HyperMesh and BatchMesher

Contactsurfs Panel

Contactsurfs Panel

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Contactsurfs Panel

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Location:   Analysis page – Safety module

 

Use the Contactsurfs panel to create and modify contactsurf entities.

The contactsurf entity, used in most crash solvers, is defined using elements (1D, 2D, 3D) and their respective face codes. A contactsurf is displayed as an arrow on the selected element faces. The direction of the arrow is along the element normal that defines contactsurfs.

A contactsurf has the following parameters:

Name
Color
Card image
Elements

 

Subpanels and Inputs


The Contactsurfs panel contains the following subpanels:

hmtoggle_arrow1Elems

Panel Inputs

Input

Action

name

Enter a name for the contact surface.

card image

Select a valid card image.  Options depend on the current solver profile.

elems selector

Select the elements to include in the contactsurf entity.

Use the switch to change the selection mode.

elems

Select individual elements, or select all of the elements contained by a component or on a surface.

faces_edges_entities

2D faces

Select all of the elements on a 2D face.

If there are discontinuities on a face, then only the elements inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

faces_edges_2d_faces

2D faces ext

Select all of the elements on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.

faces_edges_2d_faces_ext

Note:If you leave the pressure panel, your current selection will disappear, but it will be restored once you return to the panel.

Changing the selection mode will clear your current selection. Use the Entity Editor to select elements using multiple selection modes.

reverse normals

Set the direction of the contactsurf to be opposite of the elements normal.

color

Select the desired color of the contactsurf.

face angle / individual selection

Face angle

Value used to determine which of the selected elements are to have contact surfaces applied. For contact surfaces applied to faces, once the starting face has been identified, the normals of the adjacent remaining faces are tested. If the angle between the normals is less than the face angle, a contact surface is applied to the adjacent element. This process continues until all of the free faces have been tested. For a contact surface applied to edges, the process is similar except that the angle between edges is used instead of the angle between faces.

Only available when the selection mode is set to 2d faces or 2d faces ext.

Individual Selection

Select individual elements on a face or select individual free edges of elements.

Only available when the selection mode is set to 2d faces.

 

hmtoggle_arrow1Solid Faces

Panel Inputs

Input

Action

name

Enter a name for the contact surface.

card image

Select a valid card image.  Options depend on the current solver profile.

elems selector

Select the elements to include in the contactsurf entity.

Use the switch to change the selection mode.

elems

Select individual elements, or select all of the elements contained by a component or on a surface.

faces_edges_entities

3D faces

Select all of the elements on a 3D face.

faces_edges_3d_faces

free edges

Select all of the free edges of elements.

If there are discontinuities on an edge, then only the free edges of elements inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_free_edges

Note:If you leave the pressure panel, your current selection will disappear, but it will be restored once you return to the panel.

Changing the selection mode will clear your current selection. Use the Entity Editor to select elements using multiple selection modes.

nodes on face / nodes on edge

Nodes on edge is valid for 1D and 2D elements only.

nodes

Select nodes that denote a face or an edge to define contactsurf.

reverse normals

Set the direction of the contactsurf to be opposite of the elements normal.

color

Select the desired color of the contactsurf.

face angle / individual selection

Face angle

Value used to determine which of the selected elements are to have contact surfaces applied. For contact surfaces applied to faces, once the starting face has been identified, the normals of the adjacent remaining faces are tested. If the angle between the normals is less than the face angle, a contact surface is applied to the adjacent element. This process continues until all of the free faces have been tested. For a contact surface applied to edges, the process is similar except that the angle between edges is used instead of the angle between faces.

Only available when the selection mode is set to 3d faces or free edges.

Individual Selection

Select individual elements on a face or select individual free edges of elements.

Only available when the selection mode is set to 3d faces or free edges.

Edge angle

Splits edges that belong to a given face.

When the edge angle is 180 degrees, edges are the continuous boundaries of faces. For smaller values, these same boundary edges are split wherever the angle between segments exceeds the specified value. A segment is the edge of a single element.

Only available when the selection mode is set to free edges.

 

hmtoggle_arrow1Remove Elems

Panel Inputs

Input

Action

contactsurf selector

Select the contactsurf that has the elements that need to be removed.

elems selector

Select the elements that should be removed from the contactsurf entity.

Use the switch to change the selection mode.

elems

Select individual elements, or select all of the elements contained by a component or on a surface.

faces_edges_entities

faces

Select all of the elements on 2D and 3D faces.

If there are discontinuities on a 2D face, then only the elements inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

faces_edges_faces

2D faces ext

Select all of the elements on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.

faces_edges_2d_faces_ext

free edges

Select all of the free edges of elements.

If there are discontinuities on an edge, then only the free edges of elements inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_free_edges

Note:If you leave the pressure panel, your current selection will disappear, but it will be restored once you return to the panel.

Changing the selection mode will clear your current selection. Use the Entity Editor to select elements using multiple selection modes.

face angle / individual selection

Face angle

Value used to determine which of the selected elements are to have contact surfaces applied. For contact surfaces applied to faces, once the starting face has been identified, the normals of the adjacent remaining faces are tested. If the angle between the normals is less than the face angle, a contact surface is applied to the adjacent element. This process continues until all of the free faces have been tested. For a contact surface applied to edges, the process is similar except that the angle between edges is used instead of the angle between faces.

Only available when the selection mode is set to faces, 2d faces ext, or free edges.

Individual Selection

Select individual elements on a face or select individual free edges of elements.

Only available when the selection mode is set to faces or free edges.

edge angle

Splits edges that belong to a given face.

When the edge angle is 180 degrees, edges are the continuous boundaries of faces. For smaller values, these same boundary edges are split wherever the angle between segments exceeds the specified value. A segment is the edge of a single element.

Only available when the selection mode is set to free edges.

 

hmtoggle_arrow1Adjust Normals

The normal of a contactsurf defines all the faces/edges that will eventually define contact interface with an adjacent part.  For pressures/forces/temperatures, it is the direction in which they act.

 

Panel Inputs

Input

Action

contactsurf selector

Select the contactsurf for which the normal is to be changed.

all elems / elems selector

by elems allows the modification of contactsurf normal for the selected elements only.

all elems works on all the elements that define the selected contactsurf.

Use the switch to change the selection mode.

elems

Select individual elements, or select all of the elements contained by a component or on a surface.

faces_edges_entities

faces

Select all of the elements on 2D and 3D faces.

If there are discontinuities on a 2D face, then only the elements inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

faces_edges_faces

2D faces ext

Select all of the elements on a 2D face that contain discontinuities.

faces_edges_2d_faces_ext

free edges

Select all of the free edges of elements.

If there are discontinuities on an edge, then only the free edges of elements inbetween the discontinuities will be selected.

Only valid for SHELL elements.

faces_edges_free_edges

Note:If you leave the pressure panel, your current selection will disappear, but it will be restored once you return to the panel.

Changing the selection mode will clear your current selection. Use the Entity Editor to select elements using multiple selection modes.

face angle / individual selection

Face angle

Value used to determine which of the selected elements are to have contact surfaces applied. For contact surfaces applied to faces, once the starting face has been identified, the normals of the adjacent remaining faces are tested. If the angle between the normals is less than the face angle, a contact surface is applied to the adjacent element. This process continues until all of the free faces have been tested. For a contact surface applied to edges, the process is similar except that the angle between edges is used instead of the angle between faces.

Only available when the entity selector is set to by elems and the selection mode is set to faces, 2d faces ext, or free edges.

Individual Selection

Select individual elements on a face or select individual free edges of elements.

Only available when the entity selector is set to by elems and the selection mode is set to faces or free edges.

edge angle

Splits edges that belong to a given face.

When the edge angle is 180 degrees, edges are the continuous boundaries of faces. For smaller values, these same boundary edges are split wherever the angle between segments exceeds the specified value. A segment is the edge of a single element.

Only available when the entity selector is set to free edges.