Restarting an Analysis

Module 5
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-2
Module 5
Restarting an Analysis
A. Definition & Purpose
B. Procedure
C. Additional Options
D. About Restart Files
E. Workshop
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-3
Displacement
Change mission load history
End load
step here
and start
new load
history
Time
L
o
a
d

Restart point
Time
Create RST file
from the restart
files (independent
of OUTRES setting)

Restarting an Analysis
A. Definition and purpose
Restarts are carried out for several reasons:
Need to specify additional portions of load time-history
Analysis intentionally stopped by user (e.g. computer down time)
Unconverged nonlinear solution
Analyze alternative load path
Restart unstable
analyses from
stable
configuration
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-4
ANSYS has always had the capability to restart from the last
converged solution.
Additionally, the Multiframe Restart option is available.
For example, in the load history below restarts could be carried out
from any of the circled points.
In this seminar we will cover only the Multiframe Restart.
Restarting an Analysis
Definition & Purpose
TIME
L
O
A
D

Jobname.r001
.r002
.r003
.r004
.r005
.r006
.r007
.r008
SUBSTEP
RESTART POINTS
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-5
Multiframe Restart
Traditional restart
Designed to restart from several
points in load history
Works from an automatically
written restart file ( .r001, .r002
etc)
Database and load history taken
care of automatically
Designed to recover from a single
abort
Requires ESAV/OSAV, EMAT files
Requires user to provide the
correct database at the point of
abort
Also known as a singleframe
restart.
Restarting an Analysis
Definition & Purpose
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-6
Multiframe restart procedure allows you to restart the analysis from
any of several user-specified load history points.
User specifies several points for restarts with RESCONTROL (similar to
OUTRES)
A single restart file (jobname.rnnn) is written at each specified restart
point.
No need for emat, esav, osav files
Two new files (jobname.rdb and jobname.ldhi) keep track of the FE
information and load history.
No need to save DB file at the point of restart

Restarting an Analysis
Definition & Purpose
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-7
A typical multiframe restart consists of 3 steps:
Specify number and frequency of restart points in the initial analysis.
Identify the point from which analysis is to be restarted.
Define additional or revised loads and SOLVE.

Restarting an Analysis
B. Procedure
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-8
1. Specify restart points
In the initial analysis, specify the number and frequency of restart points
using Solution Control dialog box or RESCONTROL command.
RESCONTROL,action,load step, frequency,maxnum
Restarting an Analysis
Procedure
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-9
Example: RESCONTROL,DEFINE,ALL,3 writes restart files
(jobname.rnnn) every 3rd substep for ALL load steps.
RESTART FILE
DUE TO ABORT
SUBSTEP
RESTART FILE
JOB ABORTED AT THIS
SUBSTEP (unconverged)
L
O
A
D

TIME
Jobname.r001
.r002
.r003
.r005
.r006
.r004
Restarting an Analysis
Procedure
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-10
Example: RESCONTROL,DEFINE,ALL,2,2 writes restart files every 2nd
substep for ALL load steps with a maximum of 2 restart files per load
step.
Provides a way to limit the number of restart files.
Note that r001 file is at a later time than r002.
INTERMEDIATE
RESTART FILES
(overwritten)
SUBSTEP
FINAL RESTART
FILES
TIME
L
O
A
D

Jobname.r001
.r002
.r001
.r003
.r004
.r003
.r004
.r003
Restarting an Analysis
Procedure
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-11
By default, ANSYS writes a restart file at the last substep of the
last load step.
If a job is aborted either due to non-convergence or by the user
(using jobname.abt file) a restart file is written at the last
converged solution prior to the abort point.
Restarting an Analysis
Procedure
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-12
Restarting an Analysis
Procedure
2. Identify point from which to restart using the load step and
substep numbers.
Summary of all available restart files comes up automatically.
Command: ANTYPE,,RESTART,LOAD STEP, SUB STEP,CONTINUE
ANSYS will automatically
choose the Rxxx file that
corresponds to this load
step/ sub step .
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-13
What does ANTYPE,,RESTART do?
Resumes the rdb file
Reads the ldhi file and gets the correct boundary conditions, time, etc.
corresponding to the restart point
Resets solution commands and status
Since ANTYPE,,RESTART resumes a previously saved database (.rdb),
you may need to manually restore any data defined after the .rdb file
was written - parameters (use PARSAV/PARRES), abbreviations, etc.

Note that the .rdb file is written at the end of the first equilibrium
iteration of the first substep of the first load step.
Restarting an Analysis
Procedure
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-14
Restarting an Analysis
Procedure
3. Specify revised or additional loads and solve
If restart is due to an unconverged nonlinearity, then take any
corrective actions required for convergence.
SOLVE ( Solution > Current Load Step - solve) for the new loads
and continue with additional load steps (if any).
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-15
R002
ldhi
rdb
rst
R001
ldhi
rdb
rst
R003
ldhi
rdb
rst
R004
ldhi
rdb
rst
R005
ldhi
rdb
rst
R006
ldhi
rdb
rst
R007
ldhi
rdb
rst
Restart using r003
R004 thru R007
deleted. New
Restart files
written as per
RESCONTROL
specification
Load history after
R003 deleted.
New load history
from restart
added to ldhi file
RDB file
unaffected
Results after r003
deleted. New
results written to
RST file during
restarted analysis
Restarting an Analysis
Procedure
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-16
Option to end current load step with 1 substep
Load history will be updated to reflect load step end
Typically useful for modifying the load history in the middle of a load
step
Restarting an Analysis
C. Other Restart Options
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-17
Option to write out complete results at any restart point(s) to the
RST file
Can get results not written with OUTRES command
SOLVE required
R002
rst
R001
rst
R003
rst
R004
rst
R005
rst
Writing results using r002
does not affect any Rnnn /
RDB / LDHI files.
Restarting an Analysis
Other Restart Options
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-18
Rnnn file (restart file)
Written at user specified points along the load history
Binary file containing element history records (enhanced esav file)
Written ONLY after a substep has converged
About the same size as ESAV file
Has all information necessary to recreate complete results at the
restart point
Restarting an Analysis
D. About Restart Files
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-19
RDB file
Has all the required finite element / solid model data.
Standard ANSYS database file, saved at the end of the first iteration
of the first load step
resumed upon issue of ANTYPE,,REST,ls,ss,action
All data (e.g. tabular load parameters, components, etc) should be
defined before the first solve
Restarting an Analysis
About Restart Files
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-20
LDHI (load history) file
ASCII file (similar to LSWRITE file) containing boundary conditions
and loading for all load steps
DO NOT modify this file
Load / BCs are automatically added to this file at each SOLVE
Tabular loads are saved as %parameter% (rdb file is expected to have
parameter definitions)
Restarting an analysis
About restart files
D
Y
N
A
M
I
C
S

7
.
0

Training Manual
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-21
Restarting an analysis
E. Workshop
In this workshop, you will continue the transient response exercise
done previously.
See your Dynamics Workshop supplement for details.
Restarting a Transient Analysis - Bouncing Block, Page W-43