General Dynamic Analysis
General nonlinear dynamic analysis in Abaqus/Standard uses implicit time integration to calculate the transient dynamic or quasi-static response of a system. The procedure can be applied to a broad range of applications calling for varying numerical solution strategies, such as the amount of numerical damping required to obtain convergence and the way in which the automatic time incrementation algorithm proceeds through the solution. Typical dynamic applications fall into three categories:
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Transient fidelity applications, such as an analysis of satellite systems, require minimal energy dissipation. In these applications small time increments are taken to accurately resolve the vibrational response of the structure, and numerical energy dissipation is kept at a minimum. These stringent requirements tend to degrade convergence behavior for simulations involving contact or nonlinearities.
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Moderate dissipation applications encompass a more general range of dynamic events in which a moderate amount of energy is dissipated by plasticity, viscous damping, or other effects. Typical applications include various insertion, impact, and forming analyses. The response of these structures can be either monotonic or nonmonotonic. Accurate resolution of high-frequency vibrations is usually not of interest in these applications. Some numerical energy dissipation tends to reduce solution noise and improve convergence behavior in these applications without significantly degrading solution accuracy.
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Quasi-static applications are primarily interested in determining a final static response. These problems typically show monotonic behavior, and inertia effects are introduced primarily to regularize unstable behavior. For example, the statically unstable behavior may be due to temporarily unconstrained rigid body modes or “snap-through” phenomena. Large time increments are taken when possible to obtain the final solution at minimal computational cost. Considerable numerical dissipation may be required to obtain convergence during certain stages of the loading history.
An example of a transient fidelity application is available in Modeling of an automobile suspension. An analysis that includes both a moderate dissipation step and a quasi-static step is described in Impact analysis of a pawl-ratchet device.
Specifying the Application Type
Based on the classifications listed above, you should indicate the type of application you are studying when performing a general dynamic analysis. Abaqus/Standard assigns numerical settings based on your classification of the application type, and this classification can significantly affect a simulation. In some cases accurate results can be obtained with more than one application-type setting, in which case analysis efficiency should be considered. A general trend is that—among the three classifications—the high-dissipation quasi-static classification tends to result in the best convergence behavior and the low-dissipation transient fidelity classification tends to have the highest likelihood of convergence difficulty.
Input File Usage
Use the following option for transient fidelity applications:
DYNAMIC, APPLICATION=TRANSIENT FIDELITY (default for models without contact)
Use the following option for moderate dissipation applications:
DYNAMIC, APPLICATION=MODERATE DISSIPATION (default for models with contact)
Use the following option for quasi-static applications:
DYNAMIC, APPLICATION=QUASI-STATIC
Abaqus/CAE Usage
Step module: Create Step: General: Dynamic, Implicit
The application type is specified in the Edit Step dialog box:
Basic: Application: Transient fidelity, Moderate dissipation, Quasi-static, or Analysis product default
Diagnostics for Modeling Errors Associated with Mass Properties
Accurate representation of inertia properties is necessary for accurate dynamic analyses. In some cases Abaqus/Standard provides diagnostic messages when it detects likely modeling errors associated with the specification of inertia properties. The most common way of specifying inertia properties is with material densities. Abaqus/Standard issues a warning message to the data (.dat) file if a material density is omitted in a dynamic analysis (this warning is not issued if the density is zero only for certain values of temperature or field variables). Other methods of specifying inertia properties include:
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point mass and rotary inertia definitions, and
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constraining nodes without inertia themselves to nodes having inertia properties defined.
In some circumstances Abaqus/Standard attempts to solve systems of equations involving effective inversion of the global mass matrix to directly adjust velocities and accelerations during a general dynamic analysis as described in Initial Conditions and Intermittent Contact/Impact below. These additional velocity and acceleration adjustments occur by default only for transient fidelity application types as defined above. If the global mass matrix is found to be singular, Abaqus/Standard issues an error message by default, because singular mass is an indication that the mass properties are not realistic due to a modeling error.
Diagnostic feedback specific to the global mass matrix being singular is typically not provided for quasi-static and moderate dissipation application types, although warnings typically are issued regarding the lack of material density. Singular mass is not necessarily detrimental to a quasi-static analysis. For example, it would be reasonable to only define inertia properties (such as density) in components or regions with temporary static instabilities (such as initially unconstrained rigid body modes that become constrained once contact occurs) in a quasi-static analysis.
You can control the course of action Abaqus/Standard takes on detecting a singular global mass matrix.
Input File Usage
Use the following default option to issue an error message and stop execution if a singular global mass matrix is detected when calculating velocity and acceleration adjustments:
DYNAMIC, SINGULAR MASS=ERROR
Use the following option to issue a warning message and avoid velocity and acceleration adjustments (that is., continue time integration using current velocities and accelerations) if a singular global mass matrix is detected:
DYNAMIC, SINGULAR MASS=WARNING
Use the following option to adjust velocities and accelerations even if a singular mass matrix is detected. This setting can result in large, non-physical velocity and/or acceleration adjustments, which can, in turn, cause poor time integration solutions and artificial convergence difficulties. This approach is not generally recommended; it should be used only in special cases when the analyst has a thorough understanding of how to interpret results obtained in this way.
DYNAMIC, SINGULAR MASS=MAKE ADJUSTMENTS
Abaqus/CAE Usage
The default singular mass setting cannot be modified in Abaqus/CAE.
Numerical Details
The effect of the application-type classification on numerical aspects of general dynamic analyses is described below. In most cases the settings determined by the application type are sufficient to successfully perform an analysis. However, detailed user controls are provided to override settings on an individual basis.
Time Integration Methods
Abaqus/Standard uses the Hilber-Hughes-Taylor time integration by default unless you specify that the application type is quasi-static. The Hilber-Hughes-Taylor operator is an extension of the Newmark -method. Numerical parameters associated with the Hilber-Hughes-Taylor operator are tuned differently for moderate dissipation and transient fidelity applications (as discussed later in this section). The backward Euler operator is used by default if the application classification is quasi-static.
These time integration operators are implicit, which means that the operator matrix must be inverted and a set of simultaneous nonlinear dynamic equilibrium equations must be solved at each time increment. This solution is done iteratively using Newton's method. The principal advantage of these operators is that they are unconditionally stable for linear systems; there is no mathematical limit on the size of the time increment that can be used to integrate a linear system. An unconditionally stable integration operator is of great value when studying structural systems because a conditionally stable integration operator (such as that used in the explicit method) can lead to impractically small time steps and, therefore, a computationally expensive analysis.
Marching through a simulation with a finite time increment size generally introduces some degree of numerical damping. This damping differs from the material damping discussed in Material Damping (and in many cases these two forms of damping work well together). The amount of damping associated with the time integration varies among the operator types (for example, the backward Euler operator tends to be more dissipative than the Hilber-Hughes-Taylor operator) and in many cases (such as with the Hilber-Hughes-Taylor operator) depends on settings of numerical parameters associated with the operator. The ability of the operator to effectively treat contact conditions is often of considerable importance with respect to their usefulness. For example, some changes in contact conditions can result in “negative damping” (nonphysical energy source) for many time integrators, which can be very undesirable.
It is possible to override the time integrator implied by the application-type classification; for example, you can perform a moderate dissipation dynamic analysis using the backward Euler integrator. Changing the default integrator is not generally recommended but may be useful in special cases.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to use the Hilber-Hughes-Taylor integrator with default integrator parameter settings corresponding to those for transient fidelity applications:
DYNAMIC, TIME INTEGRATOR=HHT-TF
Use the following option to use the Hilber-Hughes-Taylor integrator with default integrator parameter settings corresponding to those for moderate dissipation applications:
DYNAMIC, TIME INTEGRATOR=HHT-MD
Use the following option to use the backward Euler integrator:
DYNAMIC, TIME INTEGRATOR=BWE
Abaqus/CAE Usage
The default time integrator cannot be modified in Abaqus/CAE.
Additional Control over Integrator Parameters
Additional user controls enable modifications to settings of numerical parameters associated with the Hilber-Hughes-Taylor operator (see Hilber, Hughes, and Taylor (1977) for descriptions of the numerical parameters). The default parameter settings depend on the specified application type, as indicated in Table 1 (see Czekanski, El-Abbasi, and Meguid (2001) for the basis of these settings).
Parameter | Application | |
Transient Fidelity | Moderate Dissipation | |
–0.05 | –0.41421 | |
0.275625 | 0.5 | |
0.55 | 0.91421 |
These parameters can be adjusted or modified individually if the Hilber-Hughes-Taylor operator is being used. If the default settings of these parameters correspond to the transient fidelity settings shown in Table 1 and you explicitly modify the parameter alone, the other parameters are adjusted automatically to and . This relation provides control of the numerical damping associated with the time integrator while preserving desirable characteristics of the integrator. The numerical damping grows with the ratio of the time increment to the period of vibration of a mode. Negative values of provide damping; whereas results in no damping (energy preserving) and is exactly the trapezoidal rule (sometimes called the Newmark -method, with and ). The setting provides the maximum numerical damping. It gives a damping ratio of about 6% when the time increment is 40% of the period of oscillation of the mode being studied. Allowable values of , , and are: , , .
Input File Usage
DYNAMIC, ALPHA=, BETA=, GAMMA=
Abaqus/CAE Usage
Only the parameter can be modified in Abaqus/CAE:
Step module: Create Step: General: Dynamic, Implicit: Other: Alpha: Specify:
Default Incrementation Schemes
Automatic time incrementation is used by default for nonlinear dynamic procedures. The main factors used to control adjustments to the time increment size for an implicit dynamic procedure are the convergence behavior of the Newton iterations and the accuracy of the time integration. The time increment size may vary considerably during an analysis. Details of the time increment control algorithm depend on the type of dynamic application you are studying.
The following factors are considered by default in the time increment control algorithm if you specify a quasi-static–type application (the same factors control the time increment size for purely static analyses):
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The time increment size is reduced if an increment appears to be diverging or if the convergence rate is slow.
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The time increment size is fairly aggressively increased if rapid convergence occurs in previous increments.
Analyses for moderate dissipation-type applications also use these same factors, as well as a default upper bound on the time increment size equal to one-tenth of the step duration.
The following factors are considered by default in the time increment control algorithm if you specify a transient fidelity–type application:
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The time increment size is reduced if an increment appears to be diverging or if the convergence rate is slow.
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The time increment size is reduced if changes in contact status are detected during the first attempt of processing an increment. The new increment size is set such that the end of the increment corresponds to the average time of the contact status changes that were detected with the previous increment size. (In such cases an additional very small time increment is used to enforce compatibility of velocities and accelerations across active contact interfaces.)
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The time increment size is reduced if the half-increment residual (out-of-balance force) halfway through a time increment exceeds the half-increment residual tolerance, which is 10,000 times the time average force for a contact analysis or 1000 times the time average force for an analysis without contact.
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The time increment is gradually increased if rapid convergence occurs in previous increments.
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The upper bound for the time increment size is equal to 1/100 of the step duration.
Intermittent Contact/Impact
The second and third factors described in the preceding list often result in very small time increment sizes for contact simulations that are performed as a transient fidelity application (and the time increment size tends to remain small due to the fourth factor). This problem can be avoided by specifying a different application type or by using more detailed user controls, as discussed below.
General Settings for the Time Increment Controls
A high-level user control over which factors are considered by the time increment control algorithm can be used to override the defaults implied by the specified application type for the analysis. Regardless of the application type you have specified, you can enforce time increment controls associated with either quasi-static applications or transient fidelity applications.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to obtain the aggressive time increment control settings associated with quasi-static applications:
DYNAMIC, INCREMENTATION=AGGRESSIVE
Use the following option to obtain the more conservative time increment control settings associated with transient fidelity applications:
DYNAMIC, INCREMENTATION=CONSERVATIVE
Abaqus/CAE Usage
The default time incrementation control settings cannot be modified in Abaqus/CAE.
Controlling the Half-Increment Residual
Controls associated with the half-increment residual tolerance are provided for tuning the time incrementation. These controls are intended for advanced users and typically do not need to be modified.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to specify that no check of the half-increment residual should be performed:
DYNAMIC, NOHAF
Use the following option to specify the half-increment residual tolerance as a scale factor of the time average force (moment):
DYNAMIC, HALFINC SCALE FACTOR=scale factor
Use the following option to directly specify the half-increment residual force tolerance (the half-increment residual moment tolerance is the half-increment residual force tolerance times the characteristic element length automatically calculated):
DYNAMIC, HAFTOL=tolerance
Abaqus/CAE Usage
Use the following option to specify that no check of the half-increment residual should be performed:
Step module: Create Step: General: Dynamic, Implicit: Incrementation: toggle on Suppress half-increment residual calculation
Use the following option to specify the half-increment residual tolerance as a scale factor of the time average force (moment):
Step module: Create Step: General: Dynamic, Implicit: Incrementation: Half-increment Residual: Specify scale factor: scale factor
Use the following option to specify the half-increment residual force tolerance directly:
Step module: Create Step: General: Dynamic, Implicit: Incrementation: Half-increment Residual: Specify value: tolerance
Controlling Incrementation Involving Contact
By default, specifying a transient fidelity application typically results in reduced time increment sizes on changes in contact status. An extra time increment with a very small size is subsequently performed to enforce compatibility of velocities and accelerations across active contact interfaces. Direct user control over these incrementation aspects is available.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to avoid automatically cutting back the increment size and enforcing velocity and acceleration compatibility in the contact region on changes in contact status:
DYNAMIC, IMPACT=NO
Use the following option to automatically cut back the increment size and enforce velocity and acceleration compatibility in the contact region on changes in contact status:
DYNAMIC, IMPACT=AVERAGE TIME
Use the following option to enforce velocity and acceleration compatibility in the contact region without automatically cutting back the increment size on changes in contact status:
DYNAMIC, IMPACT=CURRENT TIME
Abaqus/CAE Usage
The default contact incrementation scheme cannot be modified in Abaqus/CAE.
Direct Time Incrementation
You may directly specify the time increment size to be used. This approach is not generally recommended but may be useful in special cases. The analysis ends if convergence tolerances are not satisfied within the maximum number of iterations allowed.
It is possible to ignore convergence tolerances: the solution to an increment is accepted after the specified maximum number of iterations allowed even if convergence tolerances are not satisfied. Ignoring convergence tolerances can result in highly nonphysical results and is not recommended except by analysts with a thorough understanding of how to interpret results obtained this way.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to directly specify the time increment:
DYNAMIC, DIRECT
Use the following option to ignore convergence tolerances after the maximum number of iterations is reached:
DYNAMIC, DIRECT=NO STOP
Abaqus/CAE Usage
Use the following option to specify the time increment directly:
Step module: Create Step: General: Dynamic, Implicit: Incrementation: Fixed
Use the following option to ignore convergence tolerances after the maximum number of iterations is reached:
Step module: Create Step: General: Dynamic, Implicit: Other: Accept solution after reaching maximum number of iterations
Default Amplitude for Loads
Loads such as applied forces or pressures are ramped on by default if you have selected the quasi-static application classification; such ramping tends to enhance robustness because the load increment size is proportional to the time increment size. For example, if the Newton iterations are unable to converge for a particular time increment size, the automatic time incrementation algorithm reduces the time increment size and restart the Newton iterations with a smaller load increment considered.
For the other application classifications the dynamic procedure applies loads with a step function by default such that the full load is applied in the first increment of the step (regardless of the time increment size) and the load magnitude remains constant over each step. Thus, if the first increment is unable to converge with the original time increment size, reducing the time increment does not reduce the load increment by default. In some cases the convergence behavior still improves on reducing the time increment because the regularizing effect of inertia on the integration operators is inversely proportional to the square of the time increment size. See Defining an Analysis for more information on default amplitude types for the various procedures and how to override the default.