ABAQUS Keywords Reference Manual  

*DECURRENT
Specify distributed current densities in an electric conduction analysis.

This option is used to input distributed current densities in a coupled thermal-electrical analysis.

Product: ABAQUS/Standard  

Type: History data

Level: Step  

Reference:

Optional parameters:

AMPLITUDE

Set this parameter equal to the name of the amplitude curve that defines the magnitude of the electric current density during the step (“Amplitude curves,” Section 19.1.2 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual). If this parameter is omitted, the reference magnitude is applied immediately at the beginning of the step or linearly over the step, depending on the value assigned to the AMPLITUDE parameter on the *STEP option (“Procedures: overview,” Section 6.1.1 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual).

OP

Set OP=MOD (default) for existing *DECURRENTs to remain, with this option defining distributed current densities to be added or modified.

Set OP=NEW if all existing *DECURRENTs applied to the model should be removed.

Data lines to define distributed electrical current densities: 

First line:

  1. Element number or element set label.

  2. Distributed current density type label (see Part V, “Elements,” of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual).

  3. Reference current density magnitude. (Units of CL–2T–1 for surface current densities and CL–3T–1 for body current sources.)

Repeat this data line as often as necessary to define current densities for various elements or element sets.