EXPLICIT DYNAMICS

with
ANSYS/LS-DYNA
What is ANSYS/LS-DYNA? Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
• General purpose explicit dynamic finite element program
• Used to solve highly nonlinear transient dynamic problems
– Efficient for a wide range of contact types
– Advanced material modeling capabilities
– Robust for very large deformation analyses
• Seamless interface of the ANSYS and LS-DYNA programs
– Full integration of the LS-DYNA solver into ANSYS
– All pre and post-processing performed using standard ANSYS
conventions
– GUI has look and feel of general ANSYS
– Supports capability of implicit - explicit sequential solutions

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Benefits of ANSYS/LS-DYNA Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
• Excellent combination of explicit and implicit solution technology
• ANSYS Pre and Post Processing:
– All explicit dynamic specific commands begin with EDxx prefix
– Customized ANSYS GUI for efficient execution of explicit problems
– Supports all ANSYS Solid Modeling and Boolean Operations
– Allows direct geometry import from IGES, Pro/E, ACIS, Parasolid, etc.
– Supports all ANSYS automatic meshing features
– APDL and design optimization can be used
– Supports all general postprocessing features and animation macros
– Specialized time-history postprocessing
• LS-DYNA Solver
– Fastest explicit solver in marketplace
– More features than any other explicit code
– Full version of LS-DYNA (with airbags, seatbelts, explosives, etc.)
– Full versions of LS-TAURUS and LS-POST postprocessors March 15, 2001
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Applications of ANSYS/LS-DYNA Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
• Crashworthiness Analysis • Crash in ALL Vehicle Industries
– ANSYS/LS-DYNA: – Car
• Full Car Crash – Truck
• Car Component Analyses – Bus
– Train
– Ship
– Aircraft

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(continued)
Applications of ANSYS/LS-DYNA Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
• Manufacturing Process
Simulation
• Deep drawing
• Hydro forming
• Superplastic forming
• Rolling
• Extrusion
• Stamping
• Machining
• Drilling

• Almost all forming processes

have been simulated with LS-
DYNA

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(continued)
Applications of ANSYS/LS-DYNA Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
• Contact/Impact
– Drop test
– Pendulum impact test
– Jet engine fan
containment
• A wide range of contact
types are possible

• Pipe whip (ANSYS News 3/93):

• Impact of a pipe with a rotational
velocity of 50 rad/sec
• CPU time (SGI Octane R12000) < 20
seconds
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Comparison of Implicit and
Explicit Methods Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
STATIC ‘QUASI’ STATIC DYNAMIC

PUNCH

BLANK

DIE

Structural Problems Metal Forming Impact Problems

Σ F=0 Σ F≈ 0 Σ F = ma

IMPLICIT METHOD
EXPLICIT METHOD
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Comparison of Implicit and
Explicit Methods Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
Implicit Time Integration:
• Inertia effects ([C] and [M]) are typically not included
• Average acceleration - displacements evaluated at time t+∆t:

{ u t + ∆t } = [ K ] −1 { Fta+ ∆t }
Linear Problems:
– Unconditionally stable when [K] is linear
– Large time steps can be taken
Nonlinear problems:
– Solution obtained using a series of linear approximations (Newton-
Raphson)
– Requires inversion of nonlinear stiffness matrix [K]
– Small iterative time steps are required to achieve convergence
– Convergence is not guaranteed for highly nonlinear problems

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Comparison of Implicit and
Explicit Methods Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
Explicit Time Integration
• Central difference method used - accelerations evaluated at time t:
where {Ftext} is the applied external and body force vector,
{Ftint} is the internal force vector which is given by:
{ a t } = [ M ] −1 ( [ Ftext ] − [ Ftint ] )
F int = Σ ∫ B Tσ n dΩ + F hg  + F contact
Ω 
• Fhg is the hourglass resistance force (see ELEMENTS Chapter)
and Fcont is the contact force.
• The velocities and displacements are then evaluated:

{ vt + ∆t / 2 } = { vt −∆t / 2 } + { at } ∆t t
{ ut + ∆t } = { ut } + { vt + ∆t / 2 } ∆t t + ∆t / 2
where ∆tt+∆t/2=.5(∆tt+ ∆tt+ ∆t) and ∆tt- ∆t/2=.5(∆tt- ∆tt+ ∆t)
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Comparison of Implicit and
Explicit Methods Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
Explicit Time Integration (continued):
• The geometry is updated by adding the displacement increments to the

{ xt + ∆t } = { xo } + { ut + ∆t }
initial geometry {xo}:

• Nonlinear problems:
– Lumped mass matrix required for simple inversion
– Equations become uncoupled and can be solved for directly
(explicitly)
– No inversion of stiffness matrix is required. All nonlinearities
(including contact) are included in the internal force vector.
– Major computational expense is in calculating the internal forces.
– No convergence checks are needed
– Very small time steps are required to maintain stability limit

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Stability Limit Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
Implicit Time Integration Explicit Time Integration
• For linear problems, the time • Only stable if time step size
step can be arbitrarily large is smaller than critical time
(always stable) step size
• For nonlinear problems, time
step size may become small 2
∆t ≤ ∆t crit =
due to convergence ωmax
difficulties

• Where ω max = largest natural

circular frequency
• Due to this very small time
step size, explicit is useful
only for very short transients

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Critical Time Step Size Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
• Critical time step size of a rod
– Natural frequency:
c E
ωmax=2 with c= (wave propagation velocity)
l ρ

• Critical time step:

l
Δt=
c

– Courant-Friedrichs-Levy-criterion
– Δt is the time needed of the wave to propagate through the rod of
length l

Note: The critical time step size for explicit time integration depends on
element length and material properties (sonic speed).
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ANSYS/LS-DYNA Time Step Size Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
• ANSYS/LS-DYNA checks all elements when calculating the
required time step. For stability reasons a scale factor of 0.9
(default) is used to decrease the time step: ∆t = 0.9 l
c
• The characteristic length l and the wave propagation velocity c
are dependent on element type:

E
Beam elements: l = length of the element c=
ρ

Shell elements:

l= A , for triangular shells: l= 2A

max(L1,L2,L3,L4 ) max(L1,L2 ,L3)
L3
E L4
c= A
ρ(1- ν 2 ) L1
L2
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File Organization Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
ANSYS /PREP7 INT
preprocessing
writes jobname.K
(standard LS-DYNA input)
ANSYS /SOLU or LS-DYNA
solver task
reads jobname.K

ANSYS Results LS-TAURUS & LS-POST

LS-TAURUS, LS-POST, ASCII
jobname.rst binary d3plot
GLSTAT, MATSUM, …
Binary Result File Binary Result Files
ASCII Result Files
EDRST,FREQ similar to jobname.rst
EDOUT,File
LS-TAURUS & LS-
ANSYS/POST1
ANSYS/POST26 POST phs1
EDREAD, ...
ANSYS Results
jobname.his LS-TAURUS and LS-POST
LS-TAURUS
Time History Data binary d3thdt
LS-POST phs3
EDHIST,Comp and EDHTIME,FREQ Binary Result Files
similar to jobname.his
ANSYS/POST26
LS-TAURUS & LS-
POST phs2

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(continued)
File Organization Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
Description of ANSYS Files Generated During an ANSYS/LS-DYNA run:
Jobname.k
• LS-DYNA input stream that is automatically generated upon execution of the ANSYS
SOLVE command.
• Contains all geometry, load, and material data that exists in the ANSYS database
• The file is 100% compatible with LS-DYNA version 950e
• File can also be manually generated using the EDWRITE command:
Solution: Write Jobname.k

Jobname.rst
• Explicit dynamics results file that is nearly
identical to standard ANSYS .rst
• Primarily used to review results in the
general ANSYS postprocessor (POST1)
• Contains results at a relatively small
number of time steps (e.g., 10 - 1000)

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(continued)
File Organization Training Manual

Description of ANSYS Files Generated During an ANSYS/LS-DYNA run:

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
Jobname.his
• Explicit dynamics time history results files used in POST26
• Contains results for a subset of nodes and/or elements of the model
• Typically will contain results at significantly more time steps than
Jobname.rst
Time history ASCII files
• Specialized files containing additional information about the explicit analysis
• User must specify which files are written before solution
• ASCII files include:
GLSTAT: Global energies
MATSUM: Material energies
SPCFORC: Nodal constraint reaction forces
RCFORC: Resultant contact interface forces
RBDOUT: Rigid body data
NODOUT: Nodal data
ELOUT: Element data March 15, 2001
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(continued)
File Organization Training Manual

DYNA 5.7
Explicit Dynamics with ANSYS/LS-
• Since the LS-TAURUS and LS-POST postprocessors automatically
come with ANSYS/LS-DYNA, the following two DYNA results files
are easily generated during an explicit dynamic analysis:
• D3PLOT
– LS-TAURUS and LS-POST binary results file
– Similar to ANSYS Jobname.rst
• D3DHDT
– LS-TAURUS and LS-POST time-history results file
– Similar to ANSYS Jobname.his

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