Ogden Hyperelastic Model

Category: Structural Analysis | Integrated 2026-04-06
CAE visualization for hyperelastic ogden theory - technical simulation diagram
Ogden Hyperelastic Model

Ogden Hyperelastic: Theoretical Foundations

What is the Ogden Model?

🧑‍🎓

Professor, what kind of hyperelastic model is the Ogden model?


🎓

The Ogden Model (1972) directly describes the strain energy using principal stretch ratios ($\lambda_1, \lambda_2, \lambda_3$):


$$ W = \sum_{i=1}^{N} \frac{\mu_i}{\alpha_i}(\lambda_1^{\alpha_i} + \lambda_2^{\alpha_i} + \lambda_3^{\alpha_i} - 3) $$

$N = 1 \sim 3$ term sum. $\mu_i, \alpha_i$ are material constants.


🧑‍🎓

More parameters than Mooney-Rivlin?


🎓

$N = 3$ gives 6 parameters. More accurate at large strains (200%+) than Mooney-Rivlin's 2 parameters. Especially capable of simultaneous fitting for both tension and compression.


Summary

🎓
  • Defined by principal stretch ratios — A different approach from invariant-based Mooney-Rivlin
  • 6 parameters for $N=3$ — High accuracy at large strains (200%+)
  • Simultaneous fitting for tension + compression — More flexible than Mooney-Rivlin
  • Abaqus's Ogden model is the most widely used hyperelastic model — When high accuracy is required

  • Coffee Break Trivia

    The Birth of the Ogden Model

    This model, published by Ray Ogden in 1972, expresses strain energy with a polynomial of arbitrary order. It was said to reproduce synthetic rubber within 5% error for 2nd order and natural rubber within 1% for 3rd order. After its publication in the Journal of Mechanics that same year, its adoption spread rapidly in the tire design field.

    Computational Methods for Ogden Hyperelastic

    FEM Settings for Ogden

    🎓

    ```

    *HYPERELASTIC, OGDEN, N=3

    mu1, alpha1, D1

    mu2, alpha2, D2

    mu3, alpha3, D3

    ```

    Or:

    ```

    *HYPERELASTIC, OGDEN, TEST DATA INPUT

    *UNIAXIAL TEST DATA

    stress, strain

    *BIAXIAL TEST DATA

    stress, strain

    ```

    Automatic fitting is recommended.


    Summary

    🎓
    • Automatic fitting with TEST DATA INPUT — Recommended
    • $N=3$ is common — 1~2 terms may be insufficient sometimes
    • Stability check — After fitting, verify positive stiffness for ALL deformation modes

    • Coffee Break Trivia

      Parameter Identification Sequence

      The standard procedure for Ogden model parameter identification is uniaxial → equibiaxial → pure shear in that order. Treloar's 1944 experimental data for natural rubber is still used as a benchmark today. The standard procedure is to simultaneously identify all 6 parameters (μ₁~μ₃ and α₁~α₃) using least squares for a 3rd-order Ogden model.

      Ogden Hyperelastic in Practice

      Ogden in Practice

      🎓

      Used for tires, O-rings, large-deformation rubber components. For large strain problems where Mooney-Rivlin is insufficient.


      Practical Checklist

      🎓
      • [ ] Does the test data cover the strain range of interest?
      • [ ] Is there uniaxial + biaxial + pure shear test data? (ideal)
      • [ ] Does the fitting pass the stability check?
      • [ ] Is the value of $N$ appropriate? ($N=3$ is standard)

      • Coffee Break Trivia

        Input Order in Abaqus

        When defining the Ogden model in Abaqus/CAE, declare the order N first, then input μᵢ, αᵢ, Dᵢ in sequence. For N=3, there will be 3 parameter lines. In practice, setting Dᵢ≈0 (incompressibility assumption) can reproduce behavior equivalent to Poisson's ratio 0.4995 while reducing computational cost by about 15%.

        Ogden Hyperelastic: Software & Solver Comparison

        Tools for Ogden

        🎓
        • AbaqusOgden $N=1 \sim 6$. Supports TEST DATA INPUT
        • Ansys — Supports Ogden
        • LS-DYNA — *MAT_077 (Ogden)

        • Selection Guide

          🎓
          • High-accuracy hyperelasticityOgden $N=3$ (Abaqus)
          • Only uniaxial test data availableMooney-Rivlin or Neo-Hookean

          • Coffee Break Trivia

            Supported Order by Solver

            The supported order of the Ogden model varies by solver. Abaqus·LS-DYNA support up to N=6, MSC Marc supports theoretically unlimited (practical N=9), Nastran supports up to N=3 in SOL 400. NX Nastran provides cards OGDEN1~OGDEN3, using separate cards for each order.

            Advanced Technology

            Advanced Ogden

            🎓
            • Ogden-Roxburgh modelOgden + Mullins effect. Rubber softening.
            • Visco-hyperelastic Ogden

            • Related Simulators

              Experience the theory firsthand with the interactive simulator for this field

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              Related fields

              Thermal AnalysisManufacturing Process AnalysisV&V · Quality Assurance
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