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Title: A spot weld element formulation and implementation for mesh‐insensitive fatigue evaluation of lightweight structures
Abstract With the rising importance of virtual engineering in an increasingly competitive marketplace, there is a growing need for simplified representations of finite element (FE) modeling for spot joints in lightweight structures without losing accuracy in structural life evaluation. For this purpose, this paper presents a spot weld element with an implicit weld representation and its numerical implementation as a user element for deployment in commercial FE code for reliably computing traction structural stress in a mesh‐insensitive manner. The spot weld element is formulated by degenerating conventional first‐order four‐nodes shell elements by imposing kinematic constraints with respect to a series of virtual nodes placed in the region around a spot weld. The simplicity and effectiveness of the spot weld element have been validated by comparing with the explicit weld representation for computing mesh‐insensitive structural stresses and fatigue life correlation of welded components.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2126163
PAR ID:
10578293
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Fatigue & Fracture of Engineering Materials & Structures
Volume:
47
Issue:
11
ISSN:
8756-758X
Page Range / eLocation ID:
4248 to 4268
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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