XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX''"> Organization of Guide
This document describes the use of MSC Fatigue to solve fatigue problems using finite element analysis results. The guide includes the following chapter topics:
Introduction (Ch.1) provides an overview of the features of MSC Fatigue.
Using MSC Fatigue (Ch.2) describes the details involved in setting up, submitting, monitoring, and aborting a MSC Fatigue job both within the MSC Patran environment and in its own stand alone mode. Also the graphical postprocessing of results is described including two modules, PFPOST and PCPOST, used for tabular viewing of fatigue results.
Material Management (Ch.3) describes in detail the creation and manipulation of cyclic material properties using the materials database manager, PFMAT, which can be accessed directly from the MSC Fatigue setup forms or from the computer’s operating system.
Loading Management (Ch.4) describes in detail the creation and manipulation of loading time histories, power spectral density functions (PSDs), and rainflow matrices (spectrums) using the database manager, PTIME, which can be accessed directly from the MSC Fatigue setup forms or from the computer’s operating system. Other modules for multiple graphical displays, MMFD, and peak-valley-extraction, MPVXMUL, are also described.
Total Life and Crack Initiation (Ch.5) describes the operation of the fatigue solver, FEFAT, including the fatigue preprocessing (rainflow cycle counting), fatigue analysis, sensitivity studies, and factor of safety calculations. The details of this module as both an interactive and batch operation, which offers a fast route for processing multiple MSC Fatigue jobs, is explained also.
Multiaxial Fatigue (Ch.6) addresses multiaxial consideration when loading conditions are nonproportional. Standard accepted uniaxial methods break down when these conditions exist.
Crack Growth (Ch.7) describes the crack growth module, PCRACK, both its interactive and batch operations. The K solution or compliance function preparation module, PKSOL, for defining crack geometries is also described in this chapter as well as postprocessing options. The interface to NASA/FLAGRO is also explained in this chapter.
Vibration Fatigue (Ch.8) describes the operation of the fatigue analyzer, FEVIB, where loading is in the form of PSDFs and the finite element results are from frequency response or random vibration analyses.
Weld Analysis (Ch.9) describes the fatigue spot weld analyzer, SPOTW, where spot welds are modeled as rigid bars between two sheets using MSC Nastran. Polar display of results is also explained in this chapter.
Software Strain Gauges (Ch.11) describes the creation of software strain gauges, directly on to locations of the FE model, the extraction of FE results from these gauges, and the subsequent fatigue analysis, SSG, of these results with possible correlation to actual data from hardware strain gauges.
Fatigue Utilities (Ch.13) describes the collection of utility modules for advanced loading and cycle/damage display and manipulation as well as other useful utilities such as cross-platform file transfers, hardcopy plotting, and fatigue calculations from measured stress and/or strain data.
Validation Problems (Ch.14) shows detailed examples of each of the fatigue analyzers available in MSC Fatigue including how to set up jobs, submit and monitor them and evaluate the results. Some of these problems are used for benchmarking and validation of the MSC Fatigue application.
Fatigue Theory (Ch.15) covers the basic fatigue theories for S-N and crack initiation analysis used in MSC Fatigue. Theory for other analysis types are covered in their respective chapters. This chapter in not intended to be complete technical text on fatigue analysis, but rather a fairly comprehensive overview of the techniques adopted by MSC Fatigue.
A comprehensive Quick Start Guide is also available separately from this guide to quickly get you started as a productive MSC Fatigue user including several useful example problems.