26-02-2013, 03:19 PM
MANE 4240/ CIVL 4240: Introduction to Finite Elements
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Introduction
Abaqus is a suite of powerful engineering simulation programs based on the finite element
method, sold by Dassault Systèmes as part of their SIMULIA Product Life-cycle Management
(PLM) software tools. The lectures in MANE 4240/CILV 4240 will cover the basics of linear
finite element analysis with examples primarily from linear elasticity. The unique features of
Abaqus include:
Abaqus contains an extensive library of elements that can model virtually any geometry.
You may import geometry from a many different CAD software packages.
Using Abaqus, you should be able to use various different material models to simulate the
behavior of most typical engineering materials including metals, rubber, polymers,
composites, reinforced concrete, crushable and resilient foams, and geotechnical
materials such as soils and rock.
Designed as a general-purpose simulation tool, Abaqus can be used to study more than
just structural (stress/displacement) problems. It can simulate problems in such diverse
areas as heat transfer, mass diffusion, thermal management of electrical components
(coupled thermal-electrical analyses), acoustics, soil mechanics (coupled pore fluidstress
analyses), and piezoelectric analysis.
Abaqus offers a wide range of capabilities for simulation of linear and nonlinear
applications. Problems with multiple components are modeled by associating the
geometry defining each component with the appropriate material models and specifying
component interactions. In a nonlinear analysis Abaqus automatically chooses appropriate
load increments and convergence tolerances and continually adjusts them during the
analysis to ensure that an accurate solution is obtained efficiently.
You can perform static as well as dynamic analysis (see both Abaqus/Standard and
Abaqus/Explicit).
Abaqus SE installation instructions
To install the software, download the Abaqus Student Edition (SE) executable file appropriate for
your architecture and double click the executable Abaqus610(611)SE_win86_32(64).exe. You
will be prompted to extract the installation setup files into a directory of your choice and begin
the installation procedure. The installation procedure must be performed with system
administrator privileges.
Preprocessing (Abaqus/CAE)
In this stage you must define the model of the physical problem and create an Abaqus input file.
The model is usually created graphically using Abaqus/CAE or another preprocessor, although
the Abaqus input file for a simple analysis can be created directly using a text editor (as you are
required to do for your miniproject).
Postprocessing (Abaqus /CAE)
You can evaluate the results once the simulation has been completed and the displacements,
stresses, or other fundamental variables have been calculated. The evaluation is generally done
interactively using the Visualization module of Abaqus/CAE or another postprocessor. The
Visualization module, which reads the neutral binary output database file, has a variety of options
for displaying the results, including color contour plots, animations, deformed shape plots, and X–
Y plots.
The Abaqus/CAE is the Complete Abaqus Environment that provides a simple, consistent
interface for creating Abaqus models, interactively submitting and monitoring Abaqus jobs, and
evaluating results from Abaqus simulations. Abaqus/CAE is divided into modules, where each
module defines a logical aspect of the modeling process; for example, defining the geometry,
defining material properties, and generating a mesh. As you move from module to module, you
build up the model. When the model is complete, Abaqus/CAE generates an input file that you
submit to the Abaqus analysis product. The input file may also be created manually. An example
demonstrating how this is done is presented in section 4. For the course major project, you may
choose to create the input file using Abaqus/CAE.
Results Tree
The Results Tree provides you with a graphical overview of your output databases and other
session-specific data such as X–Y plots. If you have more than one output database open in your
session, you can use the Results Tree to move between output databases. When you become
familiar with the Results Tree, you will find that you can quickly perform most of the actions in
the Visualization module that are found in the main menu bar and the toolbox..
Toolbox area
When you enter a module, the toolbox area displays tools in the toolbox that are appropriate for
that module. The toolbox allows quick access to many of the module functions that are also
available from the menu bar.