Hi, everybody,
I am newly on learning TexGen for modeling fabric composite materials and want to use abaqus to make simulation on their mechanical properties. I find the export to abaqus file has two ways: dry fabric file and voxel file. It seems that the dry fabric file imported into abaqus showed a very similar geometry just like the model I made in the TexGen. However, the voxel file imported showed a geometry a little different from the shape in the TexGen and all meshed with cubic elements. Could anyone tell me the difference for these two abaqus export format? If I want to import into Abaqus for subsequent simulation, which one is better? Thanks a lot!!!
Quest on export Abaqus file
Moderators: Martin, Developers
Re: Quest on export Abaqus file
Hi,
Welcome to the forum. To some extent which export method you use will depend on what you are doing. If you want to model just a textile rather than a composite then the dry fibre export will be fine. As you see this has a conformal mesh.
If you want to model the composite then you can use the voxel mesh or Volume Mesh options. Both of these can now be exported in Abaqus format with periodic boundary conditions. As you point out the voxel mesh is a non-conformal mesh. We have found this to give good results. You need to make sure that you select the voxel size carefully: it needs to be small enough to capture all the features in your textile and you should do a sensitivity study to ensure that the voxel size isn't affecting results. The volume mesh option will produce a tetrahedral, conformal mesh but the algorithm for producing the mesh isn't as robust as the voxel meshing. Due to the algorithm used it is also not appropriate for textiles with vertical or near-vertical yarns.
You can find details of how to use TexGen and Abaqus to predict mechanical properties here http://texgen.sourceforge.net/workshop/ ... alysis.pdf and here http://texgen.sourceforge.net/index.php ... and_Abaqus
Also try searching on the forum as there are quite a few threads covering this subject.
It would be interesting to know where you are based and what you're using TexGen for.
Hope that helps,
Louise
Welcome to the forum. To some extent which export method you use will depend on what you are doing. If you want to model just a textile rather than a composite then the dry fibre export will be fine. As you see this has a conformal mesh.
If you want to model the composite then you can use the voxel mesh or Volume Mesh options. Both of these can now be exported in Abaqus format with periodic boundary conditions. As you point out the voxel mesh is a non-conformal mesh. We have found this to give good results. You need to make sure that you select the voxel size carefully: it needs to be small enough to capture all the features in your textile and you should do a sensitivity study to ensure that the voxel size isn't affecting results. The volume mesh option will produce a tetrahedral, conformal mesh but the algorithm for producing the mesh isn't as robust as the voxel meshing. Due to the algorithm used it is also not appropriate for textiles with vertical or near-vertical yarns.
You can find details of how to use TexGen and Abaqus to predict mechanical properties here http://texgen.sourceforge.net/workshop/ ... alysis.pdf and here http://texgen.sourceforge.net/index.php ... and_Abaqus
Also try searching on the forum as there are quite a few threads covering this subject.
It would be interesting to know where you are based and what you're using TexGen for.
Hope that helps,
Louise
-
lomoclarke
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2014 5:17 am
Re: Quest on export Abaqus file
Hi, louisepb
Thank you very much for your patient reply. I need to model a complete composite structure, so voxel mesh seemed appropriate to my study. I will have a try. Thanks again.
Thank you very much for your patient reply. I need to model a complete composite structure, so voxel mesh seemed appropriate to my study. I will have a try. Thanks again.