A Quick Overview of the Structural Mechanics Module
The Structural Mechanics Module solves problems in the fields of structural and solid mechanics, adding special physics interfaces for modeling shells and beams, for example.
The physics interfaces in this module are fully multiphysics enabled, making it possible to couple them to any other physics interfaces in COMSOL Multiphysics or the other modules. Available physics interfaces include:
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Solid mechanics for 1D and 2D plane stress, plane strain, and generalized plane strain, 2D axial symmetry, and 3D solids
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Beams in 2D and 3D, Euler and Timoshenko theory
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Pipes in 2D and 3D
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Truss elements in 2D and 3D
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Wires in 2D and 3D
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Shells and plates, Mindlin theory, 3D and 2D axial symmetry
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Membranes, 3D and 2D axial symmetry
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With the Composite Materials Module, the Layered Shell interface is also available.
The module’s study capabilities include static, eigenfrequency, time dependent (transient), frequency response, buckling, response spectrum, random vibration, and parametric studies.
There are several material models:
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Linear Elastic Materials can be isotropic, orthotropic, or fully anisotropic, and you can use local coordinate systems to specify material properties.
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Linear Viscoelastic Materials
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Piezoelectric Materials
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Magnetostrictive Materials are available when used together with the AC/DC module.
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Material models for hyperelasticity, metal plasticity, porous plasticity, creep, viscoplasticity, nonlinear elasticity, soil plasticity, concrete, rocks, and clay are available with the optional Nonlinear Structural Materials Module and Geomechanics Module.
Large deformations, as well as contact and friction, can also be modeled.
Coupling structural analysis with thermal analysis is one example of multiphysics easily implemented with the module, which provides predefined multiphysics couplings for thermal stress and other types of multiphysics. Piezoelectric materials, coupling the electric field and strain in both directions are fully supported inside the module through special multiphysics couplings solving for both the electric potential and the displacements. Structural mechanics couplings are common in simulations done with COMSOL Multiphysics and occur in interaction with, for example, fluid flow (fluid–structure interaction, FSI), chemical reactions, acoustics, electric fields, magnetic fields, and optical wave propagation.