DARWIN Release Notes | Southwest Research Institute

DARWIN 10.2 Production Release - October 2025

Stress intensity factor solutions and enhancements
- New SIF Solutions for Cracks at Holes
- Bivariant SIF Solutions Available in All Auto-Modeling Analysis Modes
New capabilities for fatigue crack growth life and fracture risk assessments
- Bilinear Paris Small Crack Growth Model
- Fatigue Crack Growth (FCG) Rate Scatter
- GP Monte Carlo Support for FCG Rate Scatter
- FCG Threshold Filtering
- El Haddad Small Crack Model Enhancement
- Support for NASGRO Load Spectrum Data Files
- Crack Path Temperature Gradient Effects
- Support for Time-Dependent Properties in Vacuum & Air
New capabilities for low-cycle fatigue (LCF) life assessments
- LCF Life Screening
- Total Life (LCF+FCG) Assessment
- Min LCF Life Screening
- Min LCF Life Feature Assessment
New capabilities for residual stress
- User Definition of Residual Stress Along Curved Surfaces in 2D FE Models
- Residual Stress Profiles in 2D FE Models Extended to Bivariant Crack Types
- Bulk Residual Stress Enhancement
General enhancements
- Element Refinement Tool Enhancement
- Hot Corrosion Enhancements
- Formation Module Programming Guidelines for Improved Execution Speed
Computational speed and visualization enhancements
- Autoplate Speed Enhancement for Large 3D FE Models
- Autozoning Random Access Memory Improvement
- Critical Initial Crack Size (CICS) Speed Improvements
- GUI Speed Enhancements for Large 3D FE Models
- Visualization Toolkit for 2D Geometries
New pre/post processing capabilities
- New Capabilities for Viewing Legacy Results Files
- Fracture Model Export
- New Capabilities for Assigning Elements via Imported ANSYS CDB Files
- Focused Text-Based Results Files
- SIO File Converter Tool

DARWIN 10.0 Production Release -September 2022

New Features and Enhancements for FAA Certification Assessments
- Axial Blade Slots
- Updated Titanium Hard Alpha Anomaly Distributions
- Security Features for Anomaly Distribution and POD Data
New General Features
- 3D GUI Visualization Enhancements
- SIF Solution for Semi-Elliptical Surface Crack on Hollow Cylinder
- Constraint-Loss Surface Fatigue Crack Correction Model
- Python-Based Scripting Tool
Changes in GUI Menus and FE Models Supported in DARWIN
- New GUI Menus to Support Objectives-Based Data Structure
- FE2NEU Finite Element Model Quality Checks (MQCs)
Speed and Robustness Improvements
- Autoplate Node-Skipping Enhancement
- Autoplate Speed Enhancement for Large 3D FE Models
- Automodeling Speed Enhancements
- Speed Enhancements for User-Defined Cracks
- DARWIN Results File Import Speed Enhancements
- GUI Speed Enhancement for Large 3D FE Models
- Formation Module Programming Guidelines for Improved Execution Speed
General Enhancements
- Updated Limits for Stress Intensity Factor Solutions
- Deterministic Analysis Enhancement
- User-Defined Project Rules
- Setting GUI Preferences via an External File
- User’s Guide Keyword Search Enhancement

DARWIN 9.2 Production Release - June 2019

2D/3D Surface Autozoning
Dhondt Fatigue Crack Growth Model
El Haddad Small Crack Model
Life/Risk Contour Fracture Plates Visualization
Location-Specific POD Curves
Restart Using Intermediate Fracture Plates
Autoplate Speed/Robustness Improvements
GUI Node Selection Speed Improvement
3D GUI Visualization Enhancements
Hot Corrosion Enhancements
Shakedown Enhancement for 1D Geometry Mode
Mission Scaling Enhancements
Crack Size Termination Criterion Enhancement
Bivariant Plate Enhancement
Fleet Risk Module Enhancement
3D Anomalies Enhancements
Production Inspections on Non-Hoop Planes
Direct Import of ANSYS and ABAQUS Load Step Times
GUI File Access Speed Enhancement
New Treatment of Material Properties Interpolation

DARWIN 9.1 Production Release - August 2017

Zoneless Deterministic Analysis
Autoplate for 3D Finite Element Models
Improved Support for Large Finite Element Models
Enhanced Monte Carlo Sampling by a Response Surface
Critical Initial Crack Size Contours

DARWIN 9.0 Production Release - May 2016

Optimal Gaussian Process Pre-zoning
3D Sector Models
SIF Solution for Angled Corner Cracks
Formation Life Scaling
Anomaly Distribution Tracking
Micromechanical Initiation
Enhancements for Large Finite Element Models

DARWIN 8.2 Production Release - November 2015

3D Inherent Analysis
Support Visit Anomalies
Mission Mixing
FRANC3D Crack type
Chamfered Corners
Material Scaling Module
Random Average Grain Size
Random Anomaly Orientation
Corrective Actions
GP Importance Sampling
High‐Cycle Fatigue (HCF) Stresses from FEM
3D FEM Residual Stress
GUI Settings Menu Modifications
Material Properties File Link

DARWIN 8.1 Production Release – March 2015

Autozoning with Inspection
Random Residual Stresses in 2D Finite Element Model
Anomaly Orientation
Hot Corrosion Pit Anomalies
3D Residual Stress from Univariant Stress Gradients
3D Surface & 3D Line Zoning
Updated SIF Solutions for Surface Cracks (SC30 & SC31)
Component Replacement for Fleet Assessments

DARWIN 8.0 Production Release – January 2014

Optimal Autozoning for Axisymmetric Geometries
Crack Growth Retardation Capability
Bivariant Surface Crack at Off-Center Hole Feature (SC29)
Residual Stresses for All Univariant Crack Types
Additional Temperature Option for Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue
Support for Cracks on Non-Hoop Stress Planes
User Crack Propagation Module
HDF5 File Format to Store DARWIN Input and Output

DARWIN 7.2 Production Release – March 2013

Automatic Zone Generation for Axisymmetric Geometries
Time-Dependent Fatigue Crack Growth Analysis
Parallel Processing using OpenMP Framework
Residual Stress Profiles for Surface Cracks
FE2NEU Support for ABAQUS Models with Non-Cartesian Coordinate Systems
Mission Definition Enhancements

DARWIN 7.1 Production Release – February 2011

Deterministic Analysis Mode
FAA Analysis Mode for Surface Damage at Hole Feature (AC 33.70-2)
Automatic Generation of Crack Growth Life Contours
Treatment of Non-Normal Bivariant Corner Cracks
High-Cycle Fatigue Threshold Check
User-Supplied Stress Intensity Factor Tables
Support for Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue Crack Growth
Stress Level Sensitivity Stress Ratio Model for NASGRO FCG Format
Treatment of Material Processing-Related Residual Stresses
Additional Deterministic Fracture Mechanics Output
Risk Assessment for Multiple Types of Anomalies
Compute Life for a Specified Probability of Fracture
Specify Crack Location by Node ID
Fleet Assessment Module

DARWIN 7.0 Production Release – March 2010

Automatic Generation of Optimum Fracture Mechanics Plates - Autoplate
New Stress Intensity Factor Solution for Through-Edge Crack in a Variable Thickness Plate (TC15)
Enhanced Stress Intensity Factor Solutions for Embedded Crack in Plate (EC04, EC05)
Bivariant Shakedown Module
Kt-Regions for Turned Surfaces
Tool to Compute Surface Area of Blade Slots
User Specification of Manufacturing Process Credits
FAA Hole Feature Surface Damage Report Form
ABAQUS Translator in FE2NEU
New Configuration for Display of GUI Warning Messages
Crack Growth Life Interpolation
Treatment of Large Results Files