About Pressures

A pressure is a distributed load applied normal to a surface.

See Also
Applying Pressures

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A pressure definition consists of two components:

  • Transmission surface
  • Magnitude

The pressure magnitude is specified in units of force per area; this magnitude is applied normal to the transmission surface at every point on the surface. Unlike a force, which always acts in a single direction, a pressure is applied normal to all regions of a surface during the entire simulation, regardless of the surface curvature.

Pressures typically represent the forces exerted by a gas on the walls of a container, such as air in a balloon. However, a pressure load can also be used to model any evenly distributed force across an area, such as the contact forces between two closely fitting, conforming parts.