*DISTRIBUTING COUPLING

Specify nodes and weighting for distributing coupling elements.

This option is used to define the set of nodes to which forces and mass are distributed according to a specified weighting and to specify the mass of the associated distributing coupling element. The preferred method for defining a distributing constraint is the COUPLING option used in conjunction with the DISTRIBUTING option.

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Distributing Coupling Elements

ProductsAbaqus/StandardAbaqus/CAE

TypeModel data

LevelPartPart instanceAssembly

Abaqus/CAEUnsupported; this option has been superseded by coupling constraints used in conjunction with the distributing option.

Required parameters

ELSET

Set this parameter equal to the name of the element set containing the distributing coupling elements that interact with the coupling nodes. This element set can contain more than one element, although this would not be a typical case.

Optional parameters

FREE NODES

Set this parameter equal to the appropriate treatment for nodes that are not part of any user-defined element but are part of cloud nodes. The default if this parameter is omitted is FREE NODES=ALLOW.

Set FREE NODES=ALLOW to allow the unattached nodes.

Set FREE NODES=ERROR to treat unattached nodes as a user error.

Set FREE NODES=REMOVE to remove the unattached nodes.

Data lines to specify coupling nodes and assign weight factors

First line

  1. Coupling node number or node set label.

  2. Weight factor for the coupling node or for the nodes of the coupling node set.

Repeat this data line as often as necessary. A minimum of two coupling nodes must be specified for each distributing coupling definition.