Static Crack Growth Analysis of ARCAN Specimen - ANSYS Workbench


This tutorial includes step-by-step static crack growth analysis of ARCAN Specimen.
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Step 1: Overview
In complex aircraft structure, crack growth rarely propagates in the idealized fashion assumed in durability and damage tolerance analyses (DADTA). Usually the applied loading is not perpendicular to the crack nucleating feature and subsequent crack propagation. This situation is known as mixed mode crack growth or in more general terms, three dimensional (3D) crack growth. Most DADTA’s conducted assume mode I loading only; thus, engineering judgment is used to estimate the amount of error present in the idealized models. A better understanding of mixed mode fatigue crack growth is needed to design better crack prediction models. Little work has been published in the area of mixed mode fatigue crack growth, hindering the development of newer and more accurate DADTA.
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Step 2: Setup
- Drag and Drop a Static Structural Analysis on ANSYS Workbench Main Menu:
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Step 3: Engineering Data (Material Model)
- The selected material for this tutorial is "SAE 1020 Carbon Steel".
- The material model consists of Isotropic Elasticity, Tensile Yield Strength and Tensile Ultimate Strength.
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Step 4: Geometry (SpaceClaim Model)
- The dimensions of ARCAN Specimen with 1.01mm thickness which has been created on SpaceClaim could be seen below:
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Step 5: Defining the Crack (Named Selections)
- While defining the crack front and crack surfaces, the edge and the surfaces which could be seen on below figure have been used as Named Selections:
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Step 6: Defining the Crack (Pre-Meshed Crack & SMART Crack Growth)
- With the Named Selections which have been created on previos step, "Pre-Meshed Crack" has been defined as below:
- "SMART Crack Growth" with Static Crack Growth Option and 600 MPA.mm ^ (0.5) of Stress Intensity Factor has been defined with Pre-Meshed Crack:
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Step 7: Mesh Operations
- The default mesh operations with the "Patch Conforming Method" and "Refinement" on Crack Front have been implemented. Deafult Element Size has been determined as 1.515mm:
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Step 8: Boundary Conditions
- The Boundary Conditions have been implemented as below figure:
- Simulating the Movement of the Pins (4 Yellowish Edges):
- Simulating the Symmetric Movement (1 Yellowish Edge):
- Simulating the Plane-Strain Conditions (2 Yellowish Faces):
- Loads on Pins:
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Step 9: Results
- Total Deformation:
- Equivalent Stress:
- Crack Extension: