ABAQUS Front End (AFE) User Manual & Tutorial v.0.

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I. Introduction
ABAQUS Front End is not designed to provide the full functionalities of ABAQUS or CAE. As the neutron experimental outputs are stress/strain data, AFE will be served as a bridge between experimental data and ABAQUS engine that generates many kinds of stress/strain outputs. Eventually optimizer engine will fit model results into experimental data so that optimum model parameters can be obtained. If experienced users bring their own input files, which means that there is no need for help in pre processing and post processing, AFE will provide help with optimization routine only by merging experimental data and users own models. If novice users want to use predefined model templates, they will be guided through GUI for model configuration up to optimization process.

II.

Use Cases
Actors and Goals (Drivers and Roles) Scientist: wants to obtain stress-strain information through ABAQUS simulation for given loading and material conditions, and wants to find the best model parameters by comparing modeling results with neutron experiment data. Pre-processor: wants to set up the right input information such as materials parameters and model geometry, etc, and generate inp file for the engine. Simulator: wants to execute FEA calculations based on model input. Post-processor: wants to generate user friendly output for reporting or visualization. Optimizer: wants to minimize the residual between experimental data and model calculation, wants to meet the convergence criteria or maximum iteration condition before stopping.

Work Flow Use Cases

USE CASE 1: Pre-Processing only If users use only pre processing only, AFE will help users to create INP file. This INP can be used for other FEM code such as OOF. USE CASE 2: Post-Processing only If users use only post processing only, AFE will help users to average proper ABAQUS properties and generate useful pickled or text outputs from ODB file. This text outputs can be used for other visualization tools such as ORIGIN. USE CASE 3: Pre, Main, and Post Process If users use one time whole process only, AFE will help users from INP file generation to text outputs. USE CASE 4: Multiple Processes via Optimization If users use multiple whole processes, AFE will help users to configure parameters and experimental data so as to obtain ideal model parameters.

SCENARIO 1: Experienced user without Pre Processing Actors: Scientist, Simulator, Post Processor, Optimizer User will bring their own input file for ABAQUS simulation and they will need optimizer and experimental data input feature. Post processing and visualization will be users responsibility. SCENARIO 2: Novice users with whole process Actors: All of the above actors User will depend on AFE GUI for the whole process. Pre process, main process, post process + optimization & visualization GUI will help users from the beginning to the end if they use model templates.

Scientific Use Cases

USE CASE 1: Complicated shape sample User own sample geometry User is responsible for supplying 1) input file, 2) model parameters to be optimized, 3) experimental data set, and 4) relevant information such as SET name of interest for post processing.

Fig.1. Arbitrary geometry FEM model

USE CASE 2: Cylindrical shape two phase composite sample A: wire reinforced composite system B: particulate reinforced composite system Phase A & B could be any materials under the assumption that materials are isotropic.

A. wire composite model

B. particulate composite model

Fig.2. Pre-defined model geometry from ABAQUS Front End

III.

How to use AFE GUI for Model Template (Tutorial-1)

A. Getting started Launch AFE application from Windows Program. Menu Bar: File, Model, Experiment, Optimization, Run, Help.

Fig.3. Main Window Tool Bar: Model, Experiment, Optimization, Run, Multi-Run, Stop.

Fig.4. Tool Bar B. Model construction Click 2nd icon in the tool bar or go to Model Geometry input: 1. Type model name and volume fraction (0.05 < x < 0.95) 2. Select morphology and click OK

2 phase in the menu bar

Fig.5. Model-Geometry input panel Materials input: 1. Fill out elastic and thermal properties of each phase 2. Fill out plastic property by defining appropriate plastic law 3. Once plastic law is selected, you need to define parameters for plastic law by clicking Parameters Setting tab

Fig.6. Model-Materials data input panel

Fig.7. Plastic parameters setting History input: 1. Define loading direction and dimension 2. You can manually put all of your loading steps to the right column, or you can define initial load and steps in Auto section in the left. 3. Thermal history is optional in case you want to introduce thermal residual stress before loading

Fig.8. Model-History data input panel

Fig.9. Thermal history setting Running ABAQUS: Once you finish creating your model, you can click 4th icon (single gear) in the tool bar, or use menu bar as shown in the figure below. ABAQUS will be launched in the separate shell.

Fig.10. Run menu

Fig.11. Model Plot

C. Experiment data 1. You can click 2nd icon in tool bar or Experiment Phase Data in the menu bar. 2. Choose the experiment data file which has two column of strain stress information. This data set should be prepared ahead of time through refinement software like GSAS 3. Data grid table will be shown, followed by matplotlib figure 4. Once you import experiment data, you can use optimization function Import Macro or

Fig.12. Experiment data import menu

Fig.13. Experiment plot D. Optimization Requirement: you should have instantiated Model and Experiment before using optimization algorithm Algorithm input

1. Currently, 1 algorithms from scipy module are available 2. As for criteria values, defaults are recommended unless you are really confident about what you are doing 3. Once it is set, click next

Fig.14. Optimization algorithm panel Parameters input 1. First, select experiment data set to be optimized 2. Second, select model parameters to be optimized 3. In your left column, you will be able to see the summary of all of your modeling systems. 4. Comment: Left tree not only should be a summary of selected parameters, but also be active triggers by which users can directly modify user inputs. This feature is not available, and will be up soon.

Fig.15. Optimization parameter panel Running Multi ABAQUS modeling: Once you set up all the conditions, you can click 5th icon (multi gears) in the tool bar or menu bar as shown below. ABAQUS will be launched and keep running until optimization stop conditions are met. You can stop this process by clicking STOP icon.

Fig.16. Optimization run menu

Fig.17. Optimization results comparing with experimental data

IV.

How to use AFE GUI for Users own Model (Tutorial-2)

A. Getting user INP file User will import prepared their own input file

Fig.18. User input file import menu B. Configuring optimization parameters Basically same step as shown above for optimization Currently, users can use optimization only for Voce plastic law

V.

How to report bug or functionality request

For the time being, please send an email to Seung-Yub Lee (sylee@iastate.edu)

VI.

More documentations
Developers manual can be found at http://danse.us/trac/FEA ABAQUS manual