Tutorial 5 - Cohesive Functionality

Tutorial 5 demonstrates the use of the cohesive functionality in Helius PFA. View input file requirements for using this cohesive functionality and use ANSYS APDL to build the input file.

Topics in this section

Introduction
Create the Part
Creating the part geometry is generally the first step in the development of a finite element model.
Define the Element Types
Define the element types to be used for the ply material and the cohesive material.
Define the Ply Material
Define a linear elastic material for the ply section.
Create a User Material with the Create Cohesive Material Plug-in
The Create Cohesive Material plug-in defines the complete material response for a Helius PFA cohesive material.
Define and Assign the Element Coordinate System
To orient the plies and the cohesive section, a local coordinate system needs to be defined and assigned to the elements.
Mesh the Part
Create the mesh for the part geometry.
Create the Cohesive Layer
Insert a layer of cohesive elements to simulate the effects of delamination.
Apply Boundary Conditions
Create a boundary condition that fixes one end of the beam.
Define the Load
Create two additional boundary conditions that impose a pure mode I loading to the beam.
Specify Solution Controls
Modify the parameters that govern the finite element solution to work optimally with Helius PFA.
Define Solution Output to the Results File
Request that state variables (SVAR) be written in the ANSYS results (.rst) file to view the cohesive damage predicted by Helius PFA.
Solve the Model
The model is now defined and ready to be solved.
View and Interpret Results
View the state variable outputs from Helius PFA that are stored in the results file.
Summary
This tutorial demonstrated the use of ANSYS Mechanical APDL in creating a double-cantilever beam which was analyzed using the cohesive functionality in Helius PFA.

Parent topic: ANSYS Tutorials