COMSOL 6.3 - The Solid Mechanics Interface

The interface (

), found under the branch (

) when adding a physics interface, is intended for general structural analysis of 3D, 2D, 1D, or axisymmetric bodies. In 2D, 1D, and 1D axisymmetry, plane stress or plane strain assumptions can be used. The Solid Mechanics interface is based on solving the equations of motion together with a constitutive model for a solid material. Results such as displacements, stresses, and strains are computed.

The functionality provided by the Solid Mechanics interface depends on the products you are using. The Acoustics Module, MEMS Module, and Structural Mechanics Module add several features, for example geometric nonlinearity and advanced boundary conditions such as contact, follower loads, and nonreflecting boundaries.

The default material is a Linear Elastic Material.

With either the Nonlinear Structural Materials Module or the Geomechanics Module, the physics interface is extended with more materials, for example, material models for plasticity, hyperelasticity, creep, and concrete.


	For a detailed overview of the functionality available in each product, visit https://www.comsol.com/products/specifications/

When this physics interface is added, these default nodes are also added to the — , (a boundary condition where boundaries are free, with no loads or constraints), and . Then, from the toolbar, you can add other nodes that implement, for example, solid mechanics material models, boundary conditions, and loads. You can also right-click to select physics features from the context menu.

Settings

The is the default physics interface name.

The is used primarily as a scope prefix for variables defined by the physics interface. Refer to such physics interface variables in expressions using the pattern <name>.<variable_name>. In order to distinguish between variables belonging to different physics interfaces, the name string must be unique. Only letters, numbers, and underscores (_) are permitted in the field. The first character must be a letter.

The default (for the first physics interface in the model) is solid.

2D Approximation


	From the 2D approximation list, select Plane stress or Plane strain (the default). Plane stress is relevant for structures which are thin in the out-of-plane direction, such as a thin plate. Plane strain is relevant when the 2D model can be considered as a cut through an object that is long in the out-of-plane direction. For more information see the theory section. When modeling using plane stress, the Solid Mechanics interface solves for the out-of-plane strain displacement derivative, ∂w/∂Z, in addition to the displacement field u. When combining Solid Mechanics with other types of physics, there is often an assumption that the out-of-plane extension is infinitely long. This is the case in, for example, Acoustic-Structure interaction problems. In these cases, Plane strain is usually the correct choice.

1D Approximation


	From the y direction and z direction lists, select Plane strain or Plane stress. Plane strain is relevant when the model can be considered as a cut through an object that is infinitely long in the corresponding out-of-plane direction (y or z), or as a soft object confined between rigid walls. The strain in the out-of-plane direction is assumed to be zero. Plane stress is relevant for structures that are thin in the corresponding out-of-plane direction, such as a thin plate. When using plane stress, the Solid Mechanics interface solves for the out-of-plane strain displacement derivatives, ∂v/∂Y or ∂w/∂Z, in addition to the displacement field u, in order to fulfill the condition that there is no stress in the thickness direction. For more information see the theory section. When combining Solid Mechanics with other types of physics, there is often an assumption that the out-of-plane extension is infinitely long. This is the case in, for example, Acoustic-Structure interaction problems. In these cases, Plane strain is usually the correct choice.

1D Axisymmetric Approximation


	From the z direction list, select Plane strain or Plane stress. Plane strain is relevant when the model can be considered as a cut through a cylinder, which is infinitely long in the z direction, or as a soft object confined between rigid walls. The strain in the z direction is assumed to be zero. Plane stress is relevant for thin discs. When using plane stress, the Solid Mechanics interface solves for the displacement derivative in the z direction, ∂w/∂Z, in addition to the displacement field u, in order to fulfill the condition that there is no stress in the thickness direction. For more information see the theory section. When combining Solid Mechanics with other types of physics, there is often an assumption that the out-of-plane extension is infinitely long. This is the case in, for example, Acoustic–Structure interaction problems. In these cases, Plane strain is usually the correct choice.

Thickness


	For 2D and 1D axisymmetric components, enter a value or expression for the Thickness d. The default value of 1 m is suitable for plane strain models, where it represents a unit-depth slice, for example. For plane stress models, enter the actual thickness, which should be small compared to the size of the plate for the plane stress assumption to be valid. In Acoustic-Structure Interaction problems, the Thickness should be set to 1 m. Use a Change Thickness node to change thickness in parts of the geometry if necessary.

Cross-Sectional Area


	For 1D components, enter a value or expression for the cross-section area Ac. The default value is 1 m2, which is suitable for models where plane strain assumptions are used in both transverse directions. For plane stress models, consider entering actual cross-section data. When combining Solid Mechanics with other physics interfaces, you must make sure that the same cross-section assumption is used everywhere. In most cases, the default settings will be correct. When using other unit systems than the default SI system, you need to pay special attention to the values of this property. Use a Change Cross Section node to change thickness in parts of the geometry if necessary.

Structural Transient Behavior

From the list, select (the default) or . Use to treat the elastic behavior as quasi static (with no mass effects; that is, no second-order time derivatives). Selecting this option gives a more efficient solution for problems where the variation in time is slow when compared to the natural frequencies of the system. The default solver for the time stepping is changed from Generalized alpha to BDF when is selected.

For problems with creep, and sometimes viscoelasticity, the problem can be considered as quasistatic. This is also the case when the time dependence exists only in some other physics, like a transient heat transfer problem causing thermal strains.

Discretization

In the Solid Mechanics interface, you can choose not only the order of the discretization, but also the type of shape functions: Lagrange or serendipity. For highly distorted elements, Lagrange shape functions provide better accuracy than serendipity shape functions of the same order. The serendipity shape functions will however give significant reductions of the model size for a given mesh containing hexahedral, prism, or quadrilateral elements. In 1D components there is no difference between Lagrange and serendipity shape functions.

The default is to use shape functions for the . Using shape functions will give what is sometimes called constant stress elements. Such a formulation will for many problems make the model overly stiff, and many elements may be needed for an accurate resolution of the stresses.

To display other settings for this section, click the button (

) and select in the dialog.

Dependent Variables

The physics interface uses the global spatial components of the u as dependent variables. The default names for the components are (u, v, w) in 3D. In 2D the component names are (u, v), and in 2D axisymmetry they are (u, w). In 1D and 1D axisymmetry the default component name is (u). You can however not use the ‘missing’ component names in the 2D or 1D cases as a parameter or variable name, since they are used internally.

You can change both the field name and the individual component names. If a new field name coincides with the name of another displacement field, the two fields (and the interfaces that define them) share degrees of freedom and dependent variable component names. You can use this behavior to connect a Solid Mechanics interface to a Shell directly attached to the boundaries of the solid domain, or to another Solid Mechanics interface sharing a common boundary.

A new field name must not coincide with the name of a field of another type (that is, it must contain a displacement field), or with a component name belonging to some other field. Component names must be unique within a model except when two interfaces share a common field name.


	See Table 2-4 for links to common sections and Table 2-5 for common feature nodes. You can also search for information: press F1 to open the Help window or Ctrl+F1 to open the Documentation window.

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