Fatigue Module Updates

For users of the Fatigue Module, COMSOL Multiphysics® version 5.3 brings vibration fatigue, a new way to evaluate fatigue damage that is used for simulating a structure subjected to a harmonic excitation. Read more about this Fatigue Module update here.

Vibration Fatigue

Vibration fatigue is a new type of evaluation method for fatigue damage and is available as a choice in the Fatigue interface. This method is based on a frequency-domain analysis containing results for a number of frequencies. Vibration fatigue could be used for predicting the results from a common type of experiment where a structure is subjected to an excitation with increasing frequency, sometimes called a sine sweep analysis. The following types of descriptions are available for vibration fatigue:

  • A certain time spent at each frequency
  • A certain number of cycles spent at each frequency
  • A linear increase of frequency
  • A logarithmic increase of frequency
A screenshot of the settings for a vibration fatigue evaluation in the Fatigue Module.

Settings window for a vibration fatigue evaluation where the vibrational fatigue is applied through a logarithmic increase of frequency in the Frequency history drop-down menu.

Settings window for a vibration fatigue evaluation where the vibrational fatigue is applied through a logarithmic increase of frequency in the Frequency history drop-down menu.