A new automatic contact formulation in DYNA3D

This paper presents a new approach for the automatic definition and treatment of mechanical contact in DYNA3D. Automatic contact offers the benefits of significantly reduced model construction time and fewer opportunities for user error, but must maintain high reliability and acceptable computational costs. The major features of the proposed new method include automatic identification of potentially contacting surfaces during the initialization phase, a new high-performance contact search procedure, and the use of a well-defined surface normal which allows a consistent treatment of shell intersection and corner contact conditions without ad-hoc rules. Three examples are presented which illustrate the performance of newly proposed algorithm in the public DYNA3D code

DYNA3D: A nonlinear, explicit, three-dimensional finite element code for solid and structural mechanics, User manual. Revision 1

This report is the User Manual for the 1993 version of DYNA3D, and also serves as a User Guide. DYNA3D is a nonlinear, explicit, finite element code for analyzing the transient dynamic response of three-dimensional solids and structures. The code is fully vectorized and is available on several computer platforms. DYNA3D includes solid, shell, beam, and truss elements to allow maximum flexibility in modeling physical problems. Many material models are available to represent a wide range of material behavior, including elasticity, plasticity, composites, thermal effects, and rate dependence. In addition, DYNA3D has a sophisticated contact interface capability, including frictional sliding and single surface contact. Rigid materials provide added modeling flexibility. A material model driver with interactive graphics display is incorporated into DYNA3D to permit accurate modeling of complex material response based on experimental data. Along with the DYNA3D Example Problem Manual, this document provides the information necessary to apply DYNA3D to solve a wide range of engineering analysis problems

Automatic contact in DYNA3D for vehicle crashworthiness

This paper presents a new formulation for the automatic definition and treatment of mechanical contact in explicit nonlinear finite element analysis. Automatic contact offers the benefits of significantly reduced model construction time and fewer opportunities for user error, but faces significant challenges in reliability and computational costs. This paper discusses in detail a new four-step automatic contact algorithm. Key aspects of the proposed method include automatic identification of adjacent and opposite surfaces in the global search phase, and the use of a smoothly varying surface normal which allows a consistent treatment of shell intersection and corner contact conditions without ad-hoc rules. The paper concludes with three examples which illustrate the performance of the newly proposed algorithm in the public DYNA3D code