Defining Coupled Thermal-Electrical-Stress Steps

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

Before you begin: Create a general analysis case, as described in Starting a New Simulation.
See Also
About Coupled Thermal-Electrical-Stress Steps
  1. From the Procedures section of the action bar, click Coupled Thermal-Electrical-Stress 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.
  6. Expand the Creep section, and select Include creep behavior to include deformation as a result of persistent stress applied over long periods of time.
  7. Expand the Stabilization section to access more options.
    1. From the Stabilization type options, select one of the following:

      Option Description
      None Does not apply automatic stabilization to the step.
      Damping Uses the damping factor specified in the automatic damping algorithm.
      Energy Fraction Uses the dissipated energy fraction specified in the automatic damping algorithm.
      Propagated Continues the adaptive stabilization from the immediately preceding general analysis step.

  8. 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. From the Matrix storage options, select Unsymmetric.
    3. Select Consider rate-dependent strain and rate-dependent slip.
  9. Click OK.