Example 3 - S-beam Crash
Summary
A sensitive study is performed on a crushed S-beam. The modeling includes a material law using the
elasto-plastic model of Johnson-Cook and an auto-impacting interface based on the Penalty method in
order to model the buckling of the beam. An initial velocity is applied on the left section via a kinematic
condition: either a rigid body or a rigid link. The impacting condition is sliding and is secured by specific
boundary conditions in the right section. Half of the structure is modeled.
The results are compared according to three different views:
Shell element formulations (BATOZ, QEPH and BT hourglass type 3)
Plasticity options (global and progressive plasticity)
Influence of the initial velocity (5 and 10 ms -1)
Several criteria are used to compare the results:
Deformation configuration
Crushing force versus displacement (via momentum integration)
Energy assessment
Displacement of the left section
Hourglass energy
Kinetic energy
Internal energy
Maximum force
Maximum plastic strain
BATOZ and QEPH element formulations provide accurate results. The BT hourglass type 3 formulation is
a low-cost method and the QEPH formulation provides a good precision/cost ratio (the cost is three times
lower than the BATOZ formulation). BATOZ and QEPH are element formulations which do not have
hourglass energy.
The results show an over-estimation of the plastic strain in the case of the global plasticity use.
Title
S-Beam
Number
3.1
Brief Description
An S-beam is crushed against a rigid wall with initial velocity.
Keywords
Shell, type 3 Q4 Hourglass, QEPH, BATOZ
Interface type 7, auto-impacting, plasticity, /MAT/LAW2
MODIF files
RADIOSS Options
Initial velocities (/INIVEL)
Rigid body (/RBODY)
Rigid link (/RLINK)
Input File
QEPH: <install_directory>/demos/hwsolvers/radioss/03_SBeam/QEPH/Global_plasticity/QEPH*
BATOZ: <install_directory>/demos/hwsolvers/radioss/03_SBeam/BATOZ/Global_plasticity/BATOZ*
BT_type3_NiP0: <install_directory>/demos/hwsolvers/radioss/03_S-Beam/BTtype3/Global_plasticity/Q4_NIP0*
BT_type3_NiP5: <install_directory>/demos/hwsolvers/radioss/03_S-Beam/BTtype3/NiP5/Q4_NIP5*
RADIOSS Version
44q
Technical / Theoretical Level
Beginner
Overview
Aim of the Problem
The purpose of this example is to study the behavior of a crashed S-beam using various shell formulations
and a number of different integration points. This test also compares the initial velocity influence on
results. A MODIF file is used to introduce an auto-impacting interface.
Physical Problem Description
An Sbeam is crushed at an initial rate of 5 ms-1 against a rigid wall. The section is an empty squareshaped tube (each side measuring 80 mm). The thickness is 1.5 mm. The tube is made of steel, and
plasticity is taken into account, but not failure. Using symmetry, half of the cross-section is modeled.
Fig 1: Problem description and beam cross-section.
Units: mm, ms, g, N, MPa
The material used follows an isotropic elasto-plastic Johnson-Cook law.
Material properties:
Youngs modulus: 199355 MPa
Poissons ratio: 0.3
Density: 7.9x10-3 g/mm3
Yield stress: 185.4 MPa
Hardening parameter: 540 MPa
Hardening exponent: 0.32
Maximum stress: 336.6 MPa
All other properties are set to the default values.
Analysis, Assumptions and Modeling Description
Modeling Methodology
The mesh is a regular shell mesh. Each shell measures approximately 10 mm x 10 mm.
A sensitive study is performed on:
Shell element formulations: BATOZ, QEPH and Belytschko hourglass type 3
Plasticity options: global and progressive plasticity model
Influence of the initial velocity: 5 and 10 ms-1
Fig 2: Structures overall mesh
The rigid wall is modeled with boundary conditions on the right section of the beam (X, Z translations and
all rotations fixed).
The left section undergoes the following conditions:
Fixed in the Z direction.
Initial velocity of 5 m/s in the X direction.
All nodes are rigidly connected in X, Y and Z directions.
A 500 Kg mass is added on the left end.
Block format input specifications:
Hierarchy organization: there is only one subset made up of three parts, one for each side of the beam,
and one for the top. The materials and properties are identical for each part.
Node groups: there are three node groups, one for each end of the beam, and one for the symmetry
plane. The boundary conditions are set on the left end.
TH selection: DX is saved for node 1 (the node used to display displacement at the left end).
RADIOSS Options Used
Taking account of symmetry, half of the structure is modeled. The symmetry plane covers the y axis = 0
mm. Boundary conditions are also set at the right end to simulate a rigid wall (slide).
Two equivalent possibilities are available for generating kinematic conditions attached to the left extremity
of the beam. The first consists of creating a rigid body to connect all of the left section nodes to the gravity
center of the beam cross-section, with a mass being introduced on a master node. The second type of
modeling retained uses the rigid link option, which rigidly connects the left section nodes in the X, Y and Z
directions. A 500 kg mass is added to the master node.
Both models provide identical results; the rigid link will be used for this example.
An initial velocity of 5 ms-1 is used for the master node of the rigid link or for the rigid body.
MODIF file:
A MODIF file enables to add option(s) during a run. The MODIF files carry the name Runnamednn.
For example, to run a MODIF files after the first run (restart file Runnamer01), the run number for
the MODIF file must be 02: Runnamed02.
MODIF files use the same input format as the RADIOSS deck. In RADIOSS V44, the header lines
are defined as the first line of the RADIOSS deck:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
#RADIOSS Starter Invers Runname Runnum
Except for the header line, blocks may be input in any order.
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
After 20 ms, an auto-impacting interface is required to deal with the buckling of the beam. This is added
using a MODIF file where the interface is defined and saved for the TH. This type of interface
corresponds to 7; all values are set to "default". To define the master side, a surface is defined using
three parts of the model (/SURF/PART). The safest and easiest method for defining the slave side of an
auto-impacting interface consists of defining a node group with the master surface (/GRNOD/SURF).
The MODIF file is CRA2D02.
The next Engine file is CRA2D03 (final time = 30 ms).
Fig 3: Contact force at the start of auto-impacting.
The MODIF file options used in Engine file D02 are:
#RADIOSS Starter
44
QEPH
2
#--1---|---2---|---3---|---4---|---5---|---6---|---7---|---8---|---9---|-10---|
/SURF/PART/1/master surface of interface
1
2
3
/GRNOD/SURF/10/slave nodes of interface
1
/INTER/TYPE7/1/auto-impacting
10
1
/TH/INTER/10/auto-impacting
FN
1
/IOFLAG
0 0 0
/END
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Simulation Results and Conclusions
Curves and Animations
Fig 4: Deformed mesh for Belytschko hourglass type 3 formulation (V=5 m.s -1)
The crushing force is obtained by time derivation of the X-momentum. The maximum displacement over a
20 ms long computation corresponds to 96.4 mm.
Fig 5: Crushing force (X-direction) versus displacement for different element formulations (V=5 m.s -1)
Fig 6: Energy assessment for Belytschko hourglass type 3 (V=5 m.s-1).
Note that the structure does not absorb a lot of energy and that you should check the hourglass energy,
which may be relatively high compared with the total energy.
The following table shows the results obtained using different element formulations and plasticity options:
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Global plastification (NiP = 0)
BATOZ
QEPH
Initial energy (mJ)
6.25012x106
Kinetic energy
(mJ)
t = 30 ms
Internal energy
(mJ)
t = 30 ms
Hourglass energy
(mJ)
t = 30 ms
Displacement
(mm)
t = 30 ms
CPU
(Normalized)
Error on energy
(%)
t = 30 ms
Maximum force
(N)
Maximum plastic
strain
NiP = 5
6.25012x106
Q4 Hourglass
type 3
6.25012x106
Q4 Hourglass
type 3
6.25012x106
5.48166x106
(0.877)
5.47964x106
(0.875)
5.55602x106
(0.889)
5.5487x106
(0.888)
768124
(0.123)
798529
(0.125)
684098
(0.109)
688984
(0.110)
10017.7
(0.0016)
12220.2
(0.002)
143.46
143.55
144.6
144.28
4.88
1.58
1.38
0%
0%
-1.46%
-1.77%
42459.4
42688.5
35949.4
35387.2
0.462
0.448
0.414
0.323
Initial velocity = 5 ms-1 (Values in brackets are the energy percentages compared with the initial energy)
Plastic Strain - Time = 10.00 ms
Global plastification
Progressive plastification (Nip = 5)
Plastic Strain - Time = 30.00 ms
10
Global plastification
Progressive plastification (Nip = 5)
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Initial Velocity Influence
The following table indicates the influence of the crushing velocity (5 ms -1 and 10 ms-1).
Initial Velocity = 5 ms-1
Initial Velocity = 10 ms-1
6.25012x106
2.5 x107
X displacement = 70
mm:
X displacement = 140
mm:
Internal energy (mJ)
5.79897x106 (0.928)
5.57192x106 (0.891)
2.44581x107 (0.978)
2.41546 x107 (0.966)
X displacement = 70
mm:
X displacement = 140
mm:
Hourglass energy (mJ)
444848 (0.0711)
666704 (0.107)
538142 (0.0215)
840622 (0.0336)
X displacement = 70
mm:
X displacement = 140
mm:
Maximum force (N)
4879.87 (0.0009)
9530.27 (0.002)
5969.83 (0.0005)
12702.4 (0.0004)
35949.4
41704.3
Error on energy (%)
-1.09%
-1.11%
Initial energy (mJ)
Kinetic energy (mJ)
(Values in brackets refer to the energy percentages compared with the initial energy)
BT hourglass type 3 formulation is used in this section.
The amount of internal energy stored in the beam during a crash is relatively higher when the initial
velocity is set to 10 ms-1, instead of 5 ms-1. The hourglass energy is quite low with either initial velocity.
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Fig 7: Crushing force versus displacement for the different initial velocities
Fig 8: Kinetic energy normalized for the different initial velocities
First auto-contact:
Initial velocity = 5 ms-1: displacement = 120 mm;
Initial velocity = 10 ms-1: displacement = 94.15 mm.
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