Tips and Tricks - Buckling

Sean Harvey
12/18/18

1 © 2015 ANSYS, Inc. January 2, 2019

 Agenda
• Overview Topics
• Linear Buckling – Eigenbuckling & Linear Perturbation
• Nonlinear Buckling
− Initial Imperfections
− Non-Convergence as indication
− Stabilization
− Load vs Displacement Control
− Post-Buckling and Arc-Length Method
• General Tips and Recommendations
• Tips for buckling of thin composites
• Summary
• Q&A
2 © 2015 ANSYS, Inc. January 2, 2019
 Introduction
• Buckling is a failure mode that concerns
many of our customers:
− Understand and prevent possible buckling
modes
Courtesy of Schlumberger
− Post-failure analysis to simulate actual
buckling
• Typically problematic for beam or shell
structures
• Various methods available for design or
failure analysis

NASA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUjpVBktTAI

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 Buckling Analysis

• Mathematical instability
• Structure under compressive stress
• Sudden loss of structural stiffness

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 Frequent questions
• Why does my simulation not show any • Why does my simulation show buckling?
buckling?

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 Bifurcation Point

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 Linear and nonlinear buckling

• Eigenvalue Bucking Analysis: predict bifurcation point

• Full Nonlinear Analysis: post-buckling behavior

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 Eigenbuckling & Linear Perturbation

• Linear buckling consists of solving the following

eigenproblem:
𝑲𝒊𝑻 − 𝝀 𝑺𝒑 𝝓𝒋 = 𝟎

− [K] is the tangent stiffness matrix, and [S] is the stress-

stiffening matrix.
• Linear buckling results are typically unconservative
and do not directly account for nonlinearities
• However, eigenbuckling is usually computationally
cheaper, multiple buckling modes can be found, and
it can be based on a linear or nonlinear analysis

8 © 2015 ANSYS, Inc. January 2, 2019

 Importance of Mesh Size
• Buckling Load Factor Sensitivity to mesh size.
• Thin plate with Fixed edges and thermally
heated
• Edge length =12”
• If mesh can not represent deformed shape well,
results will be incorrect.

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 Eigenbuckling & Linear Perturbation

• Total buckling load is determined by the following:

𝑭𝒃𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 = 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 + 𝝀𝒋 𝑭𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒃𝒆𝒅

− {Frestart} is the loading from the nonlinear base analysis

• Is zero if using linear base analysis
− {Fperturbed} is the loading defined in the Eigenbuckling analysis
• Is based on all loads in the static analysis if linear
• Can be different from {Frestart} for nonlinear base case
• Be careful since buckling load is not determined
the same for linear vs. nonlinear base analysis

10 © 2015 ANSYS, Inc. January 2, 2019

 Computing Buckling Load (Linear vs Non-Linear Base Analysis)

𝑭𝒃𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 = 𝝀𝒍 𝑭𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒅

Linear Base Analysis Non-Linear Base Analysis

• Applied Force = 100 N • Applied Force = 100 N
• Load Multiplier = 25.77 • Load Multiplier = 24.77
• Buckling Load = 25.77 * 100N = 2577 N • Buckling Load = 100 + 24.77* 100N = 2577 N

11 © 2015 ANSYS, Inc. January 2, 2019

 Eigenbuckling & Linear Perturbation
Search Keywords: critical buckling load

Customer Portal KM ID: 2038693

• This FAQ KM describes difference in output

for linear buckling, depending on whether
base analysis is linear or nonlinear
– Linear base analysis results in a load multiplier
– Nonlinear base analysis results in a load multiplier times
the changed applied load added to the base analysis
– Simple WB project archive attachment

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 What makes a base analysis non-linear?

• Contacts including bonded( non MPC )

• Material Non-linearities
• Large displacement
• So.. Be sure to look in legend to see if Load
Multiplier states Linear or Nonlinear

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 Keep Pre-Stress Load-Pattern
• In the Analysis Settings of the Eigenvalue
Buckling You have a choice to Keep the Pre-
Stress Load Pattern
• Default is set to Yes, meaning you do not need
to re-specify the loads in the eigenvalue
buckling, the loads in the pre-stress will be used

15 © 2015 ANSYS, Inc. January 2, 2019

 Nonlinear buckling – How to solve?

• Numerical stabilization
– Add numerical damping
– Global and local instability
• Arc-length method
– Global instability
– Negative slope of load-displacement
curve

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 Arc-length Method

• Arc-length method

Additional constraint equation to equilibrium:

It’s a circle equation.

Displacement unknown Load multiplier, Radius,

unknown a given constant
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 Arc Length Solution Method Animation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4IaRcUM0Mk

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 Nonlinear Stabilization

• Artificial damper/dashpot element

• Damping force proportional to relative pseudo velocity

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 Nonlinear Stabilization

• Energy Method
– Automatically calculated damping factor
– Factor vary from element to element
– Local instability

• Damping method
– Defined damping factor
– Same factor for all element

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 A nonlinear buckling model
• L shape frame under a point load
– Solved with nonlinear stabilization
– Solved by arc-length method

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 Compare Methods

ANSYS Help https://ansyshelp.ansys.com/account/secured?returnurl=/Views/Secured/corp/v192/ans_str/Hlp_G_STRUNST.html%23strnonstabvsarclen

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 A nonlinear buckling model

• Nonlinear stabilization
– Can Restart from failed point
– Check stabilization energy and force
– Stabilization energy should not be high compared to total
energy

• Arc-length method
– Apply load by command snippet
– Can’t use tabular loading

kbc,0
f,NODE_FORCE,fy,-500
arclen,on,10,1e-7 ! Radius multiplier = 1e-7 to 10
23 © 2015 ANSYS, Inc. January 2, 2019
 A nonlinear buckling model

When solving the model by stabilization

• Check stabilization force

– Command: OUTPR,SFOR,ALL ! Output stabilization force

• Check energy
– System energy = 2.6
– Stabilization energy (STEN) = 0.4

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 Initial Imperfections – Nonlinear Buckling

• Most FEA simulations won’t have imperfections included as part of the original
design
• Manufacturing processes can impart imperfections
• Pure nature of building components within tolerances will result in designs that are
rarely perfect
• Important to account for imperfections as a perfect structure may not exhibit
buckling (Non-Linear Buckling)

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 How to simulate imperfections?

• Right Mouse Button On Solution (B6) and pick Properties.

• Set Scale Factor and Mode from Eigenvalue Buckling
• This passes the deformed model (not stress or strains!) to the new Static Structural
• What Scale Factor? You should look at the displacements (eigenvector) from the Eigenvalue
buckling and pick a value that when multiplied results in expected deformations from
manufacturing, etc. – Discussed on next slide
• Also note that buckling can be performed as a load step in a complex multi load simulation and
any stress/strains (like plasticity, etc.) carry to the subsequent load. Do not need Eigenvalue
Buckling as prior step, but it is useful as gives you typically a theorical value one could expect
(but is usually unconservative)
• Example: Step 1, preload part and part deforms with plastic strains developed. Step 2,
applied in service loads and ramp them up to predict buckling
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 Sensitivity of nonlinear buckling to initial imperfection
• Box Beam with plasticity, Displacement Control
• Geometry updated with 1st buckling mode
displacement/length = .0005 and .001
• Compare with d/L = 0 (perfect – no imperfection)

Eigenbuckling

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 Stabilization Example
• Box Beam with plasticity, Force Control
• Geometry updated with 1st buckling mode
displacement/length = .001
• Notice sensitivity to stabilization energy

Displacement
Control

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 Arc-Length Example
• Box Beam with plasticity, Force Control
Displacement

• Geometry updated with 1st buckling mode Control

displacement/length = .001
• No stabilization, but use a few commands for
force application and arc-length method
– kbc,0
– f,rp1,fy,-10000
– arclen,on,1,1e-7
• Notice that time goes backwards (force is
proportional to time, so force is decreasing and
so is time)

29 © 2015 ANSYS, Inc. January 2, 2019

 How can we perform a non-linear buckling analysis?

Search Keywords: Buckling, Large deflection

Customer Portal KM ID: 2039636

• Find imperfection scheme from eigenvalue
buckling
• Scale the original geometry to include
imperfection
• Use deformed shape as initial geometry to
perform nonlinear simulation
• Note that this solution works, but now
connecting solution to setup cell as shown in
Slide “How to simulate imperfections?” is
current in later releases

30 © 2015 ANSYS, Inc. January 2, 2019

 How do we know the structure has buckled?

• Review deformed shape

• Simulation will typically bisect as model becomes
unstable leading to convergence challenges
− You must have large deflection on
− You should set Maximum Substeps to a large number
• If model does not converge, does that mean it
has buckled?
− Not necessarily but often there are trends in increasing
displacements with loading showing the onset of
buckling
• Plot load versus displacement curve

31 © 2015 ANSYS, Inc. January 2, 2019

 How can I use non-converged solutions in design points?

Search Keywords: Buckling, Design point

Customer Portal KM ID: 2038993

• This KM describes how to use non-converged
solution as design points
− Enforce mechanical solver to continue despite non-
convergence
− Query last converged results

• Workbench project is available

32 © 2015 ANSYS, Inc. January 2, 2019

 Buckling Analysis of a Ring-Stiffened Cylinder Using Nonlinear
Stabilization
Search Keywords: Post-Buckling, Nonlinear stabilization

Customer Portal KM ID: 2046239

• A complete post-buckling simulation
• APDL
• Nonlinear stabilization guidelines
• Discussion of results

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 Cannot use tabular loading for arc length method

Search Keywords: Post-Buckling, Nonlinear stabilization

Customer Portal KM ID: 2038185, 2040816

• Tabular loads can't have negative time, so they aren't suitable for the arc-
length method. Starting from Release 16.0, the use of tabular loads has been
blocked when using the arc-length method.

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 Buckling of composite sandwich structures
• Short wavelength buckle
• This failure is caused by the low out of plane
shear modulus of the sandwich core
• If see these zig-zag modes, look for low shear
modulus and turn on Shear Crimping
prediction in ANSYS Composite PrePost

35 © 2015 ANSYS, Inc. January 2, 2019

 Summary
• Buckling is an important potential failure mode
• Mesh size can affect buckling loads and shapes
• Eigenvalue Buckling is often unconservative but good first step in understanding buckling
behavior and loads, but can not account for imperfections, plasticity, large deformations
• Eigenvalue Buckling can not account for buckling due to local plasticity
• Non-Linear Buckling is more accurate, yet takes longer due to non-linear solution
• Results from non-linear are often dependent on the model complexity and imperfections
• Displacement Control vs Load Controlled
• Understanding post-buckling behavior is often not necessary, but may be to understand
load transfers, failure analysis, etc.
− Use arc-length method, displacement controlled, or stabilization (carefully to not over stabilize)

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 Searching for Solutions

Type in key words

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 Thank you!

Questions?

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