Applying Surface Charges

You can use a surface charge to define distributed electric charges to the underlying piezoelectric elements of a surface. You can apply a single value to all points on the model or use mapped data to apply different values to specific points on the model.

This task shows you how to:

See Also
About Surface Charges
Creating Tabular Amplitudes
In Other Guides
Creating Simulation Features
Support Selection
About Step-dependent Actions
Feature Manager

Apply Uniform Surface Charges

You can apply a surface charge that has the same value for all points within the selected supports.

  1. From the Loads section of the action bar, click Surface Charge .
  2. Optional: Enter a descriptive Name.
  3. Select one or more faces as the geometry supports in the model.
  4. From the Surface chargeoptions, select Uniform, and enter a value for the magnitude of the charge.
  5. Optional: Enter a Scale factor that is applied to the magnitude in each step.
  6. Optional: Select an Amplitude that defines the magnitude during the step.
  7. Optional: Enter a Phase angle.

    The phase angle determines the real (in-phase) and imaginary (out-of-phase) parts of the magnitude. A phase angle of 0º indicates a value with no imaginary component.

    Note: Phase angles are available only for direct harmonic response steps.

  8. Click OK.

Apply Varied Surface Charges with Mapped Data

You can apply a surface charge that has different values at different points on the model.

Before you begin: You must have your spatially mapped data prepared. (For more information, see Spatially Varying Mapped Data.) The mapped data specifies different surface charge values at various points in space.
  1. From the Loads section of the action bar, click Surface Charge .
  2. Optional: Enter a descriptive Name.
  3. Select one or more faces as the geometry supports in the model.
  4. From the Surface charge options, select Mapped spatial data.
  5. Click Table.
    The Surface Charge Distribution dialog box opens, where you can enter or import the mapped surface charge values.
  6. Enter the Surface charge outside the mapped region. This is a default surface charge value.

    The simulation attempts to map all the source data points and their associated surface charge values onto points in the target model. For any target points where the simulation cannot map to a source point, it substitutes this default value.

  7. From the Data source options, select one of the following:
    OptionDescription
    Table Opens a table where you can enter or import data to map surface charges to points on the model.

    To import the data, right-click anywhere in the table and select Import. To enter the data manually, double-click in each cell and enter a value.
    Referenced document Accesses mapping data saved in a 3DEXPERIENCE document. Changes in the referenced document are taken into account every time you run the simulation.

    Click to search for an existing document.

    For more information about the mapped data file format, see Mapping Data File Formats.

  8. Select an Axis system definition for the coordinates of the mapped data values.
    OptionDescription
    Global Aligns the local feature triad with the global coordinate system.
    Local Aligns the local feature triad with a selected axis system in the model.

    Using a custom local axis system simplifies the three-dimensional definition of points in space; the X-, Y-, Z-coordinates are interpreted in the context of the local coordinate system.

  9. Optional: Select Plot Data to display symbols that indicate the locations and magnitudes of the mapped values on the model.

    Tip: If you click any row in the data table, the corresponding source point is highlighted on the model.

  10. Optional: To adjust the search control parameters, expand Search tolerance.

    For descriptions of these parameters, see Mapping Search Controls and Mapping Search Control Options.

  11. Click OK to close the Surface Charge Distribution dialog box.
  12. Optional: Enter a Scale factor that is applied to the magnitude in each step.
  13. Optional: Select an Amplitude that defines the magnitude during the step.
  14. Optional: Enter a Phase angle.

    The phase angle determines the real (in-phase) and imaginary (out-of-phase) parts of the magnitude. A phase angle of 0º indicates a value with no imaginary component.

    Note: Phase angles are available only for direct harmonic response steps.

  15. Click OK.