CDENST4

Bulk Data Entry Defines a current density on the face of solid elements (HEXA, PENTA, TETRA, PYRA) or on the side of shell elements (TRIA3, TRIA6, QUAD4, QUAD8), in Electrical analysis.

Format

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)
CDENST4 SID EID J1 J2 J3 J4 G1 G2, G3, or G4  

Example

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)
CDENST4 2 1106 10.0 8.0 5.0 1.0 1 48  

Definitions

Field Contents SI Unit Example
SID Entry identification number.

(Integer > 0)

  
EID Element identification number.

(Integer > 0)

  
J1, J2, J3, J4

Current density per unit surface area at the corners of the element face.

J1 is the default for J2, J3, and J4.

If J2, J3, and J4 are left blank, the current density is uniform and equal to J1.

J4 has no meaning for a triangular face and may be left blank.

If the current density is applied on the edge of shell element, the thickness of the element is considered in the loading assembly automatically.

  
G1
Solid Elements
Identification number of a grid point connected to a corner of the face.

For PYRA elements, this grid must be on an edge of the quadrilateral face.

Shell Elements
Identification number of a grid point connected to an end of the edge where the current density is applied.
  
G2 (Shell elements only) Identification number of a grid point connected to the other end of the edge where the current density is applied.  
G3 Identification number of a grid point connected to a corner diagonally opposite to G1 on the same face of a HEXA or PENTA element. Required data for quadrilateral faces of HEXA and PENTA elements only.

Omit G3 for a triangular surface of PENTA or the quadrilateral face of a PYRA element.

For triangular faces of PYRA elements, this grid must be on the edge next to the quadrilateral face. G1 and G3 must define a positive direction into the element using the right-hand thumb rule.

(Integer or blank)

  
G4 TETRA grid point identification number located at the corner not on the face being loaded. Required data that is used for TETRA elements only.  

Comments

  1. When Ji is positive, the current flows into the element; when it is negative, the current flows out of the element.
  2. For shell elements, the current density is in a quantity of current per area. OptiStruct internally considers thickness of the shell elements in loading assemblage.
  3. Equivalent grid point loads are computed by linear (or bilinear) interpolation of load intensity, followed by numerical integration using isoperimetric shape functions. Uniform load intensity does not necessarily result in equal equivalent grid point loads.
  4. For triangular faces of PENTA elements, G1 is an identification number of a corner grid point that is on the face being loaded and the G3 or G4 field is left blank. For faces of TETRA elements, G1 is an identification number of a corner grid point that is on the face being loaded and G4 is an identification number of the corner grid point that is not on the face being loaded. Since a TETRA has only four corner points, G4 is different for each of the four faces of a TETRA element.
  5. For the quadrilateral face of the PYRA element, G1 is an identification number of a corner grid point on the face and the G3 or G4 field is left blank. For the triangular faces, G1 and G3 must specify the grids on the edge of the face that borders the quadrilateral face, and the grids must be ordered so they define an inward normal using the right-hand thumb rule.
  6. This card is represented as a pressure load in HyperMesh.