Computer Lab 1

Introduction to Abaqus
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•Contents

1. Why numerical simulation?

2. Fundamentals of Finite Element Analysis

3. Practical example: Cantilever beam under uniformly distributed load

 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•1. Why numerical simulation?
How does a component behave under complex loading states?
Numerical simulation

• Initial design
• Prototype manufacturing
• Experimental testing

Mechanical Finite Element Analysis

components (FEA)
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•1. Why numerical simulation?
How does a component behave under complex loading states?

Solve static equilibrium equation

𝒇=𝑲⋅𝒖

Finite Element Method Finite Element Analysis

(FEM) (FEA)
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•2. Fundamentals of Finite Element Analysis
Finite Element Analysis is divided into 3 stages:

SOLVER

Preprocess Processing Postprocessing

Defining the FE model: mesh, Solving the numerical Visualization and extraction
materials, boundary conditions… model of results, reports…
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam

Model the deflection and stress state of a

cantilever beam under uniformly distributed load

Obtain the displacement and longitudinal stress fields

and compare them with the analytical solution

Data:
• Length: 200 𝑚𝑚
• Cross section: 5 × 20 𝑚𝑚2
• Material: Steel (𝐸 = 210 𝐺𝑃𝑎, 𝜈 = 0,33)
• Pressure: 0,5 𝑀𝑃𝑎
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
• Open Abaqus/CAE and select “With Standard/Explicit Model”

(or create a New Model Database)

 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
Typical workflow in Abaqus:
A. Geometry (Part)
B. Meshing (Mesh)
C. Material (Properties)
D. Assemble model (Assembly)
E. Steps (Step)

Preprocess F. Boundary conditions (Load)

Defining the FE model: G. Results (Output)
geometry, materials, mesh,
boundary conditions… H. Run model (Job)
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
A. GEOMETRY

• Create a new Part: • Draw the cross section in the sketch:

✓ 3D ✓ Rectangle
✓ Deformable ✓ Point1 = (0, 0)
✓ Solid: Extrusion ✓ Point2 = (5, 20)
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
A. GEOMETRY

• Complete the sketch:

✓ Sketch: Done

• Extrusion:
✓ Depth: 200 mm
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
cantilever_01.cae
A. GEOMETRY

• Part → Sets: BACK, ALL

✓ “Sets”
✓ Name
✓ Select geometry (face)

• Part → Surfaces: TOP

✓ “Surfaces”
✓ Name
✓ Select surface

Sets will be used to assign the section and boundary conditions.

Surface will be used to assign the load as a “Pressure”.
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
B. MESHING

• Mesh → Seed part: • Mesh → Mesh part:

✓ Size: 4 mm ✓ Yes

Abaqus Student Edition is limited to 1000 nodes in the model

 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
C. MATERIAL

• “Materials”
✓ Name: STEEL

✓ Mechanical → Elasticity → Elastic:

▪ Type: Isotropic
▪ 𝐸 = 210000 MPa
▪ 𝜈 = 0.3

Why do we introduce the Young’s modulus in MPa?

What if we introduce it in GPa?
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
C. MATERIAL

• “Sections”
✓ Name: Section-Steel
✓ Category: Solid
✓ Type: Homogeneous
✓ Material: STEEL

• Part → “Section assignments”

✓ Sets…: ALL
✓ Section: Section-Steel cantilever_02.cae
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
D. ASSEMBLE MODEL

• Assembly → Create Instance

✓ Parts: CANTILEVER
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
E. STEP

• Step → Create Step

✓ Name: Step-Static
✓ Proc. Type: General.
✓ Type: Static, General
o Default settings

What is the meaning of Nlgeom in the step?

cantilever_03.cae
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
F. BOUNDARY CONDITIONS

• Load → Create Boundary Conditions

✓ Name: BC-BACK
✓ Step: Step-Static
✓ Category: Mechanical
✓ Type: Symmetry…
• Set: BACK – PINNED

cantilever_04.cae
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
F. BOUNDARY CONDITIONS (PRESSURE LOAD)

• Load → Create Load

✓ Name: PRESSURE_LOAD
✓ Step: Step-Static
✓ Type: Mech. → Pressure

✓ Surface: TOP

✓ Magnitude: 0,5 MPa

 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
G. OUTPUT

• Field Output Requests:

• Edit “F-Output-1”:
✓ Interval: 10
✓ Edit variables:
o U: displacement
o E: strain
o S: stress

Requesting many results with a high frequency

results into huge odb files (results files)
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
H. JOB cantilever_05.cae

• Job → Create Job

✓ Name: cantilever_uniform
✓ Model: Model-1

✓ Default settings

The preprocessing is complete!

We can submit the job and wait for the results

 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam

To run the simulation right-click on the job

(cantilever_uniform) and select “Submit”

Processing
Solving the numerical model
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam

After some time, the job is completed, and we

can visualize the results.
Right-click on the job and select “Results”

Postprocessing
Visualization and extraction of
results, reports…
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
Post-processing: Visualization of the vertical displacement field

• Visualization → Plot contours

• Field Output:
• U: U2

• Frame selector:
• Choose any frame (arrows)
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
Post-processing: Visualization of the longitudinal stress field

• Visualization → Plot symbols

• Field Output:
• S: S33
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
Verification of the numerical results

• Visualize the maximum vertical displacement • Analyze the maximum longitudinal stress
(U2) and compare it with the analytical (S33) and compare it with the analytical
solution. solution.

Analytical solution:
Analytical solution: 𝐿
𝑀𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝑝𝑊𝐿 2 𝐻
𝑝𝑊𝐿4 3𝑝𝐿4 𝜎𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝑦𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑥 = = ≈ 𝟎, 𝟕𝟏 𝒎𝒎 𝐼 𝐼 2
8𝐸𝐼 2𝐸𝐻3
2
𝐿
3𝑝 ≈ 𝟏𝟓𝟎 𝑴𝑷𝒂
𝐻
 Simulation techniques: lab session 1
•3. Practical example: Cantilever beam
Going further in the FE analysis
b) Use an analytical field to introduce
a linear profile for the pressure load
a) Repeat the analysis using the following element types:
C3D8R, C3D8 and C3D8I
b) What if the load is not uniformly distributed and follows a
linear profile along the z-axis:
𝑝 = 0 𝑀𝑃𝑎 at 𝑧 = 0
𝑝 = 0,5 𝑀𝑃𝑎 at 𝑧 = L

c) What if the vertical displacement of the free end is

constrained (pinned)? Modify the boundary conditions
and compute the maximum deflection in this case.