Nyquist / Haghighi

ABE 601

ANSYS Tutorial
Performing a Fatigue Analysis
A flat leaf spring has been machined from AISI 1050 steel cold-drawn steel (Youngs Modulus is 210
GPa, Poissons ratio is 0.3, Yield Strength is 580 MPa and the Ultimate Strength is 690 MPa).

60 cm

Applied Load
1 cm
Applied Load

Four load cases are applied to the two corners of the free end of the spring:
a. 50 N at each corner. The time at the end of the load step is 10 seconds.
b. -50 N at each corner. The time at the end of the load step is 20 seconds.
c. 74.5 N at each corner. The time at the end of the load step is 30 seconds.
d. -74.5 N at each corner. The time at the end of the load step is 40 seconds.
The material fatigue properties are described by:
Number of Cycles, N
< 103
3

10 to 10
> 10

Fatigue Strength, Sf
0.9Su

( 0.9Su )
Se

(1/ 3) log ( 0.9 Su / Se )

Se

where Su is the ultimate strength and Se is the endurance limit (fatigue limit). Assume the ratio Se/Su is
equal to 0.6.
The events to be used in the analysis are:
Event
Load
Loading
No.
No.
1
1
50 N Load
1
2
-50 N Load
2
1
74.5 N Load
2
2
-74.5 N Load

Number of
Repetitions
500,000
500,000
5,000
5,000

Scale
Factor
1
1
1
1

Nyquist / Haghighi

ABE 601

The following is the step-by-step procedure for the beam deflection problem using the ANSYS GUI
(Graphic User Interface) environment. Using the left button of the mouse, click on everything that is
typed bold and type everything that is italicized below.
(Go to Main Menu)
Preprocessor
Element Type
Add/Edit/Delete
Add
Structural & Solid & Quad 4 node 42 & OK
Material Props
Material Models
Structural
Linear
Elastic
Isotropic
EX = 210e5
PRXY = 0.3 & OK
Modeling
Create
Areas
Rectangle
By Dimensions
(Click X1 box) 0 (Click X2 box) 60
(Click Y1box) 0 (Click Y2 box) 1 & OK
Meshing
Mesh Tool
Click on the Lines Set button
Pick lines 2 & 4 & Apply
NDIV = 4
SPACE = -2 & Apply
Pick lines 1 & 3 & Apply
NDIV = 30
SPACE = -2 & OK
Click the Mesh Button
Pick All & OK
Solution
Analysis Type
New Analysis
Choose Transient & OK & OK
Soln Controls
Basic Tab
Time at end of loadstep: 10

Nyquist / Haghighi

ABE 601

Transient Tab
Choose Stepped Loading & OK
Define Loads
Apply
Structural
Displacement
On Lines
Pick line 4 & OK
Select All DOFs
Displacement Value = 0 & OK
Force/Moment
On Keypoints
Pick keypoints 2 & 3 & OK
Direction of Force/Moment: FY
Force/Moment Value: 50 & OK
Load Step Opts
Write LS File
Load step file number n: 1 & OK
Analysis Type
Soln Controls
Basic Tab
Time at end of loadstep: 20 & OK
Define Loads
Delete
Structural
Force/Moment
On Keypoints
Pick All & OK
Apply
Structural
Force/Moment
On Keypoints
Pick keypoints 2 & 3 & OK
Direction of Force/Moment: FY
Force/Moment Value: -50 & OK
Load Step Opts
Write LS File
Load step file number n: 2 & OK
Analysis Type
Soln Controls
Basic Tab
Time at end of loadstep: 30 & OK

Nyquist / Haghighi

ABE 601

Define Loads
Delete
Structural
Force/Moment
On Keypoints
Pick All & OK
Apply
Structural
Force/Moment
On Keypoints
Pick keypoints 2 & 3 & OK
Direction of Force/Moment: FY
Force/Moment Value: 74.5 & OK
Load Step Opts
Write LS File
Load step file number n: 3 & OK
Analysis Type
Soln Controls
Basic Tab
Time at end of loadstep: 40 & OK
Define Loads
Delete
Structural
Force/Moment
On Keypoints
Pick All & OK
Apply
Structural
Force/Moment
On Keypoints
Pick keypoints 2 & 3 & OK
Direction of Force/Moment: FY
Force/Moment Value: -74.5 & OK
Load Step Opts
Write LS File
Load step file number n: 4 & OK
Solve
From LS Files
Starting LS file number: 1
Ending LS file number: 4
File number increment: 1 & OK

Nyquist / Haghighi

ABE 601

(Go to Main Menu)

General Postproc
Read Results
By Pick
Select Set 1 & Read & Close

Steps to perform the Fatigue Analysis

Definitions used in performing a fatigue analysis:
Location: a node in the model for which fatigue stresses are to be stored.
Event:
a set of stress conditions that occur at different times during a unique stress cycle.
Loading: one of the stress conditions that is part of an event.
(Go to Main Menu)
General Postproc
Fatigue
Property Table
S-N Table
(Click N1) 10 (Click S1) 62.1e3
(Click N2) 1000 (Click S2) 62.0e3
(Click N3) 10000 (Click S3) 51.2e3
(Click N4) 100000 (Click S4) 42.2e3
(Click N5) 1000000 (Click S5) 34.8e3

Nyquist / Haghighi

ABE 601

Stress Locations
NLOC = 1
NODE = 65 (node along the surface at the fixed end of the beam
TITLE = Fixed End & Apply

Nyquist / Haghighi

ABE 601

NLOC = 2
NODE = 54 (node along the surface in the middle of the beam)
TITLE = Middle & Apply
NLOC = 1
NODE = 32 (node along the surface at the free end of the beam)
TITLE = Free End & OK

Store Stresses
From rst File
NODE: 65
Event: 1
Loading: 1 & Apply
NODE: 54
Event: 1
Loading: 1 & Apply
NODE: 32
Event: 1
Loading: 1 & OK

Nyquist / Haghighi

ABE 601

Read Results
By Pick
Select Set 2 & Read & Close
Fatigue
Store Stresses
From rst File
NODE: 65
Event: 1
Loading: 2 & Apply
NODE: 54
Event: 1
Loading: 2 & Apply
NODE: 32
Event: 1
Loading: 2 & OK
Read Results
By Pick
Select Set 3 & Read & Close
Fatigue
Store Stresses
From rst File
NODE: 65
Event: 2
Loading: 1 & Apply
NODE: 54
Event: 2
Loading: 1 & Apply
NODE: 32
Event: 2

Nyquist / Haghighi

ABE 601

Loading: 1 & OK
Read Results
By Pick
Select Set 4 & Read & Close
Fatigue
Store Stresses
From rst File
NODE: 65
Event: 2
Loading: 2 & Apply
NODE: 54
Event: 2
Loading: 2 & Apply
NODE: 32
Event: 2
Loading: 2 & OK
Assign Events
NEV = 1
CYCLE = 500000
TITLE = Load 1 & Apply

NEV = 2
CYCLE = 5000
TITLE = Load 2 & OK
Calculate Fatig & OK

Nyquist / Haghighi

ABE 601

Results:

Location: 1 Node 65 at the fixed end.

The combination of event 2, load 1 and event 2, load 2 produces an alternating stress intensity of
55744 N/cm2. The spring was subjected to 5000 cycles while from the S-N Table, the maximum
number of cycles allowed at that stress intensity is 3595. The partial usage value, 1.39063, is the ratio
of cycles used/cycles allowed.
The combination of event 1, load 1 and event 1, load 2 produces an alternating stress intensity of
37412 N/cm2. The spring was subjected to 500,000 cycles while from the S-N Table, the maximum
number of cycles allowed at that stress intensity is 421,300. The partial usage value, 1.18669, is the
ratio of cycles used/cycles allowed.
The Cumulative Fatigue Usage value is sum of the partial usage factors (Miners rule).

10

Nyquist / Haghighi

ABE 601

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