive Control, Case Control, and bulk data sections of the MSC
Nastran input file.
Restart Parameters Includes a Restart option in the MSC Nastran input file.
Advanced Job Sets alternate versions of the solver and alternate formats for the results
Control file.
Domain Designates that domain decomposition be done manually,
Decomposition semi-automatically, or automatically.

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 CHAPTER 10 171
Iteration Control in Nonlinear Analysis

Requesting Output For a Step

 Creating a step includes requesting output.

 You must suppress your output as much as possible. (As nonlinear jobs can quickly fill up your
disk).
• Usually you will output results at every so many increments to reduce the size of the output file.
• Results are written in file job_id.op2/master/dball, which must be read back for
postprocessing, including visualizing results

Defining Subcases in Patran

To define a subcase:
1. Click on the Analysis Application button to bring up the Analysis Applicationform.
2. From the Analysis Application form click Subcases.

Define History by Selecting Load Steps

 Creating a step includes selecting load cases.
 Create the load steps to define the load history. The load step selection order specifies the order in
which loads, and boundary conditions are applied.
 Make sure that you are specifying total load, and not the incremental load. Put all loads in the load
case that belong to the step, even those you already used in the previous general step.
 Only those steps that are selected will be included in the analysis.

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 172 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Defining Subcases in Patran

Subcase Name Specifies a name for a new subcase.

Available Load Cases Selects one or more available load cases to be applied to the new
subcase.
Subcase Options
 Subcase Controls load increment and iteration parameters for the subcase.
Parameters Also defines the nonlinear effects for the subcase.
Defines the nodal and element results quantities and also determines
 Output Requests
the frequency of results reporting.
This subform is used to directly enter entries in the File Management,
 Direct Text Input Executive Control, Case Control, and Bulk Data Sections of the MSC
Nastran input file.
 Select Defines which superelements should be included in the subcase.
Superelements
 Select Explicit Selects explicit MPCs to be included in the subcase.
MPCs

Subcase Parameters
The subcase parameters represent the settings in MSC Nastran Case Control and Bulk Data Section that take
effect within a subcase and do not affect the analysis in other subcases. Subcase parameters are dependent on
the type of analysis being performed. The set of subcase parameters applicable for each analysis type are
described in the following sections. For more information, see Chapter 3: Solution Methods and Strategies
in Nonlinear Analysis in the MSC Nastran Implicit Nonlinear User’s Guide.

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 CHAPTER 10 173
Iteration Control in Nonlinear Analysis

Static Subcase Parameters

For static nonlinear analysis, the subcase parameters control the iteration process and the
load incrementation.

Entry Description
NLSTEP Defines parameters for automatic load/time stepping used in SOL 400.
NLPARM Nonlinear Static Analysis Parameter Selection.
NLPCI Defines a set of parameters for the arc-length incremental solution strategies in
nonlinear static analysis.
Note: The arc length method cannot be used with contact.

Defining Static Subcase Parameters in Patran

1. Click Analysis Application button to bring up Analysis Application form. Click on Solution Type
and check to see that Implicit Nonlinear is the selected Solution Type, then click OK.
2. On the Analysis form select Subcases, and choose Static from the Analysis Type pull-down menu.
3. Click Subcase Parameters

Linearity Prescribes the nonlinear effects for the subcase.

Nonlinear Solution
Parameters
 Nonlinear Defines the type of geometric or material nonlinearity to be
Geometric Effects included in the subcase.
 Follower Forces Specifies whether forces will follow displacements.

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 174 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Defining Subcases in Patran

Load Increment Params Defines whether the load increments will be fixed or adapted in each
iteration, and the method by which adaptive load increments will be
determined.
Iteration Parameters Sets forth the iterative procedures that are employed to solve the
equilibrium problem at each load increment.
Contact Table Activates, deactivates, and controls the behavior of contact bodies in
the analysis.

Specifying Creep Subcase Parameters

The creep analysis option is activated in MSC Nastran through the NLSTEP bulk data entry. The creep time
period and control tolerance information are input through the as usual on the NLSTEP form. This option
can be used repeatedly to define a new creep time period and new tolerances. These tolerances are defined in
the section on Iteration Parameters. Alternatively, a fixed time step can also be specified. In this case, no
additional tolerances are checked for controlling the time step.

Entry Description
NLSTEP Nonlinear static analysis parameter selection for doing creep analysis.
MATVPMA Defines creep characteristics based on experimental data or known empirical creep law.
This material definition should be used with advanced elements.
CREEP Defines creep characteristics based on experimental data or known empirical creep law.
This material definition should be used with conventional elements.

Defining Creep Subcase Parameters in Patran

1. Click the Analysis Application button to bring up Analysis Application form. Click on Solution
Type and check to see that Implicit Nonlinear is the selected Solution Type, then click OK.
2. On the Analysis form select Subcases... and choose Creep from the Analysis Type pull-down menu.

Creep Solution Parameters Description

 Procedure Selects implicit or explicit creep method.
 Nonlinear Geometric Defines the type of geometric or material nonlinearity to be
Effects included in the subcase.
 Follower Forces Specifies whether forces will follow displacements.
Increment Type Defines a fixed or adaptive increment method.
 Adaptive Increment For adaptive methods, sets boundaries for incrementation.
Parameters...

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 CHAPTER 10 175
Iteration Control in Nonlinear Analysis

Iteration Parameters Sets forth the iterative procedures that are employed to solve the
equilibrium problem at each load increment.
Contact Table Activates, deactivates, and controls the behavior of contact bodies
in the analysis.

Normal Modes Subcase Parameters

For normal modes nonlinear analysis, the subcase parameters control the eigenvalue extraction techniques
and the range of frequencies to be targeted for extraction.

Entry Description
EIGRL Defines data needed to perform real eigenvalue (vibration or buckling) analysis with
the Lanczos method (recommended).
EIGR Defines data needed to perform real eigenvalue analysis.

Defining Normal Modes Subcase Parameters in Patran

1. Click the Analysis Application button to bring up Analysis Application form. Click on Solution
Type and check to see that Implicit Nonlinear is the selected Solution Type, then click OK.
2. On the Analysis form select Subcases... and choose Normal Modes from the Analysis Type
pull-down menu.
3. Click Subcase Parameters...

Extraction Method Defines the method to use to extract the real eigenvalues.
Lancozs Parameters
Indicates an estimate of the number of eigenvalues to be
 Number of Modes
located.

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 176 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Defining Subcases in Patran

Defines the lower and upper limits to the range of

 Lowest/Highest Frequency
frequencies to be examined.
Sequence Checking Requests that Sturm sequence checking be performed on
the extracted eigenvalues.

Specifying Transient Dynamic Subcase Parameters

For transient dynamic nonlinear analysis the subcase parameters control the iteration process and the load
incrementation.

Entry Description
NLSTEP Parameters for automatic load/time stepping for both static and transient nonlinear analysis
(recommended).
TSTEPNL Traditional way to specify nonlinear dynamic analysis parameter selection, has been replaced
by NLSTEP

Defining Transient Dynamic Subcase Parameters in Patran

1. Click the Analysis Application button to bring up Analysis Application form. Click on Solution
Type and check to see that Implicit Nonlinear is the selected Solution Type, then click OK.
2. On the Analysis form select Subcases... and choose Transient Dynamic from the Analysis Type pull-
down menu.
3. Click Subcase Parameters...

Linearity Prescribes the nonlinear effects for the subcase.

Nonlinear Solution Parameters

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 CHAPTER 10 177
Iteration Control in Nonlinear Analysis

 Nonlinear Geometric Defines the type of geometric or material nonlinearity to be

Effects included in the subcase.
 Follower Forces Specifies whether forces will follow displacements.
Load Increment Params... Defines whether the load increments will be fixed or adapted in
each iteration and the method by which adaptive load
increments will be determined.
Iteration Parameters... Sets forth the iterative procedures that are employed to solve the
equilibrium problem at each load increment.
Contact Table... Activates, deactivates, and controls the behavior of contact
bodies in the analysis.

Specifying Body Approach Subcase Parameters

For body approach analysis the subcase parameters control the iteration process and the load incrementation.

Entry Description
BCMOVE Specifies movement of rigid surfaces.

Defining Body Approach Subcase Parameters in Patran

1. Click the Analysis Application button to bring up Analysis Application form. Click on Solution
Type and check to see that Implicit Nonlinear is the selected Solution Type, then click OK.
2. On the Analysis form select Subcases... and choose Body Approach from the Analysis Type
pull-down menu.
3. Click Subcase Parameters...

Body Approach Solution Parameters

 Total Time Places a time step option in the Load Step.

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 178 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Defining Subcases in Patran

If ON, specifies that when the first rigid body comes into contact, the rest
 Synchronized
stop moving.
Contact Table... Activates, deactivates, and controls the behavior of contact bodies in the
analysis.

Specifying Complex Eigenvalue Subcase Parameters in Patran

For transient dynamic nonlinear analysis the subcase parameters control the iteration process and the load
incrementation.

Defining Complex Eigenvalue Subcase Parameters in Patran

1. Click the Analysis Application button to bring up Analysis Application form. Click on Solution
Type and check to see that Implicit Nonlinear is the selected Solution Type, then click OK.
2. On the Analysis form select Subcases... and choose Complex Eigenvalue from the Analysis Type
pull-down menu.
3. Click Subcase Parameters...

Formulation Specifies whether a direct or modal superposition solution

will be performed.
Solution Parameters
Opens Complex Eigenvalue Extraction input parameters
 Complex Eigenvalue
form.

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 CHAPTER 10 179
Iteration Control in Nonlinear Analysis

Initial Condition Load Factor... Multiplier applied to loads and constraints used as initial
conditions of complex eigenvalue analysis.
Enable Rotor Dynamics... Toggle this ON to enable Specify Spinning Properties
form which allows user to input rotordynamics
properties.
Contact Table... Toggle Use Contact Table ON to use of contact table
rather than contact pairs in the analysis. Once toggled
ON, the Contact Table button brings up contact table
input form.
Break Squeal... Allows user to input parameters used for break squeal
analysis.

Specifying Frequency Response Subcase Parameters

When setting up a frequency response analysis in Patran it is necessary to use the same menus as if you were
setting up a SOL 108 or 111 analysis, and then manually edit the executive input command lines to specify
SOL 400 as the solution type.

Thermal Solution Subcases

Three solution types are supported in the Patran MSC Nastran thermal interface:
 Steady state.
 Transient.

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 180 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Defining Subcases in Patran

 Structural-thermal analysis.
These analysis types employ nonlinear solution algorithms so that nonlinear material properties or boundary
conditions can be included in the model.
MSC Nastran Implicit Nonlinear (SOL 600) User’s Guide

Main Index
 Chapter 11: Trouble Shooting

11 Trouble Shooting


Overview 182
 Review Fatal Error Message 182

Review the .sts File 183

Review the .f06 File 184

SOL 400 Analysis Messages 188

Reviewing Convergence 190

Review Plot Results from Converged Increments 192

Reviewing the MSC Analysis Manager 193

Tips for Starting with Nonlinear Analysis 194

Review Fatal Error Message 182

Main Index
 182 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Overview

Overview
Sometimes you may receive non-convergence error messages when a job does not converge. In such a
scenario, review the following diagnostics tools to help you:
 The fatal error message
 Plot results from converged increments
 The .sts file
 The .f06 file
 The .log file

Review Fatal Error Message

Even with a fatal error message, there are still insights to be gained from the completed increments.

For details, go the end of the .f06 file and search up for %. The nonlinear iteration printout will provide
helpful diagnostics on your job

Main Index
 CHAPTER 11 183
Trouble Shooting

The % symbol does not mean percent. It is a convenient way for you to search for the iteration printout. A
few key things to look for are highlighted in the figure.

Review the .sts File

SOL 400 produces a status file jobname.sts hat can be queried periodically to see how the analysis is
progressing and if the job is completed. It is very useful for assessing if the analysis has completed successfully,
and, if not, how much of it was completed before the analysis was terminated. This is extremely useful
because the most common problem with obtaining nonlinear solutions is avoiding, detecting, and managing
convergence problems.
The easiest way to have a real-time monitor of your SOL 400 job is to open the .sts file with a text editor
that automatically updates when the file is changed.
The information in this file is especially important when manual or automatic time stepping procedures are
being used to step through an analysis procedure. One line is written after each successful increment. A
typical STS file is shown as follows. Its content is well self-explained by the file itself. The file below may be
slightly different than the final version.

The first column shows the procedural step, while the second column shows the increment within the step.
Not every increment size is equal, as can be seen in the TIME STEP OF INC column. The third column
(cycl #) indicates the number of attempts made during this increment.
The status file is updated in real time so a running job can be monitored. Review the .sts file. Check for
the following:
 Did the job finish normally?
 How far did the job get to?
 What is the maximum displacement?
• Is the job running away?
• Does the maximum displacement make sense?I

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 184 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Review the .f06 File

 Did it have a lot of cutbacks?

• Are there many cutbacks (bi-sections)?
• Are the increments are too large?
 Did it have a lot of separations
• Are there many separations (contact analysis)?
• Investigate the contact parameters.
 What is the total number of cycles?
• What is the total number of cycles (iterations?
• Is this equal to the number of matrix assembly and decompositions?
• Can I reduce this to improve run time?

Also review the exit definition. It will inform you if the job terminated normally or abnormally. You can then
check the .f06 file for more information.
Patran provides a convenient way to access the status file using the Monitor option of the Analysis form.

Review the .f06 File

The keyword search option in the .f06 file makes it easy to find errors in the SOL 400 run by searching the
file for fatal message to immediately find the fatal error that terminated the job).
When reviewing the .f06 file, do the following:
 Review NLSTEP parameters
 Nonlinear iteration diagnostics
 Request for more diagnostics
 Review the intermediate results

Main Index
 CHAPTER 11 185
Trouble Shooting

Review NLSTEP parameters

Check what NLSTEP parameters were used in a run. The following example shows a part of the .f06 file. It
gives an idea of what was used in a run.

In the .f06 file, there is another shorter summary of NLSTEP parameters right above this printout. That
one is a subset of this one and is not as useful.

Review Nonlinear Iteration Diagnostics

To know how is the job progressing, search for the % character. The nonlinear iteration printout provides
helpful diagnostics on your job.

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 186 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Review the .f06 File

Figure 11-1 Sample .f06 file

 LOAD STEP: Step number minus 1 plus fraction of step, i.e. 0.08 = 8% of first step
 NO. INC: Increment number
 ITR: Iteration number within the load increment
 Error Factors: This must be smaller than the tolerances EPSU, EPSP and EPSW before the
solution will move ahead.
• DISP: Displacement errors
• LOAD: load errors
• WORK: work erroes
 CONV RATE: Should be between 0 and 1, bigger than 1 means, the solution will never converge
 ITR DIV: Divergence counter, MAXDIV triggers the divergence process
 MAT DIV: Divergence counter for element and material routines
 NO. BIS: Number of bisections
 AVG R_FORCE: Average residual force (forces and moments). Should be small
 TOTL WORK: Approximate total work
 DISP - AVG MAX AT GRID C: Average and maximum displacements at grid in direction c
 LINE_S:FACT NO: Line search factor a and number of line searches (not used for PFNT)
 NO. QNV: Number of Quasi Newton Vectors (not used for PFNT)
 TOT KUD/ITR: Total number of stiffness updates / iterations

Main Index
 CHAPTER 11 187
Trouble Shooting

Request for More Diagnostics

To look for more clues on why a job did not converge, you can request for more diagnostics using the
NLOPRM case control command.

Basic Nonlinear Diagnostics

Advanced nonlinear results can be obtained with:
nloprm nldbg=NLBASIC

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 188 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
SOL 400 Analysis Messages

Advanced Nonlinear Diagnostics

Advanced nonlinear results can be obtained with:
nloprm nldbg=ADVDBG

This is useful for tracking down where the worst residuals are located.

Review the Intermediate Results

Intermediate results (= results before end of the job) can be obtained with:
NLOPRM OUTCTRL=SOLUTION,INTERM

For each converged increment an OP2 results file is written at the end of the increment. Allow to check results
before the end of the job. If final OP2 is not written, intermediate results can be checked to help debuging.

SOL 400 Analysis Messages

MSC Nastran generates a substantial amount of information concerning the problem being executed.
The .f04 file provides information on the sequence of modules being executed and the time required by each
of the modules; the.log file contains system messages.
MSC Nastran may terminate as a result of errors detected by the operating system or by the program. If the
DIAG 44 is set, MSC Nastran will produce a dump of several key internal tables when most of these errors
occur. Before the dump occurs, there may be a fatal message written to the .f06 file. The general format of
this message is

Main Index
 CHAPTER 11 189
Trouble Shooting

***SYSTEM FATAL ERROR 4276, subroutine-name ERROR CODE n

Some messages, like FATAL ERRORS or other text issued whenever an interrupt occurs that MSC Nastran
is unable to satisfactorily process. The specific reasons for the interrupt are usually printed in the.f06
and/or.log file.
For example, in SOL 400, nonlinear analysis may be terminated by divergence. When it occurs, FATAL
ERROR printout shows the following before the end of .f06 statement:
* * * END OF JOB * * *.
The following message can be found in the printout immediately after the diverged iteration information
(starting with % in .f06).
N O N - L I N E A R I N T E R A T I O N M O D U L E O U T P U T

*** JOB DOES NOT CONVERGE AT THE CURRENT TIME STEP OR INCREMENT.
*** SOLUTION DIVERGES FOR SUBCASE m STEP n.
MSC Nastran has only two exit number, i.e.,
• 0: normal exit
• -1: fatal error
MSC Nastran provides many user fatal error messages (UFM). A normal/successful run exit message is as
follows:

For a job that terminates abnormally you are referred to the FATAL ERROR MESSAGE in the jobname.f06
file.
One way to debug convergence issues is to use the NLOPRM bulk data entry, such as NLDBG = ADVDBG,
DBGPOST options and so on, to load increment diagnostics in the.f06 file, which may help debug the
model. Each iteration of each load increment generates a report in the.f06 file giving the convergence and
stiffness update information.
If the job terminates before 100% of the loading is applied this convergence information can be used to
identify possible reasons. The default numerical method used by SOL 400 is the full Newton method with
the load increment size adjusted according to how many iterations are required to achieve convergence. The
incremental load size will be adjusted up if convergence is achieved easily, and will be reduced if more than
the target number of iterations is required to achieve convergence.
Convergence is achieved when the error factors on the selected criteria are below the required values (called
the convergence criteria). In this convergence and stiffness update information, the following values are
given:
 LOAD STEP: percentage of total load reached at this incremental load value
 NO. INC: increment number of this increment relative to all increments in this step
 ITR: number of iterations required to get convergence in this load increment
Under - - - - - - ERROR FACTORS - - - - - Convergence / Error Factors that measure convergence
 DISP: displacement vector residual
 LOAD: load vector residual

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Reviewing Convergence

 WORK: work value residual

 CONV RATE: convergence rate
 ITR DIV: number of iterations that diverged in this increment
 MAT DIV: number of iterations that diverged due to material issues in this increment
 NO. BIS: number of bisections/cutbacks in this load increment
 AVG R_FORCE: average residual force
 TOTL WORK: integration of the forces over the displacements (e.g. total work) over the model
Under - - - - - DISP - - - - - Displacement Summary
 AVG: average displacement value that occurred in this load increment
 MAX: maximum displacement value that occurred in this load increment
 AT GRID: tells the grid/node number at which the maximum displacement occurred
 C: tells the degree of freedom (component) of grid/node at which the maximum displacement
occurred
Under - - - - - LINE_S - - - - - Line Search Parameters
 FACT: Line search factor (does not apply with full Newton method)
 NO: Number of line searches (does not apply with full Newton method)
 NO. QNV: Number of quasi-Newton vectors
 TOT KUD: Total number of stiffness updates in this analysis/subcase
 TOT ITR: Total number of iterations performed in this analysis/subcase

Reviewing Convergence
From a user’s perspective, when performing a nonlinear simulation, the most difficult thing is to resolve
convergence problems encountered in the analysis.
In MSC Nastran, convergence may refer to:
 Convergence in the iterative solver
 Convergence in eigenvalue extraction
 Convergence in aero-elasticity flutter calculation
 Convergence in optimization
 Convergence in equilibrium.
In this section, we will only be focusing on convergence equilibrium of the structural system. Figure 11-2 gives
a quick summpar of steps you should undertake.
For structural analysis, a lack of convergence implies that the numerical solution has not reached equilibrium
to the desired level of accuracy. Even if convergence is achieved, it is strongly recommended to determine how
many iterations were required and to consider if this was a reasonable number or an excessive number.
Recall that the number of iterations has a significant influence on the computational costs, so not only is there
the requirement that the solution converges, but that it also converges efficiently.

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Trouble Shooting

Determining if Your Simulation has failed to Converge

If a SOL 400 fails to converge, the exit number = 1. Also the output provides a message:
 User-specified Upper Limit on Number of Iterations
 Minimum Time Step Size Exceeded/Time-Step Size Too Small
 Allowable Number of Bisections Exceeded
 Excessive Pivot Ratio

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 192 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Review Plot Results from Converged Increments

Figure 11-2 Flowchart to Debugging a SOL 400 Run

Review Plot Results from Converged Increments

Insights can be gained from the partially completed run to find out why the job failed to converge.
 When a job fails to converge, SOL 400 will save results up to the last converged load increment
 Review displacements, stresses, load vs. deflection, etc…

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Trouble Shooting

 Be careful with displacement scale factor

Reviewing the MSC Analysis Manager

The Analysis Manager provides interfaces within Patran to submit, monitor and manage analysis jobs on
local and remote networked systems. It can also operate in a stand-alone mode directly with MSC Nastran.
The Analysis Manager automates the process of running analysis software even on remote and dissimilar
platforms.

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 194 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Tips for Starting with Nonlinear Analysis

Files are automatically copied to where they are needed, the analysis is performed and pertinent information
is relayed back to you. When the analysis is complete files are returned/deleted. Time consuming system tasks
are reduced so that more time is available for productive engineering.
The Analysis Manager can also be used to monitor job progress (even non-jobs)
 Shows all job and host information
 Abort function can be used to stop running jobs

Tips for Starting with Nonlinear Analysis

Start your model simple and gradually add complexity. It is better to start the analysis with a small load that
will obtain convergence than start with a large load that requires the program to subdivide the increment.
When starting with a new model, set up your model such that you get some initial results or a run-failure
within a few minutes. This means that you may need to start with a coarse mesh.
Once you know your model runs to completion, you can add refinement and/or complexity. As a general
comment, a 1000-2000 node job would fail within few minutes if there are set-up errors. This is what we
want: if the job fails, it should fail fast. These initial few runs serve the purpose of testing the set-up
parameters to make sure that they work right for this model. You can expect to make a few/several runs to
determine that the parameters are correct for that class of problems.
Once these parameters are known, you can apply them to other models in that class of problems. Once the
job runs to completion, you can add complexity/refinement. Now the job will take longer, but we are
confident that it will run to completion.
Displacement control: In general, problems with applied displacements are numerically more stable than
problems with applied forces. For example, if a cantilever beam loaded at the end with a force, formation of
a plastic hinge can make the model go non-positive definite. With an applied displacement, this scenario is
less likely.

Output Messages
Additional Output
When convergence is a problem it is necessary to obtain as much information as possible on the numerical
process. The NLOPRM case control command is used to obtain additional result information.
In particular:
NLOPRM OUTCTRL=STD,INTERIM, NLDBG=NLBASIC,NRDBG, DBGPOST=LTIME
will provide the additional information to evaluate the performance. If contact bodies are present, it may be
preferable to use:
NLOPRM OUTCTRL=STD,INTERIM, NLDBG=NLBASIC,NRDBG, DVDBG,N3DMED
DBGPOST=LTIME

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Trouble Shooting

Standard User Fatal Messages

If you run the analysis and it does not run at all or ends before completing, you will get an error message in the
jobname.f06 or jobname.log file that will give you an indication of what the problem is. Do a text
search on the word fatal in the jobname.f06 file. The first thing to check is to that you were able to get a
license to run the job. Licensing problems are a common reasons for a run to fail. If you are sure you have a
license and submit the job correctly, you should get a jobname.sts file that will end with an exit number
preceded by a description of why the run stopped.
Common exit numbers are:

Exit 0 – success. The job ran to completion and did everything you asked.
Exit 1 – syntax error in the input file. You should check the input syntax of
the line the error message points to, but it is likely that the actual
error was in the input block prior to where the message points.
Exit 1 with user fatal – typically means no convergence due to rigid body motions or a
EXCESSIVE PIVOT numerically ill-conditioned system. See recommendations for
RATIO in .f06 equilibrium below.
Exit 1 with other user – means the analysis ran into convergence problems part way through
fatal and did not complete. Interpret the error message, look for model
problems
For SOL 400 User http://simcompanion.mscsoftware.com/infocenter/
Fatal Messages (UFMs)
and their
Interpretation see:

If you receive a Nastran input from another source, it is strongly recommended that you read it into either
Patran or SimXpert and display the model to check for completeness. Any.sts file with nonzero total time
lines means there are converged increments. Display the converged increments to see what is going on.

User Fatal Message Scenarios

 No increments/iterations successfully completed but solution has started:

*** USER FATAL MESSAGE 4296 (EQD4D)

ILLEGAL GEOMETRY FOR QUAD4 ELEMENT WITH ID = 97

If a UFM message similar to the above comes as soon as the job is submitted; i.e., at the first
assembly of the first iteration, it indicates a meshing problem. Re-check mesh and re-mesh.
 If an increment or iteration has been successfully completed and one gets the message:
*** USER FATAL MESSAGE 4296 (EQD4D)

ILLEGAL GEOMETRY FOR QUAD4 ELEMENT WITH ID = 97

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 196 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual
Tips for Starting with Nonlinear Analysis

This exit message or a similar one may indicate excessive element deformation during a particular
load increment in a particular iteration. The way to get around this error is to reduce step size.
However, SOL 400 does that automatically and if the problem still persists, it gives this message. If
the program is unable to recover after several cutbacks, it implies that the last converged solution is
not really a good solution or the deformation is excessive for this mesh. The solution may be to
either use Restart or rerun-the complete analysis with a tighter tolerance.
It may be necessary to change the original mesh to anticipate where the deformation will occur. Also,
it should be recognized that lower-order triangular or tetrahedral elements (with PSLDN1) is the
preferred solution for large strain/distortion models.
 User-specified Upper Limit on Number of Iterations: The solution may fail and give this message if
SOL 400 reaches the user-specified upper limit on the number of (Newton-Raphson) iterations
within a load increment. The default is set to 10. One of the first things to try, if you think the
problem is otherwise well posed (e.g., no other problems are known) would be to increase the value
(specified on NLSTEP) to a value of 20.
What is happening is that SOL400 keeps iterating and tries to converge to a solution for that
increment. If that does not happen, SOL 400 will cut back the load (by half ) and re-solve that
increment. Sometimes this is not enough to get convergence, and it will exit with a UFM.
Check the residual values in the ADVDBG section of the .f06 file to confirm this.
 Minimum Time Step Size Exceeded/Time-Step Size Too Small: This exit message indicates that
SOL 400 cuts back to a time-step size too small for the analysis to continue. The load stepping
algorithm has a cut-back feature where the load step is automatically reduced (when the time step is
decreased, the factor is calculated internally based upon the minimum time step).
When an increment runs into these problems, it automatically cuts the load-step size and resolve
that increment. If the problem persists, it cut-back the load-step again. This happens until the limit
of the number of cut-backs is reached. This can result in a very small time step. In such a case, SOL
400 stops the analysis with a UFM.
 Allowable Number of Bisections Exceeded: SOL 400's automatic load stepping scheme is set up
such that the applied load in an increment scales up (or down) depending on how easy (or difficult)
the solution was in the previous increment.
The degree of difficulty is determined based on the NDESIR parameter of NLSTEP: desired
number of iterations per increment (default = 4). SOL 400 will scale down the step size
until it reaches a lower limit on the step size (default = 0.001% of total time step) and then exit with
a UFM worded similar to the above. This is an indication to you that the analysis encountered some
difficulty at that stage.

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Trouble Shooting

Main Index
 Appendix A: Frequently Asked Questions

A Frequently Asked Questions

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 CHAPTER A 199
Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Is SOL 400 only for nonlinear analysis, or can I also do linear analysis?
SOL 400 can do linear, nonlinear, modal, buckling, and transient structural analysis along with a
host of other analysis types. SOL 400 is designed to be the only solution sequence you need. For a
complete list, see ANALYSIS case control entry documentation in the Quick Reference Guide.
Q2: Will I get the same results from a SOL 400 linear analysis as I do from a SOL 101 analysis?
SOL 400 has additional capabilities that require controls not available in SOL 101. This means the
additional controls for a SOL 400 analysis must be set in the same way as they are for a SOL 101
analysis.
Having said that, SOL 400 control defaults are set in such a way that you should get the same results
from a SOL 400 analysis that you do from a SOL 101 analysis.
Q3: How different is SOL 400 from SOL 600?
In SOL 600, MSC Nastran preprocesses the data and calls the Marc solver. In SOL 400, all MSC
Nastran infrastructure is available, while in SOL 600 only selected MSC Nastran infrastructure
capabilities have been integrated. This is why MSC recommends that SOL 400 be the default
solution method for solving nonlinear problems.
An extensive finite element library for building your simulation model, and a set of solution
procedures for the nonlinear analysis, which can handle very large matrix equations, are available in
both solution sequences of MSC Nastran Implicit Nonlinear.
Q4: Will I get the same results from a SOL 400 nonlinear analysis as I do from a SOL 106 static or SOL 129
transient nonlinear analysis?
There are additional capabilities and additional controls in SOL 400 that must be set in the same
way as they are for SOL 106 or SOL 129 in order to get the same results. Also, SOL 400 has a
complete set of large strain elements that make it unlikely that you will get the same solution unless
you are performing a small deformation analysis.
However, if you set your analysis up to use the same elements as the SOL 106 or 129 solution, and
you limit the conditions applied to the model you should get the same results as a SOL 106 or 129
analysis.
Q5: Will I get the same results from a SOL 400 linear, modal, buckling, or nonlinear analysis as I will from
a SOL 101, 103, 105, and 106 analysis?
SOL 400 encapsulates those solution sequences and should be able to reproduce their results.
Getting the same answers requires equivalence in element types, analysis control settings, and
procedures.
Q6: Is it possible to use the same model for linear and nonlinear analysis. If so what is the best way to add
the additional input required for the nonlinear solution to an existing linear model?
Yes. SOL 400 has been designed to allow you use the same model for linear and nonlinear analysis.
To accomplish this, do the following:
a. Take the linear model.
b. Read it into a graphical pre-and post processor like Patran.

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 200 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual

c. Add the additional model attributes required such as contact.

d. Make sure to specify the proper nonlinear analysis control parameters.
e. Let the graphical pre- postprocessor write out the correct input.
Q7: Is it possible to convert an existing MSC Nastran model into a SOL 400 model? If so what is the best
way to do this?
Yes, you can convert an existing MSC Nastran model into a SOL 400 model. To accomplish this, do
the following:
a. Take the existing MSC Nastran model.
b. Read it into a graphical pre-and post processor like Patran or SimXpert.
c. Add the additional model attributes required such as contact or nonlinear materials properties.
d. Specify the proper nonlinear analysis control parameters.
e. Let the graphical pre- postprocessor write out the correct input.
See Chapter 6: Setting Up, Monitoring, and Debugging the Analysis for an example of the process required to
convert a SOL 101 model to a SOL 400 model.
Q8: Is it possible to take an existing Abaqus model and convert it into a SOL 400 model? If so what is the
best way to do this? Will I get the same answer?
Starting with the 2014 release, a translator is can be used to convert an Abaqus input file into an
MSC Nastran input file. Prior to that, do the following:
a. Read the file into Patran.
b. Change the preference to MSC Nastran.
c. Add the additional data.
Getting the same answer depends on many factors:
a. Compatibility of the element types selected
b. Analysis capabilities and algorithms (such as contact algorithms)
c. Analysis procedures
d. Selected controls
In particular, characterization of contact interactions may affect the results.
Q9: Does Patran/SimXpert support SOL 400?
While Patran/SimXpery do not support 100% of SOL 400 capabilities, they provide complete
support of the most commonly used features of SOL 400 including nonlinear materials, contact,
composites, and multi stepping/perturbation analysis. MSC is continuing to develop them to
support new SOL 400 capabilities.

Q10:If I am new to SOL 400 what's the best way to learn it?
There are a few ways of learning:

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 CHAPTER A 201
Frequently Asked Questions

• The MSC documentation system has a complete set of solved SOL 400 problems in a document
called the MSC Nastran Demonstration Problems. The input files from these solved problems are
included in the documentation system.
• Patran has a set of demo problems that can be found in the Analysis menu, under the Run a
Demo tab. After running these demos, Patran can be used to interrogate the model and
investigate how the models are set up.
• The SimCompanion website has a knowledge base with answers to commonly asked questions,
as well as links to the MSC training courses on SOL 400.
Q11:Where can I find example input files for SOL 400 demo problems?
Example problems can be found in the MSC Nastran Demonstration Problems Manual. These
example problems also include input files. There is a test suite of example input files in the MSC
Nastran test problem library. Also, the Run a Demo problems in Patran will leave the input files
that were used to run the example.
Q12:What kind of results are supported in the op2, xdb, HDF5, and/or dball/master?
While you can request SOL 400 output in any valid MSC Nastran output format, only the
MASTER/DBALL and new OP2 (PARAM,POST,1) and HDF5 formats will contain all of the results
data blocks of SOL 400.
Specifically, the nonlinear stress/strain and contact results data blocks will be missing if any other
format is requested. Thus, MSC strongly recommends that you use MASTER/DBALL, new OP2,or
HDF5 output formats for SOL 400 solutions.
Q13:What do I do if I run the analysis and do not get a solution? What if it does not converge?
Check the solution files (*.f06, *.log, *.f04) to look for error messages. Typically there will be
a message telling why the solution did not converge.
There are a couple of answers to this question depending on why the analysis did not get a solution.
Reasons why an analysis does not result in a solution can be grouped into two categories.
• The first group relates to having a correctly formatted input file. These tend to be the most
common, and also the easiest to fix.
• The second group relates to having what might be called a well-posed problem.
This means that our problem does not violate any of the laws of physics, and that there actually
is a valid numerical solution to the problem we are trying to solve. A typical example of this type
of error would be trying to come up with a static solution to a problem that is not statically
determinate. There are methods used to determine if a model is properly constrained, such as
running a modal analysis to look for unconstrained rigid body modes.
Q14:How do I know if I need to do a nonlinear analysis?
While this is not an exact answer as loading conditions will affect this, you should do a nonlinear
analysis in one of the following conditions:
• If your strains are approaching 5%
• The deflection of any node in your model approaches 5% of the smallest dimension.

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 202 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual

Q15:How do I know if linear contact will give me the right answer, or if I need to do a nonlinear analysis?
The term linear contact is an oxymoron. The very nature of contact problems are that finite
deformation of the nodes must be tracked to determine if the notes are in contact or not in contact.
This deformation is almost always large enough to invalidate linear contact solutions. The best use
for linear contact is to use it to connect dissimilar meshes or full assembly modeling where no
separation occurs.
Q16:What is the difference between linear buckling analysis and nonlinear buckling analysis?
A linear buckling analysis is based on the un-deformed configuration of the structure.
A nonlinear buckling analysis is based on a deformed shape of the structure. The deformation and
stresses make the structure stiffer (if in tension) and cause the natural frequencies to increase. Hence,
it is often necessary to do a nonlinear buckling analysis to get accurate mode shapes and frequencies.
Q17: What is a stress stiffened model analysis?
Before extracting the eigenvalues from the structural system, the model may be pre-loaded prior to
the modal extraction. Initial stress effects are then included in the stiffness which tend to raise the
eigenvalues. This effect tends to affect the eigenvalues more than the eigenvectors (mode shapes).
Q18:Will RBE's rotate with the rest of the model?
If a large displacement, nonlinear analysis is performed, then yes, the RBEs rotates with the model.
In a linear analysis, the displacement and rotation of the nodes is assumed to be infinitesimally small.
Q19:What are Marc elements? When would I use them? How do I activate them?
Most MSC Nastran elements, also called Advanced nonlinear elements or large strain elements were
originally formulated for linear analysis. At some point, some of those original elements were
modified for use in nonlinear analysis (SOLs 106 and 129), but certainly not all of them.
• Instead of developing new elements and capabilities from scratch for SOL 400, MSC Nastran
decided to copy the well-proven, robust, mature large deformation/large strain analysis
procedures and element formulations from Marc.
• Instead of developing new nonlinear element designations, which would have increased work to
convert a linear SOL 101 model to a SOL 400 nonlinear model, MSC Nastran decided to use the
same element designations and allow you to control the formulation used through secondary
property entries such as PBEMN1, PSHLN1, PSHNL2, and PSLDN1.
While this method gives you direct control over the element formulation, SOL 400 automatically
selects the proper formulation for the problem. This means that if the problem is a large
deformation, large strain problem, SOL 400 automatically uses the large strain element
formulation.
Unless you want to directly control the formulation (such as use reduced integration or some
other special formulation), it is best to allow MSC Nastran to select the formulation used. This
also means that no additional input is required.
Q20:Do shell and beam offsets rotate with the model?
Yes, if MDLPRM,OFFDEF,LROFF is set in the deck when parameter LGDISP>=0.
Q21:Will CBAR elements rotate with the model?

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 CHAPTER A 203
Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, if CBAR is converted to a CBEAM.

Q22:Will CGAP elements rotate with the model?
No. Contact bodies should always be used for contact involving large deformations.
Q23:Will CBEAM pin flags rotate with the model?
No.
Q24:What is the difference between the Stress Tensor and the Nonlinear Stress Tensor quantities I see listed
in my Patran results?
There is no difference. The label stress tensor was used for linear analysis, and the label nonlinear stress
tensor for nonlinear analysis.
Q25:Which stress quantity does MSC Nastran use when it looks up the stress/strain curve I provided?
For small strain elements (traditional MSC Nastran elements), engineering stress/strain is used, but
for large strain nonlinear element (new Marc elements), Cauchy stress is used.
Q26:Will the force I apply rotate with the model?
These are referred to as follower forces and they will be included if: 1) a nonlinear analysis procedure
is used; 2) a FORCE1 or FORCE2 entry is used for loading; and 3) and appropriate PARAM,LGDISP
value is used. Only follower forces applied by FORCE1, FORCE2, MOMENT1, MOMENT2 will rotate
with model. Forces applied by RFORCE will rotate according to the specified angular
velocity/acceleration rules.
Q27:What if I don't want the force to rotate with the model?
Use the static force FORCE bulk data entry.
Q28:Will the pressure I apply to a surface rotate with the model?
Only follower forces applied by PLOAD, PLOAD2, and PLOAD4 will rotate with model.
For details, see follower forces notes under the PLOAD and PLOAD4 entries in the MSC Nastran Quick
Reference Guide.
Q29:Is it possible to create the input such that the pressure I apply to a surface will not rotate with the model?
Yes. With PLOAD4, if the load direction is given, the pressure applied will be fixed in the given
direction and not rotate with model. See remark 2 of PLOAD4 in the MSC Nastran Quick Reference
Guide.
It says: The continuation entry is optional. If fields 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the continuation entry are
blank, the load is assumed to be a pressure acting normal to the face. If these fields are not blank, the
load acts in the direction defined in these fields. If CID is a curvilinear coordinate system, the
direction of loading may vary over the surface of the element. The load intensity is the load per unit
of surface area, not the load per unit of area normal to the direction of loading.
Q30:If I am familiar with running linear MSC Nastran analyses but have never run a nonlinear SOL 400
analysis, how can I learn what I need to do differently?

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 204 MSC Nastran: SOL 400 Getting Started Manual

It is recommended that you run the example problems and make variations of these problems. When
learning a new MSC Nastran feature, engineers all too often generate a large problem using several
hundred or several thousand degrees of freedom as a test case. This practice has become the norm in
recent years with the advent of graphics preprocessors and automatic meshing.
Rarely is such a large model necessary to learn a new feature; in most cases, it just adds unnecessary
complexity. For this reason most of the examples in this book are small—generally less than 100
degrees of freedom.
To facilitate the use of these example problems, example problems referenced in this guide are
delivered with MSC Nastran system under the MSC_DOC_DIR/doc/linstat with the extensions
of .dat. Copy an example problem to your local directory, so you can see the files created, and you
don't inadvertently create files in the delivery directory.
Q31:How can I see a plot of load vs deflection for the rigid body that loaded my model?
Only available for load controlled rigid bodies, you can plot the results of the control grid of the
rigid body.
Q32:How can I monitor the nonlinear solution to see if it is progressing toward convergence?
Monitor the jobname.sts file with a text editor that automatically updates. As each load
increment converges a new line with relevant information will appear in the .sts file.
For details, see Chapter 6: Setting Up, Monitoring, and Debugging the Analysis.
Q33:Is it possible to see the results of any of the intermediate loading steps before the analysis is complete?
Yes. It is possible to have MSC Nastran write out the results of converged increments to intermediate
OP2 files. See the INTERM option of the OUTCTRL parameter under the NLOPRM entry in the MSC
Nastran Quick Reference Guide.
Q34:How can I find out what the normal and frictional forces or stresses are between the contact bodies?
Use the BOUTPUT case control output request and these values will be in the MASTER/DBALL or new
OP2 files along with the other output requested.
Q35:Is an RBE spider the best way to fix a surface of my structure?
It depends on the constraints on the surface. If all the grids on the surface have the same behavior in
some direction, an RBE is easy to use. It is also easy to glue the area to a rigid surface and use the
rigid surface controls. You may also use SPC/SPC1.
Q36:What are alternatives to an RBE spider for displacement control of part of my structure?
SPC/SPC1/SPCD/SPCR may be combined together for any complicated displacement control.
Glueing the area to a rigid surface and using the rigid surface controls is also easy.
Q37:Will I get the same answer if I apply my loads and constraints using a glued-on rigid surface as I would
using an RBE spider or displacement constraint?
Yes, if both loading methods are done correctly you will get the same results.
Q38:How do a simulate a complex sequence of loading, such as the process of an engine head going through
the sequence of bolt tightening, then heating up?

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 CHAPTER A 205
Frequently Asked Questions

Break the loading up into discrete loadcases. For more information on this process, see Chapter 3:
Nonlinearity and Analysis Types in this manual for more information on this topic.
Q40:What is the simplest way to include contact in my model?
If you create contact bodies and run a SOL 400 nonlinear analysis, the contact interaction is
included by default, but does not include friction between the components. Patran has a tool under
Tools - Modeling that automatically creates contact bodies based on groups, materials, properties,
etc.)
To include friction, specify the friction model and friction coefficients. You can specify a global
model value, a value for each contact body, or for each contact pair—the most localized value, in the
most general to most specific order just provided, will be used.
Q41:What Thermal Solutions are supported in SOL 400?
SOL 400 supports steady state and transient thermal analysis procedures (ANALYSIS = HSTAT and
HTRAN), updated to include thermal contact and coupled thermal-structural interaction, plus the
Sinda RC network approach. Chapter 3: Nonlinearity and Analysis Types has a description of the SOL 400
thermal analysis capabilities, plus a description of the coupled multi-physics capabilities that are
supported.
Q42:How do the RCNS and RCNT RC Network analysis options in SOL 400 work?
These RC analysis options run a subset of the Sinda Solver. Standalone Sinda is a modern equivalent
of traditional Resistor-Capacitor type solver. It is also called Finite Difference Lumped Parameter
Network Solver. Simulation can include various aspects of conduction, convection, radiation and
with optional Fortran access predefined or custom loading function can be specified.
Using Patran with Sinda preference, or in this case from MSC Nastran, an RC network is generated
from traditional shaped elements. MSC Nastran implementation does not include the Fortran
access nor standard/custom loading function. Loading must be manually defined but the same effect
can be achieved. Additionally, MSC Nastran implementation does include automated radiation
refinement techniques available in Sinda.
MSC Nastran Implicit Nonlinear (SOL 600) User’s Guide

Main Index