15.15.15 Specifying potential terms

Connector potentials are user-defined mathematical functions that represent yield surfaces, limiting surfaces, or magnitude measures in the space spanned by components of relative motion in a connector. You use potentials to define coupled friction, plasticity, or damage behavior options. For more information, see Connector functions for coupled behavior, Section 25.2.4 of the ABAQUS Analysis User's Manual.

To display context-sensitive help for options in the potential contribution editor, you must select the option of interest and then press [F1]. (The Help menu in the main menu bar is unavailable while the editor is displayed.)

To create or edit potential terms:

  1. Display the potential tabbed page.

  2. Choose the Operator.

    Sum

    Define the potential as the sum of the contributions.

    Maximum

    Define the potential as the contribution that yields the maximum value.

  3. If you selected Sum in the Operator field, enter a positive value in the Exponent field to specify the inverse of the overall exponent in the potential definition, , that defines a general elliptical form of the potential. The default value of 2 defines a quadratic form of the potential.

  4. In the Potential Contributions portion of the tabbed page, select one of the following options:

    • To define a contribution to the potential, , click Add.

      The potential contribution editor appears.

    • To edit an existing contribution, select a contribution from the list, and click Edit.

      The potential contribution editor appears.

    • To delete an existing contribution, select a contribution from the list, and click Delete.

  5. In the potential contribution editor, do the following:

    1. Specify the component to use in the potential contribution.

      Specify component

      Choose an available component of relative motion to define the potential contribution.

      Specify derived component

      Click Edit to specify a connector derived component to define the potential contribution. For more information, see Specifying connector derived components, Section 15.15.14.

    2. Choose the Sign.

      Positive

      Select a positive sign for the potential contribution.

      Negative

      Select a negative sign for the potential contribution.

    3. Enter the following data:

      Scaling factor

      Enter the nonzero scaling factor R. The default value is 1.

      Positive exponent

      Enter a value for the positive exponent . The positive exponent value is ignored if you selected Maximum in the Operator field.

      Shift factor

      Enter the shift factor a. The default value is 0.

      H-function

      Select the function H to be used to generate the contribution. The default value is ABS.

      • ABS. Use the absolute value function to generate the contribution.

      • MACAULEY. Use the Macauley bracket () to generate the contribution.

      • IDENTITY. Select the identity function only if the following is true:

        • Positive exponent () = Exponent () = 1


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