Altair HyperLife™ – Temperature Influence
The fatigue strength of a material reduces with an increase in temperature. Temperature influence can be accounted by applying the temperature factor Ctemp to modify the fatigue endurance limit FL.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperLife™ – Safety Factor Estimation
Safety factor is calculated based on the endurance limit or target stress (at target life) against the stress amplitude from the working stress history. HyperLife calculates this ratio via two criteria’s.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperLife™ – Vibration Fatigue
Vibration fatigue analysis can be performed with loading options to predict fatigue in the frequency domain.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperLife™ – Modal Superposition
Fatigue analysis can be performed when modal stresses and modal participation factors are available in two different file inputs.Modal stresses are multiplied by modal participation factor, then summed at each point in time. The modal stress file (geometry) is supported for the H3D file format.HyperLife 2020.1 supports OP2 file support for Modal Superposition The supported modal participation factor file formats are PCH and MRF. Currently, only time domain results (from transient analysis) are supported.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperLife™ – Damage and Life Results Contour Per Event
Damage and Life contours are available to plot per Event in the Results Explorer. This output is optional and activated in the Preferences dialog.
Output event wise results helps to interrogate the fatigue results to determine which event(s) and subcases are contributing to the fatigue life.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperView™ – Design Sensitivity Analysis Utility
Design Sensitivity Analysis Utility
• Design sensitivity represents a change in response with respect to a change in a design variable, which is typically used for optimization.
• Design sensitivity can also be used as a diagnostic tool to understand what components in the system (through associated properties referenced by design variables) have controlling influence on the response in question.
• Traditionally, design sensitivity can be cumbersome to request for frequency response analysis. It can only be requested as a part of an optimization run, where multiple design responses have to be created for each frequency response at each analysis frequency; objective function and constraints have to be defined and set in specific ways to force sensitivity output at all analysis frequencies for all design variables.
• In HyperGraph 2D, the Design Sensitivity Analysis utility allows you to plot and rank design sensitivity curves from an OptiStruct dsa.0.h3d file.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperView™ – OrderCut Analysis Utility
OrderCut Analysis Utility
• OrderCut Analysis utility generates and post-processes engine order related data from an OptiStruct or Nastran frequency response analysis that contains either RPM-based loading subcases or order-based loading subcases.
• Background, engine related noise, and vibration problems are typically linked to engine orders that are harmonic multiples of the engine’s fundamental firing frequency.
• Understanding the order content of the problem signal is a way to identify the physical phenomenon that is causing the problem.
• To solve the problem, you can adjust the design parameters to modify the engine operation, which in turn reduces the problem orders.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperView™ – Multiple Sample Analysis Utility
Multiple Sample Analysis Utility
• This utility allows to post-process results from a Multiple Sample Analysis (MSA), including plotting a spread of responses (+/-95% and mean).
• You can choose Structures or Loads MSA processes:
o Structures MSA processes results from a randomization of modal and connection parameters.
o Loads MSA processes results from a randomization of wheel imbalance forces.
• Sensitive parameters filtering is also supported for both Structures MSA and Loads MSA.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperView™ – Radiated Sound Utility
Radiated Sound Utility
Radiated Sound Output using Rayleigh’s Integral can be requested for grid points on the structural surface and in the exterior acoustic field. Grid points are used to represent microphones that record the radiated sound, sound power, and sound intensity.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperView™ – Mount Optimization Utility
The Mount Optimization utility helps to predict powertrain rigid body modefrequencies and kinetic energy distribution, which play a critical role in optimizing themount stiffness and layout configuration, by decoupling powertrain rigid body modes andreducing vibration transmission.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperWorks™ – Design Space Management for Concept Design Topology Optimization
Design Space Management: Workflow to support the complete topology modeling (Automotive) and meshing process.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperLife™ – Weld Certification
HyperLife Weld Certification is a specialty module for fatigue strength assessments according to common design codes/norms and guidelines welded structures.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperWorks™ – Pedestrian Impact Tool
The Pedestrian Impact tool automates the vehicle marking, impactors positioning and the export of solver decks with minimal input, therefore reducing the full process lead time.The tool conforms to the pedestrian safety regulations EuroNCAP, CNCAP, UN-R127 and GTR.
Tips & Tricks
Altair SimSolid™ – 3D Solid Seam Welds
Seam welds are now modeled as 3D solids. This replaces the previous connection based approach. Welds are defined by section size and length along the edge. Simple trapezoidal shapes are used to represent the welds. Weld material properties are taken from the adjacent parts.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperView™ – Integrated Diagnostics Utility
The Integrated Diagnostics utility allows you to:
• Calculate response based on sensitivity and forces (power train and road)
• Perform contribution analysis for responses calculated using sensitivity and forces
• Plot and overlay response curves from an OptiStruct or Nastran punch file
• Perform diagnostic studies using the diagnostic result from a solver or sensitivity
• Perform study response changes
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperView™ – Modal Participation Utility
Modal/Panel Participation Utility
• The Modal/Panel Participation utility allows you to plot modal/panel participation curves from an OptiStruct .h3d file or an MSC Nastran .f06/.pch file.
• Modal participation represents the complex contribution of a structure or fluid mode to a response.
• Modal participation can be output from a modal frequency response analysis using the PFMODE output request card.
• Panel contribution represents the complex contribution of all grids on a structural panel to a response. It can be output from a modal frequency response analysis using the PFPANEL
output request card
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperView™ – Grid Participation Utility
Grid Participation Utility
The Grid Participation utility allows you to plot panel grid participation results and then use advanced scaling contour capabilities in HyperView to isolate key contributing areas.
The files that are needed for post-processing are:
• OptiStruct.h3d file: PFGRID.h3d - which contains the participation data output, as well as information regarding the fluid-structure grids and elements.
• MSC Nastran .op2 file: PFGRID.h3d - which contains the participation data output, as well as information regarding the fluid-structure grids and elements.
• OptiStruct punch file: PFGRID.pfmode.pch – which contains the participation data output. PFGRID.interface - which contains information regarding the fluid-structure interface grids and elements.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperView™ – Energy Distribution Utility
Energy Distribution Utility
Visualize the distribution of energy within a full vehicle NVH model, as a way to understand what components are dominating the vehicle response.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperView™ – Transfer Path Analysis Utility
Transfer Path Analysis Utility
The Transfer Path Analysis (TPA) utility identifies the complex contribution of the excited structure through attachment points to a response in the responding structure.
Tips & Tricks
Altair Inspire – Altair SimSolid Analysis
Tips and Tricks
You can now use SimSolid as your solver when running a structural analysis in Inspire. This gives you the ability to edit geometry, which was not possible in the stand-alone version of SimSolid, as well as yielding significantly faster results when running an analysis in Inspire. Linear static and normal modes analyses are supported when using the SimSolid solver, as well as all boundary conditions and results visualizations. SimSolid extends Inspire’s solver capacity and makes it much faster to analyze large assemblies and complex parts.
Tips & Tricks
Altair Inspire – Toolbelts
Tips and Tricks
Inspire now has four toolbelts to help you quickly access the tools you need for geometry, structures, motion, and PolyNURBS. You can use the toolbelts with the default configuration of tools, or you can customize the toolbelts by adding and removing tools.
Tips & Tricks
Altair Inspire – Plot Manager
Tips and Tricks
A new Plot Manager is now available which makes it easy for you to manually browse and plot motion results data, create cross plots (i.e. data vs. data), define pages in different layouts, and save the plots you've defined as a template for reuse.
Tips & Tricks
Altair Inspire – Pressure Mapping
Tips and Tricks
Pressure Mapping: It is now possible to apply a non-uniform distributed pressure using an option in the Pressure tool’s micro dialog.
Tips & Tricks
Altair Inspire – Download Offline Help
Tips and Tricks
You can now download and install an offline help package from within the product by selecting File > Help > Download Offline Help.
Tips & Tricks
Altair HyperMesh – Mesh Controls
Tips and Tricks
The Mesh Controls browser allows the access of a majority of the supported meshing approaches (e.g. size and bias, surface deviation), an additional method called “feature based,” the assignment of meshing regions, the storage and management of meshing parameters all within a mesh controls tree. For many applications (e.g. structural and CFD) this streamlines the preprocessing and mesh management tasks.
Tips & Tricks
Altair SimLab - Unit System
#1416 Tips and Tricks
SimLab 2019.3 version introduces unit system which will allow users to work in a unit system they desire. The introduction of unit system should not disrupt current users from what they are currently used to. The following rules apply for this version.
Tips & Tricks
Altair SimLab - Quick Drop Test Setup
#1417 Tips and Tricks
Quick setup - Drop impact test parameters:
It will automatically create boundary conditions based on user inputs and user can modify if needed.
• Initial velocity will be created based on height, drop direction and gravity.
• Rigid wall creation based on direction of impact.
• Output request and settings based on solution time after impact.
Tips & Tricks
Using HyperStudy with a remote HPC infrastructure via Altair Access
Altair HyperStudy is a design exploration tool that manages simulation model variability, run submission and extracts simulation responses.
HyperStudy allows to seamlessly perform Design of experiments, generate metamodels and perform optimizations and reliability studies.
However, some simulations are computationally expensive to run in local machines. Altair Access can assist to submit the jobs to a remote HPC server seamlessly, with the reduced simulation time and increased compliance with IT policies.
Tips & Tricks
Altair SimLab – CAD Shared Faces
Tips and Tricks
This tool will help to show the shared faces in connected CAD body. This feature is supported only for Parasolid model imported with “Save geometry in database”.
Tips & Tricks
Altair SimLab – Proximity Mesh Control
Proximity: Automatic mesh refinement will happen on surfaces that are within proximity distance. This will be useful in CFD, Electronics applications etc.
Tips & Tricks
Altair SimLab – Extract Cavity
Extract cavity option to extract the cavity from the selected bodies by defining the node. To capture the fluid geometry better, turn on ‘Preserve all feature lines’ in Advanced options. It would be useful in CFD to extract the fluid domain.
Tips & Tricks
HyperStudy – New Definition Concept
Every approach now contains a unique definition of the models, variables, and responses for that approach. These “Definitions” streamline the process of making modifications between approaches. This new framework provides more freedom to explore diverse and multi-disciplinary studies in a single session.
Tips & Tricks
HyperStudy – Measure the Difference Between Curves
Area is a new data source tool that defines a metric to measure the difference between two curves. By minimizing this metric in an optimization, it is simple to tune simulation models to match targets.
Tips & Tricks
HyperStudy – Submit Simulations to Altair PBS Works
HyperStudy has new infrastructure to seamlessly interact with the Altair Access high performance computing platform. This connection handles the upload, submission, and download of the simulation files. Easy access to scalable computing enables design exploration for larger problems.
Tips & Tricks
HyperStudy – Compare Fit and Solver Results
Compare fit and solver results in HyperStudy. Verification - This approach compares two data sets in a side by side comparison.
Tips & Tricks
HyperStudy – Extract Responses from Spreadsheets
Spreadsheet is a new data source tool that can be used identify data in a spreadsheet (*xls or *xlsx) by specifying the sheet name and cell ranges. It is now simple to extract results from software that produces output spreadsheets.
Tips & Tricks
OptiStruct – Imperfection
Tips and Tricks #1403: OptiStruct – Imperfection
Geometric imperfection can be applied to stability sensitive structures which have difficulties in being solved, because of local or global buckling.Imperfection helps to transform the bifurcation problem into a limit point problem.
Tips & Tricks
OptiStruct – PSEUDO Damage Calculation
Tips and Tricks #1404: OptiStruct – PSEUDO Damage Calculation
PSEUDO damage calculation
• Speedup the fatigue calculation dramatically.
• Effective if the small damaged elements are not of concern.
• SN/EN and Uni-axial/Multi-axial base metal fatigue with static subcase
• Optimization supported.
Tips & Tricks
OptiStruct – Membranes in LGDISP & Plasticity
Tips and Tricks #1405: OptiStruct – Membranes in LGDISP & Plasticity
Membranes are supported now for LGDISP NLSTAT analysis.For Nonlinear materials, plasticity is supported for membranes– both SMDISP and LGDISP.Both 1st order and 2nd order elements are supported for SMDISP and LGDISP NLSTAT.Stress on membranes should be comparable (not exact) to surface stresses on solids (which can be obtained with specifying ISOP option as INT0 in PSOLID, and output stress at GAUSS location).
Tips & Tricks
OptiStruct – New Beam Formulation
Tips and Tricks #1406: OptiStruct – New Beam Formulation
New Beam Formulation (Timoshenko)
• Timoshenko beam theory formulation is introduced with PARAM,BEAMALT,YES for CBAR/CBEAM.Default is NO.
• With this formulation turned on, the shear deformation of the beam will be more accurate and rotary inertia will alsobe added. For the maximum accuracy, it is recommended to use PARAM,COUPMASS,YES.
Tips & Tricks
OptiStruct – CGAP Force Output Includes Preload
Tips and Tricks #1407: OptiStruct – CGAP Force Output Includes Preload
CGAP Force Output Includes Preload
• Preload force ‘F0’ is included in the CGAP element force output.
• Preload force ‘F0’ is supported for Nonlinear static analysis (SMDISP/LGDISP), and ignored in linear analysis.
• The output is available in *.h3d and/or *.op2. & with OPTI forces are written to a .force file.
• With NLOUT request, incremental CGAP force output is available in *.h3d and .force file.
• Currently ‘on the fly’ CGAP force output in *.impl.h3d file is not available.
Tips & Tricks
Automatic Refinement in the Next Generation HyperWorks
Use the tool to refine elements as quads based on a given refinement size.
Tips & Tricks
HyperWorks Next Generation – Find and Fill Cavities
Find and Fill Cavities: Use the Plug tool to find and fill cavities. The Plug tool can also be used to remove protrusions, holes, and complex features.
Tips & Tricks
HyperWorks Next Generation – Remove Small Features
Defeature – Small Features tool: The Small Features tool finds and deletes small solids and deletes or suppresses sliver surfaces. The Small Features tool is available within the Defeature tool.
Tips & Tricks
HyperWorks Next Generation – Replicate Mesh
Replicate Mesh - Use the tool to replicate a mesh from one location to another, with options to keep the original mesh, as well as to replicate into multiple copies. The replicated elements replace the original elements, maintaining relevant information like properties, thicknesses, and other solver attributes.
Tips & Tricks
HyperWorks Next Generation – Tools Finder
The purpose of this tool is to help you find tools that you used in Legacy HyperMesh by selecting the menu or panel from the classic interface to be shown the location in the new HyperWorks interface.
Tips & Tricks
Altair Inspire Cast – Filters for Gravity Casting
Filter is one of the crucial components of filling system in Castings used for multiple purpose as:
• Maintain metal flow at gate.
• Avoid turbulent behavior of liquid metal during filling.
• Retain impurities, foam and slag from the metal.
• To avoid sudden impact of metal in the cavity due to head height.
Tips & Tricks
Altair Radioss – Automatic Dynamic Relaxation
Automatic dynamic relaxation in Radioss.
Tips & Tricks