Element Reference- 1. About This Reference
- 1.1. Overview
- 1.2. Conventions Used in This Reference
- 1.2.1. Product Codes
- 1.2.2. Applicable Products
- 2. Element Classifications
- 2.1. Overview of Element Characteristics
- 2.1.1. Identifying Element Types
- 2.1.2. 2-D vs. 3-D Elements
- 2.1.3. Element Shape Characteristics
- 2.1.4. Element Degrees of Freedom and Discipline
- 2.1.5. User-Defined Elements
- 2.2. Summary of Element Types
- 2.3. Selecting Elements for Your Analysis
- 2.4. Current-Technology Elements
- 2.4.1. Legacy vs. Current Element Technologies
- 2.5. Degenerated Shape Elements
- 2.5.1. Obtaining the Best Results from Degenerated Shape Elements
- 2.5.2. Degenerated Triangular 2-D Solid and Shell Elements
- 2.5.3. Degenerated Triangular Prism Elements
- 2.5.4. Degenerated Tetrahedral Elements
- 2.5.5. Surface Stresses on Condensed Element Faces
- 2.6. Special-Purpose Elements
- 2.6.1. Superelements
- 2.6.2. User-Defined Elements
- 2.7. GUI-Inaccessible Elements
- 3. General Element Features
- 3.1. Element Input
- 3.1.1. Element Name
- 3.1.2. Nodes
- 3.1.3. Degrees of Freedom
- 3.1.4. Material Properties
- 3.1.5. Special Element Features
- 3.1.6. Sections
- 3.1.7. Real Constants
- 3.1.8. Element Loading
- 3.1.9. Nodal Loading
- 3.1.10. Element Properties and Controls (KEYOPTs)
- 3.2. Solution Output
- 3.2.1. Output File Contents
- 3.2.2. Results File and Database Contents
- 3.2.3. Element Solution
- 3.2.4. Nodal Solution
- 3.3. Coordinate Systems
- 3.3.1. Understanding the Element Coordinate System
- 3.3.2. Elements That Operate in the Nodal Coordinate System
- 3.3.3. Solution Coordinate Systems
- 4. Element Support for Material Models
- 5. Elements for Stress Analysis
- 5.1. Continuum Stress Elements
- 5.1.1. Stress States in 2-D Continuum Elements
- 5.1.2. Element Technologies
- 5.1.3. Mixed u-P Formulation
- 5.1.4. Generalized Plane Strain Options
- 5.1.5. Axisymmetric Elements with Nonaxisymmetric Loads
- 5.2. Shell Elements
- 5.2.1. Axisymmetric Shells
- 5.2.2. Shell Stress and Stiffness
- 5.2.3. Membrane and Surface Stress Options
- 5.2.4. Shell Shear and Warping
- 5.2.5. Curved Shell Elements
- 5.2.6. Shell Element Coordinate System
- 5.2.7. Shell Element Nodes
- 5.3. Beam and Link (Truss) Elements
- 5.4. Pipe Elements
- 5.5. Reinforcing Elements
- 5.5.1. Discrete Reinforcing
- 5.5.2. Smeared Reinforcing
- 5.6. Surface Elements
- 5.7. Elements Used to Model the Truncation of an Infinite Structural Domain
- 5.7.1. Structural Infinite Element
- 5.7.2. Perfectly Matched Layers (PML) for Structural Elements
- 5.7.3. Recommendations for Infinite Element vs. PML
- 5.8. Automatic Selection of Element Technologies and Formulations
- 5.9. Elements Under Linear Perturbation
- 5.9.1. Material Properties of Structural Elements in Linear Perturbation
- 5.9.2. Interpretation of Structural Element Results After a Linear Perturbation
Analysis
- 5.9.3. Loads, Initial Conditions, and Other Limitations in Linear Perturbation
- 6. Elements for Multiphysics Analysis
- 6.1. Elements for Coupled-Physics Analysis
- 6.1.1. Coupled-Field Element Classifications
- 6.1.2. Selecting Elements for Coupled-Physics Analysis
- 6.2. Elements for Thermal Analysis
- 6.2.1. Thermal Elements for the Structural Region
- 6.2.2. Thermal Elements for the Fluid Region
- 6.2.3. Thermal Loading Elements
- 6.2.4. Thermal Control Element
- 6.2.5. Other Elements Useful in a Thermal Analysis
- 6.3. Elements for Acoustic Analysis
- 6.3.1. Acoustic Element Types
- 6.3.2. 3-D Acoustic Element Usage
- 6.3.3. 3-D Acoustic Element Input
- 6.3.4. 3-D Acoustic Element Input Summary
- 6.3.5. 3-D Acoustic Element Output Data
- 6.3.6. 3-D Acoustic Element Assumptions and Restrictions
- 6.3.7. 3-D Acoustic Element Product Restrictions
- 6.4. Elements for Electric and Magnetic Analysis
- 6.5. Elements for Diffusion Analysis
- 7. Element Library
- I. Element Library
-
SOLID5 - 3-D Coupled-Field Solid
- LINK11 - Linear Actuator
- PLANE13 - 2-D Coupled-Field
Solid
-
COMBIN14 - Spring-Damper
- MASS21 - Structural
Mass
- PLANE25 - Axisymmetric-Harmonic
4-Node Structural Solid
-
MATRIX27
- Stiffness, Damping, or Mass Matrix
-
FLUID29 - 2-D Axisymmetric
Harmonic Acoustic Fluid
- FLUID30 - 3-D Acoustic
Fluid
- LINK31 - Radiation
Link
- LINK33 - 3-D Conduction
Bar
-
LINK34 - Convection
Link
- PLANE35 - 2-D 6-Node
Triangular Thermal Solid
-
SOURC36
- Current Source
-
COMBIN37
- Control
- FLUID38 - Dynamic
Fluid Coupling
- COMBIN39 - Nonlinear
Spring
- COMBIN40 - Combination
- INFIN47 - 3-D Infinite
Boundary
- MATRIX50 - Superelement
(or Substructure)
-
PLANE55 - 2-D Thermal
Solid
- SHELL61 - Axisymmetric-Harmonic Structural Shell
-
SOLID65 - 3-D Reinforced
Concrete Solid
- LINK68 - Coupled
Thermal-Electric Line
- SOLID70 - 3-D Thermal
Solid
-
MASS71 - Thermal
Mass
- PLANE75 - Axisymmetric-Harmonic
4-Node Thermal Solid
- PLANE77 - 2-D 8-Node
Thermal Solid
- PLANE78 - Axisymmetric-Harmonic
8-Node Thermal Solid
- PLANE83 - Axisymmetric-Harmonic
8-Node Structural Solid
- SOLID87 - 3-D 10-Node
Tetrahedral Thermal Solid
- SOLID90 - 3-D 20-Node
Thermal Solid
-
CIRCU94
- Piezoelectric Circuit
-
SOLID96 - 3-D Magnetic
Scalar Solid
-
SOLID98 - Tetrahedral
Coupled-Field Solid
- INFIN110 - 2-D Infinite
Solid
- INFIN111 - 3-D Infinite
Solid
-
FLUID116 - Coupled
Thermal-Fluid Pipe
- PLANE121 - 2-D 8-Node
Electrostatic Solid
- SOLID122 - 3-D 20-Node
Electrostatic Solid
- SOLID123 - 3-D 10-Node
Tetrahedral Electrostatic Solid
- CIRCU124 - Electric
Circuit
- CIRCU125 - Diode
- TRANS126 - Electromechanical
Transducer
- FLUID129 - 2-D Infinite
Acoustic
- FLUID130 - 3-D Infinite
Acoustic
- SHELL131 - 4-Node
Thermal Shell
- SHELL132 - 8-Node
Thermal Shell
-
FLUID136 - 3-D Squeeze
Film Fluid Element
- FLUID138 - 3-D Viscous
Fluid Link Element
- FLUID139 - 3-D Slide
Film Fluid Element
- ROM144 - Reduced Order
Electrostatic-Structural
- SURF151 - 2-D Thermal
Surface Effect
- SURF152 - 3-D Thermal
Surface Effect
-
SURF153 - 2-D Structural
Surface Effect
-
SURF154 - 3-D Structural
Surface Effect
- SURF155
- 3-D Thermal Surface Effect
-
SURF156
- 3-D Structural
Surface Line Load Effect
-
SHELL157
- Thermal-Electric Shell
-
SURF159
- General
Axisymmetric Surface
- LINK160 - Explicit
3-D Spar (or Truss)
-
BEAM161 - Explicit
3-D Beam
- PLANE162 - Explicit
2-D Structural Solid
-
SHELL163
- Explicit Thin Structural Shell
- SOLID164 - Explicit
3-D Structural Solid
-
COMBI165 - Explicit
Spring-Damper
- MASS166 - Explicit
3-D Structural Mass
-
LINK167
- Explicit Tension-Only Spar
- SOLID168 - Explicit
3-D 10-Node Tetrahedral Structural Solid
-
TARGE169
- 2-D Target Segment
-
TARGE170
- 3-D Target Segment
- CONTA171 - 2-D 2-Node
Surface-to-Surface Contact
- CONTA172 - 2-D 3-Node
Surface-to-Surface Contact
- CONTA173 - 3-D 4-Node
Surface-to-Surface Contact
- CONTA174 - 3-D 8-Node
Surface-to-Surface Contact
- CONTA175 - 2-D/3-D
Node-to-Surface Contact
-
CONTA176
- 3-D Line-to-Line
Contact
-
CONTA177
- 3-D Line-to-Surface
Contact
-
CONTA178
- 3-D Node-to-Node Contact
-
PRETS179
- Pretension
- LINK180 - 3-D Spar
(or Truss)
-
SHELL181 - 4-Node
Structural Shell
-
PLANE182 - 2-D 4-Node
Structural Solid
- PLANE183 - 2-D 8-Node
or 6-Node Structural Solid
-
MPC184
- Multipoint Constraint Element
- MPC184-Link/Beam - Multipoint Constraint Element: Rigid Link or Rigid Beam
- MPC184-Slider - Multipoint
Constraint Element: Slider
-
MPC184-Revolute
- Multipoint Constraint Element: Revolute Joint
-
MPC184-Universal
- Multipoint Constraint Element: Universal Joint
-
MPC184-Slot
- Multipoint
Constraint Element: Slot Joint
-
MPC184-Point
- Multipoint
Constraint Element: Point-in-plane Joint
-
MPC184-Translational
- Multipoint
Constraint Element: Translational Joint
-
MPC184-Cylindrical
- Multipoint
Constraint Element: Cylindrical Joint
-
MPC184-Planar
- Multipoint
Constraint Element: Planar Joint
- MPC184-Weld - Multipoint
Constraint Element: Weld Joint
-
MPC184-Orient
- Multipoint
Constraint Element: Orient Joint
-
MPC184-Spherical
- Multipoint Constraint Element: Spherical Joint
-
MPC184-General
- Multipoint
Constraint Element: General Joint
-
MPC184-Screw
- Multipoint
Constraint Element: Screw Joint
-
SOLID185 - 3-D 8-Node
Structural Solid
- SOLID186 - 3-D 20-Node
Structural Solid
- SOLID187 - 3-D 10-Node
Tetrahedral Structural Solid
-
BEAM188
- 3-D 2-Node Beam
-
BEAM189
- 3-D 3-Node Beam
-
SOLSH190 - 3-D 8-Node
Structural Solid Shell
-
INTER192
- 2-D 4-Node Gasket
-
INTER193
- 2-D 6-Node
Gasket
-
INTER194
- 3-D 16-Node
Gasket
-
INTER195
- 3-D 8-Node
Gasket
- MESH200 - Meshing
Facet
- FOLLW201 - Follower
Load
- INTER202 - 2-D 4-Node
Cohesive
- INTER203 - 2-D 6-Node
Cohesive
- INTER204 - 3-D 16-Node
Cohesive
- INTER205 - 3-D 8-Node
Cohesive
-
SHELL208 - 2-Node
Axisymmetric Shell
-
SHELL209 - 3-Node
Axisymmetric Shell
- CPT212 - 2-D 4-Node Coupled Pore-Pressure-Thermal Mechanical
Solid
- CPT213 - 2-D 8-Node Coupled Pore-Pressure-Thermal Mechanical
Solid
- COMBI214 - 2-D Spring-Damper
Bearing
-
CPT215 - 3-D 8-Node Coupled Pore-Pressure-Thermal Mechanical
Solid
- CPT216 - 3-D 20-Node Coupled Pore-Pressure-Thermal Mechanical Solid
- CPT217 - 3-D 10-Node Coupled Pore-Pressure-Thermal Mechanical
Solid
- FLUID218
- 3-D Hydrodynamic Bearing Element
- FLUID220 - 3-D
Acoustic Fluid 20-Node Solid Element
- FLUID221 - 3-D
Acoustic Fluid 10-Node Solid Element
-
PLANE222
- 2-D 4-Node Coupled-Field Solid
- PLANE223 - 2-D 8-Node
Coupled-Field Solid
- SOLID226 - 3-D 20-Node
Coupled-Field Solid
- SOLID227 - 3-D 10-Node
Coupled-Field Solid
- PLANE230 - 2-D 8-Node
Electric Solid
- SOLID231 - 3-D 20-Node
Electric Solid
- SOLID232 - 3-D 10-Node
Tetrahedral Electric Solid
- PLANE233 - 2-D 8-Node
Electromagnetic Solid
- SOLID236 - 3-D 20-Node
Electromagnetic Solid
- SOLID237 - 3-D 10-Node
Electromagnetic Solid
- PLANE238 - 2-D 8-Node
Diffusion Solid
- SOLID239 - 3-D 20-Node
Diffusion Solid
- SOLID240 - 3-D 10-Node
Tetrahedral Diffusion Solid
- HSFLD241 - 2-D Hydrostatic
Fluid
- HSFLD242 - 3-D Hydrostatic
Fluid
- SURF251 - 2-D Radiosity
Surface
- SURF252 - 3-D Radiosity
Surface
- INFIN257 - Structural
Infinite Solid
-
REINF263 - 2-D Smeared Reinforcing
- REINF264 - 3-D Discrete Reinforcing
-
REINF265 - 3-D Smeared Reinforcing
-
SOLID272
- General
Axisymmetric Solid with 4 Base Nodes
-
SOLID273
- General
Axisymmetric Solid with 8 Base Nodes
- SOLID278 - 3-D 8-Node
Thermal Solid
- SOLID279 - 3-D 20-Node
Thermal Solid
-
SHELL281 - 8-Node
Structural Shell
- SOLID285 - 3-D 4-Node
Tetrahedral Structural Solid with Nodal Pressures
- PIPE288 - 3-D 2-Node
Pipe
- PIPE289 - 3-D 3-Node
Pipe
-
ELBOW290
- 3-D 3-Node Elbow
- USER300 - User-Defined
Element
- Bibliography