This section describes how to define individual conventional substructures.
You can also define frequency-based substructures (see Generating Frequency-Based Substructures) for use
in direct steady-state dynamic analyses. Frequency-based substructures differ from
conventional substructures in that they use stiffness, inertial, damping, and frequency
information to form the complex, frequency-domain analysis operator while conventional
substructures compute real, condensed substructure operators.
For information on how substructures are used in a model, see Using Substructures.
Substructures are defined using the substructure generation procedure. The substructure
creation and usage cannot be included in the same analysis. Multiple substructures can be
generated in an analysis. Any substructure can consist of one or more other substructures; if
this is the case, the nested-level substructures must be defined first. The substructure
database is not organized in terms of part instances; therefore, substructures cannot be
generated from models that have an assembly defined. None of the substructure options are
supported in models that have an assembly defined.
To define a typical substructure generation step, do the following:
Invoke the substructure generation procedure.
Define the nodes and degrees of freedom that are to be retained as external degrees of
freedom when the substructure is used.
Optionally, retain extra dynamic modes to improve the dynamic behavior of the
substructure during usage.
Optionally, specify substructure load cases.
Optionally, write the recovery matrix, substructure's stiffness matrix, mass matrix,
and load case vectors to a file.
Generating a Substructure
The generated substructure is associated with a name. You can specify the substructure
name, which is the preferred method for naming a substructure. By default, a substructure is
named jobname_Zn, where
jobname is the name of the substructure generation job, and
n is the current step number of the job.
The substructure name must be unique in the substructure generation analysis. If several
substructures are generated in the same substructure generation job, they must have
different substructure names.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to specify the substructure name:
Specifying the substructure name is not supported in Abaqus/CAE.
Alternative Method for Naming a Substructure
Abaqus provides an alternative method to name a substructure. Instead of using the default name
or specifying the substructure name, you can specify a prefix and an identifier. The
identifier must begin with the capital letter Z followed by a positive integer that cannot
exceed 9999. You can specify libname as the prefix and
Zn as the identifier to construct the substructure name
libname_Zn.
Input File Usage
The alternative way to define a substructure database name:
Step module: Create Step: Linear perturbation: Substructure generation: n
Substructure Database
A substructure database is the set of files that describes the mechanical and geometric
properties of a substructure. Abaqus writes all generated substructure data to the substructure database during the
substructure generation analysis. The substructure database can include files with the
following extensions: .sim, .prt,
.mdl, .stt, and .odb.
The substructure database files are named using the substructure name. Therefore, if
several substructures are generated in the same substructure generation job, they must have
different substructure names. If a substructure with the same name already exists in the
user directory, the analysis ends with an error message unless you specify to overwrite the
existing substructure database files (see Overwriting the Substructure Database Files).
The substructure files are named as follows:
name.sim
name.prt
name.mdl
name.stt
name_MODEL.odb
name_MODEL.sim
The name.sim file is generated for every
substructure. This file contains the condensed substructure operators, recovery matrices,
and other generated substructure entities.
Files with the extensions .prt, .mdl, and
.stt contain the internal Abaqus database for the finite element model from which a substructure is generated. These files
are generated only if the solution within the substructure can be fully or partially
recovered. Abaqus uses these files to recover element results within the substructure in the substructure
usage analyses.
Model Data Files
The name_MODEL.odb and
name_MODEL.sim files are the model
data files. You can use the abaqus execution procedure to
specify the output format of the results (see Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit Execution). By default, the
name_MODEL.odb file is generated if
the following conditions are satisfied:
You run the abaqus execution procedure using the
resultsformat=odb
(default) command line option.
The substructure is generated from a three-dimensional finite element model.
The solution within the substructure can be fully or partially recovered.
The name_MODEL.odb file contains the
finite element model data required for visualization of the results recovered within the
substructure. You can suppress generation of this file. If a
substructure does not include this file, you can still visualize the recovered
substructure results in the Visualization module of Abaqus/CAE; however, the element results (for example, stresses) cannot be displayed for some
groups of elements (for example, beam and shell elements). The
name_MODEL.odb file cannot be created
if a substructure is generated from a two-dimensional finite element model.
The name_MODEL.sim file is generated if
you run the abaqus execution procedure using the
resultsformat=sim
command line option. There are no limitations related to the space dimensions for this
file generation. You can visualize the substructure results using the Physics Results
Explorer app on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
If you run the abaqus execution procedure using the
resultsformat=both
command line option, both the
name_MODEL.odb and
name_MODEL.sim files are created for a
substructure generated with recovery enabled.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to specify the output format of the model data file in the
input file rather than in the execution procedure:
Controlling the generation of the model data file is not supported in Abaqus/CAE.
Overwriting the Substructure Database Files
If a substructure generation analysis is rerun using the same substructure name without
deleting the substructure database files, you must specify that the existing substructure
database files can be overwritten.
Specifying that the existing substructure database files can be overwritten is not
supported in Abaqus/CAE.
Renaming the Substructure Database Files
You can rename the files in a substructure database. You must rename all of the files
consistently with the new name. For example, replace the substructure
name with a newname to rename the
files as follows:
newname.sim
newname.prt
newname.mdl
newname.stt
newname_MODEL.odb
newname_MODEL.sim
Recovery within a Substructure
By default, the solution at any degree of freedom in the substructure can be recovered. Abaqus must have access to the substructure's .mdl,
.prt, and .stt files to perform a full recovery.
These files all reside in the substructure database.
You can specify that a recovery of element or nodal information will not be required within
this substructure. This reduces the size of the substructure database significantly for a
large substructure because the information that is required to recover eliminated variables
is not stored. However, this information cannot be recreated later except by regenerating
the entire substructure with recovery enabled.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to enable recovery for a substructure:
Use the following option to enable recovery for a substructure:
Step module: Create Step: Linear perturbation: Substructure generation: Basic tabbed page: toggle on Evaluate recovery matrix for: select Whole model
Use the following option to disable recovery for a substructure:
Step module: Create Step: Linear perturbation: Substructure generation: Basic tabbed page: toggle off Evaluate recovery matrix for
Using the Selective Recovery Method
If results recovery is desired only at a subset of the internal degrees of freedom, disk
usage can be reduced substantially by using the selective recovery method. To enable
selective recovery, the region where recovery is desired can be specified directly.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to define the node set for selective recovery:
Use the following option to define the node set for selective recovery:
Step module: Create Step: Linear perturbation: Substructure generation: Basic tabbed page: toggle on Evaluate recovery matrix for: select Region: Node set name
Use the following option to define the element set for selective recovery:
Step module: Create Step: Linear perturbation: Substructure generation: Basic tabbed page: toggle on Evaluate recovery matrix for: select Region: Element set name
Evaluating Frequency-Dependent Material Properties
When frequency-dependent material properties are specified, Abaqus/Standard offers the option of choosing the frequency at which these properties are evaluated for
use in substructure generation. If you do not choose the frequency, Abaqus/Standard evaluates the stiffness at zero frequency and does not consider the stiffness
contributions from frequency-domain viscoelasticity. If you do specify a frequency, only the
real part of the stiffness contributions from frequency-domain viscoelasticity is
considered.
Step module: Step editor: Substructure generate: Options tabbed page: toggle on Evaluate frequency-dependent properties at frequency: frequency
Defining the Retained Nodal Degrees of Freedom
The degrees of freedom at a node can be divided into retained degrees of
freedom (for use at the usage level of the substructure) and eliminated degrees
of freedom (internal to the substructure).
Abaqus/Standard
allows any of the degrees of freedom at any of the nodes of a substructure to
be retained with one exception: if an acoustic-structural substructure is
generated, based on coupled or uncoupled modes, only structural degrees of
freedom can be retained. You must make sure that the choice of retained degrees
of freedom is reasonable so that the substructure can be connected correctly to
the rest of the model.
Any degrees of freedom where kinematic constraints may have to be
respecified during usage of the substructure should be kept as retained degrees
of freedom.
If any degrees of freedom of nodes used to define distributing coupling
elements are retained, the degrees of freedom of an internal node associated
with the Lagrange multipliers are added automatically to the list of the
retained degrees of freedom of the substructure.
To define the retained degrees of freedom, specify the node number or node
set label and, optionally, the first and the last degree of freedom to be
retained.
By default, the nodes associated with the retained degrees of freedom will
be sorted into ascending numerical order.
Preventing the Degrees of Freedom from Being Sorted
You can prevent the degrees of freedom from being sorted. The ordering of
the nodes when using a substructure is then the same as the ordering used when
specifying the retained nodes.
You cannot prevent retained nodes from being sorted in Abaqus/CAE.
Retaining Degrees of Freedom When the Substructure Is Intended for Geometrically Nonlinear Analysis at the Usage Level
When the substructure is intended for use in geometrically nonlinear
analyses, it is recommended to retain all translational and/or all rotational
degrees of freedom from a particular node. Even in the case when only a single
translational/rotational degree of freedom of a particular node is deemed as
needed at the usage level, you should retain all translational/rotational
degrees of freedom associated with that node. Otherwise, as the substructure
rotates during a geometrically nonlinear analysis, local numerical
instabilities (negative eigenvalues) may occur since the rotated substructure
may have no stiffness in particular degrees of freedom.
You must choose an appropriate number of nodes that will allow for the
computation of an equivalent rigid body motion of the substructure. In
two-dimensional or axisymmetric analyses, retaining two nodes with all
translational degrees of freedom or one node with all translational and
rotational degrees of freedom is sufficient to compute an equivalent rigid body
motion of the substructure at the usage level. In three-dimensional analysis,
three non-colinear nodes with all translational degrees of freedom retained or
one node with all translations and rotations are needed. If the retained nodes
are colinear or fewer than three nodes are retained, you must retain at least
one node with all rotational degrees of freedom. When
Abaqus/Standard
cannot compute an equivalent rigid body motion for the substructure during the
analysis at the usage level because the number of retained degrees of freedom
is not appropriate, a warning message is issued and any geometrically nonlinear
effects associated with the substructure are ignored.
All kinematic boundary conditions associated with degrees of freedom that are not retained must
be specified when the substructure is generated. The conditions are built into the
substructure and remain imposed any time that it is used. Once the substructure is
generated, kinematic constraints on internal variables cannot be respecified; they can
be modified or removed only by recreating the substructure. The magnitude of a
prescribed boundary condition applied to an internal degree of freedom can be
associated with a substructure load case and can be changed at the usage level. The
restraint itself is built into the substructure and cannot be removed by omitting a
reference to the load case.
During substructure generation, multi-point constraints in which some of
the substructure's retained degrees of freedom are eliminated in favor of
internal degrees of freedom must be avoided. If it is desirable to retain
certain degrees of freedom that are eliminated by the multi-point constraints,
you must reassign all of the variables appearing in the multi-point constraints
as retained degrees of freedom and impose the constraints at the usage level.
Defining the Generalized Degrees of Freedom
An effective technique for modeling the dynamic behavior of a substructure
is to augment the response within the substructure by including some
generalized degrees of freedom associated with the dynamic modes. You can
select the modes to retain, which must be calculated in a previous frequency
extraction step (Natural Frequency Extraction).
For some cases of the substructure generation, the dynamic modes have to be
fully recovered; if they were computed with the
AMS eigensolver and only partially recovered,
an error message is issued in such cases. For example, if a substructure
includes the substructure load cases or structural-acoustic coupling (or it
will be used for flexible body generation) the eigenmodes have to be fully
recovered. The modes will include eigenmodes and, if activated in the
eigenfrequency extraction step, residual modes. If all retained degrees of
freedom of the substructure are constrained in the frequency extraction step,
this technique is commonly referred to as the Craig-Bampton method. If all
retained degrees of freedom of the substructure are not constrained in the
frequency extraction step, this technique is commonly referred to as the
Craig-Chang method. The substructure dynamic modes in the Craig-Bampton method
are commonly referred to as the fixed-interface modes, and the substructure
dynamic modes in the Craig-Chang method are commonly referred to as the
free-interface modes. If some retained degrees of freedom of the substructure
are constrained and other retained degrees of freedom are not constrained in
the frequency extraction step, the dynamic modes are called mixed-interface
modes. If the free-interface or mixed-interface dynamic modes are selected, the
substructure generation time can increase substantially compared to the case
when the same number of fixed-interface dynamic modes is used.
Abaqus
issues a warning message in this case. However, better solution accuracy can
sometimes be achieved with a significantly smaller number of free- or
mixed-interface dynamic modes than by using fixed-interface modes.
A sufficient number of the dynamic modes should be selected to provide
adequate dynamic representation of the substructure. You should examine loading
frequencies and frequency content of the structure to determine this range.
Specify a shift point and/or a cutoff frequency in the eigenfrequency
extraction step definition to obtain modes in the desired frequency range only.
Inclusion of generalized degrees of freedom adds the cost of the frequency
extraction to the substructure generation step but greatly improves the
accuracy of the solution if the substructure is used in a subsequent dynamic
(Implicit Dynamic Analysis Using Direct Integration),
steady-state dynamic (Direct-Solution Steady-State Dynamic Analysis),
or frequency extraction (Natural Frequency Extraction)
analysis.
In the case of the displacement normalization of the eigenvectors in a
frequency extraction analysis, a substructure must have at least one physical
degree of freedom active on the usage level; otherwise, the modes cannot be
normalized properly. See
Substructuring and substructure analysis
for additional details.
The retained eigenmodes must be selected when an acoustic-structural
substructure is generated.
The effect of acoustic-structural coupling can be included in the retained
eigenmodes during the natural frequency extraction procedure. To calculate the
coupled structural-acoustic eigenmodes, use a frequency extraction analysis
with the default Lanczos eigensolver and include the effect of
acoustic-structural coupling during the natural frequency extraction procedure
(Natural Frequency Extraction).
Abaqus
can also use uncoupled eigenmodes, generated from either
SIM-based Lanczos or
AMS eigensolver, to generate a coupled
acoustic-structural substructure. In this case the effect of
acoustic-structural coupling is included during the substructure generation.
Both structural and acoustic eigenmodes have to be retained for the
substructure generation, and the selection of the acoustic zero-frequency
modes, if such modes are present, is required to get an accurate substructure.
Selecting the Modes to Be Used in a Substructure Generation Analysis by Their Mode Numbers
You can directly specify the eigenmodes to be used in a substructure
generation analysis by their mode numbers.
Use the following option to generate the list of eigenmodes by mode
range, with each row in the data table specifying a single mode number. The
starting mode number and ending mode number in each row should be equal, and
the increment value should be zero.
Step module: Create Step: Linear perturbation: Substructure generation: Options tabbed page: toggle on Specify retained eigenmodes by: Mode range: Start Mode: eigenmode 1: End Mode: eigenmode 1: Increment: 0Start Mode: eigenmode 2: End Mode: eigenmode 2: Increment: 0etc.
Generating a List of the Eigenmodes by Mode Range
Instead of listing all the retained eigenmode numbers, you can generate the
list of eigenmodes.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to generate the list of eigenmodes by
mode range, with each data line specifying the start mode number, the end mode
number, and the increment in mode numbers between these two values:
SELECT EIGENMODES, GENERATEfirst mode number, last mode number, increment
Abaqus/CAE Usage
Use the following option to generate the list of eigenmodes by mode
range, with each row in the data table specifying the start mode number, the
end mode number, and the increment in mode numbers between these two
values:
Step module: Create Step: Linear perturbation: Substructure generation: Options tabbed page: toggle on Specify retained eigenmodes by: Mode range: Start Mode: first mode number: End Mode: last mode number: Increment: increment
Generating a List of the Eigenmodes by Frequency Range
You can select all the modes from the specified frequency range including
frequency boundaries.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to generate the list of eigenmodes by
frequency range, with each data line specifying the lower boundary of the
frequency range and the upper boundary of the frequency range:
SELECT EIGENMODES, DEFINITION=FREQUENCY RANGElower boundary of the frequency range, upper boundary of the frequency range
Abaqus/CAE Usage
Use the following option to generate the list of eigenmodes by frequency
range, with each row in the data table specifying the lower boundary of the
frequency range and the upper boundary of the frequency range:
Step module: Create Step: Linear perturbation: Substructure generation: Options tabbed page: toggle on Specify retained eigenmodes by: Frequency range: Lower Frequency: lower boundary of the frequency range: Upper Frequency: upper boundary of the frequency range
Substructure Size
Abaqus limits the substructure size to 16,384 degrees of freedom (including retained nodal and
generalized degrees of freedom) for substructures used in Abaqus and to 46,340 degrees of freedom for substructures generated in Abaqus and used outside of Abaqus, such as for flexible body dynamics workflows. Abaqus exits with an error message if you request generation of a substructure with more than
46,340 degrees of freedom.
Preloading a Substructure
Substructures can be used in models that exhibit nonlinear response
(associated with standard
Abaqus
elements or with contact definitions), but the response within a substructure
assumes linear small deformations. However, a substructure's response may be a
linear perturbation about a predeformed (possibly rotating and translating)
base state, defined on the basis of nonlinear response within the substructure
during its preload history.
When the substructure is intended for use in geometrically nonlinear
analyses, the substructure preloading should be limited to loads that generate
self-equilibrating stresses only (such as thermal stresses or interference
fits). In most cases, preload stresses are not self-equilibrating (such as
stresses from specified boundary conditions or applied loads). If
non-self-equilibrating prestress exists and the substructure undergoes a rigid
body motion at the usage level, additional stress is generated in the
substructure. Such usage level stresses are non-physical and will lead to
convergence problems and results that are difficult to interpret. Therefore,
you should use extreme care when preloading a substructure intended for use in
geometrically nonlinear analyses.
This preloading concept allows such effects as stress stiffening to be
included in a substructure. Preloading is a part of the state of the
substructure: the preload is self-equilibrating and so does not generate a load
vector when the substructure is used. Any loading of the substructure during
its use in a model is in addition to the preload.
It is important to distinguish the difference between a preload and a load
case. Both are allowed during a substructure generation analysis, but only the
preloads are actually applied to the substructure during generation. Load
cases, defined during substructure generation, can only be applied at the usage
level (see
Applying Loads to a Substructure).
Load cases are discussed in more detail later.
Computation of the Total Response of a Variable
Any recovered response variable within a substructure (such as stress or
displacement) is defined to be a perturbation (with some exceptions for
geometrically nonlinear analyses) from the preloaded base state. For
geometrically nonlinear analyses, the displacement output includes both the
equivalent rigid body rotation and translation associated with the substructure
and the strain-inducing small-displacement perturbation. If the total response
of a variable is desired, it can be computed by adding the perturbation result
to the final result computed during the substructure preload.
Computation of the Tangent Stiffness of a Preloaded Substructure
The rules for calculating the stiffness matrix of a preloaded substructure
are the same as those for a static linear perturbation step. See
General and Perturbation Procedures
for a detailed description of the rules.
Defining a Preloading History
Specify the loading history that defines the preload state for a
substructure.
The Substructure generation step must be defined after the preloading steps in an Abaqus/CAE analysis.
Prescribing Boundary Conditions at Retained Degrees of Freedom during Preloading Steps
During substructure preloading, boundary conditions can be prescribed at
retained degrees of freedom. When the preloaded substructure is subsequently
created in a substructure generation step, you must release all the retained
degrees of freedom (see
Removing Boundary Conditions).
An error message will be issued if some of the retained degrees of freedom are
not released. The reaction forces at the released degrees of freedom become
concentrated loads that are in equilibrium with the stresses within the
substructure. These concentrated loads cannot be removed without changing the
preload.
The preloaded substructure is, thus, in equilibrium. If the preload in a
substructure must effectively apply loading to other parts of the structure, a
substructure load case corresponding to the loads applied in the preload
history must be created.
Generating a Reduced Stiffness Matrix for a Substructure
You can generate a reduced stiffness matrix for a substructure. The default behavior is
based on whether Abaqus/Standard uses the symmetric or unsymmetric solver for the current analysis step (see Matrix Storage and Solution Scheme in Abaqus/Standard). A symmetric
instance of the substructure's reduced stiffness matrix is generated when Abaqus/Standard uses the symmetric solver. An unsymmetric instance of the substructure's reduced
stiffness matrix is generated when Abaqus/Standard uses the unsymmetric solver.
You can modify this behavior to generate a symmetric instance, an unsymmetric instance, or
both a symmetric and an unsymmetric instance of the reduced stiffness matrix regardless of
whether Abaqus/Standard uses the symmetric or unsymmetric solver. For acoustic-structural substructures, you can
modify the default behavior only for those substructures generated using coupled modes.
If the global stiffness matrix of the model involves any unsymmetry, the symmetric instance
of the reduced stiffness matrix generated in a step using the unsymmetric solver might not
be equivalent to the symmetric instance of the reduced stiffness matrix generated in a step
using the symmetric solver. The same is true about the unsymmetric instance of the reduced
stiffness matrix generated in a step using the symmetric solver and the unsymmetric instance
of the reduced stiffness matrix generated in a step using the unsymmetric solver.
For models with some sources of unsymmetry in stiffness (for example, models including
sliding contact with friction), generating both the symmetric and unsymmetric instances of
the reduced stiffness matrix can be beneficial at the usage level. Benefits at the usage
level include the following:
When a substructure generated with only an unsymmetric reduced stiffness matrix is
used in an eigenfrequency analysis, Abaqus/Standard performs an averaging-based symmetrization of the unsymmetric stiffness matrix. The
symmetric matrix is used for frequency extraction, and the eigenfrequencies that the
procedure yields can be unphysical for some models. However, when a substructure
generated with both the symmetric and unsymmetric instances of the stiffness matrix is
used, appropriate instances of the stiffness matrix are chosen for the procedures in
which you use the substructure. For example, an eigenfrequency procedure uses the
symmetric instance of the stiffness matrix, and a static analysis using the unsymmetric
solver uses the unsymmetric instance of the stiffness matrix.
When a substructure generated with both the symmetric and unsymmetric instances of the
stiffness matrix is used in a complex frequency extraction procedure, you can perform
parametric studies by using a stiffness matrix obtained from a linear combination of the
symmetric and unsymmetric instances of the substructure's stiffness matrix.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to generate a symmetric instance of the reduced stiffness
matrix:
Generating a reduced stiffness matrix for a substructure is not supported in Abaqus/CAE.
Generating a Reduced Mass Matrix for a Substructure
You can generate a reduced mass matrix for a substructure.
A reduced mass matrix is calculated by projecting the global mass matrix to
the subspace of the substructure modes. This technique is known as Guyan
reduction if only the static modes associated with the nodal retained degrees
of freedom are used. Using only the static modes may not be sufficient to
define the dynamic response of the substructure accurately. Additional dynamic
modes must be used to improve the response inside the substructure.
Step module: Create Step: Linear perturbation: Substructure generation: Options tabbed page: toggle on Compute reduced mass matrix
Generating a Reduced Viscous Damping Matrix for a Substructure
Viscous damping in the
Abaqus
model can be defined by "Rayleigh-type" damping associated with materials (see
Material Damping), by
dashpots (see
Dashpots), by connector
elements, by user-defined elements, by direct matrix input (see
Using Matrices), and by some other
modeling features. You can generate a reduced structural damping matrix for a
substructure that will represent all sources of the viscous damping in the
model.
The reduced viscous damping matrix is calculated in a manner similar to that
used for the reduced mass matrix.
Step module: Create Step: Linear perturbation: Substructure generation: Options tabbed page: toggle on Compute reduced viscous damping matrix
Friction Damping Effects
Friction at the contact nodes, at which a velocity differential is imposed,
can give rise to the viscous damping terms. There are two kinds of
friction-induced damping effects. The first effect is caused by the friction
forces stabilizing the vibrations in the direction perpendicular to the slip
direction. This effect exists only in three-dimensional analysis. The second
effect is caused by a velocity-dependent friction coefficient. If the friction
coefficient decreases with the velocity (which is usually the case), the effect
is destabilizing and is also known as "negative damping." For more details, see
Coulomb friction. You
can include these friction-induced contributions to the reduced viscous damping
matrix.
Generating a Reduced Structural Damping Matrix for a Substructure
Structural damping in the Abaqus model can include contributions from the material structural damping defined as a scaling
factor for the stiffness (the imaginary stiffness), damping contributions from
frequency-domain viscoelasticity, structural damping contributions from connectors and
spring elements, and from user-defined elements. It can also be defined by direct matrix
input (see Using Matrices). You can generate a reduced structural damping matrix for a
substructure.
The reduced structural damping matrix is calculated in a manner similar to that used for
the reduced mass matrix.
A symmetric instance of the reduced structural damping matrix is generated when Abaqus/Standard uses the symmetric solver. An unsymmetric instance of the reduced structural damping
matrix is generated when Abaqus/Standard uses the unsymmetric solver. For more information, seeMatrix Storage and Solution Scheme in Abaqus/Standard).
You can generate a symmetric instance, an unsymmetric instance, or both a symmetric and an
unsymmetric instance of the reduced structural damping matrix regardless of whether Abaqus/Standard uses the symmetric or unsymmetric solver. For acoustic-structural substructures, you can
generate these instances only for substructures generated using coupled modes.
If the global stiffness matrix of the model involves any unsymmetry, the symmetric instance
of the reduced structural damping matrix generated in a step using the unsymmetric solver
might not be equivalent to the symmetric instance of the reduced structural damping matrix
generated in a step using the symmetric solver. The same is true about the unsymmetric
instance of the reduced structural damping matrix generated in a step using the symmetric
solver and the unsymmetric instance of the reduced structural damping matrix generated in a
step using the unsymmetric solver.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to calculate the substructure's reduced structural damping
matrix:
Step module: Create Step: Linear perturbation: Substructure generation: Options tabbed page: toggle on Compute reduced structural damping matrix
Generating a symmetric instance, an unsymmetric instance, or both a symmetric and an
unsymmetric instance of the reduced structural damping matrix regardless of whether Abaqus/Standard uses the symmetric or unsymmetric solver is not supported in Abaqus/CAE.
Generating Substructures with Unsymmetric Reduced Damping Matrices
Usually, the reduced substructure operators (matrices) are symmetric, but the substructure
stiffness and damping matrices can be unsymmetric for a number of special modeling cases.
For example:
When a coupled acoustic-structural substructure, generated from coupled or uncoupled
modes, is generated from a model with damping specified on the acoustic domain, the
substructure damping matrices are unsymmetric.
The substructure stiffness matrix is unsymmetric if the substructure is generated from
a model including sliding contact with friction. If the damping matrix is dependent on
the stiffness matrix (for example, Rayleigh damping), the substructure damping matrix is
unsymmetric.
The substructure viscous damping matrix is unsymmetric if the substructure is
generated from a rolling tire.
The substructure viscous damping matrix is unsymmetric if the friction-induced
contributions are included.
Unless requested explicitly in the substructure generation procedure, Abaqus/Standard generates a symmetric reduced viscous/structural damping matrix in a step using the
symmetric solver and an unsymmetric reduced viscous/structural damping matrix in a step
using the unsymmetric solver. To compute a substructure with unsymmetric viscous/structural
damping matrices, you can do either of the following:
Generate the substructure using the unsymmetric solver. By default, Abaqus/Standard generates an unsymmetric instance of the reduced viscous/structural damping
matrices.
Option 2 allows you to take advantage of the performance of the symmetric solver while
still being able to generate a substructure with unsymmetric viscous/structural damping
matrices. The generated unsymmetric viscous/structural damping matrices can differ from
those obtained using Option 1 if the model has any sources of unsymmetry in stiffness (for
example, the presence of sliding contact with friction).
Defining Substructure Load Cases for Subsequent Loading in an Analysis
The load cases defined during the generation of a substructure and activated
at the usage level are the equivalent of the elemental loading types available
for the regular elements in
Abaqus.
They can be made up of any combination of loadings (distributed loads,
concentrated nodal loads, thermal expansion, and load cases defined for any
substructures that may be used as part of the definition of this substructure).
The load cases are needed so that, when the substructure is subsequently
used in a model, the consistent loads on the retained degrees of freedom need
be scaled only by the appropriate magnitudes of the particular loads applied:
it is not necessary to go inside the substructure and repeat the basic element
calculations to distribute the loads.
Each such load case can be applied when the substructure is used by
associating it with an amplitude/time curve and a magnitude (Amplitude Curves).
When a substructure is used, the substructure load case loadings that were
created when the substructure was generated are the only loads that can be used
in that substructure. Except for gravity loading, when using the substructure,
you cannot apply distributed loads, temperature loads, etc. to the elements
that make up any substructure. These loads must be built into the substructure
during its creation.
You can define multiple substructure load cases during the substructure
generation to define different loadings for the substructure. Each load case is
assigned a name that will be used when the load case is applied on the usage
level.
You can use any combination of concentrated load, distributed load,
substructure load, and temperature fields (Concentrated Loads
and
Distributed Loads)
to define each load case.
You assign each basic loading a reference magnitude, which will then be
scaled by the actual magnitude specified when the substructure load is applied.
The reference magnitude assigned to each basic loading must be defined as the
change in load or boundary condition from the base state, not the total of the
base state plus the perturbation value. Initial conditions applied within the
substructure generation are not included as part of a load case definition.
For temperature loads, the load vector for the substructure load case
contains only the contributions due to thermal expansion (see
Computing Thermal Strains in Linear Perturbation Steps).
If temperature-dependent material properties are present, they are evaluated at
the temperatures specified in the preloaded state. Consequently, to take into
account nonzero initial temperature fields prescribed as initial conditions
(Initial Conditions),
it is necessary to preload the structure before creating the substructure. When
using temperature loading in a substructure load case, the data cannot be read
from a results file. The temperatures specified must be defined as the change
in the temperatures from the base state.
Abaqus/Standard
currently has a limitation when a substructure load case definition includes
acoustic loading during a substructure generation procedure in which retained
modes are specified: the contribution of the singular (constant pressure)
acoustic modes (Acoustic, Shock, and Coupled Acoustic-Structural Analysis)
is not taken into account in the generated load case. Since the contribution of
this mode is significant for low frequency response, the generated load case
will inadequately represent the specified acoustic load in these cases. If
there are no singular acoustic regions in the coupled acoustic-structure
substructure, the acoustic loads are represented accurately.
It is important to distinguish the difference between a load case and a
preload. Both are defined during substructure generation, but only the preloads
are actually applied to the substructure on the generation level; load cases,
defined on the generation level, can only be applied on the usage level, and
they act on a preloaded base state if one has been specified. (Preloads were
discussed earlier.)
In general analysis steps and perturbation steps substructure loads are
treated in the same way as other loads, such as concentrated loads and
distributed loads (Concentrated Loads
and
Distributed Loads).
For example, if a general analysis step is followed by another general analysis
step, the substructure loads will be retained in the second step with their
magnitude equal to that at the end of the previous general analysis step,
unless the substructure load is modified or removed. In a linear perturbation
step the substructure load represents an incremental load.
If a substructure load is used to apply Coriolis loading in a
direct-solution steady-state dynamic analysis, the unsymmetric load stiffness
contribution is not taken into account.
All boundary conditions to be built into the substructure matrices must be
specified using a boundary condition definition. These cannot be part of a
substructure load case specification. Once a kinematic boundary condition is
specified on a particular nodal degree of freedom, it is built into the
substructure matrices, is in effect for all load cases, and cannot be removed
(or redefined at the usage level). The boundary conditions specified as part of
the preloading history are built into the substructure matrices.
If there is any doubt whether a restraint is permanent or not, it is better
to make the degree of freedom a retained degree of freedom and not specify any
restraint in the substructure definition. The restraint can then be included as
needed in each analysis step.
Load Cases When the Substructure Is Used in Geometrically Nonlinear Analyses
All loads included in a substructure load case at the generation level and
applied as a substructure load at the usage level are applied in a local system
associated with the substructure. Since this system rotates with the
substructure when large motions are present, these loads will rotate as well.
As a consequence, you should be careful when using substructure load cases in
geometrically nonlinear analyses to ensure that the loading is in the
appropriate direction at the usage level. This situation is similar to rotating
the substructure using a substructure property definition.
Gravity Loading
To apply gravity loading, density must be defined for at least some of the
elements included in the substructure. A gravity load can be applied to a
substructure in two different ways with two different interpretations. If a
distributed load definition is used as a part of a substructure load case
during substructure generation (as described in
Defining Substructure Load Cases for Subsequent Loading in an Analysis
above), the gravity loading becomes part of the substructure load case and,
hence, rotates to follow the substructure's local system during usage (the
local system may rotate by rotating the substructure via a substructure
property definition or due to geometrically nonlinear response).
To define gravity loading that acts in a fixed global direction during
usage, you can request that the substructure's gravity load vectors be
calculated during substructure generation. In this case gravity loading should
not be defined as part of a substructure load case. When the gravity load
vectors are calculated,
Abaqus/Standard
generates a gravity load vector for each global direction (three for
three-dimensional analyses and two for two-dimensional/axisymmetric analyses).
At the usage level, a distributed load definition can be used (see
Gravity Loading)
to specify gravity loading on the substructure that acts in a fixed global
direction with the specified magnitude.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to calculate the substructure's
gravity load vectors during substructure generation:
Step module: Create Step: Linear perturbation: Substructure generation: Options tabbed page: toggle on Compute gravity load vectors
Substructure Eigenvalue Problem
We define the substructure eigenvalue problem as the generalized eigenvalue problem for reduced
substructure stiffness and mass matrices. The reduced stiffness matrix is always generated
for Abaqus substructures. If a generated substructure has the reduced mass matrix, the substructure
eigenvalue problem can be solved and the substructure eigenmodes can be extracted. The
substructure eigenfrequencies provide useful information about the substructure dynamic
properties. The substructure eigenmodes can be used to define the substructure modal damping
at the substructure usage stage, and they are required for the flexible body generation. By
default, the substructure eigenvalue problem is solved when it is possible (when the reduced
mass matrix is available). If generation of the reduced mass matrix is not requested but
generation of a flexible body from a substructure is performed, we solve the substructure
eigenvalue problem; but instead of the conventional reduced mass matrix, we use a projection
of the lumped mass matrix on the substructure modal subspace. The lumped mass matrix is
created from the global mass matrix of the finite element model by the commonly used
heuristic algorithm. If the substructure eigenvalue problem is solved, the obtained
substructure eigenvalues and eigenfrequencies are printed in the data
(.dat) file. If desired, you can disable the solve of the
substructure eigenvalue problem.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to enable solving of the substructure
eigenvalue problem:
Disabling the substructure eigenvalue problem solution is not supported
in
Abaqus/CAE.
When it is possible, the substructure eigenvalue problem is solved.
Adding Residual Modes to the Substructure Basis
You can add residual modes to the substructure basis to improve the high-frequency dynamic
approximation capability of the substructure. The residual modes are computed in previous
static perturbation analyses and as the load modes corresponding to the substructure load
cases specified in the current substructure generation analysis.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to add residual modes to the substructure basis:
Adding residual modes to the substructure basis is not supported in Abaqus/CAE.
Adding Residual Modes Using a Single Analysis
The residual modes added to the substructure basis include the modes corresponding to the
substructure load cases you specify in the substructure generation step and the responses
from the static perturbation steps (with residual modes requested) between the current
step and the most recent frequency step.
Example: Using a Single Analysis
This example describes the workflow to add residual modes using a single analysis with
four steps.
The first step is the frequency step whose eigenmodes are selected to be added to
the fourth step, which generates a substructure with residual modes added to the
substructure basis.
The second and third steps are static perturbation steps (with two and one load
cases, respectively) that write the computed responses in
jobname_RM_2.sim
and
jobname_RM_3.sim,
respectively.
The substructure generation step also includes two substructure load cases, and
the modes corresponding to them are added to the substructure basis as two residual
modes.
As discussed earlier, the static perturbation responses from the steps between the
substructure generation step and its most recent frequency step are added to the
substructure basis as residual modes; that is, the responses stored in
jobname_RM_2.sim
and
jobname_RM_3.sim
will be added.
Therefore, in this example, a total of five residual modes are added to the
substructure basis:
Two residual modes from the static perturbation responses corresponding to the two
load cases in the second step
One residual mode from the static perturbation response corresponding to the third
step
Two residual modes corresponding to the two substructure load cases in the fourth
step
Adding Residual Modes Using the Restart Capability
The eigenfrequency extraction and substructure generation analyses can be performed only
in SMP mode. In the workflow described above (which uses a single analysis), the analysis
can be run only in SMP mode. This process can be slow when you need to compute many
residual modes in static perturbation steps. However, you can use the restart capability
to compute the residual modes from static perturbation steps in DMP mode and run the
frequency and substructure generation steps in SMP mode, as described in this section.
The workflow involves running the frequency, static perturbation (with residual modes
requested) and substructure generation (with residual modes requested) procedures in
different jobs and in the specified order.
The first job specifies the model definition and frequency step and runs in SMP
mode. This job generates eigenmodes (and possibly some pseudo eigenmodes, as described
in Natural Frequency Extraction) to use in the substructure generation
procedure.
The second job restarts from the first job, consists of several static perturbation
steps (as required and with residual modes requested), and runs in DMP mode. This job
generates many .sim files with static perturbation responses in
them, to use as residual modes in the substructure generation procedure.
The third job restarts from the first job, consists of a substructure generation
step (with residual modes requested) and any substructure load case definitions, and
runs in SMP mode. This job adds all the modes corresponding to the substructure load
case definitions and the residual modes output by the static perturbation steps in the
second job to the substructure basis.
This example describes the workflow to add residual modes using the restart capability
and runs the same series of steps discussed in the example for the workflow using a
single analysis.
The first job (job1name) defines the model and the frequency
step. This job computes the eigenmodes (and possibly some pseudo eigenmodes) in the
second step.
The second job (job2name) defines the static perturbation
analyses with residual modes requested. This job restarts from the first job and outputs
static perturbation responses in two files:
job1name_RM_2.sim
and
job1name_RM_3.sim.
The .sim files use the first job name; and contain the step numbers
from the second job, which continue from the step numbers in the first job.
The second job runs in DMP mode. You can add these residual modes to the subsequent
substructure generation analysis, although only the steps within 100 steps of the
frequency step are considered for residual modes in the substructure generation step.
For example, because the frequency step in the first job is the first step, only the
step numbers between 2 and 101 are considered for the addition of residual modes to the
substructure. The second job can also contain a direct steady-state dynamic step with
retained degrees of freedom to define a frequency-based substructure (see Generating Frequency-Based Substructures) that can be added to the
conventional substructure in the subsequent substructure generation step.
The third job (job3name) defines the substructure generation
analysis, runs in SMP mode, and restarts from the first job. The substructure basis
includes selected eigenmodes computed in the frequency procedure in the first job,
residual modes resulting from the substructure load cases, and the static
perturbation–based responses in
job1name_RM_2.sim
and
job1name_RM_3.sim.
Modifying and Adding More Residual Modes Using the Restart Capability
You can replace the already computed and added residual modes to the substructure with
minimal computational effort. You run the first job described in Example: Using the Restart Capability only once, and do
not run the job again if you need to replace the residual modes computed in the static
perturbation procedures in the second job. The example above has two static perturbation
steps with residual modes output by both steps.
If you need to replace the residual modes output by the first step in the second job, run
a new job that restarts from the first job (which contains the frequency step) as shown
below.
You can run this job in DMP mode. Because the step number of the only static perturbation
step is 2 (the first job already has one step), this job generates
job1name_RM_2.sim
and replaces the existing file. You run the third job in the previous example for the
substructure generation analysis to use the newly generated .sim file
for residual modes in the substructure basis. This generated substructure has the residual
modes generated in the first step of the second job replaced.
If you need to replace the residual modes output in the second step of the second job in
Example: Using the Restart Capability, you can add
some steps (you can also use dummy steps) in the new job before the static perturbation
step whose output responses you want to use to replace with the existing ones in
job1name_RM_3.sim
as shown below.
You can use a dummy step as the first step in this job, whose only purpose is to
increment the step number of the second step to step number 3. The generated
job1name_RM_3.sim
replaces the existing file. Abaqus issues a warning message in the
job2name.msg file when such a
replacement occurs. You run the substructure generation job again, which uses the newly
generated residual modes.
You can also add more residual modes by running a new job with many dummy steps so that a
new .sim file with residual modes is generated that does not replace
any existing files.
The job in the example below restarts from the first job with the frequency step and
includes two dummy steps so that the other two steps have step numbers 4 and 5 and output
new .sim files:
job1name_RM_4.sim
and
job1name_RM_5.sim.
You then run the substructure generate job again, restarting from the frequency step. The
residual modes from the files
job1name_RM_2.sim,
job1name_RM_3.sim,
job1name_RM_4.sim,
and
job1name_RM_5.simare
added to the substructure basis along with any modes corresponding to substructure load
cases.
You can always add more residual modes to the existing substructure, without rerunning
the first job with the frequency step (and potentially other steps) using this
workflow.
In a substructure generation analysis, you can check the quality of the generated substructure
stiffness and mass matrices. The matrix check generates six “artificial” rigid body modes
and projects the substructure matrices onto the rigid body modal subspace. It is expected
that the projected 6 × 6 stiffness matrix (also known as the rigid body energy matrix)
is close to zero in the absence of the boundary conditions and constraints. The total
inertia statistics for the model are extracted from the projected 6 × 6 rigid body
mass matrix. You can specify the center of rotation for creating the artificial rotational
rigid body modes and calculating the global inertia tensor.
In a substructure generation analysis, the condition number of the substructure stiffness
and mass matrices is also calculated. Outliers of the diagonal elements of the substructure
stiffness and mass matrices are identified, together with their node and degree-of-freedom
labels. This allows you to identify the retained degrees of freedom that can cause poor
numerical quality of the substructure.
You can modify the tolerance values to use for the matrix check. If you request the matrix
quality check, the check results are printed in the data (.dat) file.
You can decide whether problems reported by the matrix check are treated as errors. By
default, problems reported by the matrix check are intended as warnings.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to request the matrix check:
Checking generated substructure matrices is not supported in
Abaqus/CAE.
Generating a Flexible Body
Abaqus/Standard can generate a flexible body from a substructure. Abaqus/Standard supports generation of several flexible body types for several external flexible body
dynamics solvers. The generated flexible body entities are stored in the substructure
.sim file, and the postprocessing programs (translators) are
available to convert an Abaqus substructure into the conventional flexible body representation of a particular external
flexible body dynamics solver.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to generate flexible body entities
for the ADAMS™ flexible body dynamics solver
from MSC.Software Corporation:
Generating a flexible body from a substructure is not supported in
Abaqus/CAE.
Different Flexible Body Formulations
When it is applicable, you can generate different versions of the flexible body for the
AVL EXCITE™ flexible body dynamics solver from
AVL LIST GmbH or the flexible body for the
ADAMS™ flexible body dynamics solver from
MSC.Software Corporation. Generating the reduced
version of the flexible body can significantly reduce the generation time for a large
substructure. You should decide if the particular reduced version is applicable based on
the engineering nature of the analysis.
Input File Usage
Use the following option to generate a particular version of the flexible body for
the ADAMS™ flexible body dynamics solver from
MSC.Software Corporation:
FLEXIBLE BODY, TYPE=ADAMS, FORMULATION=formulation type
Use the following option to generate a particular version of the flexible body for
the AVL EXCITE™ flexible body dynamics solver from
AVL LIST GmbH:
FLEXIBLE BODY, TYPE=EXCITE, FORMULATION=formulation type
Abaqus/CAE Usage
Generating a flexible body from a substructure is not supported in Abaqus/CAE.
Converting Substructures to a Flexible Body Format
Abaqus provides translators that can read data from a substructure SIM file and write data to
a conventional input file for external flexible body dynamics solvers.
By default, the abaqus execution procedure executes
the tosimpack or
toexcite translators with default arguments on
completion of an Abaqus/Standard flexible body generation analysis set to generate a flexible body in the Simpack or
AVL EXCITE™ format, respectively. You can overwrite
this default by specifying the abaqus execution
procedure argument noFlexBody.
Writing the Recovery Matrix, Reduced Stiffness Matrix, Mass Matrix, Load Case Vectors, and Gravity Vectors to a File
You can write a substructure's recovery matrix, reduced stiffness matrix,
mass matrix, and load case vectors to a file. This output is useful when the
substructure is to be used in another program.
The output records can be written either to the
Abaqus/Standard
results file, to a user-defined file, or to the output database file (see
below). In each case you must specify which matrices/vectors to output: the
mass matrix, the recovery matrix, the load case vectors, the stiffness matrix,
and/or the gravity load vectors. By default, no output will be generated.
Repeat the substructure matrix output request in the substructure generation
file of each substructure for which the substructure matrix output is required.
If substructure load case vector output is requested for a preloaded
substructure, the output will contain a record with a load case number that is
equal to zero. This load vector contains the forces that were necessary to
equilibrate any stresses that were generated during the previous steps.
Writing a substructure's recovery matrix, reduced stiffness matrix, mass
matrix, load case vectors, and gravity vectors to a file is not supported in
Abaqus/CAE.
Writing the Records to the Abaqus/Standard Results File
By default, the requested matrices are written to the
Abaqus/Standard
results file corresponding to the substructure generation input file name. The
record formats for the results file are described in
Results File.
The file can be written in either binary or
ASCII format (About Output).
Writing a substructure's recovery matrix, reduced stiffness matrix, mass
matrix, load case vectors, and gravity vectors to a file is not supported in
Abaqus/CAE.
Writing the Records to a User-Defined File
You can specify the name of the file (without an extension) to which the
data will be written. The records are written to be compatible with a linear
user-defined element. The record formats are described in
User-Defined Elements.
An .mtx extension will be added to the file name
specified.
Writing a substructure's recovery matrix, reduced stiffness matrix, mass
matrix, load case vectors, and gravity vectors to a file is not supported in
Abaqus/CAE.