Product: Abaqus/CAE
Benefits: You can now request contour integral evaluation from a fracture analysis that uses the extended finite element method (XFEM). The benefits of XFEM are that you do not have to adjust the mesh to match the cracked geometry, and you do not need to explicitly define the crack front or specify the virtual crack extension direction when evaluating the contour integral. In addition, an analysis that uses XFEM is more likely to converge because you can now specify a viscosity coefficient to be used in the viscous regularization scheme for the damage model.
Description: The following enhancements have been made to modeling fracture mechanics with XFEM using Abaqus/CAE:
Previous releases of Abaqus/CAE allowed you to study cracks that grew arbitrarily through your model. You can now choose to study stationary cracks in addition to growing cracks.
You can now create an output request for contour integral evaluation of stationary cracks.
The enrichment radius is a small radius from the crack tip within which the elements will be used for calculating crack singularity for a stationary crack. You can now specify the value of the enrichment radius, whereas previous releases of Abaqus/CAE assumed the default value for the enrichment radius (three times the typical element characteristic length in the enriched area).
When you are specifying the material, you can introduce localized damping using the viscous regularization technique, which assists convergence as the material fails.
Step module: History output request editor: Domain: Crack: crack name Interaction module: Crack editor: Enrichment radius: Specify Property module: Material editor: MechanicalDamage for Traction Separation Laws: Maxpe Damage or Maxps Damage: Suboptions