These elements include the following:
- Gap contact
elements
-
Mechanical and thermal contact between two nodes is modeled with gap
elements (Gap Contact Elements).
For example, these elements can be used to model the contact between a piping
system and its supports. They can also be used to model an inextensible cable
that supports only tensile loads.
- Tube-to-tube
contact elements
-
Contact between two pipes or tubes is modeled using tube-to-tube contact
elements (Tube-to-Tube Contact Elements)
in conjunction with slide lines. These elements can, for example, be used to
simulate the process of running tubular components into an oil well (drill rod
or J-tube analysis). They might also be used to simulate a catheter being
inserted into a blood vessel.
- Slide line
contact elements
-
Finite-sliding contact between two axisymmetric structures that may undergo
asymmetric deformations can be modeled using slide line contact elements (Slide Line Contact Elements)
in conjunction with user-defined slide lines. Slide line elements can, for
example, be used to model threaded connectors.
- Rigid surface
contact elements
-
Contact between an analytical rigid surface and an axisymmetric deformable
body that may undergo asymmetric deformations can be modeled with rigid surface
contact elements (Rigid Surface Contact Elements).
For example, rigid surface contact elements might be used to model the contact
between a rubber seal and a much stiffer structure.