Boundary to Boundary

Add a node to connect two shell boundaries that are geometrically disjoint. It is assumed that the boundaries are parallel. The connection between corresponding points on the two edges can be rigid or flexible.

This connection is useful in, for example, the following situations:

The mesh does not have to be the same on both boundaries, but there will be less local stress fluctuations if it is.

Select the coordinate system to use for specifying the stiffness in the case of a flexible connection. From the list select from:

Select a — or .

For , the coupling between the two boundaries is rigid in a pointwise manner. Every node on the destination boundary is coupled by a virtual rigid bar to the nearest point on the source boundary. This does not imply that the whole boundary is rigid. Such a coupling can be obtained using a Rigid Connector.

For , select — or .

For , enter the . This is a matrix K, coupling the displacements on the two sides.

Here, f is the force acting on the destination side, and Δu is the difference between the destination side displacements and the source side displacements. All vectors are expressed in the selected coordinate system.

Optionally, you can enter a , ρu,A. This can for example be the mass of a glue layer.

In all cases, select the and — or . The information is used for two purposes: to connect to the correct set of displacements, and to compute the distance, including the shell thickness and offset.

The two boundaries are only connected if they are within a certain tolerance from touching each other. The distance is computed including shell thickness and offset, as well as the selected connection boundaries. You can modify this tolerance. Select a — or . For , enter the maximum allowable distance or overlap between the boundaries, δ.

To display this section, click the button (

) and select in the dialog box. The information in this section i sonly used if is set to .

Physics tab with selected: