A finite element approach for modelling wire ropes

As mentioned by Ziegler and Wehking [1], modelling wire rope by means of the finite element method has many advantages in comparison with the analytical models.Although the finite element method is more widespread in many industrialapplications, it has not been markedly used for modelling wire ropes. The modelling of wire ropes with this method requires many degrees of freedom and involves various non-linearities. Consequently, in most of the cases, a simple wire rope cannot be modelled precisely within a reasonable CPU time. Until now, solid finite elements have been mainly used for modelling wires. In this paper the proposed approach uses beam finite elements for modelling wires, and beam-to-beam contact elements for modelling inter-wire contacts. This approach requires a lower number of degrees of freedom for modelling the rope, and consequently enables more complex modelling and/or longer ropes to be used within a reasonable period of time.

Author(s): H. Usabiaga and D. Durville