Ansys nCode DesignLife Weld Fatigue

Overview

Fatigue damage is the primary cause of failure in welded structures subjected to cyclic service.  Thus, accurate CAE fatigue assessments of weldments are critical to ensure safe, reliable designs.  However, accurately assessing fatigue damage of weldments is complicated because the welding process commonly produces residual tensile stresses, the fatigue resistance of weld material is typically less than the parent material, and the weld geometry often includes crack initiation sites. In this premium learning material, we will use Ansys nCode DesignLife to evaluate seam-welds for cyclic service using shell and solid elements. 

Learning Outcomes: 

Following completion of this premium learning material, you will be able to:   

• Understand basics of using Ansys nCode DesignLife to evaluate weld fatigue. 
• Use the Integrated WeldShellSeam nCodeDL system and the Mechanical embedded DesignLife Add-On to assess seam weld fatigue in thin members using the Volvo/Chalmers method.   
• Use the Mechanical embedded DesignLife Add-On to assess fatigue damage in thick weldments using solid elements. 
• Demonstrate a general understanding of the options available for setting up the analysis in Mechanical, integrate Mechanical and Ansys nCode DesignLife on Workbench, use Mechanical embedded DesignLife Add-On and interpret the weld fatigue results.   

Prerequisites: 

• A working understanding of Ansys Mechanical is required. 
• A basic understanding of Time Domain Fatigue analysis is required.
• A basic understanding of fatigue theory is required.

Estimated Time: 8 hours