Workshop 1: Fatigue : Stress-Life

16.0 Release

The Fatigue Module of

ANSYS Mechanical
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 Goals
Goal:
In this workshop our goal is to perform a Stress-Life analysis of the
connecting rod model (ConRod.x_t) shown here. Specifically, we will
analyze two load environments: 1) Constant Amplitude Load of 4500 N, Fully
Reversed and 2) Random Load of 4500N.

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 Start Page

1. From Analysis System, select

Static Structural

2. Import the Geometry:

a. RMB on Geometry >Import
Geometry>Browse
b. Browse to the file ConRod.x_t to
open it

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 Preprocessing [1]
4. Set the working unit system:
Units > Metric (m, kg, N, C, s, V, A

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 Preprocessing [2]
6. Apply loads to the model: a.
a. Highlight the connection rod surface shown
b. RMB > Insert > Force
c. Change Components and enter a magnitude of -
4500N for the Z Component

c.

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 Preprocessing [3]
7. Add supports to the model: a.
a. Highlight the bolt holes shown
b. RMB > Insert > Cylindrical Support
c. Set Radial = Fixed, Axial = Free, Tangential = Free
d. Highlight the face on the connecting rod shown
e. RMB > Insert > Fixed Support

d.
c.

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 Solution / Results
8. Solve the model:
Click Solve
View the Results :
a. Highlight the Solution branch
b. RMB > Insert > >Deformation >Total
c. RMB > Insert > Stress > Equivalent (Von-Mises)

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 Fatigue Tool [1]
9. Insert the Fatigue Tool:
a. Highlight the Solution branch
b. RMB > Insert > Fatigue > Fatigue Tool

10. Specify fatigue details :

a. Specify a Fatigue Strength Factor (Kf) of 0.8
(material data represents a polished specimen
and the in-service component is cast).
b. Specify fully reversed loading to create
alternating stress cycles.
c. Specify a stress-life fatigue analysis (No mean
stress theory needs to be specified since no
mean stress will exist fully reversed loading).
d. Specify that Von Mises stress will be used to
compare against fatigue material data.

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 Fatigue Tool [2]
11. Add results to the Fatigue Tool:
a. Highlight the Fatigue Tool branch
b. RMB > Insert > Safety Factor.
c. From the Details of Safety Factor window, set the c.
Design Life to 1e6 cycles.
d. RMB > Insert > Fatigue Sensitivity
e. Under the Details of Fatigue Sensitivity window,
specify the following:
Lower variation of 50% (an alternating stress of
2250N)
Upper variation of 200% (an alternating stress of
9000N). e.
f. RMB > Insert > Biaxiality Indication

12. Click Solve to view results.

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 Results [1]
Safety Factor

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 Results [2]
13. Highlight and plot the Fatigue Sensitivity result for a minimum base
load variation of 50% and a maximum base load variation of 200%.

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 Results [3]
14. Find the sensitivity of available life with respect to loading for a maximum
base load variation of 400%.
Note : must re-solve to obtain the new Fatigue Sensitivity results.

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 Results [4]
15. Highlight and plot the Biaxiality Indication result.
Note : The stress state near the critical location is not far from uniaxial (.1~.2), which gives an
added measure of confidence since the material properties are uniaxial. Recall, a biaxiality of zero
corresponds to uniaxial stress, a value of 1 corresponds to pure shear, and a value of 1
corresponds to a pure biaxial state.

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 Fatigue Tool [1]
16. Analyze a random load of 4500N:
Note : Assume that we have strain gauge results that were collected
experimentally from the component and that we know that a strain
gauge reading of 200 corresponds to an applied load of 4500N
a. Highlight the solution branch.
b. RMB > Insert > Fatigue > Fatigue Tool.
a.
17. Specify fatigue details:
a. Specify a Fatigue Strength Factor (Kf) of .8 (material
data represents a polished specimen and the in- b.
service component is cast).
b. Change Loading Type to History Data
c. Click inside History Data Location to open
SAEBracketHistory.dat containing strain gauge c.
results over time

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 Fatigue Tool [2]
d. Define the scale factor to be .005 (we must normalize
the load history so that the FEM load matches the
scale factors in the load history file)

1 FEM load 1000lbs 1 FEM load

.005
1000lbs 200 strain gauge 200 strain gauge

e. Specify Goodman theory to account for mean-stress

effects.
f. Specify that a signed Von Mises stress will be used to
compare against fatigue material data (use signed
since Goodman theory treats negative and positive
mean stresses differently).
g. Specify a bin size of 32 (Rainflow and Damage
matrices will be of dimension 32x32).

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 Fatigue Tool [3]
18. Add results to the Fatigue Tool 2:
a. RMB > Insert > Life
b. RMB > Insert > Safety Factor
c. Set the Design Life to 1000 cycles.
d. RMB > Insert > Fatigue Sensitivity
e. In the Details window for Fatigue Sensitivity,
specify :
Lower Variation of 50% (an alternating stress of
2250N)
Upper variation of 200% (an alternating stress
of 9000N)
f. RMB > Insert > Biaxiality Indication
g. RMB > Insert > Rainflow Matrix
h. RMB > Insert > Damage Matrix
i. From the Details of Damage Matrix window, set
the Design Life to 1000 blocks
19. Solve
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 Results [1]
20. View Results:
a. Highlight and plot the Life result.

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 Results [2]
b. Highlight and plot the Safety Factor result for a design life of
1000 cycles.

If the loading history corresponded

to the loading experienced by the
part over a month time, the
damage and FS will be at a design
life of 1000 months. Note that
although a life of only 77 loading
blocks is calculated, the needed
scale factor (since FS @ 1000=.60)
is only .60 to reach a life of 1000
blocks.

Note, the scale factor (FS) is the

scale factor for the loading to make
it meet the life of 1000 months.

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 Results [3]
c. Highlight and plot the Fatigue Sensitivity result for a minimum base load variation
of 50% and a maximum base load variation of 200%.

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 Results [4]
d. Highlight and plot the Biaxiality Indication result.

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 Results [5]
e. Highlight and plot the Rainflow Matrix result.

Here, one can see from the

rainflow matrix that the
majority of the cycle counts
are for low mean stress and
low stress amplitude (range).

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 Results [6]
Highlight and plot the Damage Matrix result.

Although, from the previous

slide, one saw that most of
the counts were for the low
mean and range bins,
these do not cause the
most damage at the critical
location, as shown in this
damage matrix. Instead,
the 'medium' stress
amplitude cycles cause the
most damage at the critical
location.

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