Customer Training Material

Workshop on Fracture Mechanics

Fracture Analysis of a 3D Cracked Specimen

1 © 2013 ANSYS, Inc. July 3, 2013

 Workshop Instructions

Follow numbered instructions

SC = Single Click with Left Mouse Button

DC = Double Click with Left Mouse Button
CtrlSC = Single Click with Left Mouse Button while press Ctrl key
RMB = Single Click with Right Mouse Button

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 Problem Description
In this problem, a semi-elliptical crack is inserted at the tubular
joint of the structure, and then fracture parameters are
computed.

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 Step 1: Create a new Static structural analysis

1. Create a new Static

Structural analysis

a) From the Toolbox, drag

a Static Structural system
into the Project Schematic
and drop to create a
standalone analysis system

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 Step 2: Import the geometry

2. Import the geometry

a) RMB on the Geometry cell

(Cell A3) and select Import
Geometry > Browse. RMB

b) Browse to X_Joint.adgb and

click open.

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 Step 3: Open model in Mechanical

3. Open model in Mechanical

a) Right-click the Model cell (A4), and
then choose Edit....
Note: The Mechanical Application RMB
opens and displays the model.

b) Use the Rotate toolbar button to

manipulate the model

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 Step 4: Setup Mesh

4.1 Setup Tetrahedral

meshing method
a) Right-click Mesh and select
Insert > Method
b) Under Details View, Click on
‘No Selection’ then click on
pipe structure in graphics to RMB
pick entire solid, then click on
Apply in Details View to
specify Mesh method on this
body.
Note: Geometry Scope now says
1 body under details view of
Automatic Method.

c) Change Method from Note: This method is required for

crack mesh generation.
Automatic to Tetrahedrons
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 Step 4: Setup Mesh
c
4.2 Setup Global & Local
mesh constraints
a) In the Tree Outline, select the
Mesh object.
b) In the Details View, under d
Sizing, set the Relevance
Center to Fine from default
Coarse.
RMB

c) From Graphics toolbar, select

the Face button to toggle Face
selection mode.
d) Select the external fillet
surface as highlighted in the
graphics. Right-click in graphics
and select Insert > Sizing. Specify an Element Size of 5mm (or 5e-3 m).
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 Step 4: Setup Mesh

4.3 Generate Mesh

a) In the Tree Outline, Right-click
Mesh and select Generate
Mesh

RMB

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 Step 5: Setup Loads and Boundary Conditions

5.1 Apply Loads & BCs

a) From the main menu, choose Units
> Metric (mm, t, N, s, mV, mA).
b) In the Tree Outline, select Static
Structural.
c) Right-click and select Insert >
Pressure (OR from the
Environment Context toolbar,
select Loads > Pressure).

Contd.. on next page… RMB

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 Step 5: Setup Loads and Boundary Conditions

5.1 Apply Loads & BCs d)

d) In the Graphics window, select the
top face.
e) In the Details view, for Geometry
Scope, click Apply.
f) For Magnitude, enter -10 MPa.

Note: The negative value indicates the

pressure direction is upward.

g) Click on Symmetry Object in

Outline Tree.

Note: Two Symmetry regions already

defined which provide the
boundary condition for this model.

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 Step 6: Define Outputs

6. Define outputs
a) In the Tree Outline, Right-click
Solution object and select Insert
> Deformation > Total

RMB

b) Repeat the same process to

insert Stress > Equivalent (von-
Mises)

RMB

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 Step 7: Solve the model

7. Solve the model

a) In the Tree Outline, Right-click
Solution object and select Solve

Note: After the model is solved,

the status icon in front of
Solution object changes from RMB
yellow lightning bolt to a
green checkmark .

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 Step 8: Review the results

8. Review the results

a) Click on Total Deformation to
check the location and maximum
value of deformation

b) Click on Equivalent Stress to

check the location and maximum
value of von-Mises Stress

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 Step 9: Crack initiation location b)

9. Crack initiation location

a) Change the Deformation plot
scale to 0.0 (Underformed)
b) Click on box zoom mode and
zoom locally near the high stress
region.

c) Change back to Rotate mode if

required

d) Click on Edge display option and

select Show Elements

Contd.. on next page…

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 Step 9: Crack initiation location
Note: For this workshop, we will
assume that crack initiation will
start at this high stress location.

We are going to create a

coordinate system based on the
principal stress vector direction
at this location. Y-axis of this
coordinate system will then be
used for specifying the crack
opening direction.

e) Click on Select Mesh

f) Then activate the Vertex

selection mode

Contd.. on next page…

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 Step 9: Crack initiation location
g) Select the mesh node as
shown here (located at the
center of high stress
region)

h) Right-Click in graphics and

select Insert > Stress >
Vector Principal

Note: A new result output has

been created (Vector
Principal Stress) scoped to
this mesh node.

i) Right-click on Vector RMB

Principal Stress and select
Evaluate All Results

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 Step 10: Create coordinate system for crack

10. Create coordinate

system for crack

a) Select Vector Principal

Stress
b) Change picking mode to
Select Mesh
a)

c) Activate vertex selection

mode to pick the node

d) Make sure you pick the

same node again, then RMB
Right-Click > Create
Aligned Coordinate System

Note: This creates a new

coordinate system oriented
along the principal stress
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 Step 11: Reorient coordinate system

11. Reorient the

coordinate system
Note: The Y-axis of this coordinate
system is aligned in Maximum
Principal stress direction at the
high stress node location. This
will be used to specify our
crack opening direction.
Now let us reorient this
coordinate system such that its
X-axis points into the material.
This will help software to
understand how to position our
crack object.

a) Click on the Coordinate System

and change X-axis definition by
Hit Point Normal

Contd.. on next page…

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 Step 11: Reorient coordinate system
b) Click on Click to Change to specify
the Hit Point Normal direction c)

c) Click once near the origin of the

Coordinate System in the graphics

d) Click Apply

Note: Mechanical determines the

Surface Normal direction at the point
on surface where you selected by
choosing (Hit Point). It will then use
the same direction to reorient X-axis
of this coordinate system, leaving
the Y-axis unchanged.
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 Step 12: Define a Crack

12. Define a Crack

a) Right-click on Model object, then

select Insert > Fracture

b) Right-click on newly inserted RMB

Fracture object, then select Insert >
Crack

RMB

Contd.. on next page…

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 Step 12: Define a Crack

c) Click on No Selection in the

details view of Crack. Then click
on the geometry to select the
body and click Apply in the details
view.

Note: Geometry now says 1 body

selected.

d) Set other options as per below:

Major Radius = 18.4 mm
Minor Radius = 9.5 mm
Largest Contour Radius = 2 mm
Circumferential Divisions = 16
Crack Front Divisions = 35
Crack Faces Nodes ON
Contact Pairs Nodes ON

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 Step 13: Generate Crack Mesh

13. Generate crack mesh

a) Right-click on Fracture object and

select Generate All Crack Meshes

Note: A semi-elliptical crack mesh has

been generated and the requested
named selections are automatically
created and organized under Crack
object

Here, a brick mesh is

created for the crack region
and then connected by MPC
contact with the
surrounding tetrahedral
mesh. See the contact pair
(contact and target)
nodal named selections
generated from the MPC
contact.
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 Step 14: Solve the model with crack

14. Solve the model

a) In the Tree Outline, Right-click
Solution object and select Solve

RMB

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 Step 15: Create the Crack Results

15. Create the crack results

a) In the Tree Outline, right-click on
Solution and select Insert > RMB
Fracture Tool

b) In the Details View, for Crack

Selection, select the defined Crack

c) Right-click the Fracture Tool folder

and select SIFS Results > SIFS
(K2). Similarly add SIFS (K3)

RMB

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 Step 16: Review the Crack Results

16. Review the crack results

a) Right-click the Fracture Tool, then
select Evaluate All Results
RMB
b) Select each result and view the
results in the Graphics window.

c) View the Graph window for each

result.

Note: The graph plots the stress intensity

factors against the curvilinear abscissa of
the crack front, starting from the origin to
extremity.
Since the crack surface normal is nearly
aligned with the tensile load, the Mode I
stress intensity factor ((SIFS [K1])
dominates in this case. The SIFS (K2)
and SIFS (K3) results show that Mode II
and Mode III slightly contribute.
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 End of tutorial
You have completed the fracture analysis for 3D cracked specimen
and accomplished the overall objective for this tutorial.

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