Defining Coupled Thermal-Electrical Steps

You can define a coupled thermal-electrical step to perform a thermal analysis and electrical potential analysis simultaneously.

Before you begin: Create a general analysis case, as described in Starting a New Simulation.
See Also
About Coupled Thermal-Electrical Steps
  1. From the Procedures section of the action bar, click Coupled Thermal-Electrical Step .
  2. Optional: Enter a descriptive Name.
  3. From the Thermal response type options, select one of the following:
    OptionDescription
    Steady-state Performs a thermal analysis on a system that does not depend on time.
    Transient Performs a thermal analysis on a system that depends on time.
  4. Enter a value as the Step time, which is the duration of the step.
  5. Expand the Incrementation section.
    1. From the Incrementation type options, select one of the following:

      Option Description
      Automatic The solver determines the size of each increment automatically.
      Fixed The solver uses a constant increment size that you specify.

    2. If you chose automatic incrementation, enter a value as the Initial time increment.

      The app modifies this value, as required, throughout the step. If you specify a value of zero, the app assumes that you entered a default value equal to the duration of the step.

    3. If you chose automatic incrementation, enter a value as the Minimum time increment.

      If the Abaqus solvers need a smaller time increment than this value, the app terminates the analysis.

    4. If you chose automatic incrementation, enter a value as the Maximum time increment, which is the longest duration of a time increment allowed.

      If you do not specify a value, the app does not impose a limit.

    5. If you chose automatic incrementation, enter a value as the Maximum increments.

      If the Abaqus solvers exceed this value, the app terminates the analysis.

    6. If you chose automatic incrementation for a transient thermal response, enter a value as the Maximum temperature change allowed within an increment.
    7. If you chose fixed incrementation, enter a value as the Time increment.
    8. Optional: If you chose to specify a transient thermal response, select End step at steady state to end the simulation if the temperature reaches steady state before the end of the step time.
    9. If you chose to end the step at steady state, enter a value as the Temperature change rate, which is the change in temperature per unit of time.
  6. Expand the Advanced section.
    1. Optional: Select Include geometric nonlinearity to account for nonlinear effects caused by large displacements and deformations.

      If you enable this option, it remains active during all subsequent steps in the simulation.

    2. Optional: From the Matrix storage options, select one of the following:

      Option Description
      Solver default Uses a matrix storage and solution scheme chosen by the Abaqus solvers to store the stiffness matrix.
      Symmetric Uses the symmetric matrix storage and solution scheme to store the stiffness matrix.
      Unsymmetric Uses the unsymmetric matrix storage and solution scheme to store the stiffness matrix.

      For more information about these options, see Matrix Storage and Solution Scheme in Abaqus/Standard.

    3. From the Solution technique options, select one of the following:

      Option Description
      Full Netwon Uses the standard Newton method for solving nonlinear problems.
      Separated Solves the thermal and structural problems separately.

  7. Click OK.