Nonlinear Diagnostics

General Troubleshooting

Nonlinear Diagnostics Goal and Description

Goal
In this workshop, our goal is to use the nonlinear diagnostics tools available in Solution
Information branch to troubleshoot an advanced nonlinear application.

Model Description
3D large deflection of spring plate using a frictionless contact pair:
Spring plate
Flat rigid plate
One frictionless contact pair

Loads and Boundary Conditions:

Fixed support
Displacement of flat surface into Spring 8mm

Nonlinear Diagnostics Start Analysis

Steps to Follow:

Start an ANSYS Workbench session. Browse for and open Spring_ws06A.wbdb

project file.

This project contains a Design Modeler (DM) geometry file Spring_ws06A.agdb and a
Simulation (S) file Spring_ws06A.dsdb.

Highlight the Model, Spring_ws06A.dsdb file and open a Simulation Session.

Nonlinear Diagnostics Setup

Insert a manual contact region (RMB on Contact folder) between curved surface of spring and
adjacent flat plate.
In Details of Contact Region Window, defining Contact and Target surfaces, choose Frictionless
type, Asymmetric behavior and Augmented Lagrange algorithm.
Interface Treatment: Add Offset, Ramped Effects.
Take the defaults for all other options.

Nonlinear Diagnostics Setup

Highlight Analysis Settings:

Turn off Weak Springs option

Activate Large Deflection.

Highlight Solution Branch:

RMB to Insert Contact Tool Folder

Add Pressure Result to Contact Tool

Nonlinear Diagnostics Setup

Highlight Solution Information branch and insert

Request Newton-Raphson Residual feedback on the last three iterations of the run

Nonlinear Diagnostics Setup

Highlight Solution Information branch and insert
Results Tracker for Contact
In Details Window for Results Tracker:

Contact Region: Frictionless Solid to Solid

Type: Number Contacting
RMB Rename Based on Definition

Repeat above steps for Penetration

Nonlinear Diagnostics Solution

Execute Solve
The run converges without error. A plot of Total
Deformation, however, indicates that results are
not correct.
Review Solution Output Information

Plot Displacement

Review Contact Results

Number Contacting
Penetration

The Contact has obviously failed to engage, but why?

Nonlinear Diagnostics
The run converged in one iteration!.

The calculated force convergence value was

essentially zero.

The maximum DOF increment equals the full

displacement applied under Given
Displacement branch

Nonlinear Diagnostics
Return to the Solution Information worksheet and examine the contact specifications closely.

The most useful feedback in this output

is the note about an initial gap existing
between the contact and target
elements.
The contact is initially Open

Scrolling up the worksheet further,

notice that the initial substep size is
1, maximum of 10. This means that
the total displacement (8mm) of the flat
plate is applied at the first substep!
With the initially open contact status
and this large initial displacement, the
contact jumps over the target from the
start and is never detected.

Nonlinear Diagnostics
Return to the Details of Frictionless Contact Region window and specify the Interface Treatment
to Adjust to Touch. This option is very useful for small adjustments to close gaps and force a
closed contact status at the start of the analysis.

Without changing any other specifications, execute another SOLVE.

Solution now begins a long iteration process. Notice in the updated Solution Information
Worksheet that the initial contact adjustment was made to close the gap as expected.

Nonlinear Diagnostics
After numerous iterations which
include three bisections to try to
overcome converge difficulties,
the solution ultimately fails to
converge.

The feedback from this output

indicates a very high calculated
Force residual as compared with
criteria.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, YOU
CAN STOP THE SOLUTION PRIOR
TO REACHING THE POINT OF
CONVERGENCE FAILURE

Nonlinear Diagnostics
In order to achieve a successful convergence, it is necessary to determine the cause of the high
residual. One troubleshooting technique that can be useful (especially in very complex models
with multiple sources of nonlinearities) is a plot of the Newton-Raphson residual data. In this case,
we saved the last three iterations.
This plot indicates that the highest
Newton-Raphson residual is
located at the contact interface.
The cause of the convergence
difficulty is a contact normal
stiffness which is excessive
relative to the stiffness of the
underlying geometry. This makes
the model too sensitive to changes
in contact status at this location.
A smaller factor on contact (FKN)
stiffness combined with a refined
timestep size will prove to be very
helpful in reducing this residual
force and thereby enhancing
convergence.

Nonlinear Diagnostics
Return to the Details of Contact window and set:

Normal stiffness = Manual

Normal Stiffness Factor = 1e-004
Update Stiffness = Each Equilibrium Iteration

In Details of Analysis Settings, turn Auto Time

Stepping ON and set initial, min and max substep
specifications to 10,5, and 25 respectively .

Nonlinear Diagnostics
Furthermore, a closer inspection of this region indicates that contact may only be engaging at a
relatively few gauss points, aggravating convergence and, if nonlinear materials were active,
causing excessive element distortion errors in this location.

Nonlinear Diagnostics
To address this, insert strategic mesh sizing of 0.5mm to the curved surfaces associated
with the contact region , six faces total, 3 on each side of plate. The localized mesh
refinement adds more contact gauss point in this critical area thereby reducing the
iterations to convergence. It also enhances quality of results.

After making these changes, re-execute SOLVE

Nonlinear Diagnostics
Solution now converges in under 40 iterations without error and without any bisections.

Nonlinear Diagnostics
Post process results ...

Nonlinear Diagnostics
Note: Had we not refined the mesh and not included stiffness updating between
iterations, the solution would still have converged, but it would have taken many more
iterations and required bisections toward the end of the given displacement.
Also, because of the crude mesh, results at the contacting surface would not have been
as accurate.
Hence, even for models that
have successfully converged,
it is always good practice to
review the solution output
and look for opportunities to
enhance performance
(minimize run time) in future.