ABAQUS Interface

Solver

Abaqus

Type of mesh

unstructured mesh

Dimension

2D and 3D

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This interface writes coordinate, connectivity, boundary condition and property
information in the ABAQUS input deck format (version 6.2). The following
ABAQUS keywords are available within this interface in the following order of
appearance:
TITLE: Title Card
NODE: Node Data
ELEMENT: Element Data
NSET: Nodal Sets for other boundary conditions
ELSET: Element Sets for material definition, boundary conditions

Following elements type and properties can be applied:

SURFACE:

Define Surface or region in a model.

3-D SOLID ELEMENTS:

2-D SOLID ELEMENTS:
1-D SOLID ELEMENTS:
3-D SHELL ELEMENTS:
MEMBERANE:
AXISYMMETRIC SOLID:
AXISYMMETRIC MEMBERANE:
AXISYMMETRIC SHELL:
BEAM: Beam Elements

 CONNECTOR: Connector Elements

ELBOW: Define Elbow elements.
FRAME:
TRUSS:
RIGID: Rigid element RB3D2 has been implimented
MASS: Mass Elements
SPRING: Supports SPRINGA and SPRING2
DASHPOT: Dashpot elements DASPOTA and DASHPOT2
ROTERY INERTIA: Rotery Inertia elements
GENERAL BEAM SECTION: Define general beam section properties.
SHELL GENERAL SECTION: Define general shell section
SOLID SECTION: Define solid section.
ORIENTATION: Define local co-ordinate system
MATERIAL: Define material properties

Then for the general section and each step:

DLOAD: Distributed Loads
CLOAD: Node Forces
DFLUX: Distributed Fluxes.
CFLUX: Node Fuxes.
BOUNDARY: Node Displacements, Rotations, etc.
TEMPERATURE: Node Temperatures
FILM: Wall Conduction

Components in the first grouping only appear in the top general section of the
ABAQUS input deck. The user can specify a step number for the components in
the second grouping above. These can appear in the general section and/or in a
subsequent step in the ABAQUS input deck.
Creating the ABAQUS Input File

The translator writes the ABAQUS Neutral File using the following files:
unstructured domain file
boundary condition file
parameter file (abaqus.par)

To create the ABAQUS input file, select the following menu entries from the
Graphical User Interface:
Output menu--> select translator ABAQUS
Output menu--> write input

Options for the ABAQUS interface:

select an existing unstructured domain file
give the name of its corresponding boundary condition file.
give the name of its corresponding parameter file (abaqus.par)
give the name of the output file which is a input to ABAQUS (Abaqus.in)
option to Ignore Node elements or not (default is no)
option to Ignore Bar elements or not (default is no)
option to Ignore Shell elements or not (default is no)

The successful execution of the interface generates the ABAQUS input file
located in the project directory.
Note: If user says Ignore Elements (Node/Bar/Shell) as yes, no elements of that
type would be written to the input deck. Boundary conditions applied to families
having ignored elements won't be written.
Defining boundary conditions for ABAQUS

The boundary conditions and properties are defined using the "Bound. Cond."
menu. The following sections explain how to define properties and boundary
conditions for the ABAQUS interface.
Node Definition:
Nodes appear in the ABAQUS input deck without any special attention from the
user.
Element Definition (*ELEMENT, TYPE=):

Elements are written to the ABAQUS input file only if this boundary condition is
applied. This BC allows the user to specify the element type. If this BC is not
defined, elements are not written to the ABAQUS input deck.
Following element types are supported.
Applicable Element type boundary conditions:

Volume Elements

Shell Elements

1. 3-D Solid
Elements

1. 2-D Solid Elements.

2. Axisymmetric Solid
Elements.
3. Membrane Elements.
4. 3-D Shell Elements

Bar Elements
1. 1-D Solid Elements.
2. Axisymmetric Membrane
Elements.
3. Truss Elements.
4. Beam Elements.
5. Frame Elements.
6. Elbow Elements.
7. Axisymmetric Shell Elements.
8. Connector Elements.
9. Dashpot Elements.
10. Elbow Elements.
11. Rigid Elements.
12 . Spring Elements.

Select appropriate element type for the selected family depending upon type of
element it contains.
Note: Only first element type applied to each family will be considered for
Abaqus translations. Other element types would be ignored.
Element Sets (*ELSET):
User can create elements set of any family using *ELSET command if the
element type bc had been already applied for that family.
Format: *ELSET ELSET="name of the family"
Node Sets (*NSET):
Node set would be written automatically for each family. Name of each node set
would be family name followed by "_NSET".
Whenever any node based boundary condition is applied to any family, it will be
applied to this node set.
Surface (*SURFACE):
Under this there are two type of Surface definition.
A. Surface from SHELL elements:

Define *SURFACE boundary condition by specifying surface name and face

number. It will be written in the general section of input deck.
Enter the following parameters
1.Enter surface name
2.Enter face number.
B. Surface from Solid Elements:
Define "Surface Definition on Solid elements" boundary condition by specifying
surface name and name of the overlaying surface family to solid elements.
Using
this option even one can define internal surfaces.
Enter the following parameters
1.
2.

Enter Surface Name

Enter Surface family name which is overlaying to solid

Elements.

Node Displacements (*BOUNDARY):

If a positive integer is entered for the step number, the boundary condition
appears inside a step definition corresponding to the step number entered.
In 2D, node displacements and temperatures can be defined on faces, edges and
vertices, and in 3D, on blocks, faces, edges and vertices. Select an entity then
set the following entries:
1.
2.
3.

Enter Step Number.

Select Degree of Freedom.
Enter Displacement value.

The valid degree of freedom labels are:

UX, UY, UZ
Translation in X, Y, Z
RX, RY, RZ
Rotation about X, Y, Z
PINNE
All translations
ENCAS
All degrees of freedom
XSYMM
Symmetry about a plane X=constant
YSYMM
Symmetry about a plane Y=constant
ZSYMM
Symmetry about a plane Z=constant
XASYM
Anti-Symmetry about a plane X=constant
YASYM
Anti-Symmetry about a plane Y=constant
ZASYM
Anti-Symmetry about a plane Z=constant

In order to set node displacements for several degrees of freedom for a same
entity, repeat the procedure described above for all constrained degrees of
freedom. The displacement value is only accepted for degree of freedom labels

UX, UY, UZ, RX, RY, and RZ. All other options impose displacements of zero to
the relevant degrees of freedom.
Repeat this procedure for all entities which require node displacements
definition. Note that node displacements defined on faces overwrite those
defined on blocks, node displacements defined on edges overwrite those defined
on faces and node displacements defined on vertices overwrite those defined on
edges.
The information entered here appears in the ABAQUS input deck under the
"*BOUNDARY" card, either in the general section if an ABAQUS step of 0 is
defined, or under the relevant step card. If defined for step 0, only fixed
boundary conditions (ex. displacement = 0) should be defined in keeping with
ABAQUS format. The user is required to ensure that this criterion is met.
Node Temperatures (*TEMPERATURE):
In 2D, node temperatures can be defined on faces, edges and vertices, and in
3D, on blocks, faces, edges and vertices. Select an entity then set the following
entries:
1.
2.

Enter Step Number:

Enter Temperature Value:

Repeat the above procedure for all entities where you need to define the nodal
temperature. Note that node temperatures defined on faces overwrite those
defined on blocks, node temperatures defined on edges overwrite those defined
on faces and node temperatures defined on vertices overwrite those defined on
edges (when they share common nodes).
The node temperatures are written in the ABAQUS input file within the defined
step under the keyword "*TEMPERATURE".
If the step is not specified as a positive integer, this information is written in the
general section of the ABAQUS input deck.
Distributed Loads (*DLOAD):
The distributed loads (DLOAD) and concentrated loads (CLOAD) should have an
ABAQUS step number associated with them. If the step is not defined, this
information is written in the general section of the ABAQUS input deck, but
should be moved within a "*STEP / *END STEP" pairing prior to starting
ABAQUS.
Select a block or boundary face for a 3D model, or a face for a 2D model (loads
on edge entities and vertices should be applied with the *CLOAD option defined
below), then set the following entries:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Enter Step Number.

Select DLOAD type.
Enter Face number(only for HPn, Pn & PnNU).
Enter Load Magnitude.
Enter Param1 - Param6.(depending upon parameters for
selected DLOAD type)

The load types can be found in chapter 3 of the ABAQUS/Standard User's

Manual. Usually, distributed loads are applied to faces of elements. ABAQUS
needs to know the magnitude of the load (a single scalar value) and to which
face the load is applied.

Repeat this procedure for all entities where you wish to define a distributed load.
The non-zero load components are written in the sections "*DLOAD" of the
ABAQUS input deck where they are linked to the element numbers.
Concentrated Loads (*CLOAD):
In 2D or in 3D select a face, edge, or vertex. Then set the following entries:
1. Enter Step Number.
2. Enter Load in X-direction.
3. Enter Load in Y-direction.
4. Enter Load in Z-direction.
5. Enter Moment in X-direction.
6. Enter Moment in Y-direction.
7. Enter Moment in Z-direction.
Repeat this procedure for all entities which require a node force boundary
condition. Note that each defined "*CLOAD" card appears separately in the
ABAQUS input deck.
The non-zero load components are written to the ABAQUS input file where they
are applied to the node numbers. Care should be taken when applying
concentrated loads because they are additive within a given ABAQUS step. If the
user does not define a positive ABAQUS step number, this information appears in
the general section of the ABAQUS input deck and should be moved to a relevant
step prior to starting ABAQUS.

Distributed Fluxes (*DFLUX):

Select a domain or boundary subface for a 3D model, or asubface for a 2D
model (fluxes on edge entities should be applied with the *CFLUX option defined
below). Then set the following entries:
1. Enter Step Number.
2. Select Flux Type.
3. Enter face number(only if flux type is Sn/SnNU).
4. Select Surface(top/bottom) for shells(only for flux
type Sn/SnNU).
5. Enter Flux Magnitude.

* The flux type can be found in chapter 3 of the ABAQUS/Standard User's

Manual. Usually, DFLUXes are applied to faces of elements, and ABAQUS needs
to know the magnitude (a single scalar value) of the flux, and to which face the
load will be applied.

Concentrated Fluxes (*CFLUX):

In 2D or in 3D select a subface, or an edge. Then set the following entries:

1.
2.
3.

Enter Step Number.

Enter Flux Magnitude.
Enter Degree of Freedom.

Repeat this procedure for all entities which require a node flux boundary
condition. Note that each defined CFLUX card will appear separately in the
ABAQUS input deck.
The non-zero flux components are written to the Abaqus input file where they
are applied to the node numbers. Care should be taken when applying CFLUXes,
because the loads are additive within a given ABAQUS STEP. If the user does
not define a non-zero ABAQUS step number, this information will appear in the
general section of the ABAQUS input deck and should be moved to a relevant
step prior to starting ABAQUS.

Film Coefficients and Associated Sink Temperatures

(*FILM):
This option is used to provide film coefficients and sink temperatures for heat
transfer and coupled temperature-displacement analyses.
To apply the FILM condition, select a block or boundary face for a 3D model, or a
face for a 2D model then set the following entries:
1.Enter Step Number.
2.Select Film Type.
3.Enter Face number.

4.Select Face (top/bottom) for Shell Elements.

5.Enter Sink Temperature.
6.Enter Film Coefficient.
Repeat this procedure for all entities where you wish to define a FILM condition. The nonzero FILM conditions are written in the sections "*FILM" of the ABAQUS input deck where
they are linked to the element numbers.

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