4.

7COMBIN7RevoluteJoint

COMBIN7isathreedimensionalpin(orrevolute)jointwhichmaybeusedtoconnecttwoormore
partsofamodelatacommonpoint.Capabilitiesofthiselementincludejointflexibility(orstiffness),
friction,damping,andcertaincontrolfeatures.Animportantfeatureofthiselementisalarge
deflectioncapabilityinwhichalocalcoordinatesystemisfixedtoandmoveswiththejoint.This
elementisintendedforuseinkinetostaticandkinetodynamicanalyses.SeeSection14.7intheANSYS
TheoryReferenceformoredetailsaboutthiselement.Aunidirectionalcontrolelementhavingless
capabilityisdescribedinSection4.37.Similarelements(withoutremotecontrolcapability)are
COMBIN14,MASS21,COMBIN37,COMBIN39,andCOMBIN40.
Figure4.71COMBIN7RevoluteJointElement

4.7.1InputData
Thegeometry,nodelocations,andcoordinatesystemsforthiselementareshowninFigure4.71.
Thiselementisdefinedinthreedimensionalspacebyfivenodes,thesebeingactivenodes(I,J),a
nodetodefinetheinitialrevoluteaxis(K),andcontrolnodes(L,M).Theactivenodesshouldbe
coincidentandrepresenttheactualpinjointwhichconnectslinksAandB.Alinkcanbean
individualelementoranassemblageofelements.IfnodeKisnotdefined,thentheinitialrevolute
axisistakentobetheZdirectionoftheglobalCartesiansystem.Thelocalelementcoordinate
system,whenusedwithlargedeflection[NLGEOM],followstheaveragetranslationandrotationof
nodesIandJ.Theelementcoordinatesystemxyztranslatesandrotateswiththejoint,andthe
orientationofnodeKisinconsequentialafterthefirstiteration.Thecontrolnodes'primaryaimisto
introducefeedbackbehaviortotheelement(discussedbelow).
Theactivenodes(I,J)aredefinedtohavesixdegreesoffreedomhowever,fiveofthese(UX,UY,
UZ,ROTX,ROTY)inthelocaljointsystemareintendedtobeconstrainedwithacertainlevelof
flexibility.Thislevelofflexibilityisdefinedbythreeinputstiffnesses:K1fortranslationalstiffnessin
thexyplane,K2forstiffnessinthezdirection,andK3forrotationalstiffnessaboutthexandyaxes.
Jointmass(MASS)andmassmomentofinertia(IMASS)inputvaluesareevenlydistributedbetween

nodesIandJ.
Thedynamicsoftherevoluterotationorprimarydegreeoffreedom(Figure4.72)includefriction
torque(TF),rotationalviscousfriction(CT),torsionalstiffness(K4),preloadtorque(TLOAD),
interferencerotation(ROT),andtwodifferentialrotationlimits(STOPLandSTOPU).Anullvalue
forTFcorrespondstozerofriction(orfreerotation),whileanegativevaluewillremovefriction
capabilityfromtheelement.Onceremoved(TF<0),thejointislockedwithstiffnessK4.Thejoint
willalsobecomelockedwithstiffnessK4whenastopisengaged.Theupperstop(STOPU)
representstheallowedamountofforwardrotation(nodeJrotatesawayfromnodeI),andthelower
stop(STOPL)representstheallowedamountofreverserotation(nodeJrotatestowardsnodeI).Null
valuesforbothstopswillremovelockingactionfromtheelementi.e.,rotationdampedonlyby
viscous(CT)andfriction(TF)dampingtorques.
Figure4.72COMBIN7RealConstantsandDynamicBehaviorofRotationAbouttheZ
(Revolute)Axis

Therotationalinterference(ROT)isintendedtocorrespondtoalocallyimposedjointrotationifthe
revoluteaxisislocked(TF<0)andstiffnessisspecified(K4>0).Astartingstatusrealconstant
(START)willsettheinitialbehavioroftherevoluterotation:START=0impliesnorotation
(locked),START=1or1impliesforwardorreverserotation,respectively.Initialrotationstatus
(START=1,1)willbeoverruledifeitherSTART=1,STOPU=0,andSTOPL#0,orSTART=1,
STOPL=0,andSTOPU#0.
Consistentunitsshouldbeused.Unitsareforce/lengthforK1andK2andlength*force/radianforK3
andK4.CTuseslength*force*time/radian,whileTFandTLOADuseslength*force.
Force*time2/lengthisusedwithMASSandlength*force*time2/radianisforIMASS.ROT,STOPL,
andSTOPUuseradians.
Feedbackcontrolbehaviorisassociatedwiththecontrolnodes(L,M).TheKEYOPTvaluesareused
todefinethecontrolvalue(CVAL).KEYOPT(3)selectsthedegreeoffreedomforthecontrolnodes,
KEYOPT(4)assignsthecoordinatesystemfortheselecteddegreeoffreedom,andKEYOPT(7)
specifieswhichrealconstantistobemodifiedforthesubsequentnonlinearanalysis.TheKEYOPT(1)
optionassignstothecontrolvalueeitherthevalueofthedegreeoffreedom,thefirstorsecond
derivativeofthevalue,theintegralofthevalue,ortime.
KEYOPT(2)definesthebehavioroftherevolutedegreeoffreedomafterastophasbeenengaged.If
KEYOPT(2)=0,thethepinmaydisengage(orbounceoff)thestop.IfKEYOPT(2)=1,thepinaxisis
locked.
Theelementcanexhibitnonlinearbehavioraccordingtothefunction
RVMOD=RVAL+C1|CVAL|C2+C3|CVAL|C4

whereRVMODisthemodifiedvalueoftheinputrealconstantvalueRVAL(identifiedby
KEYOPT(7)),C1throughC4areotherrealconstantsandgivetheformoftherealconstant
modification,andCVAListhecontrolvalue(seeKEYOPT(1)).RVMODmayalsobedefinedby
usersubroutineUSERRCandisaccessedbyKEYOPT(9)=1.ExamplesofCVALare:
CVAL=UXLUXM
CVAL=d(UZLUZM)/dt
CVAL=d2(ROTZLROTZM)/dt2
CVAL=
CVAL=t
Controlvaluescalculatedinthecurrentsubsteparenotuseduntilthenextsubstep.Controlnodes
neednotbeconnectedtoanyotherelement.IfnodeMisnotdefined,thecontrolvalueisbasedonly
uponnodeL.
AsummaryoftheelementinputisgiveninTable4.71.Ageneraldescriptionofelementinputis
giveninSection2.1.
Table4.71COMBIN7InputSummary
Element
Name

COMBIN7

Nodes

I,J,K,L,M(K,L,Mareoptional)

Degreesof
Freedom

UX,UY,UZ,ROTX,ROTY,ROTZ

Real
Constants

K1,K2,K3,K4,CT,TF,
MASS,IMASS,TLOAD,START,STOPL,STOPU,
ROT,C1,C2,C3,C4

Material
Properties

None

Surface
Loads

None

BodyLoads None
Special
Features

Largedeflection,Nonlinear(ifeitherstopsorfrictionarespecified),Adaptivedescent

ControlValue
0,1Controlonvalue(ULUM)(orULifMnotdefined)
2Controlonfirstderivativeofvaluewithrespecttotime
KEYOPT(1)
3Controlonsecondderivativeofvaluewithrespecttotime
4Controlonintegralofvaluewithrespecttotime
5Controlontimevalue(KEYOPT(3)ignored)

KEYOPT(2) Fixedstopcontrolbehavior
0Reversepinaxisrotationisnotpreventedwhenarotationalstopisengaged.
1Pinaxisislockedwhenarotationalstopisengaged(onlyafterthefirstsubstep)
Degreeoffreedomforcontrolnodes(LandM)
0,1UX(DisplacementalongXaxes)
2UY(DisplacementalongYaxes)
KEYOPT(3) 3UZ(DisplacementalongZaxes)
4ROTX(rotationaboutXaxes)
5ROTY(rotationaboutYaxes)
6ROTZ(rotationaboutZaxes
Controlnodecoordinates
KEYOPT(4) 0Controlnodedegreeoffreedomisinnodalcoordinates
1Controlnodedegreeoffreedomisinelement(moving)coordinates
UsedifC1orC3isnotequaltozero(seeSection4.7.1)
KEYOPT(7) 0,1UseK1realconstantfornonlinearfunction,
2UseK2,3useK3,.....,13useROT
0UseRVMODexpressionforrealconstantmodifications
KEYOPT(9) 1RealconstantsmodifiedbyusersubroutineUSERRC(seetheGuidetoANSYS
UserProgrammableFeaturesforinformationaboutuserwrittensubroutines)

4.7.2OutputData
Thesolutionoutputassociatedwiththeelementisintwoforms:
nodaldisplacementsincludedintheoverallnodalsolution
additionalelementoutputasshowninTable4.72.
Itisimportanttonotethatelementforcesanddisplacementsareintheelement(moving)coordinate
system.Theamountofrotationalsliding(ROTATE)differsfromthetotaldifferentialrotation(DRZ)
aboutthelocalrevoluteaxisduetotheflexiblenatureofthejoint.STATandOLDSTrefertopresent
andpreviousstatuses,respectively,oftherevoluteaxis.Ageneraldescriptionofsolutionoutputis
giveninSection2.2.SeetheANSYSBasicAnalysisProceduresGuideforwaystoviewresults.
ThefollowingnotationisusedinTable4.72:
Acolon(:)intheNamecolumnindicatestheitemcanbeaccessedbytheComponentNamemethod
[ETABLE,ESOL](seeSection2.2.2).TheOandRcolumnsindicatetheavailabilityoftheitemsin
thefileJobname.OUT(O)orintheresultsfile(R),aYindicatesthattheitemisalwaysavailable,a
numberreferstoatablefootnotewhichdescribeswhentheitemisconditionallyavailable,anda
indicatesthattheitemisnotavailable.
Table4.72COMBIN7ElementOutputDefinitions
Name

Definition

O R

EL

Elementnumber

NODES

ActivenodesI,J

CENT:X,Y,Z

CenterlocationXC,YC,ZC

ROTATE

Amountofpinrotationalsliding

CVAL

Value(seeKEYOPT(1))ofthecontrolnodes

STAT

Elementstatus

1 1

OLDST

Statvaluesoftheprevioustimestep

1 1

DUX,DUY,DUZ,DRX, Differentialpindisplacementsandrotationsinelementcoordinates.
DRY,DRZ
Forexample,DUX=UXJUXI.
RVMOD

Modifiedrealconstant(seeSection4.7.1)

FORCE(X,Y,Z)

Springforces(inelementcoordinates)

MOMENT(X,Y,Z)

Springmoments(inelementcoordinates)

RVOLD

Modifiedrealconstantofprevioustimestep

Y Y
Y Y
Y
Y Y
Y Y

Y Y
Y Y
Y Y
Y Y
Y Y

1.Elementstatusvalues:
0Norotation(butnostopengaged)
1Forwardrotation
1Reverserotation
2Forwardstopengaged
2Reversestopengaged
Table4.73listsoutputavailablethroughtheETABLEcommandusingtheSequenceNumber
method.SeeChapter5oftheANSYSBasicAnalysisProceduresGuideandSection2.2.2.2ofthis
manualformoreinformation.ThefollowingnotationisusedinTable4.73:
NameoutputquantityasdefinedintheTable4.72
ItempredeterminedItemlabelforETABLEcommand
Esequencenumberforsinglevaluedorconstantelementdata
Table4.73COMBIN7ItemandSequenceNumbersfortheETABLEandESOLCommands
Name

Item

FORCEX

SMISC

FORCEY

SMISC 2

FORCEZ

SMISC 3

MOMENTX SMISC
MOMENTY SMISC

4
5

MOMENTZ SMISC 6
STAT

NMISC

OLDST

NMISC

DUX

NMISC

DUY

NMISC 4

DUZ

NMISC 5

DRX

NMISC 6

DRY

NMISC 7

DRZ

NMISC 8

ROTATE

NMISC 9

RVMOD

NMISC 10

CVAL

NMISC 11

1
2
3

4.7.3AssumptionsandRestrictions
Thejointelementisvalidonlyinastructuralanalysis.Theactivejointnodes(I,J)mustbecoincident.
NodeK,ifdefined,mustnotbecoincidentwiththeactivenodes.Thecontrolnodes(L,M)maybeany
activenodeinthemodel,includingnodesI,J,andK.
Thenonlinearcapabilitiesoftheelementoperateonlyinthestaticandnonlineartransientdynamic
analyses.Ifusedinotheranalysistypes,theelementmaintainsitsinitialstatusthroughoutthe
analysis.Aniterativesolutionisrequiredwhenusingthenonlinearoption.
Theprecisenatureoftheelementbehavior,whethernonlinearitiesarepresentornot,dependson
severalinputitems.Theseitemsincludethepresenceofstopsorfrictiontheselectionofalarge
deflectionanalysisandtheuseofjointcontrolfeatures.Stopinputvalues(STOPL,STOPU)mustbe
greaterthanorequaltozero.Forstopstobeengaged,apositivetorsionalstiffness(K4)shouldbe
specified.Negativevaluesareignored.Stopvaluesrepresentforwardandreverseclearancesaboutthe
revoluteaxis.
Revolutefriction(TF),whenspecified,mustbepositive.Anegativefrictionvalueremovesfriction
fromtheelementandlockstherevoluteaxiswithtorsionalstiffnessK4.Anullfrictionvalueimplies
frictionlessrotation(unlessCTisspecifiedorastopisengaged).

TheelementmaynotbedeactivatedwiththeEKILLcommand.Also,therealconstantsforthis
elementarenotallowedtobechangedfromtheirinitialvalues.Onlythelumpedmassmatrixis
available.

4.7.4ProductRestrictions
Therearenoproductspecificrestrictionsforthiselement.