ENG781S1 - Tutorial 9: Nonlinear Buckling Analysis of a Cylinder using ANSYS Finite

Element software.

All DIMENSIONS
IN MILLIMETRES

.3

Material Mild: Steel E = 2E5 N→ mm2 Poisson’s Ratio, ν = PRXY = 0.3

Thickness: t = 1 mm
Yield Stress = 300 MPa Tangent Modulus = 4000 MPa
The tutorial is carried out using a curved shell finite element (SHELL281).

Instruction Convention:
Utility Menu options will be shown in UPPERCASE.
Main Menu options will be shown in Bold.

Create a Working Folder for this tutorial:

Create a new folder in your N: drive and name it something appropriate such as “ANSYS
Exercises”. Create a new folder for this exercise within the previous one, again naming it
something appropriate such as “Tutorial 9”.

Set the Directory, Jobname and Preferences:

FILE → CHANGE DIRECTORY → Select the folder you created above (“Tutorial 9”).
FILE → CHANGE JOBNAME → Type in a filename for the exercise.
Preferences → Tick Structural → Click OK.

Draw the Model:

Preprocessor → Modeling → Create → Volumes → Cylinder → Solid Cylinder → Type in
the coordinates of the centre of the cylinder base relative to the origin (WP X=0, WP Y=0) and
its radius (Radius=50) and height (Depth=200) → Click OK.
The cylinder should now be drawn on the screen. It is best displayed in an isometric view, i.e.
using the top view icon:

Set Element Types:

Preprocessor → Element Type → Add→ Edit→ Delete → Add → Shell → 8node 281 →
Click OK → Click Close.
Set Linear Static Material Properties:
Preprocessor → Material Props → Material Models → Under “Material Modes Available”
select: Structural → Linear → Elastic → Isotropic → Type in the material constants: Young’s
Modulus and Poisson’s Ratio (EX = E and PRXY = ν) → Click OK → Close the material
window.

Set Nonlinear Material Properties:

Preprocessor → Material Props → Material Models → Structural → Nonlinear → Inelastic →
Rate Independent → Isotropic Hardening Plasticity → Mises Plasticity → Bilinear
Type in the Yield Stress (eg 300 MPa) and the Tangent Modulus (Slope of Stress→ Strain for the
plastic region). This is typically the Young’s Modulus divided by 50 (eg 4000 MPa) OK
CLOSE the Material window.
The values will of course vary for materials other than mild steel…

Define Section Type for Shell Elements:

Preprocessor → Sections → Shell → Lay-Up → Add→ Edit → Enter 1 for Thickness and
note that the section ID = 1 (this is Section 1) → Click OK.

Delete Volumes:
Preprocessor → Modelling → Delete → Volumes → Pick all

Mesh Areas:
PLOT / Areas
Preprocessor → Meshing → MeshTool → The MeshTool window will pop up. From the
MeshTool window change the drop down box from Volumes to Areas and select Quad for the
shape → Click the Mesh button → Pick both sides of the cylinder (not the two circular ends).
Click OK. The finite element mesh should now be drawn.

In this procedure a default mesh size is selected. To set your own element size in the MeshTool:
Global → SET and type in an appropriate Element Edge Length. However, here the “Refine”
works well.

Refine Mesh:
Preprocessor → Meshing → MeshTool → Refine → Pick all
A better sized mesh should result.

Close the MeshTool window. (It may be behind the active window).

Applying the Restraints:

Solution → Define Loads → Apply → Structural → Displacement → On Lines → Pick the 4
quadrants that make the bottom edges of the cylinder (near the x, y, z axes) → Click OK →
Select→ highlight All DOF → Click OK.

If an eigenbuckling analysis has not yet been carried out, it must now be done (see Ex 9). It is
assumed that this has been done and that the eigenbuckling predicts buckling failure at a pressure
of 1.2 MPa. The pressure applied for the nonlinear buckling analysis must be considerably
greater than the eigenbuckling prediction, say 10 times this.

Applying the Pressure Loading for the Nonlinear Analysis:

Preprocessor / Loads → Apply → Structural → Pressure → On Areas → Pick both sides of
the cylinder → Click OK → Type in the VALUE Load PRES value as -15 (this is 10 times the
eigenbuckling prediction)→ Click OK.

Check that the Cylinder is under External Pressure:

PLOTCTRLS → SYMBOLS → SET SURFACE LOAD SYMBOLS TO “PRESSURE”, SET
VISIBILITY OF SHELLS TO “ON” and SET SHOW PRESS AND CONVECT TO
“ARROWS”. → Click OK

SAVE the file.

Set the Nonlinear Controls:

Solution → New Analysis → Static
Solution → Analysis Type → Sol’n Controls

The Solution Controls window will appear.

Ensure that the Basic tab from the top of the Solutions Control menu is displayed.
From the Analysis Options window select Large Displacement Static and leave the Calculate
prestress effects unticked.

From the Time Control window, ensure Automatic Time Stepping is ON.
Ensure Number of Substeps (radio button) is ON
Enter 20 as the number of substeps. This will set the initial substep to 1→ 20 of the total load.
Enter 1000 as the “max no. of substeps”. This will stop the program if the solution does not
converge.
Enter 1 as the “min no. of substeps”.
From the Write Items to Results File window, ensure All Solution Items radio button is selected.
From the Frequency window, select Write Every Substep

Choose Nonlinear from the top of the Solutions Control menu tab.
In the Nonlinear Options window, ensure Line search is ON
In the Equilibrium Iterations window, delete the words “Program Chosen”, and set the Max
number of iterations to 1000. Click Ok

SAVE the file.

Running the Analysis:

Solutions → Solve → Current LS → OK
If the run is successful Solution is done will appear on the screen Close this window FILE →
CLOSE the window in the graphics screen. Very often the run does not “succeed”, as deflections
and distortions occur. This is fine and expected as the cylinder is being loaded to destruction, and
more!

Viewing the Deflected Shape:

Main Menu → General Postproc → Read Results → Last Set
Plot Results → Contour Plot → Nodal Solution → DoF Solu →
Disp Vector Sum → OK. Size to the screen. An interesting shape should greet you!

Viewing the stresses (these are not relevant for nonlinear buckling analysis):
PLOT RESULTS → CONTOUR PLOT → NODAL SOLUTION → STRESS → 1st Principal
and Select Def Shape Only → OK

Reviewing the Step History Results:

To view a graph of Deflection and Pressure of a central Nodal point.
Main Menu → Timehist Postpro.
The TIME HISTORY VARIABLES window will appear.

Click the + icon to add a variable.

Click Nodal Solution → DoF Solution → X- Component of Disp → OK
Pick a NODE at mid height on the cylinder. OK

To plot the graph. Set the Nodal Disp to be the x-Axis. This is a radio button towards the right hand
end of the menu.
Highlight the top line, which is the Pressure Load in the range 0.05 – 1.0. This will be the y-Axis.
Click the Graph Data icon.

If this fails to work select.

Main Menu → Timehist Postpro. Variable Viewer → Define Variables → etc - See 1st graph
below.

To Change the Labels on the Axes:

Plot Ctrls → Style → Graphs → Modify Axes.
The y-axis can be changed to “Press Factor” (from “Valu”) and the
the x-axis has been changed to “X – displacement” (from “Time”). - See 2nd graph below.

To Obtain the Nonlinear Buckling Pressure from the Graph:

A typical graph is given below. It shows a change from the initial linear when the Press Factor =
0.26. The applied load was 15 MPa, and so nonlinear buckling analysis predicts that buckling will
occur at approx. 15 x 0.26 = 3.9 MPa.

Note: Do not be surprised if the nonlinear buckling analysis predictions differ significantly from
eigenbuckling predictions.