Abaqus/CAE provides support for all Abaqus/CFD elements and most of the elements that are used by Abaqus/Standard and Abaqus/Explicit. However, some elements are not supported and must be generated outside the Mesh module. The following list describes the elements that are not supported by Abaqus/CAE. If you want to assign these element types to a model, you must use a text editor to add them to the input file generated in the Job module. For information on generating the input file, see “Basic steps for analyzing a model,” Section 19.2.1.
Acoustic interface element (ASI1)
Axisymmetric elements with non-axisymmetric response (CAXA4N, CAXA8PN, etc.)
Coupled thermal-electrical-structural elements (Q3D4, Q3D6, etc.)
Distributing coupling elements (DCOUP2D and DCOUP3D)
Drag chain elements (DRAG2D and DRAG3D)
Elastic-plastic joint elements (JOINT2D and JOINT3D)
Frame elements (FRAME2D and FRAME3D)
Gap elements, coupled temperature-displacement and heat transfer (GAPUNIT and DGAP)
Infinite elements (CIN3D8, CINAX4, etc.)
Line spring elements (LS3S and LS6)
Membrane elements, 9-node quadrilateral (M3D9 and M3D9R)
Membrane elements, cylindrical (MCL6 and MCL9)
Particle element (PC3D)
Pipe-soil interaction elements (PSI24, PSI34, etc.)
Slide line elements (ISL21A and ISL22A)
Stress/displacement variable node elements (C3D15V, C3D27, etc.)
Note: After you submit the analysis for execution, Abaqus/Standard automatically converts any C3D20(R)(H) element that is adjacent to a slave surface in a contact pair into the corresponding C3D27(R)(H) element. (Neither element is available in Abaqus/Explicit.) Otherwise, there is no way to generate variable node hexahedra with Abaqus/CAE.
Surface elements, cylindrical (SFMCL6 and SFMCL9)
Thin shell element, 9-node doubly curved (S9R5)
Tube-to-tube contact elements (ITT21 and ITT31)
You cannot assign some elements, such as CONN2D2 and SPRING1 in the Mesh module; however, you can create equivalent connectors in the Interaction module or engineering features in the Property module or Interaction module as shown in Table 17–1. These elements are written to the input file.
Table 17–1 Abaqus/CAE support for connectors and engineering features.
| Elements | Abaqus/CAE support |
|---|---|
| CONN2D2, CONN3D2 | Equivalent connector in Interaction module |
| DASHPOTA, DASHPOT1, DASHPOT2 | Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module (linear behavior independent of field variables) |
| Equivalent connector in Interaction module | |
| GAPCYL, GAPSPHER, GAPUNI | Equivalent connector in Interaction module |
| HEATCAP | Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module |
| ITSCYL, ITSUNI | Equivalent connector in Interaction module |
| JOINTC | Equivalent connector in Interaction module |
| MASS | Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module |
| ROTARYI | Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module |
| SPRINGA, SPRING1, SPRING2 | Engineering feature in Property module or Interaction module (linear behavior independent of field variables) |
| Equivalent connector in Interaction module |
For more information, see “Understanding connectors,” Section 15.7; Chapter 33, “Inertia”; and Chapter 37, “Springs and dashpots.”