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*DECURRENT
Specify distributed current densities in an electromagnetic analysis.

This option is used to input distributed current densities in coupled thermal-electrical and coupled thermal-electrical-structural analyses or to input volume current densities in an eddy current and magnetostatic analyses.

Products: Abaqus/Standard  Abaqus/CAE  

Type: History data

Level: Step

Abaqus/CAE: Load module

References:

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 34.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User's Guide). 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 (“Defining an analysis,” Section 6.1.2 of the Abaqus Analysis User's Guide).

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.

Optional, mutually exclusive parameters for time-harmonic eddy current analyses: 

IMAGINARY

Include this parameter to define the imaginary (out-of-phase) part of the volume current density.

REAL

Include this parameter (default) to define the real (in-phase) part of the volume current density.

Data lines to define distributed electrical current densities in coupled thermal-electrical or coupled thermal-electrical-structural analyses: 

First line:

  1. Element number or element set label.

  2. Distributed current density type label (see Part VI, “Elements,” of the Abaqus Analysis User's Guide).

  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.

Data lines to define volume current densities in eddy current or magnetostatic analyses: 

First line:

  1. Element number or element set label.

  2. Volume current density type label CJ (uniform) or CJNU (nonuniform).

  3. Reference volume current density magnitude. (Units of CL–2T–1.)

  4. 1-component of the volume current density vector direction.

  5. 2-component of the volume current density vector direction.

  6. 3-component of the volume current density vector direction.

    7. For nonuniform loads the magnitude and direction must be defined in user subroutine UDECURRENT. If given, the magnitude and direction will be passed into the user subroutine.

  7. Name of the orientation option (“Orientations,” Section 2.2.5 of the Abaqus Analysis User's Guide) that defines the local coordinate system in which the volume current density vector is specified.

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