Request MCT State Variable Output

The solution-dependant MCT state variables are used to track constitutive quantities of interest at each integration point in the finite element model.

If you checked the box labeled "Output Constitutive Stress/Strain" in the Helius PFA GUI, 35 MCT state variables are tracked for unidirectional composite materials or 91 MCT state variables are tracked for woven composite materials. Otherwise, 7 MCT state variables are tracked. The default naming convention for the solution-dependent MCT state variables is SVARi, where i=1,2,3,…,7 or 35 (or 91 for woven materials). The most useful of the MCT state variables is SVAR1 which is used to track the discrete failure state of the composite material at each integration point in the finite element model. The exact interpretation of the discrete values of SVAR1 will depend upon the exact set of material nonlinearity features used in the analysis. Appendix C provides a complete description of each MCT state variable, including tables that define the interpretation of SVAR1 for various combinations of material nonlinearity features. Also, the .mct file generated for each analysis contains a list of the SVARs.

Output of the MCT state variables to the results file is accomplished with the OUTRES command. The command, "OUTRES, SVAR, ALL", may be issued to write the state variables to the results file at every substep. For more information on the OUTRES command, refer to the ANSYS documentation.