OptiStruct for Nonlinear Analysis: Comprehensive, Fast and Accurate

Solutions, Modern Solver Architecture

Webinar Questions & Answers

How do you output element integration points stress in OptiStruct?

This can be done via the STRESS I/O entry. Please refer the STRESS output request
for more details.

Is there another license required for ESL method for RADIOSS optimizations other
than standard OptiStruct license?

The same license is used for ESLM - there are no additional license requirements.

I cannot find the right parameter which controls the element integration points
stress output. Could you please show me the detailed parameter and value?

STRESS
(sorting,format_list,form,type,location,random,peakoutput,modal,surf,Neuber,
RTHRESH=rthresh, THRESH=thresh, TOP=topn, RTOP=rtop) = option

The "location" entry can be used to define where the stress output is requested.
Location can be: <CENTER, CUBIC, SGAGE, CORNER, BILIN, GAUSS>

Is it possible to give more than one OptiStruct run at the same time on a given
computer?

OptiStruct supports parallelization and submitting multiple separate runs.

What are the options to write out the contact visualization during preprocessing?

There are options to write out visualization files for both nodes-to-surface and
surface-to-surface contact definitions. CONTPRM is the relevant entry.

Does large sliding require large displacement analysis?

Yes, large sliding is run with large displacement analysis.

Does Neuber rule also function in frequency response analysis (modal)?

Neuber correction for plasticity applies to static analysis - linear and nonlinear.

September 27, 2017

Is Neuber correction supported in HW 14.230?

Yes, Neuber correction is available in v 14.0.210 onwards.

If I select NLGEOM for the analysis to report out contact results/status, OptiStruct
runs RADIOSS in the background, right? I can tune the NLPARM card to get a
successful run. It's when trying to model contact on gearsets to mimic AGMA or
Gearlab analyses, OptiStruct (or myself) struggle to reach comparable tooth stress
values. I'm looking to get better agreement in my results to better support
consulting customers.

We recommend using the LGDISP solution which runs the native OptiStruct implicit
solver.

Can fast contact analysis be thought of as a linear analysis that includes contact
interface forces? In other words, can it be applied ONLY when the NORMAL contact
forces are dominant in the system?

Fast contact runs in a linear scheme which gives it the efficiency, but does not only
apply when the normal contact forces are dominant. Other nonlinear effects such as
friction, etc. are not considered, but the effect of the contact behavior is.

Do you support full cyclic loading with elastic-plastic material behavior to calculate
the nonlinear hysteresis loops for fatigue analysis?

Yes, we do support fatigue analysis using strain-life approach. We support it for

parent metal, seam weld and spot weld.

From the manual of HyperWorks version 13, the value of "location" entry are as
follows:<CENTER, CUBIC, SGAGE, CORNER, BILIN> No Gauss value option.

It is supported in V14.0 onwards.

Most of your models show coarse mesh does that mean you are using explicit solver
or with implicit stresses are not converged. Kindly explain.

OptiStruct is an implicit solver - all the solutions presented are solved using the
implicit scheme.

September 27, 2017

Do you have an example for user defined materials in the manual?

You can get access to it by downloading the 2017.0 feature presentations from Altair
Connect. Feature presentation is available to download with the 2017.0 HW solvers release
notes. (Altair Connect ==> Download ==> Release Notes)

What should I input into OptiStruct to let OptiStruct know we want to run the large
slide case or small slide case?

Large sliding requires large displacement, so this needs to be defined. There are
multiple ways to do this, e.g. PARAM,LGDISP, YES. It can also be subcase dependent.
For the contact, we have a field that allows us to define whether it is small sliding or
finite sliding.

Any RBE3 support for NLGEOM planned?

The OptiStruct large displacement solution is LGDISP. We do support RBE3 for

LGDISP in OptiStruct.

Can inertia relief be used with large displacement analysis?

Yes, inertia relief can be used with large displacement analysis.

Is it possible to enable and disable contacts for different analysis steps?

Yes, this is possible via subcase dependent model change.

Is it possible to do optimization with nonlinear analysis option?

We support nonlinear contact in optimization. Plasticity is currently under

development and large displacement is on our plans. Additionally, we support ESLM
(equivalent static load method) for all types of nonlinearity. However, this solution
uses RADIOSS as the solver instead of OptiStruct.

I am not sure what other contact behavior exists other than the contact forces
arising from the penetration if friction is not considered. Reason for asking the
question is to understand the physical scenarios which can be simulated using fast
contact.

Fast contact can be applied only for a specific set of problems where we do not
require to consider the effects of friction, plasticity or large displacement. If these
phenomena are considerable, then we recommend running a full blown nonlinear
analysis.

September 27, 2017

When traditional nonlinear analysis was compared with the quick analysis, quick
analysis was run without any nonlinear material properties. So my question is, if the
traditional nonlinear analysis also did not have any nonlinear material properties or
did it?

That is correct, the fast contact analysis works for a specific set of nonlinear
problems where there are no plasticity, friction or nonlinear geometry effects. For
comparison, traditional nonlinear analysis was also run without nonlinear material.

We have a model with shell elements that we must solve with no linear quasi static
analysis and LGDISP, 1 (large displacement). the model does not converge, unless we
eliminate the shell elements. We have reported this error to Altair Spain and they
told us that in future versions 2d element will be supported by the solver.

If the shells undergo large strain plasticity, this is currently under development.
Apart from that, shells for large displacement are supported.

Can you kindly send me more information about modelling the joints in OptiStruct
(sliding, cylindrical joint etc.)

You can get access to it by downloading the 2017.1 feature presentations from Altair
Connect. Feature presentation is available to download with the 2017.1 HW solvers
release notes. (Altair Connect ==> Download ==> Release Notes)

You have shown the examples, where you have a displacement for every increase in
the force. How about stiffness going from positive to negative, passing through zero?
(Meaning the snap-through behavior) During the analysis, is switching between
implicit-explicit-implicit possible?

Switching between implicit-explicit-implicit is not possible. We don’t support riks

method yet in OptiStruct, we do have plans to support it soon.

If you have an exercise or sample regarding simulation of spure gears and snaps for
plastics we appreciate, just to try to run the sliding you recommended us, also if you
share where can see more videos related to nonlinear transient analysis.

You can get access to some of the material by downloading the 2017.0 feature
presentations from Altair Connect. Feature presentation is available to download
with the 2017.0 HW solvers release notes. (Altair Connect ==> Download ==>
Release Notes) We also have exercises available in our online help documentation.

Are there any limitations for applying Neuber rule?

No known limitations, it works in linear and nonlinear static analysis.

September 27, 2017

In which cases is the simulation internally converted to RADIOSS?

Only if you are running NLGEOM, IMPDYN or EXPDYN. We don’t officially support
NLGEOM and IMPDYN anymore, we recommend using NLSTAT in OptiStruct to solve
all the implicit nonlinear problems.

What are the nonlinearities OptiStruct supports for optimization?

We support nonlinear contact in optimization. Plasticity is currently under

development and large displacement is on our plans. Additionally, we support ESLM
(equivalent static load method) for all types of nonlinearity. However, this solution
uses RADIOSS as the solver instead of OptiStruct.

Could you please let me know if OptiStruct can perform loading/displacement and
risk control algorithms ?

We support applying enforced displacement in OS. Riks algorithm is on our

development plan and should be supported soon.

Is large displacement is supported for solid elements in OptiStruct?

Yes, large displacement is supported for a number of elements including solid

elements.

Do you have a nonlinear material data base?

We don’t have any nonlinear material database available today.

Are there learning materials for nonlinear OptiStruct available? On Altair Connect or
Altair University

You can get access to feature presentations from Altair Connect. Feature
presentation is available to download with the 14.0/2017.0 HW solvers release
notes. (Altair Connect ==> Download ==> Release Notes)

There is also a lot of learning material available if you sign up for the program by
visiting www.altair.com/nonlinear

You can also attend nonlinear training by registering for the course on our website.
http://www.altairhyperworks.com/TrainingCourseDesc.aspx?class_id=184

I have question if OptiStruct already supports nonlinear analysis of all contact,

material and geometrical for 2D/shell model?

Yes, OptiStruct supports all types of nonlinearity for 2D shell elements.

September 27, 2017

Can we do 2 directional draw constrain in Rect.Cordiante too in 2017?

Yes, you can do a split draw direction constraint in OptiStruct.

When to go for N2S/ S2S?

Choosing N2S vs S2S

1. For N2S, it is recommended to use the finer mesh as the slave.

2. S2S is typically consumes higher computational time and memory resources
compared to N2S; however, it typically can generate smoother contact
pressure in many cases.
3. If the slave is a SET of GRID’s, then N2S should be used.
4. N2S is recommended, if the slave is a SET of solid elements. Alternately, the
surfaces of solid elements can be used as the slave for S2S.
5. N2S is recommended if the slave or master surface includes a corner.
Alternately, the surfaces can be split into smaller smooth surfaces and used as
masters or slaves for S2S contact

Can we get sample of user defined material models and example where we can use?

You can get access to it by downloading the 2017.0 feature presentations from Altair
Connect. Feature presentation is available to download with the 2017.0 HW solvers
release notes. (Altair Connect ==> Download ==> Release Notes)

I want to know the capabilities of the software that can be used in my company. I
don’t know about license limits of the software

Nonlinear capabilities of the solver have been discussed today in the webinar, other
solver capabilities were discussed in the webinar on 9/13/2017. For the recordings
of the webinar and for more material, please visit www.altair.com/nonlinear

For questions related to your license, please contact your account manager.

Any updates for the tire industry?

All the capabilities presented today should be applicable for tire industry as well.

Is there Newmark algorithm in transient solver of OptiStruct ?

Yes, OptiStruct supports generalized alpha method which can degenerate into
Newmark beta method.

Can the optimization tool only be used for isotropic materials?

It is supported for anisotropic and orthotropic materials as well.

September 27, 2017

What are the differences between freeze, stick and slide contact?

Freeze Contact enforces zero relative motion on the contact surface, the contact gap
opening remains fixed at the original value and the sliding distance is forced to be
zero. Additionally, rotations at the slave node are matched to the rotations of the
master patch. The FREEZE condition applies to all respective contact elements,
regardless of whether they are open or closed.

Sliding Contact has only normal contact stiffness at the contact interface and no
frictional effects. It is only valid for small sliding without friction and applies to both
open and closed contacts.

Stick contact is an enforced stick condition, wherein such contact interfaces will not
enter the sliding phase. It only applies to contacts that are closed.

Can Neuber be used as preload step for modal?

Neuber can be applied to any linear or nonlinear static subcase.

Does OptiStruct supports all hard, linear and exponential contacts?

Yes, OptiStruct supports all the above defined contact penalties.

Is it possible to output nodal stress contour? How would you set up the
corresponding parameter?

Yes, by picking appropriate location on STRESS I/O.

How sensitive is OptiStruct to quality of elements? Especially for NLGEOM jobs.

We recommend using the LGDISP solution which runs the native OptiStruct implicit
solver. Elements needs to pass the quality criteria defined by OptiStruct, if not, the
solver would error out.

What is the difference between strain free and strain recalculated?

For strain free reactivation, the initial configuration of the reactivated elements are
reset so that they exert no forces at the beginning of the reactivation step. This type
of reactivation is completed at the beginning of the reactivation step.

For strain recalculated reactivation, the initial configuration of the elements are
inherited from the preceding removal subcase such that new “virtual” nodes for the
reactivated elements are split from every common node between the reactivated
elements and the inherited elements. In the analysis process, the “virtual” nodes are
enforced to gradually merge with the corresponding common nodes at the end of
the reactivation step.

September 27, 2017

Is there a white paper on the oil canning analysis?

We don’t have a published paper on oil canning analysis, but it is a pretty

established method and there are many published papers available online.

Is acceleration supported in nonlinear transient ?

Yes, enforced acceleration is supported on nonlinear transient analysis.

Are there any Reduced Integraion Hexa Element in OptiStruct so that calculation
would be faster & fine enough?

Yes, we do support reduced integration elements for hexa elements, you can pick
the formulation using the PSOLID bulk data card.

Could share some exercise and models?

Yes, you can download a lot of material once you register on

www.altair.com/nonlinear. There are a lot of exercises available even in our online
help documentation.

Can friction value be changed within a single subcase?

Friction value can be pseudo-time dependent, so it should be possible. But what is

the use case here that you would like to change the friction value within a single
subcase.

Is it possible to perform shape optimization for hyperelastic material?

No, we don’t support optimization with large displacement analysis. You can use
HyperStudy to perform shape optimization of hyperelastic material.

What happens with contact on a design material if the material is removed (i.e.
topology)?

Contact in this case would have no stiffness, which is as good as it doesn’t exist.

Does the solution method work automatically for convergence or should I set the
right configurations in NLPARM? e.g. Residuals

The defaults on NLPARM should work, I wouldn’t recommend changing the default
residual tolerances.

Can we deactivate a load to check spring back effect in nonlinear analysis with
elasto-plastic material model?

Yes, we can perform loading-unloading to look at the spring back. You could do it
either by using CNTNLSUB or using TLOAD.
September 27, 2017