MCE 561 Computational Methods in Solid Mechanics

Nonlinear Issues
 Nonlinear FEA
Many problems of engineering interest involve nonlinear behavior.
Such behavior commonly arises from the following three sources:
Nonlinear Material Behavior
This is one of the most common forms of nonlinearity, and would include
nonlinear elastic, plastic, and viscoelastic behavior. For thermal problems, a
temperature dependent thermal conductivity will produce nonlinear equations.
• Large Deformation Theory (Geometric Nonlinearity)
If a continuum body under study undergoes large finite deformations, the strain-
displacement relations will become nonlinear. Also for structural mechanics
problems under large deformations, the stiffness will change with deformation
thus making the problem nonlinear. Buckling problems are also nonlinear.
• Nonlinear Boundary or Initial Conditions
Problems involving contact mechanics normally include a boundary condition
that depends on the deformation thereby producing a nonlinear formulation.
Thermal problems involving melting or freezing (phase change) also include
such nonlinear boundary conditions.
 Features of Nonlinear FEA Problems
• While Linear Problems Always Have a Unique Solution,
Nonlinear Problems May Not
• Iterative/Incremental Solution Methods Commonly Used
on Nonlinear Problems May Not Always Converge or
They May Converge To The Wrong Solution
• The Solution To Nonlinear Problems May Be Sensitive
To Initial and/or Boundary Conditions
• In General Superposition and Scalability Will Not Apply
To Nonlinear Problems
 Example Nonlinear Problems
Material Nonlinearity
s s

e e
Nonlinear Stress-Strain Behavior Elastic/Plastic Stress-Strain Behavior

du ui W uj du j
Pi   AE i Pj   AE
dx (i) L (j) dx

This behavior leads to an FEA formulation with a

stiffness response that depends on the deformation

[ K (u )]{d }  {F }
 Example Nonlinear Problems
Large Deformation
Simple Truss

Under Large Deformation Truss Has

Undeformed Configuration a Different Geometry Thus Implying
a New Stiffness Response

Large Deflection Beam Bending Finite Deformation Lagrangian

Strain-Displacement Law
d   du 1  dw   
2

  EA      q  0
u 1  u 
2
dx   dx 2  dx   
Ex    
d2  d 2 w  d  dw  du 1  dw   
2 x 2  x 
 EI 2    EA       f  0
dx 2  dx  dx  dx  dx 2  dx   

[ K (u )]{d }  {F }
 Example Nonlinear Problems
Contact Boundary Conditions

pc
w

No Contact Initial Contact Evolving Contact

No Contact Force Leads to New Boundary Condition
Boundary Condition Changing With
With Contact Force Deformation; i.e.
w and pc Depend on
Deformation and Load
[ K (u )]{d }  {F (u )}
 Nonlinear FEA Example
Temperature Dependent Conductivity
dT
Fourier Conduction Law q  k (T )
dx
[ K (T )]{T }  {F (T )}

[ K (T )]   k (T )[ B]T [ B]dx
W
h
dT
{F (T )}   [] Qdx  [] k (T )
T T
W dx 0

Hence Nonlinearity in Both Stiffness

Matrix and Loading Vector
Solution Techniques for Nonlinear Problems
[ K (u )]{d }  {F }

Since Direct Inversion of the Stiffness

Matrix Is Impossible, Other Methods Must
Be Used To Solve Nonlinear Problems

• Incremental or Stepwise Procedures

• Iterative or Newton Methods
• Mixed Step-Iterative Techniques
 Direct Iteration Method
Method is based on making successive approximations to
solution using the previous value of u to determine K(u)

{u r 1}  [ K (u r )]1{F }

Ku Ku

F F
Solution To Solution To
K(u)u=F K(u)u=F

u0 u1 u2 u2 u0 u1 u3
u u
Convex Ku-u Relation - Convergence Concave Ku-u Relation - Divergence

Therefore nonlinear solution methods may result in no converged solution