Elements Used In A Structural.docx

Elements Used in a Structural-Thermal Analysis The program includes a variety of elements that you can use to perform a coupled structural-thermal analysis. Table 2.4: Elements Used in Structural-Thermal Analyses summarizes them. For detailed descriptions of the elements and their characteristics (DOFs, KEYOPT options, inputs and outputs, etc.), see the Element Reference. For a coupled structural-thermal analysis, you need to select the UX, UY, UZ, and TEMP element DOFs. For SOLID5 or SOLID98, set KEYOPT(1) to 0. For PLANE13 set KEYOPT(1) to 4. For PLANE223, SOLID226, or SOLID227, set KEYOPT(1) to 11. The structural-thermal KEYOPT settings also make large deflection, stress stiffening effects, and prestress effects available using the NLGEOM and PSTRES commands. (See the Command Reference for more information on these commands. See the Structural Analysis Guide and Structures with Geometric Nonlinearities in the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference for more information on these capabilities.) To include piezocaloric effects in dynamic analyses (transient and harmonic), you need to use PLANE223, SOLID226, or SOLID227. Table 2.4: Elements Used in Structural-Thermal Analyses

Elements

SOLID5 Hexahedral

Effects

Analysis Types

Coupled-Field Static

PLANE13 Quadrilateral

Coupled-Field

SOLID98 Tetrahedral

Coupled-Field

PLANE223 Quadrilateral

Coupled-Field

SOLID226 Hexahedral

Coupled-Field

SOLID227 Tetrahedral

Coupled-Field Thermoplastic

Thermoelastic (Thermal Stress)

Thermoelastic (Thermal Stress and Piezocaloric) Structural material nonlinearities

Full Transient

Static Full Harmonic Full Transient