Dynamic stiffness
optimization using Radioss
Marcelo FONSECA BARBOSA
Simulation & Validation Manager / CAE Expert
October, 2010
Definition
Dynamic stiffness
The dynamic stiffness is the frequency dependant ratio between a dynamic
force and the resulting dynamic displacement.
Similarly, the well-known static stiffness is the ratio between a static force
and the resulting static deflection.
Force (frequency)
Dynamic stiffness =
Vibration response
The increase of the dynamic stiffness will reduce
the vibration response of the system
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Application on a front-end carrier
Benefits:
Reduces the excitation of the ECM
Contributes to the noise reduction
Orients rubber mountings choice/design
Lighten the structure
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2D simplification
ECM RESPONSE
mass M
kR kR Rubber mounting
kF kF Front-end carrier
EXCITATION
Equivalent stiffness (per side):
1 1 1 The suspension mode of the ECM is:
= +
K kR kF
1 2K
kR x kF f0 = x
K = 2p M
kR + kF
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Accelerance definition
Accelerance is the frequency dependent acceleration of a
point divided by the force excitation as follows:
Time dependent signal Frequency dependent signal
Signal from
vibration hammers
load cell
Signal from
accelerometer
If the input force point A is close to the output acceleration
point B, were talking about ACCELERANCE.
If the point A is far from the point B, its the TRANSFER.
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Chanal method definition
The Chanal method consists to find the curve that the area
between the accelerance curve and the stiffness curve is a
minima.
The resultant stiffness is dependent of the frequency range
of interest.
Stiffness curve = 20 log [ (2 p f) / Kdyn ]
acceleration/force [dB]
Kdyn is determined looking
Area A for the minimum area A
Frequency f [Hz]
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Steel bracket example
The red bracket above is 1.2 mm thick. The square tube is
2.0 mm. The accelerance curve over 50-200 Hz with its
respective Kdyn is:
This design dont
achieve the
minimum stiffness
requirement
(Kdyn > 1200 N/mm).
The mass of the tube
and the brackets is
2.5kg.
How can we
proceed?
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Steel bracket example
The goal of the optimization is to reduce the mass.
The minimum/maximum thickness allowed are:
1.2 / 2.0 mm for the tube
1.0 / 3.0 mm for the brackets
2 DESVARS cards were used (for each component)
The FRF uses a FREQ1 card in order to use the Chanal
Method
Optistruct deals with the dynamic stiffness calculated from
the DRESP1 (FRACCL) of each acceleration response of the
ECM fixing point.
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Steel bracket example
Optistruct finds the best design in 4 iterations:
Tube: 1.2 mm
Brackets: 1.6 mm
The final mass becomes 1.6 kg (-36.2%)
The vertical bending
mode of the lower
brackets is
increased from
121 to 128 Hz
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Steel bracket example
Using conventional DRESP1 with FRACCL
The objective function is min(mass x avg(FRACCL))
After 5 iterations, the thicknesses are:
Tube: 1.726 mm
Brackets: 3.0 mm
Mass reduction of 4.8%,
2.4 kg.
Computed kdyn is
2406 N/mm
(over estimated)
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Conclusions
Limitations using conventional DRESP1 with FRACCL:
Impossible to constrain the dynamic stiffness
The design is often over estimated
The mass should be constrained or used with another response to define a
kind of objective function
Many possibilities can be used with the equivalent stiffness
by Chanal Method equations:
Size, morphing, free shape and topography optimization when working with
sheet metal parts;
Size, free size, free shape, morphing and topology optimization when
working with plastic designed parts.
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