LS-DYNA

KEYWORD USER'S MANUAL

VOLUME I

March 2001
Version 960

Copyright © 1992-2001
L IVERMORE S OFTWARE
T ECHNOLOGY C ORPORATION
All Rights Reserved
 Mailing Address:
Livermore Software Technology Corporation
2876 Waverley Way
Livermore, California 94550-1740

Support Address:
Livermore Software Technology Corporation
7374 Las Positas Road
Livermore, California 94550

TEL: 925-449-2500
FAX: 925-449-2507
EMAIL: sales@lstc.com

Copyright © 1992-2001 by Livermore Software Technology Corporation

All Rights Reserved
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Volume I
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I . 1
CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY.................................................................................... I.1
DESCRIPTION OF KEYWORD INPUT.......................................................................I.12
MATERIAL MODELS...............................................................................................I.21
SPATIAL DISCRETIZATION.....................................................................................I.22
CONTACT-IMPACT INTERFACES............................................................................I.25
INTERFACE DEFINITIONS FOR COMPONENT ANALYSIS........................................I.26
CAPACITY..............................................................................................................I.26
SENSE SWITCH CONTROLS....................................................................................I.26
PRECISION.............................................................................................................I.27
EXECUTION SYNTAX .............................................................................................I.27
RESTART ANALYSIS..............................................................................................I.31
VDA/IGES DATABASES...........................................................................................I.32
MESH GENERATION...............................................................................................I.32
LS-POST ................................................................................................................I.33
EXECUTION SPEEDS ..............................................................................................I.35
UNITS ..................................................................................................................I.36
GENERAL CARD FORMAT......................................................................................I.36

*AIRBAG........................................................................................... 1.1
*AIRBAG_OPTION1_{OPTION2}_{OPTION3}_<OPTIONAL NUMERIC ID> ...................1.1
*AIRBAG_INTERACTION........................................................................................ 1.40
*AIRBAG_REFERENCE_GEOMETRY_OPTION_OPTION........................................... 1.42

*ALE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 . 1
*ALE_MULTI-MATERIAL_GROUP ............................................................................2.2
*ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_CURVE ......................................................................2.4
*ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_GROUP ......................................................................2.6
*ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_NODE.........................................................................2.9
*ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_SWITCH................................................................... 2.11
*ALE_SMOOTHING................................................................................................ 2.13

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*BOUNDARY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . 1
*BOUNDARY_ACOUSTIC_COUPLING...................................................................... 3.2
*BOUNDARY_AMBIENT_EOS .................................................................................. 3.3
*BOUNDARY_CONVECTION_OPTION...................................................................... 3.4
*BOUNDARY_CYCLIC............................................................................................. 3.6
*BOUNDARY_ELEMENT_METHOD_OPTION ............................................................ 3.8
*BOUNDARY_FLUX_OPTION..................................................................................3.19
*BOUNDARY_MCOL ..............................................................................................3.22
*BOUNDARY_NON_REFLECTING...........................................................................3.24
*BOUNDARY_NON_REFLECTING_2D .....................................................................3.25
*BOUNDARY_OUTFLOW_CFD_OPTION..................................................................3.27
*BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_CFD_OPTION..............................................................3.29
*BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_MOTION_OPTION .......................................................3.31
*BOUNDARY_PRESSURE_CFD_SET.......................................................................3.35
*BOUNDARY_PRESSURE_OUTFLOW_OPTION........................................................3.37
*BOUNDARY_RADIATION_OPTION ........................................................................3.39
*BOUNDARY_SLIDING_PLANE...............................................................................3.43
*BOUNDARY_SPC_OPTION....................................................................................3.44
*BOUNDARY_SYMMETRY_FAILURE .....................................................................3.46
*BOUNDARY_TEMPERATURE_OPTION..................................................................3.47
*BOUNDARY_THERMAL_WELD.............................................................................3.48
*BOUNDARY_USA_SURFACE ................................................................................3.51

*COMPONENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 . 1
*COMPONENT_GEBOD_OPTION.............................................................................. 4.2
*COMPONENT_GEBOD_JOINT_OPTION ................................................................... 4.4
*COMPONENT_HYBRIDIII ....................................................................................... 4.8
*COMPONENT_HYBRIDIII_JOINT_OPTION..............................................................4.10

*CONSTRAINED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . 1
*CONSTRAINED_ADAPTIVITY ................................................................................ 5.2
*CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODES_OPTION............................................................... 5.3
*CONSTRAINED_GENERALIZED_WELD_OPTION..................................................... 5.5
*CONSTRAINED_GLOBAL......................................................................................5.18
*CONSTRAINED_INTERPOLATION.........................................................................5.20
*CONSTRAINED_JOINT_OPTION_{OPTION}............................................................5.24
*CONSTRAINED_JOINT_STIFFNESS_OPTION .........................................................5.34

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*CONSTRAINED_LAGRANGE_IN_SOLID ................................................................ 5.44
*CONSTRAINED_LINEAR....................................................................................... 5.47
*CONSTRAINED_NODAL_RIGID_BODY_{OPTION}.................................................. 5.50
*CONSTRAINED_NODE_SET.................................................................................. 5.55
*CONSTRAINED_POINTS....................................................................................... 5.57
*CONSTRAINED_RIGID_BODIES ............................................................................ 5.59
*CONSTRAINED_RIGID_BODY_STOPPERS............................................................. 5.61
*CONSTRAINED_RIVET......................................................................................... 5.64
*CONSTRAINED_SHELL_TO_SOLID....................................................................... 5.66
*CONSTRAINED_SPOTWELD_{OPTION}................................................................. 5.68
*CONSTRAINED_TIE-BREAK.................................................................................. 5.72
*CONSTRAINED_TIED_NODES_FAILURE............................................................... 5.73

*CONTACT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . 1
*CONTACT_{OPTION1}_{OPTION2}_{OPTION3}_{OPTION4}......................................6.2
*CONTACT_ENTITY............................................................................................... 6.38
*CONTACT_GEBOD_OPTION.................................................................................. 6.47
*CONTACT_INTERIOR........................................................................................... 6.50
*CONTACT_RIGID_SURFACE ................................................................................ 6.52
*CONTACT_1D ...................................................................................................... 6.55
*CONTACT_2D_OPTION1_{OPTION2}_{OPTION3}................................................... 6.56

*CONTROL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 . 1
*CONTROL_ACCURACY..........................................................................................7.3
*CONTROL_ADAPSTEP ...........................................................................................7.5
*CONTROL_ADAPTIVE............................................................................................7.6
*CONTROL_ALE.................................................................................................... 7.10
*CONTROL_BULK_VISCOSITY............................................................................... 7.12
*CONTROL_CFD_AUTO......................................................................................... 7.13
*CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL................................................................................... 7.15
*CONTROL_CFD_MOMENTUM.............................................................................. 7.17
*CONTROL_CFD_PRESSURE................................................................................. 7.20
*CONTROL_CFD_TRANSPORT .............................................................................. 7.22
*CONTROL_CFD_TURBULENCE ............................................................................ 7.26
*CONTROL_COARSEN........................................................................................... 7.27
*CONTROL_CONTACT........................................................................................... 7.29
*CONTROL_COUPLING.......................................................................................... 7.34

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*CONTROL_CPU....................................................................................................7.36
*CONTROL_DYNAMIC_RELAXATION ....................................................................7.37
*CONTROL_ENERGY .............................................................................................7.39
*CONTROL_EXPLOSIVE_SHADOW.........................................................................7.40
*CONTROL_HOURGLASS_{OPTION} ......................................................................7.41
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_AUTO..................................................................................7.43
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_DYNAMICS.........................................................................7.45
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_EIGENVALUE......................................................................7.47
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_GENERAL ...........................................................................7.49
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_SOLUTION ..........................................................................7.51
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_SOLVER..............................................................................7.55
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_STABILIZATION ..................................................................7.58
*CONTROL_NONLOCAL.........................................................................................7.59
*CONTROL_OUTPUT..............................................................................................7.60
*CONTROL_PARALLEL..........................................................................................7.62
*CONTROL_REMESHING .......................................................................................7.64
*CONTROL_RIGID..................................................................................................7.65
*CONTROL_SHELL ................................................................................................7.67
*CONTROL_SOLID.................................................................................................7.71
*CONTROL_SOLUTION ..........................................................................................7.72
*CONTROL_SPH ....................................................................................................7.73
*CONTROL_STRUCTURED_{OPTION} ....................................................................7.74
*CONTROL_SUBCYCLE .........................................................................................7.75
*CONTROL_TERMINATION....................................................................................7.76
*CONTROL_THERMAL_NONLINEAR......................................................................7.77
*CONTROL_THERMAL_SOLVER............................................................................7.78
*CONTROL_THERMAL_TIMESTEP.........................................................................7.80
*CONTROL_TIMESTEP...........................................................................................7.81

*DAMPING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 . 1
*DAMPING_GLOBAL............................................................................................... 8.1
*DAMPING_PART_MASS ........................................................................................ 8.3
*DAMPING_PART_STIFFNESS ................................................................................ 8.5
*CONTROL_RELATIVE............................................................................................ 8.7

*DATABASE....................................................................................... 9.1
*DATABASE_OPTION.............................................................................................. 9.2

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*DATABASE_BINARY_OPTION.................................................................................9.7
*DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION_OPTION ................................................................ 9.10
*DATABASE_EXTENT_OPTION .............................................................................. 9.14
*DATABASE_FORMAT........................................................................................... 9.21
*DATABASE_HISTORY_OPTION............................................................................. 9.22
*DATABASE_NODAL_FORCE_GROUP.................................................................... 9.24
*DATABASE_SPRING_FORWARD .......................................................................... 9.25
*DATABASE_SUPERPLASTIC_FORMING ............................................................... 9.26
*DATABASE_TRACER ........................................................................................... 9.27

*DEFINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 . 1
*DEFINE_BOX........................................................................................................ 10.2
*DEFINE_BOX_ADAPTIVE...................................................................................... 10.3
*DEFINE_BOX_COARSEN ...................................................................................... 10.5
*DEFINE_BOX_DRAWBEAD ................................................................................... 10.6
*DEFINE_COORDINATE_NODES ............................................................................ 10.7
*DEFINE_COORDINATE_SYSTEM.......................................................................... 10.8
*DEFINE_COORDINATE_VECTOR........................................................................ 10.10
*DEFINE_CURVE................................................................................................. 10.11
*DEFINE_CURVE_FEEDBACK.............................................................................. 10.13
*DEFINE_CURVE_SMOOTH ................................................................................. 10.16
*DEFINE_CURVE_TRIM....................................................................................... 10.18
*DEFINE_SD_ORIENTATION ................................................................................ 10.21
*DEFINE_TABLE.................................................................................................. 10.23
*DEFINE_TRANSFORMATION.............................................................................. 10.25
*DEFINE_VECTOR............................................................................................... 10.29

*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 . 1
*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID..................................................................................... 11.2
*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID_AUTOMATIC ............................................................... 11.3
*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID_INERTIA...................................................................... 11.7

*ELEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 . 1
*ELEMENT_BEAM_{OPTION}................................................................................. 12.2
*ELEMENT_DIRECT_MATRIX_INPUT..................................................................... 12.8
*ELEMENT_DISCRETE......................................................................................... 12.10
*ELEMENT_INERTIA............................................................................................ 12.11
*ELEMENT_MASS ............................................................................................... 12.13

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*ELEMENT_SEATBELT......................................................................................... 12.14
*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_ACCELEROMETER.......................................................... 12.15
*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_PRETENSIONER .............................................................. 12.16
*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_RETRACTOR................................................................... 12.18
*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_SENSOR.......................................................................... 12.24
*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_SLIPRING........................................................................ 12.28
*ELEMENT_SHELL_{OPTION} .............................................................................. 12.30
*ELEMENT_SOLID_{OPTION}............................................................................... 12.34
*ELEMENT_SPH................................................................................................... 12.39
*ELEMENT_TRIM................................................................................................. 12.40
*ELEMENT_TSHELL............................................................................................. 12.41

*EOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 3 . 1
*EOS_LINEAR_POLYNOMIAL.................................................................................13.2
*EOS_JWL..............................................................................................................13.4
*EOS_SACK_TUESDAY..........................................................................................13.5
*EOS_GRUNEISEN .................................................................................................13.6
*EOS_RATIO_OF_POLYNOMIALS...........................................................................13.8
*EOS_LINEAR_POLYNOMIAL_WITH_ENERGY_LEAK ........................................... 13.12
*EOS_IGNITION_AND_GROWTH_OF_REACTION_IN_HE........................................ 13.14
*EOS_TABULATED_COMPACTION....................................................................... 13.18
*EOS_TABULATED............................................................................................... 13.20
*EOS_PROPELLANT_DEFLAGRATION.................................................................. 13.22
*EOS_TENSOR_PORE_COLLAPSE........................................................................ 13.27
*EOS_JWLB.......................................................................................................... 13.30

*HOURGLASS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 4 . 1
*HOURGLASS........................................................................................................14.1

*INCLUDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 5 . 1
*INCLUDE_{OPTION} .............................................................................................15.1

*INITIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 6 . 1
*INITIAL_CFD........................................................................................................16.2
*INITIAL_DETONATION..........................................................................................16.4
*INITIAL_FOAM_REFERENCE_GEOMETRY............................................................16.7
*INITIAL_MOMENTUM...........................................................................................16.8
*INITIAL_STRAIN_SHELL.......................................................................................16.9

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*INITIAL_STRESS_BEAM..................................................................................... 16.10
*INITIAL_STRESS_SHELL.................................................................................... 16.12
*INITIAL_STRESS_SOLID..................................................................................... 16.14
*INITIAL_TEMPERATURE_OPTION ...................................................................... 16.16
*INITIAL_VEHICLE_KINEMATICS ........................................................................ 16.17
*INITIAL_VELOCITY............................................................................................ 16.20
*INITIAL_VELOCITY_NODE ................................................................................. 16.22
*INITIAL_VELOCITY_GENERATION ..................................................................... 16.23
*INITIAL_VOID_OPTION....................................................................................... 16.25
*INITIAL_VOLUME_FRACTION............................................................................ 16.26

*INTEGRATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 . 1
*INTEGRATION_BEAM........................................................................................... 17.1
*INTEGRATION_SHELL.......................................................................................... 17.6

*INTERFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 . 1
*INTERFACE_COMPONENT_OPTION ..................................................................... 18.1
*INTERFACE_LINKING_DISCRETE_NODE_OPTION ................................................ 18.2
*INTERFACE_LINKING_SEGMENT......................................................................... 18.3
*INTERFACE_LINKING_EDGE................................................................................ 18.4
*INTERFACE_JOY.................................................................................................. 18.5
*INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK_OPTION1_OPTION2.................................................... 18.6

* L O A D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 9 . 1
*LOAD_BEAM_OPTION.......................................................................................... 19.2
*LOAD_BLAST....................................................................................................... 19.4
*LOAD_BODY_OPTION .......................................................................................... 19.6
*LOAD_BODY_GENERALIZED.............................................................................. 19.10
*LOAD_BRODE.................................................................................................... 19.12
*LOAD_DENSITY_DEPTH..................................................................................... 19.14
*LOAD_HEAT_GENERATION_OPTION.................................................................. 19.16
*LOAD_MASK ..................................................................................................... 19.17
*LOAD_NODE_OPTION ........................................................................................ 19.19
*LOAD_RIGID_BODY ........................................................................................... 19.22
*LOAD_SEGMENT ............................................................................................... 19.24
*LOAD_SEGMENT_SET........................................................................................ 19.26
*LOAD_SHELL_OPTION....................................................................................... 19.28

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*LOAD_SSA......................................................................................................... 19.30
*LOAD_SUPERPLASTIC_FORMING...................................................................... 19.33
*LOAD_THERMAL_OPTION.................................................................................. 19.35

*NODE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 0 . 1
*NODE...................................................................................................................20.2
*NODE_RIGID_SURFACE .......................................................................................20.4

*PART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 1 . 1
*PART_{OPTION1}_{OPTION2}_{OPTION3}_{OPTION4} ...........................................21.2
*PART_MODES.................................................................................................... 21.10
*PART_MOVE...................................................................................................... 21.13

* R I G I D W A L L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 2 . 1
*RIGIDWALL_GEOMETRIC_OPTION_{OPTION}.......................................................22.2
*RIGIDWALL_PLANAR_{OPTION}_{OPTION}_{OPTION}........................................ 22.12

*SECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 3 . 1
*SECTION_BEAM...................................................................................................23.2
*SECTION_DISCRETE ............................................................................................23.8
*SECTION_SEATBELT.......................................................................................... 23.11
*SECTION_SHELL_{OPTION}................................................................................ 23.12
*SECTION_SOLID_{OPTION} ................................................................................ 23.20
*SECTION_SPH.................................................................................................... 23.24
*SECTION_TSHELL.............................................................................................. 23.25

* S E T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 4 . 1
*SET_BEAM_OPTION .............................................................................................24.2
*SET_DISCRETE_{OPTION}....................................................................................24.5
*SET_NODE_OPTION..............................................................................................24.8
*SET_PART_OPTION............................................................................................ 24.12
*SET_SEGMENT_{OPTION} .................................................................................. 24.15
*SET_SHELL_OPTION .......................................................................................... 24.19
*SET_SOLID_{OPTION} ........................................................................................ 24.23
*SET_TSHELL_{OPTION}...................................................................................... 24.26

*TERMINATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 5 . 1
*TERMINATION_NODE...........................................................................................25.2
*TERMINATION_BODY...........................................................................................25.3
*TERMINATION_CONTACT....................................................................................25.4

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*TITLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 . 1
*TITLE................................................................................................................... 26.1

* T R A N S L A T E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 7 . 1
*TRANSLATE_ANSYS_OPTION.............................................................................. 27.1
*TRANSLATE_IDEAS_{OPTION}............................................................................. 27.3
*TRANSLATE_NASTRAN....................................................................................... 27.5

* U S E R. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 . 1
*USER_INTERFACE_OPTION ................................................................................. 28.1
*USER_LOADING................................................................................................... 28.3

RESTART INPUT DATA.......................................................................2 9 . 1

*CHANGE_OPTION ................................................................................................ 29.3
*CONTROL_DYNAMIC_RELAXATION.................................................................. 29.16
*CONTROL_TERMINATION.................................................................................. 29.18
*CONTROL_TIMESTEP ........................................................................................ 29.19
*DAMPING_GLOBAL............................................................................................ 29.20
*DATABASE_OPTION........................................................................................... 29.21
*DATABASE_BINARY_OPTION............................................................................. 29.23
*DELETE_OPTION................................................................................................ 29.24
*INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK................................................................................. 29.26
*RIGID_DEFORMABLE_OPTION........................................................................... 29.28
*STRESS_INITIALIZATION_{OPTION}................................................................... 29.31
*TERMINATION_OPTION ..................................................................................... 29.34
*TITLE................................................................................................................. 29.36

Volume II
*MAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
*MAT_ADD_EROSION...............................................................................................13
*MAT_NONLOCAL....................................................................................................15
*MAT_ELASTIC_{OPTION}........................................................................................19
*MAT_OPTION TROPIC_ELASTIC .............................................................................22
*MAT_PLASTIC_KINEMATIC....................................................................................28
*MAT_ELASTIC_PLASTIC_THERMAL.......................................................................31
*MAT_SOIL_AND_FOAM ..........................................................................................34
*MAT_VISCOELASTIC..............................................................................................38

LS-DYNA Version 960 ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS
*MAT_BLATZ-KO_RUBBER ...................................................................................... 39
*MAT_HIGH_EXPLOSIVE_BURN............................................................................... 40
*MAT_NULL ............................................................................................................ 43
*MAT_ELASTIC_PLASTIC_HYDRO_{OPTION} .......................................................... 45
*MAT_STEINBERG................................................................................................... 49
*MAT_STEINBERG_LUND ........................................................................................ 53
*MAT_ISOTROPIC_ELASTIC_PLASTIC..................................................................... 56
*MAT_ISOTROPIC_ELASTIC_FAILURE..................................................................... 57
*MAT_SOIL_AND_FOAM_FAILURE.......................................................................... 59
*MAT_JOHNSON_COOK........................................................................................... 60
*MAT_PSEUDO_TENSOR ......................................................................................... 64
*MAT_ORIENTED_CRACK ....................................................................................... 72
*MAT_POWER_LAW_PLASTICITY............................................................................ 74
*MAT_STRAIN_RATE_DEPENDENT_PLASTICITY..................................................... 76
*MAT_RIGID............................................................................................................ 79
*MAT_ORTHOTROPIC_THERMAL............................................................................ 83
*MAT_COMPOSITE_DAMAGE.................................................................................. 87
*MAT_TEMPERATURE_DEPENDENT_ORTHOTROPIC............................................... 91
*MAT_PIECEWISE_LINEAR_PLASTICITY ................................................................. 96
*MAT_GEOLOGIC_CAP_MODEL..............................................................................100
*MAT_HONEYCOMB...............................................................................................106
*MAT_MOONEY-RIVLIN_RUBBER...........................................................................113
*MAT_RESULTANT_PLASTICITY............................................................................116
*MAT_FORCE_LIMITED..........................................................................................117
*MAT_SHAPE_MEMORY.........................................................................................123
*MAT_FRAZER_NASH_RUBBER_MODEL ................................................................127
*MAT_LAMINATED_GLASS ....................................................................................130
*MAT_BARLAT_ANISOTROPIC_PLASTICITY...........................................................132
*MAT_BARLAT_YLD96 ...........................................................................................135
*MAT_FABRIC........................................................................................................139
*MAT_PLASTIC_GREEN-NAGHDI_RATE..................................................................144
*MAT_3-PARAMETER_BARLAT ..............................................................................145
*MAT_TRANSVERSELY_ANISOTROPIC_ELASTIC_PLASTIC....................................149
*MAT_BLATZ-KO_FOAM.........................................................................................152
*MAT_FLD_TRANSVERSELY_ANISOTROPIC ..........................................................153
*MAT_NONLINEAR_ORTHOTROPIC........................................................................155

x LS-DYNA Version 960

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
*MAT_USER_DEFINED_MATERIAL_MODELS ......................................................... 159
*MAT_BAMMAN..................................................................................................... 162
*MAT_BAMMAN_DAMAGE..................................................................................... 167
*MAT_CLOSED_CELL_FOAM ................................................................................. 170
*MAT_ENHANCED_COMPOSITE_DAMAGE............................................................. 172
*MAT_LOW_DENSITY_FOAM ................................................................................. 179
*MAT_LAMINATED_COMPOSITE_FABRIC.............................................................. 183
*MAT_COMPOSITE_FAILURE_OPTION_MODEL...................................................... 189
*MAT_ELASTIC_WITH_VISCOSITY......................................................................... 193
*MAT_KELVIN-MAXWELL_VISCOELASTIC............................................................. 196
*MAT_VISCOUS_FOAM.......................................................................................... 198
*MAT_CRUSHABLE_FOAM..................................................................................... 200
*MAT_RATE_SENSITIVE_POWERLAW_PLASTICITY ............................................... 202
*MAT_MODIFIED_ZERILLI_ARMSTRONG............................................................... 204
*MAT_CONCRETE_DAMAGE.................................................................................. 207
*MAT_LOW_DENSITY_VISCOUS_FOAM ................................................................. 211
*MAT_BILKHU/DUBOIS_FOAM ............................................................................... 215
*MAT_GENERAL_VISCOELASTIC........................................................................... 217
*MAT_HYPERELASTIC_RUBBER ............................................................................ 220
*MAT_OGDEN_RUBBER.......................................................................................... 224
*MAT_SOIL_CONCRETE......................................................................................... 228
*MAT_HYSTERETIC_SOIL ...................................................................................... 232
*MAT_RAMBERG_OSGOOD.................................................................................... 235
*MAT_PLASTICITY_WITH_DAMAGE....................................................................... 237
*MAT_FU_CHANG_FOAM....................................................................................... 242
*MAT_WINFRITH_CONCRETE ................................................................................ 249
*MAT_WINFRITH_CONCRETE_REINFORCEMENT................................................... 253
*MAT_ORTHOTROPIC_VISCOELASTIC................................................................... 255
*MAT_CELLULAR_RUBBER.................................................................................... 258
*MAT_MTS............................................................................................................. 263
*MAT_PLASTIC_POLYMER .................................................................................... 268
*MAT_ACOUSTIC................................................................................................... 270
*MAT_SOFT_TISSUE_{OPTION}.............................................................................. 272
*MAT_BRITTLE_DAMAGE ...................................................................................... 276
*MAT_SIMPLIFIED_JOHNSON_COOK...................................................................... 279
*MAT_SPOTWELD_{OPTION}.................................................................................. 281

LS-DYNA Version 960 xi

TABLE OF CONTENTS
*MAT_GEPLASTIC_SRATE_2000a............................................................................285
*MAT_INV_HYPERBOLIC_SIN.................................................................................287
*MAT_ANISOTROPIC_VISCOPLASTIC.....................................................................289
*MAT_DAMAGE_1 ..................................................................................................294
*MAT_DAMAGE_2 ..................................................................................................299
*MAT_ELASTIC_VISCOPLASTIC_THERMAL ...........................................................303
*MAT_JOHNSON_HOLMQUIST_CERAMICS.............................................................306
*MAT_JOHNSON_HOLMQUIST_CONCRETE.............................................................309
*MAT_FINITE_ELASTIC_STRAIN_PLASTICITY........................................................312
*MAT_LAYERED_LINEAR_PLASTICITY ..................................................................315
*MAT_UNIFIED_CREEP...........................................................................................318
*MAT_COMPOSITE_LAYUP ....................................................................................319
*MAT_COMPOSITE_MATRIX ..................................................................................322
*MAT_COMPOSITE_DIRECT ...................................................................................325
*MAT_GURSON ......................................................................................................327
*MAT_MODIFIED_PIECEWISE_LINEAR_PLASTICITY...............................................331
*MAT_PLASTICITY_COMPRESSION_TENSION........................................................334
*MAT_MODIFIED_HONEYCOMB .............................................................................336
*MAT_ARRUDA_BOYCE_RUBBER...........................................................................343
*MAT_HEART_TISSUE............................................................................................346
*MAT_LUNG_TISSUE..............................................................................................349
*MAT_SPECIAL_ORTHOTROPIC .............................................................................352
*MAT_MODIFIED_FORCE_LIMITED ........................................................................356
*MAT_COMPOSITE_MSC........................................................................................367
*MAT_SEISMIC_BEAM............................................................................................376
*MAT_SOIL_BRICK.................................................................................................379
*MAT_DRUCKER_PRAGER.....................................................................................381
*MAT_RC_SHEAR_WALL........................................................................................384
*MAT_CONCRETE_BEAM .......................................................................................390
*MAT_LINEAR_ELASTIC_DISCRETE_BEAM............................................................393
*MAT_NONLINEAR_ELASTIC_DISCRETE_BEAM.....................................................395
*MAT_NONLINEAR_PLASTIC_DISCRETE_BEAM.....................................................398
*MAT_SID_DAMPER_DISCRETE_BEAM ..................................................................403
*MAT_HYDRAULIC_GAS_DAMPER_DISCRETE_BEAM............................................407
*MAT_CABLE_DISCRETE_BEAM.............................................................................409
*MAT_ELASTIC_SPRING_DISCRETE_BEAM............................................................411

xii LS-DYNA Version 960

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
*MAT_ELASTIC_6DOF_SPRING_DISCRETE_BEAM.................................................. 413
*MAT_INELASTIC_SPRING_DISCRETE_BEAM ........................................................ 414
*MAT_INELASTIC_6DOF_SPRING_DISCRETE_BEAM .............................................. 417
*MAT_SPRING_ELASTIC ........................................................................................ 418
*MAT_DAMPER_VISCOUS...................................................................................... 419
*MAT_SPRING_ELASTOPLASTIC............................................................................ 420
*MAT_SPRING_NONLINEAR_ELASTIC.................................................................... 421
*MAT_DAMPER_NONLINEAR_VISCOUS................................................................. 422
*MAT_SPRING_GENERAL_NONLINEAR.................................................................. 423
*MAT_SPRING_MAXWELL ..................................................................................... 425
*MAT_SPRING_INELASTIC..................................................................................... 426
*MAT_SPRING_TRILINEAR_DEGRADING................................................................ 427
*MAT_SPRING_SQUAT_SHEARWALL..................................................................... 428
*MAT_SPRING_MUSCLE ........................................................................................ 429
*MAT_SEATBELT ................................................................................................... 434
*MAT_CFD_OPTION ............................................................................................... 436
*MAT_THERMAL_OPTION...................................................................................... 438

REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .REF.1

APPENDIX A
USER DEFINED MATERIALS................................................................................... A.1

APPENDIX B
USER DEFINED AIRBAG SENSOR ........................................................................... B.1

APPENDIX C
USER DEFINED SOLUTION CONTROL..................................................................... C.1

APPENDIX D
USER DEFINED INTERFACE CONTROL................................................................... D.1

APPENDIX E
USER DEFINED INTERFACE FRICTION................................................................... E.1

APPENDIX F
OCCUPANT SIMULATION INCLUDING COUPLING TO CAL3D AND MADYMO......... F.1
INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................... F.1
THE LS-DYNA/OCCUPANT SIMULATION PROGRAM LINK...................................... F.1
DUMMY MODELING............................................................................................... F.3

LS-DYNA Version 960 xiii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
AIRBAG MODELING................................................................................................ F.3
KNEE BOLSTER ...................................................................................................... F.4
COMMON ERRORS................................................................................................. F.5

APPENDIX G
INTERACTIVE GRAPHICS COMMANDS...................................................................G.1

APPENDIX H
INTERACTIVE MATERIAL MODEL DRIVER.............................................................H.1
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................H.1
INPUT DEFINITION..................................................................................................H.1
INTERACTIVE DRIVER COMMANDS.......................................................................H.3

APPENDIX I
VDA DATABASE ...................................................................................................... I.1

APPENDIX J
COMMANDS FOR TWO-DIMENSIONAL REZONING...................................................J.1
REZONING COMMANDS BY FUNCTION ...................................................................J.2

APPENDIX K
RIGID BODY DUMMIES...........................................................................................K.1

APPENDIX L
LS-DYNA MPP USER GUIDE.................................................................................... L.1

APPENDIX M
IMPLICIT SOLVER ................................................................................................. M.1

xiv LS-DYNA Version 960

 INTRODUCTION

LS-DYNA USER’S MANUAL

INTRODUCTION

CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY
DYNA3D originated at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory [Hallquist 1976] . The
early applications were primarily for the stress analysis of structures subjected to a variety of impact
loading. These applications required what was then significant computer resources, and the need for
a much faster version was immediately obvious. Part of the speed problem was related to the
inefficient implementation of the element technology which was further aggravated by the fact that
supercomputers in 1976 were much slower than today’s PC. Furthermore, the primitive sliding
interface treatment could only treat logically regular interfaces that are uncommon in most finite
element discretizations of complicated three dimensional geometries; consequently, defining a
suitable mesh for handling contact was often very difficult. The first version contained trusses,
membranes, and a choice of solid elements. The solid elements ranged from a one-point quadrature
eight-noded element with hourglass control to a twenty-noded element with eight integration points.
Due to the high cost of the twenty node solid, the zero energy modes related to the reduced 8-point
integration, and the high frequency content which drove the time step size down, higher order
elements were all but abandoned in later versions of DYNA3D. A two-dimensional version,
DYNA2D, was developed concurrently.
A new version of DYNA3D was released in 1979 that was programmed to provide near
optimal speed on the CRAY-1 supercomputers, contained an improved sliding interface treatment that
permitted triangular segments and was an order of magnitude faster than the previous contact
treatment. The 1979 version eliminated structural and higher order solid elements and some of the
material models of the first version. This version also included an optional element-wise
implementation of the integral difference method developed by Wilkins et al. [1974].
The 1981 version [Hallquist 1981a] evolved from the 1979 version. Nine additional material
models were added to allow a much broader range of problems to be modeled including explosive-
structure and soil-structure interactions. Body force loads were implemented for angular velocities
and base accelerations. A link was also established from the 3D Eulerian code, JOY [Couch, et. al.,
1983] for studying the structural response to impacts by penetrating projectiles. An option was
provided for storing element data on disk thereby doubling the capacity of DYNA3D.
The 1982 version of DYNA3D [Hallquist 1982] accepted DYNA2D [Hallquist 1980] material
input directly. The new organization was such that equations of state and constitutive models of any
complexity could be easily added. Complete vectorization of the material models had been nearly
achieved with about a 10 percent increase in execution speed over the 1981 version.
In the 1986 version of DYNA3D [Hallquist and Benson 1986], many new features were
added, including beams, shells, rigid bodies, single surface contact, interface friction, discrete
springs and dampers, optional hourglass treatments, optional exact volume integration, and VAX/
VMS, IBM, UNIX, COS operating systems compatibility, that greatly expanded its range of
applications. DYNA3D thus became the first code to have a general single surface contact algorithm.
In the 1987 version of DYNA3D [Hallquist and Benson 1987] metal forming simulations and
composite analysis became a reality. This version included shell thickness changes, the Belytschko-
Tsay shell element [Belytschko and Tsay, 1981], and dynamic relaxation. Also included were non-

LS-DYNA Version 960 I.1 (INTRODUCTION)

INTRODUCTION
reflecting boundaries, user specified integration rules for shell and beam elements, a layered
composite damage model, and single point constraints.
New capabilities added in the 1988 DYNA3D [Hallquist 1988] version included a cost
effective resultant beam element, a truss element, a C0 triangular shell, the BCIZ triangular shell
[Bazeley et al. 1965], mixing of element formulations in calculations, composite failure modeling for
solids, noniterative plane stress plasticity, contact surfaces with spot welds, tie break sliding
surfaces, beam surface contact, finite stonewalls, stonewall reaction forces, energy calculations for
all elements, a crushable foam constitutive model, comment cards in the input, and one-dimensional
slidelines.
By the end of 1988 it was obvious that a much more concentrated effort would be required in
the development of this software if problems in crashworthiness were to be properly solved;
therefore, Livermore Software Technology Corporation was founded to continue the development of
DYNA3D as a commercial version called LS-DYNA3D which was later shortened to LS-DYNA.
The 1989 release introduced many enhanced capabilities including a one-way treatment of slide
surfaces with voids and friction; cross-sectional forces for structural elements; an optional user
specified minimum time step size for shell elements using elastic and elastoplastic material models;
nodal accelerations in the time history database; a compressible Mooney-Rivlin material model; a
closed-form update shell plasticity model; a general rubber material model; unique penalty
specifications for each slide surface; external work tracking; optional time step criterion for 4-node
shell elements; and internal element sorting to allow full vectorization of right-hand-side force
assembly.

During the last ten years, considerable progress has been made as may be seen in the
chronology of the developments which follows.

Capabilities added in 1989-1990:

• arbitrary node and element numbers,
• fabric model for seat belts and airbags,
• composite glass model,
• vectorized type 3 contact and single surface contact,
• many more I/O options,
• all shell materials available for 8 node thick shell,
• strain rate dependent plasticity for beams,
• fully vectorized iterative plasticity,
• interactive graphics on some computers,
• nodal damping,
• shell thickness taken into account in shell type 3 contact,
• shell thinning accounted for in type 3 and type 4 contact,
• soft stonewalls,
• print suppression option for node and element data,
• massless truss elements, rivets – based on equations of rigid body dynamics,
• massless beam elements, spot welds – based on equations of rigid body dynamics,
• expanded databases with more history variables and integration points,
• force limited resultant beam,
• rotational spring and dampers, local coordinate systems for discrete elements,
• resultant plasticity for C0 triangular element,
• energy dissipation calculations for stonewalls,
• hourglass energy calculations for solid and shell elements,
• viscous and Coulomb friction with arbitrary variation over surface,
• distributed loads on beam elements,
• Cowper and Symonds strain rate model,
• segmented stonewalls,
• stonewall Coulomb friction,

I.2 (INTRODUCTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 INTRODUCTION
• stonewall energy dissipation,
• airbags (1990),
• nodal rigid bodies,
• automatic sorting of triangular shells into C0 groups,
• mass scaling for quasi static analyses,
• user defined subroutines,
• warpage checks on shell elements,
• thickness consideration in all contact types,
• automatic orientation of contact segments,
• sliding interface energy dissipation calculations,
• nodal force and energy database for applied boundary conditions,
• defined stonewall velocity with input energy calculations,

Capabilities added in 1991-1992:

• rigid/deformable material switching,
• rigid bodies impacting rigid walls,
• strain-rate effects in metallic honeycomb model 26,
• shells and beams interfaces included for subsequent component analyses,
• external work computed for prescribed displacement/velocity/accelerations,
• linear constraint equations,
• MPGS database,
• MOVIE database,
• Slideline interface file,
• automated contact input for all input types,
• automatic single surface contact without element orientation,
• constraint technique for contact,
• cut planes for resultant forces,
• crushable cellular foams,
• urethane foam model with hysteresis,
• subcycling,
• friction in the contact entities,
• strains computed and written for the 8 node thick shells,
• “good” 4 node tetrahedron solid element with nodal rotations,
• 8 node solid element with nodal rotations,
• 2 × 2 integration for the membrane element,
• Belytschko-Schwer integrated beam,
• thin-walled Belytschko-Schwer integrated beam,
• improved TAURUS database control,
• null material for beams to display springs and seatbelts in TAURUS,
• parallel implementation on Crays and SGI computers,
• coupling to rigid body codes,
• seat belt capability.

Capabilities added in 1993-1994:

• Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian brick elements,
• Belytschko-Wong-Chiang quadrilateral shell element,
• Warping stiffness in the Belytschko-Tsay shell element,
• Fast Hughes-Liu shell element,
• Fully integrated thick shell element,
• Discrete 3D beam element,
• Generalized dampers,
• Cable modeling,
• Airbag reference geometry,

LS-DYNA Version 960 I.3 (INTRODUCTION)

INTRODUCTION
• Multiple jet model,
• Generalized joint stiffnesses,
• Enhanced rigid body to rigid body contact,
• Orthotropic rigid walls,
• Time zero mass scaling,
• Coupling with USA (Underwater Shock Analysis),
• Layered spot welds with failure based on resultants or plastic strain,
• Fillet welds with failure,
• Butt welds with failure,
• Automatic eroding contact,
• Edge-to-edge contact,
• Automatic mesh generation with contact entities,
• Drawbead modeling,
• Shells constrained inside brick elements,
• NIKE3D coupling for springback,
• Barlat’s anisotropic plasticity,
• Superplastic forming option,
• Rigid body stoppers,
• Keyword input,
• Adaptivity,
• First MPP (Massively Parallel) version with limited capabilities.
• Built in least squares fit for rubber model constitutive constants,
• Large hystersis in hyperelastic foam,
• Bilhku/Dubois foam model,
• Generalized rubber model,

Capabilities added in 1995:

• Belytschko - Leviathan Shell
• Automatic switching between rigid and deformable bodies.
• Accuracy on SMP machines to give identical answers on one, two or more processors.
• Local coordinate systems for cross-section output can be specified.
• Null material for shell elements.
• Global body force loads now may be applied to a subset of materials.
• User defined loading subroutine.
• Improved interactive graphics.
• New initial velocity options for specifying rotational velocities.
• Geometry changes after dynamic relaxation can be considered for initial velocities..
• Velocities may also be specified by using material or part ID’s.
• Improved speed of brick element hourglass force and energy calculations.
• Pressure outflow boundary conditions have been added for the ALE options.
• More user control for hourglass control constants for shell elements.
• Full vectorization in constitutive models for foam, models 57 and 63.
• Damage mechanics plasticity model, material 81,
• General linear viscoelasticity with 6 term prony series.
• Least squares fit for viscoelastic material constants.
• Table definitions for strain rate effects in material type 24.
• Improved treatment of free flying nodes after element failure.
• Automatic projection of nodes in CONTACT_TIED to eliminate gaps in the surface.
• More user control over contact defaults.
• Improved interpenetration warnings printed in automatic contact.
• Flag for using actual shell thickness in single surface contact logic rather than the default.
• Definition by exempted part ID’s.
• Airbag to Airbag venting/segmented airbags are now supported.

I.4 (INTRODUCTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 INTRODUCTION
• Airbag reference geometry speed improvements by using the reference geometry for the
time step size calculation.
• Isotropic airbag material may now be directly for cost efficiency.
• Airbag fabric material damping is specified as the ratio of critical damping.
• Ability to attach jets to the structure so the airbag, jets, and structure to move together.
• PVM 5.1 Madymo coupling is available.
• Meshes are generated within LS-DYNA3D for all standard contact entities.
• Joint damping for translational motion.
• Angular displacements, rates of displacements, damping forces, etc. in JNTFORC file.
• Link between LS-NIKE3D to LS-DYNA3D via *INITIAL_STRESS keywords.
• Trim curves for metal forming springback.
• Sparse equation solver for springback.
• Improved mesh generation for IGES and VDA provides a mesh that can directly be used
to model tooling in metal stamping analyses.

Capabilities added in 1996-1997 in Version 940:

• Part/Material ID’s may be specified with 8 digits.
• Rigid body motion can be prescribed in a local system fixed to the rigid body.
• Nonlinear least squares fit available for the Ogden rubber model.
• Lease squares fit to the relaxation curves for the viscoelasticity in rubber.
• Fu-Chang rate sensitive foam.
• 6 term Prony series expansion for rate effects in model 57-now 73
• Viscoelastic material model 76 implemented for shell elements.
• Mechanical threshold stress (MTS) plasticity model for rate effects.
• Thermoelastic-plastic material model for Hughes-Liu beam element.
• Ramberg-Osgood soil model
• Invariant local coordinate systems for shell elements are optional.
• Second order accurate stress updates.
• Four noded, linear, tetrahedron element.
• Co-rotational solid element for foam that can invert without stability problems.
• Improved speed in rigid body to rigid body contacts.
• Improved searching for the a_3, a_5 and a10 contact types.
• Invariant results on shared memory parallel machines with the a_n contact types.
• Thickness offsets in type 8 and 9 tie break contact algorithms.
• Bucket sort frequency can be controlled by a load curve for airbag applications.
• In automatic contact each part ID in the definition may have unique:
-Static coefficient of friction
-Dynamic coefficient of friction
-Exponential decay coefficient
-Viscous friction coefficient
-Optional contact thickness
-Optional thickness scale factor
-Local penalty scale factor
• Automatic beam-to-beam, shell edge-to-beam, shell edge-to-shell edge and single surface
contact algorithm.
• Release criteria may be a multiple of the shell thickness in types a_3, a_5, a10, 13, and
26 contact.
• Force transducers to obtain reaction forces in automatic contact definitions. Defined
manually via segments, or automatically via part ID’s.
• Searching depth can be defined as a function of time.
• Bucket sort frequency can be defined as a function of time.
• Interior contact for solid (foam) elements to prevent "negative volumes."
• Locking joint

LS-DYNA Version 960 I.5 (INTRODUCTION)

INTRODUCTION
• Temperature dependent heat capacity added to Wang-Nefske inflator models.
• Wang Hybrid inflator model [Wang, 1996] with jetting options and bag-to-bag venting.
• Aspiration included in Wang’s hybrid model [Nusholtz, Wang, Wylie, 1996].
• Extended Wang’s hybrid inflator with a quadratic temperature variation for heat capacities
[Nusholtz, 1996].
• Fabric porosity added as part of the airbag constitutive model .
• Blockage of vent holes and fabric in contact with structure or itself considered in venting
with leakage of gas.
• Option to delay airbag liner with using the reference geometry until the reference area is
reached.
• Birth time for the reference geometry.
• Multi-material Euler/ALE fluids,
-2nd order accurate formulations.
-Automatic coupling to shell, brick, or beam elements
-Coupling using LS-DYNA contact options.
-Element with fluid + void and void material
-Element with multi-materials and pressure equilibrium
• Nodal inertia tensors.
• 2D plane stress, plane strain, rigid, and axisymmetric elements
• 2D plane strain shell element
• 2D axisymmetric shell element.
• Full contact support in 2D, tied, sliding only, penalty and constraint techniques.
• Most material types supported for 2D elements.
• Interactive remeshing and graphics options available for 2D.
• Subsystem definitions for energy and momentum output.
• Boundary element method for incompressible fluid dynamics and fluid-structure
interaction problems.

Capabilities added during 1997-1998 in Version 950:

• Adaptive refinement can be based on tooling curvature with FORMING contact.
• The display of drawbeads is now possible since the drawbead data is output into the
D3PLOT database.
• An adaptive box option, *DEFINE_BOX_ADAPTIVE, allows control over the
refinement level and location of elements to be adapted.
• A root identification file, ADAPT.RID, gives the parent element ID for adapted elements.
• Draw bead box option,*DEFINE_BOX_DRAWBEAD, simplifies drawbead input.
• The new control option, CONTROL_IMPLICIT, activates an implicit solution scheme.
• 2D Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian elements are available.
• 2D automatic contact is defined by listing part ID's.
• 2D r-adaptivity for plane strain and axisymmetric forging simulations is available.
• 2D automatic non-interactive rezoning as in LS-DYNA2D.
• 2D plane strain and axisymmetric element with 2x2 selective-reduced integration are
implemented.
• Implicit 2D solid and plane strain elements are available.
• Implicit 2D contact is available.
• The new keyword, *DELETE_CONTACT_2DAUTO, allows the deletion of 2D
automatic contact definitions.
• The keyword, *LOAD_BEAM is added for pressure boundary conditions on 2D
elements.
• A viscoplastic strain rate option is available for materials:
*MAT_PLASTIC_KINEMATIC
*MAT_JOHNSON_COOK
*MAT_POWER_LAW_PLASTICITY

I.6 (INTRODUCTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 INTRODUCTION
*MAT_STRAIN_RATE_DEPENDENT_PLASTICITY
*MAT_PIECEWISE_LINEAR_PLASTICITY
*MAT_RATE_SENSITIVE_POWERLAW_PLASTICITY
*MAT_ZERILLI-ARMSTRONG
*MAT_PLASTICITY_WITH_DAMAGE
*MAT_PLASTICITY_COMPRESSION_TENSION
• Material model, *MAT_PLASTICITY_WITH_DAMAGE, has a piecewise linear damage
curve given by a load curve ID.
• The Arruda-Boyce hyper-viscoelastic rubber model is available, see *MAT_
ARRUDA_BOYCE.
• Transverse-anisotropic-viscoelastic material for heart tissue, see *MAT_HEART_
TISSUE.
• Lung hyper-viscoelastic material, see *MAT_LUNG_TISSUE.
• Compression/tension plasticity model, see *MAT_PLASTICITY_COMPRESSION_
TENSION.
• The Lund strain rate model, *MAT_STEINBERG_LUND, is added to Steinberg-Guinan
plasticity model.
• Rate sensitive foam model, *MAT_FU_CHANG_FOAM, has been extended to include
engineering strain rates, etc.
• Model, *MAT_MODIFIED_PIECEWISE_LINEAR_PLASTICITY, is added for
modeling the failure of aluminum.
• Material model, *MAT_SPECIAL_ ORTHOTROPIC, added for television shadow mask
problems.
• Erosion strain is implemented for material type, *MAT_BAMMAN_DAMAGE.
• The equation of state, *EOS_JWLB, is available for modeling the expansion of
explosive gases.
• The reference geometry option is extended for foam and rubber materials and can be used
for stress initialization, see *INITIAL_FOAM_REFERENCE_GEOMETRY.
• A vehicle positioning option is available for setting the initial orientation and velocities,
see *INITIAL_VEHICLE_KINEMATICS.
• A boundary element method is available for incompressible fluid dynamics problems.
• The thermal materials work with instantaneous coefficients of thermal expansion:
*MAT_ELASTIC_PLASTIC_THERMAL
*MAT_ORTHOTROPIC_THERMAL
*MAT_TEMPERATURE_DEPENDENT_ORTHOTROPIC
*MAT_ELASTIC_WITH_VISCOSITY.
• Airbag interaction flow rate versus pressure differences.
• Contact segment search option, [bricks first optional]
• A through thickness Gauss integration rule with 1-10 points is available for shell
elements. Previously, 5 were available.
• Shell element formulations can be changed in a full deck restart.
• The tied interface which is based on constraint equations, TIED_SURFACE_TO_
SURFACE, can now fail if _FAILURE, is appended.
• A general failure criteria for solid elements is independent of the material type, see
*MAT_ADD_EROSION
• Load curve control can be based on thinning and a flow limit diagram, see *DEFINE_
CURVE_FEEDBACK.
• An option to filter the spotweld resultant forces prior to checking for failure has been
added the the option, *CONSTRAINED_SPOTWELD, by appending, _FILTERED_
FORCE, to the keyword.
• Bulk viscosity is available for shell types 1, 2, 10, and 16.
• When defining the local coordinate system for the rigid body inertia tensor a local
coordinate system ID can be used. This simplifies dummy positioning.

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• Prescribing displacements, velocities, and accelerations is now possible for rigid body
nodes.
• One way flow is optional for segmented airbag interactions.
• Pressure time history input for airbag type, LINEAR_FLUID, can be used.
• An option is available to independently scale system damping by part ID in each of the
global directions.
• An option is available to independently scale global system damping in each of the global
directions.
• Added option to constrain global DOF along lines parallel with the global axes. The
keyword is *CONSTRAINED_GLOBAL. This option is useful for adaptive remeshing.
• Beam end code releases are available, see *ELEMENT_BEAM.
• An initial force can be directly defined for the cable material, *MAT_CABLE_
DISCRETE_BEAM. The specification of slack is not required if this option is used.
• Airbag pop pressure can be activated by accelerometers.
• Termination may now be controlled by contact, via *TERMINATION_CONTACT.
• Modified shell elements types 8, 10 and the warping stiffness option in the Belytschko-
Tsay shell to ensure orthogonality with rigid body motions in the event that the shell is
badly warped. This is optional in the Belytschko-Tsay shell and the type 10 shell.
• A one point quadrature brick element with an exact hourglass stiffness matrix has been
implemented for implicit and explicit calculations.
• Automatic file length determination for D3PLOT binary database is now implemented.
This insures that at least a single state is contained in each D3PLOT file and eliminates the
problem with the states being split between files.
• The dump files, which can be very large, can be placed in another directory by specifying
d=/home/user /test/d3dump on the execution line.
• A print flag controls the output of data into the MATSUM and RBDOUT files by part
ID's. The option, PRINT, has been added as an option to the *PART keyword.
• Flag has been added to delete material data from the D3THDT file. See *DATABASE_
EXTENT_BINARY and column 25 of the 19th control card in the structured input.
• After dynamic relaxation completes, a file is written giving the displaced state which can
be used for stress initialization in later runs.

Capabilities added during 1998-2000 in Version 960. Most new capabilities work on both the MPP
and SMP versions; however, the capabilities that are implemented for the SMP version only, which
were not considered critical for this release, are flagged below. These SMP unique capabilities are
being extended for MPP calculations and will be available in the near future. The implicit capabilities
for MPP require the development of a scalable eigenvalue solver, which is under development for a
later release of LS-DYNA.
• Incompressible flow solver is available. Structural coupling is not yet implemented.
• Adaptive mesh coarsening can be done before the implicit springback calculation in metal
forming applications.
• Two-dimensional adaptivity can be activated in both implicit and explicit calculations.
(SMP version only)
• An internally generated smooth load curve for metal forming tool motion can be activated
with the keyword: *DEFINE_CURVE_SMOOTH.
• Torsional forces can be carried through the deformable spot welds by using the contact
type: *CONTACT_SPOTWELD_WITH_TORSION (SMP version only with a high
priority for the MPP version if this option proves to be stable.)
• Tie break automatic contact is now available via the *CONTACT_AUTOMATIC_..._
TIEBREAK options. This option can be used for glued panels. (SMP only)
• *CONTACT_RIGID_SURFACE option is now available for modeling road surfaces
(SMP version only).

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• Fixed rigid walls PLANAR and PLANAR_FINITE are represented in the binary output
file by a single shell element.
• Interference fits can be modeled with the INTERFERENCE option in contact.
• A layered shell theory is implemented for several constitutive models including the
composite models to more accurately represent the shear stiffness of laminated shells.
• Damage mechanics is available to smooth the post-failure reduction of the resultant forces
in the constitutive model *MAT_SPOTWELD_DAMAGE.
• Finite elastic strain isotropic plasticity model is available for solid elements. *MAT_
FINITE_ELASTIC_STRAIN_PLASTICITY.
• A shape memory alloy material is available: *MAT_SHAPE_MEMORY.
• Reference geometry for material, *MAT_MODIFIED_HONEYCOMB, can be set at
arbitrary relative volumes or when the time step size reaches a limiting value. This option
is now available for all element types including the fully integrated solid element.
• Non orthogonal material axes are available in the airbag fabric model. See *MAT_
FABRIC.
• Other new constitutive models include for the beam elements:
*MAT_MODIFIED_FORCE_LIMITED
*MAT_SEISMIC_BEAM
*MAT_CONCRETE_BEAM
for shell and solid elements:
*MAT_ELASTIC_VISCOPLASTIC_THERMAL
for the shell elements:
*MAT_GURSON
*MAT_GEPLASTIC_SRATE2000
*MAT_ELASTIC_VISCOPLASTIC_THERMAL
*MAT_COMPOSITE_LAYUP
*MAT_COMPOSITE_LAYUP
*MAT_COMPOSITE_DIRECT
for the solid elements:
*MAT_JOHNSON_HOLMQUIST_CERAMICS
*MAT_JOHNSON_HOLMQUIST_CONCRETE
*MAT_INV_HYPERBOLIC_SIN
*MAT_UNIFIED_CREEP
*MAT_SOIL_BRICK
*MAT_DRUCKER_PRAGER
*MAT_RC_SHEAR_WALL
and for all element options a very fast and efficient version of the Johnson-Cook plasticity
model is available:
*MAT_SIMPLIFIED_JOHNSON_COOK
• A fully integrated version of the type 16 shell element is available for the resultant
constitutive models.
• A nonlocal failure theory is implemented for predicting failure in metallic materials. The
keyword *MAT_NONLOCAL activates this option for a subset of elastoplastic
constitutive models.
• A discrete Kirchhoff triangular shell element (DKT) for explicit analysis with three in
plane integration points is flagged as a type 17 shell element. This element has much
better bending behavior than the C0 triangular element.
• A discrete Kirchhoff linear triangular and quadrilaterial shell element is available as a type
18 shell. This shell is for extracting normal modes and static analysis.
• A C0 linear 4-node quadrilaterial shell element is implemented as element type 20 with
drilling stiffness for normal modes and static analysis.
• An assumed strain linear brick element is avaiable for normal modes and statics.
• The fully integrated thick shell element has been extended for use in implicit calculations.

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• A fully integrated thick shell element based on an assumed strain formulation is now
available. This element uses a full 3D constitutive model which includes the normal
stress component and, therefore, does not use the plane stress assumption.
• The 4-node constant strain tetrahedron element has been extended for use in implicit
calculations.
• Relative damping between parts is available, see *DAMPING_RELATIVE (SMP only).
• Preload forces are can be input for the discrete beam elements.
• Objective stress updates are implemented for the fully integrated brick shell element.
• Acceleration time histories can be prescribed for rigid bodies.
• Prescribed motion for nodal rigid bodies is now possible.
• Generalized set definitions, i.e., SET_SHELL_GENERAL etc. provide much flexibility
in the set definitions.
• The command "sw4." will write a state into the dynamic relaxation file, D3DRLF, during
the dynamic relaxation phase if the D3DRLF file is requested in the input.
• Added mass by PART ID is written into the MATSUM file when mass scaling is used to
maintain the time step size, (SMP version only).
• Upon termination due to a large mass increase during a mass scaled calculation a print
summary of 20 nodes with the maximum added mass is printed.
• Eigenvalue analysis of models containing rigid bodies is now available using BCSLIB-
EXT solvers from Boeing. (SMP version only).
• Second order stress updates can be activated by part ID instead of globally on the
*CONTROL_ACCURACY input.
• Interface frictional energy is optionally computed for heat generation and is output into the
interface force file (SMP version only).
• The interface force binary database now includes the distance from the contact surface for
the FORMING contact options. This distance is given after the nodes are detected as
possible contact candidates. (SMP version only).
• Type 14 acoustic brick element is implemented. This element is a fully integrated version
of type 8, the acoustic element (SMP version only).
• A flooded surface option for acoustic applications is available (SMP version only).
• Attachment nodes can be defined for rigid bodies. This option is useful for NVH
applications.
• CONSTRAINED_POINTS tie any two points together. These points must lie on a shell
elements.
• Soft constraint is available for edge to edge contact in type 26 contact.
• CONSTAINED_INTERPOLATION option for beam to solid interfaces and for
spreading the mass and loads. (SMP version only).
• A database option has been added that allows the output of added mass for shell elements
instead of the time step size.
• A new contact option allows the inclusion of all internal shell edges in contact type
*CONTACT_GENERAL, type 26. This option is activated by adding _INTERIOR after
the GENERAL keyword.
• A new option allows the use deviatoric strain rates rather than total rates in material model
24 for the Cowper-Symonds rate model.
• The CADFEM option for ASCII databases is now the default. Their option includes
more significant figures in the output files.
• When using deformable spot welds, the added mass for spot welds is now printed for the
case where global mass scaling is activated. This output is in the log file, D3HSP file,
and the MESSAG file.
• Initial penetration warnings for edge-to-edge contact are now written into the MESSAG
file and the D3HSP file.
• Each compilation of LS-DYNA is given a unique version number.

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 INTRODUCTION
• Finite length discrete beams with various local axes options are now available for material
types 66, 67, 68, 93, and 95. In this implementation the absolute value of SCOOR must
be set to 2 or 3 in the *SECTION_BEAM input.
• New discrete element constitutive models are available:
*MAT_ELASTIC_SPRING_DISCRETE_BEAM
*MAT_INELASTIC_SPRING_DISCRETE_BEAM
*MAT_ELASTIC_6DOF_SPRING_DISCRETE_BEAM
*MAT_INELASTIC_6DOF_SPRING_DISCRETE_BEAM
The latter two can be used as finite length beams with local coordinate systems.
• Moving SPC's are optional in that the constraints are applied in a local system that rotates
with the 3 defining nodes.
• A moving local coordinate system, CID, can be used to determine orientation of discrete
beam elements.
• Modal superposition analysis can be performed after an eigenvalue analysis. Stress
recovery is based on type 18 shell and brick (SMP only).
• Rayleigh damping input factor is now input as a fraction of critical damping, i.e. 0.10.
The old method required the frequency of interest and could be highly unstable for large
input values.
• Airbag option "SIMPLE_PRESSURE_VOLUME" allows for the constant CN to be
replaced by a load curve for initialization. Also, another load curve can be defined which
allows CN to vary as a function of time during dynamic relaxation. After dynamic
relaxation CN can be used as a fixed constant or load curve.
• Hybrid inflator model utilizing CHEMKIN and NIST databases is now available. Up to
ten gases can be mixed.
• Option to track initial penetrations has been added in the automatic SMP contact types
rather than moving the nodes back to the surface. This option has been available in the
MPP contact for some time. This input can be defined on the fourth card of the
*CONTROL_CONTACT input and on each contact definition on the third optional card
in the *CONTACT definitions.
• If the average acceleration flag is active, the average acceleration for rigid body nodes is
now written into the D3THDT and NODOUT files. In previous versions of LS-DYNA,
the accelerations on rigid nodes were not averaged.
• A capability to initialize the thickness and plastic strain in the crash model is available
through the option *INCLUDE_STAMPED_PART, which takes the results from the LS-
DYNA stamping simulation and maps the thickness and strain distribution onto the same
part with a different mesh pattern.
• A capability to include finite element data from other models is available through the
option, *INCLUDE_TRANSFORM. This option will take the model defined in an
INCLUDE file: offset all ID's; translate, rotate, and scale the coordinates; and transform
the constitutive constants to another set of units.

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DESCRIPTION OF KEYWORD INPUT
The keyword input provides a flexible and logically organized database that is simple to
understand. Similar functions are grouped together under the same keyword. For example, under
the keyword *ELEMENT are included solid, beam, shell elements, spring elements, discrete
dampers, seat belts, and lumped masses.
LS-DYNA User’s Manual is alphabetically organized in logical sections of input data. Each
logical section relates to a particular input. There is a control section for resetting LS-DYNA
defaults, a material section for defining constitutive constants, an equation-of-state section, an
element section where element part identifiers and nodal connectivities are defined, a section for
defining parts, and so on. Nearly all model data can be input in block form. For example, consider
the following where two nodal points with their respective coordinates and shell elements with their
part identity and nodal connectivities are defined:

$
$ DEFINE TWO NODES
$
*NODE
10101 x y z
10201 x y z
$
$ DEFINE TWO SHELL ELEMENTS
$
*ELEMENT_SHELL
10201 pid n1 n2 n3 n4
10301 pid n1 n2 n3 n4

Alternatively, acceptable input could also be of the form:

$
$ DEFINE ONE NODE
$
*NODE
10101 x y z
$
$ DEFINE ONE SHELL ELEMENT
$
*ELEMENT_SHELL
10201 pid n1 n2 n3 n4
$
$ DEFINE ONE MORE NODE
$
*NODE
10201 x y z
$
$ DEFINE ONE MORE SHELL ELEMENT
$
*ELEMENT_SHELL
10301 pid n1 n2 n3 n4

A data block begins with a keyword followed by the data pertaining to the keyword. The next
keyword encountered during the reading of the block data defines the end of the block and the
beginning of a new block. A keyword must be left justified with the “*” contained in column one. A

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 INTRODUCTION
dollar sign “$” in column one precedes a comment and causes the input line to be ignored. Data
blocks are not a requirement for LS-DYNA but they can be used to group nodes and elements for
user convenience. Multiple blocks can be defined with each keyword if desired as shown above. It
would be possible to put all nodal points definitions under one keyword *NODE, or to define one
*NODE keyword prior to each node definition. The entire LS-DYNA input is order independent
with the exception of the optional keyword, *END, which defines the end of input stream. Without
the *END termination is assumed to occur when an end-of-file is encountered during the reading.
Figure I.1 attempts to show the general philosophy of the input organization and how various
entities relate to each other. In this figure the data included for the keyword, *ELEMENT, is the
element identifier, EID, the part identifier, PID, and the nodal points identifiers, the NID’s, defining
the element connectivity: N1, N2, N3, and N4. The nodal point identifiers are defined in the
*NODE section where each NID should be defined just once. A part defined with the *PART
keyword has a unique part identifier, PID, a section identifier, SID, a material or constitutive model
identifier, MID, an equation of state identifier, EOSID, and the hourglass control identifier, HGID.
The *SECTION keyword defines the section identifier, SID, where a section has an element
formulation specified, a shear factor, SHRF, a numerical integration rule, NIP, and so on. The
constitutive constants are defined in the *MAT section where constitutive data is defined for all
element types including solids, beams, shells, thick shells, seat belts, springs, and dampers.
Equations of state, which are used only with certain *MAT materials for solid elements, are defined
in the *EOS section. Since many elements in LS-DYNA use uniformly reduced numerical
integration, zero energy deformation modes may develop. These modes are controlled numerically
by either an artificial stiffness or viscosity which resists the formation of these undesirable modes.
The hourglass control can optionally be user specified using the input in the *HOURGLASS section.
During the keyword input phase where data is read, only limited checking is performed on
the data since the data must first be counted for the array allocations and then reordered.
Considerably more checking is done during the second phase where the input data is printed out.
Since LS-DYNA has retained the option of reading older non-keyword input files, we print out the
data into the output file D3HSP (default name) as in previous versions of LS-DYNA. An attempt is
made to complete the input phase before error terminating if errors are encountered in the input.
Unfortunately, this is not always possible and the code may terminate with an error message. The
user should always check either output file, D3HSP or MESSAG, for the word “Error”.

*NODE NID X Y Z

*ELEMENT EID PID N1 N2 N3 N4

*PART PID SID MID EOSID HGID

*SECTION_SHELL SID ELFORM SHRF NIP PROPT QR ICOMP

*MAT_ELASTIC MID RO E PR DA DB

*EOS EOSID

*HOURGLASS HGID

Figure I.1 Organization of the keyword input.

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INTRODUCTION
The input data following each keyword can be input in free format. In the case of free format
input the data is separated by commas, i.e.,

*NODE

10101,x ,y ,z

10201,x ,y ,z

*ELEMENT_SHELL

10201,pid,n1,n2,n3,n4

10301,pid,n1,n2,n3,n4

When using commas, the formats must not be violated. An I8 integer is limited to a
maximum positive value of 99999999, and larger numbers having more than eight characters are
unacceptable. The format of the input can change from free to fixed anywhere in the input file. The
input is case insensitive and keywords can be given in either upper or lower case. THE ASTERISKS
“*” PRECEDING EACH KEYWORD MUST BE IN COLUMN ONE.
To provide a better understanding behind the keyword philosophy and how the options
work, a brief review of some of the more important keywords is given below.

*AIRBAG
The geometric definition of airbags and the thermodynamic properties for the airbag inflator models
can be made in this section. This capability is not necessarily limited to the modeling of automotive
airbags, but it can also be used for many other applications such as tires and pneumatic dampers.

*BOUNDARY
This section applies to various methods of specifying either fixed or prescribed boundary conditions.
For compatibility with older versions of LS-DYNA it is still possible to specify some nodal boundary
conditions in the *NODE card section.

*COMPONENT
This section contains analytical rigid body dummies that can be placed within vehicle and integrated
implicitly.

*CONSTRAINED
This section applies constraints within the structure between structural parts. For example, nodal
rigid bodies, rivets, spot welds, linear constraints, tying a shell edge to a shell edge with failure,
merging rigid bodies, adding extra nodes to rigid bodies and defining rigid body joints are all options
in this section.

*CONTACT
This section is divided in to three main sections. The *CONTACT section allows the user to define
many different contact types. These contact options are primarily for treating contact of deformable
to deformable bodies, single surface contact in deformable bodies, deformable body to rigid body
contact, and tying deformable structures with an option to release the tie based on plastic strain. The

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surface definition for contact is made up of segments on the shell or solid element surfaces. The
keyword options and the corresponding numbers in previous code versions are:

STRUCTURED INPUT TYPE ID KEYWORD NAME

1 SLIDING_ONLY
p1 SLIDING_ONLY_PENALTY
2 TIED_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
3 SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
a3 AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
4 SINGLE_SURFACE
5 NODES_TO_SURFACE
a5 AUTOMATIC_NODES_TO_SURFACE
6 TIED_NODES_TO_SURFACE
7 TIED_SHELL_EDGE_TO_SURFACE
8 TIEBREAK_NODES_TO_SURFACE
9 TIEBREAK_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
10 ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
a 10 AUTOMATIC_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
13 AUTOMATIC_SINGLE_SURFACE
a 13 AIRBAG_SINGLE_SURFACE
14 ERODING_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
15 ERODING_SINGLE_SURFACE
16 ERODING_NODES_TO_SURFACE
17 CONSTRAINT_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
18 CONSTRAINT_NODES_TO_SURFACE
19 RIGID_BODY_TWO_WAY_TO_RIGID_BODY
20 RIGID_NODES_TO_RIGID_BODY
21 RIGID_BODY_ONE_WAY_TO_RIGID_BODY
22 SINGLE_EDGE
23 DRAWBEAD

The *CONTACT_ENTITY section treats contact between a rigid surface, usually defined as
an analytical surface, and a deformable structure. Applications of this type of contact exist in the
metal forming area where the punch and die surface geometries can be input as VDA surfaces which
are treated as rigid. Another application is treating contact between rigid body occupant dummy
hyper-ellipsoids and deformable structures such as airbags and instrument panels. This option is
particularly valuable in coupling with the rigid body occupant modeling codes MADYMO and
CAL3D. The *CONTACT_1D is for modeling rebars in concrete structure.

*CONTROL
Options available in the *CONTROL section allow the resetting of default global parameters such as
the hourglass type, the contact penalty scale factor, shell element formulation, numerical damping,
and termination time.

*DAMPING
Defines damping either globally or by part identifier.

*DATABASE
This keyword with a combination of options can be used for controlling the output of ASCII
databases and binary files output by LS-DYNA. With this keyword the frequency of writing the
various databases can be determined.

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*DEFINE
This section allows the user to define curves for loading, constitutive behaviors, etc.; boxes to limit
the geometric extent of certain inputs; local coordinate systems; vectors; and orientation vectors
specific to spring and damper elements. Items defined in this section are referenced by their
identifiers throughout the input. For example, a coordinate system identifier is sometimes used on
the *BOUNDARY cards, and load curves are used on the *AIRBAG cards.

*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID
This section allows the user to switch parts that are defined as deformable to rigid at the start of the
analysis. This capability provides a cost efficient method for simulating events such as rollover
events. While the vehicle is rotating the computation cost can be reduced significantly by switching
deformable parts that are not expected to deform to rigid parts. Just before the vehicle comes in
contact with ground, the analysis can be stopped and restarted with the part switched back to
deformable.

*ELEMENT
Define identifiers and connectivities for all elements which include shells, beams, solids, thick shells,
springs, dampers, seat belts, and concentrated masses in LS-DYNA.

*EOS
This section reads the equations of state parameters. The equation of state identifier, EOSID, points
to the equation of state identifier on the *PART card.

*HOURGLASS
Defines hourglass and bulk viscosity properties. The identifier, HGID, on the *HOURGLASS card
refers to HGID on *PART card.

*INCLUDE
To make the input file easy to maintain, this keyword allows the input file to be split into subfiles.
Each subfile can again be split into sub-subfiles and so on. This option is beneficial when the input
data deck is very large.

*INITIAL
Initial velocity and initial momentum for the structure can be specified in this section. The initial
velocity specification can be made by *INITIAL_VELOCITY_NODE card or *INITIAL_
VELOCITY cards. In the case of *INITIAL_VELOCITY_NODE nodal identifiers are used to
specify the velocity components for the node. Since all the nodes in the system are initialized to
zero, only the nodes with non zero velocities need to be specified. The *INITIAL_VELOCITY card
provides the capability of being able to specify velocities using the set concept or boxes.

*INTEGRATION
In this section the user defined integration rules for beam and shell elements are specified. IRID
refers to integration rule number IRID on *SECTION_BEAM and *SECTION_SHELL cards
respectively. Quadrature rules in the *SECTION_SHELL and *SECTION_BEAM cards need to be
specified as a negative number. The absolute value of the negative number refers to user defined
integration rule number. Positive rule numbers refer to the built in quadrature rules within
LS-DYNA3D.

*INTERFACE
Interface definitions are used to define surfaces, nodal lines, and nodal points for which the
displacement and velocity time histories are saved at some user specified frequency. This data may
then used in subsequent analyses as an interface ID in the *INTERFACE_LINKING_DISCRETE_
NODE as master nodes, in *INTERFACE_LINKING_SEGMENT as master segments and in

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*INTERFACE_LINKING_EDGE as the master edge for a series of nodes. This capability is
especially useful for studying the detailed response of a small member in a large structure. For the
first analysis, the member of interest need only be discretized sufficiently that the displacements and
velocities on its boundaries are reasonably accurate. After the first analysis is completed, the
member can be finely discretized in the region bounded by the interfaces. Finally, the second
analysis is performed to obtain highly detailed information in the local region of interest. When
beginning the first analysis, specify a name for the interface segment file using the Z=parameter on
the LS-DYNA3D execution line. When starting the second analysis, the name of the interface
segment file created in the first run should be specified using the L=parameter on the LS-DYNA
command line. Following the above procedure, multiple levels of sub-modeling are easily
accommodated. The interface file may contain a multitude of interface definitions so that a single run
of a full model can provide enough interface data for many component analyses. The interface
feature represents a powerful extension of LS-DYNA’s analysis capabilities.

*KEYWORD
Flags LS-DYNA that the input deck is a keyword deck. To have an effect this must be the very first
card in the input deck. Alternatively, by typing “keyword” on the execute line, keyword input
formats are assumed and the “*KEYWORD” is not required. If a number is specified on this card
after the word KEYWORD it defines the memory size to used in words. The memory size can also
be set on the command line. NOTE THAT THE MEMORY SPECIFIED ON THE *KEYWORD
CARD OVERRIDES MEMORY SPECIFIED ON THE EXECUTION LINE.

*LOAD
This section provides various methods of loading the structure with concentrated point loads,
distributed pressures, body force loads, and a variety of thermal loadings.

*MAT
This section allows the definition of constitutive constants for all material models available in
LS-DYNA3D including springs, dampers, and seat belts. The material identifier, MID, points to the
MID on the *PART card.

*NODE
Define nodal point identifiers and their coordinates.

*PART
This keyword serves two purposes.
1. Relates part ID to *SECTION, *MATERIAL, *EOS and *HOURGLASS sections.
2. Optionally, in the case of a rigid material, rigid body inertia properties and initial conditions can
be specified. Deformable material repositioning data can also be specified in this section if the
reposition option is invoked on the *PART card, i.e., *PART_REPOSITION.

*RIGIDWALL
Rigid wall definitions have been divided into two separate sections, _PLANAR and _GEOMETRIC.
Planar walls can be either stationary or moving in translational motion with mass and initial velocity.
The planar wall can be either finite or infinite. Geometric walls can be planar as well as have the
geometric shapes such as rectangular prism, cylindrical prism and sphere. By default, these walls
are stationary unless the option MOTION is invoked for either prescribed translational velocity or
displacement. Unlike the planar walls, the motion of the geometric wall is governed by a load curve.
Multiple geometric walls can be defined to model combinations of geometric shapes available. For
example, a wall defined with the _CYLINDER option can be combined with two walls defined with
the _SPHERICAL option to model hemispherical surface caps on the two ends of a cylinder.
Contact entities are also analytical surfaces but have the significant advantage that the motion can be
influenced by the contact to other bodies, or prescribed with six full degrees-of-freedom.

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*SET
A concept of grouping nodes, elements, materials, etc., in sets is employed throughout the
LS-DYNA3D input deck. Sets of data entities can be used for output. So-called slave nodes used in
contact definitions, slaves segment sets, master segment sets, pressure segment sets and so on can
also be defined. The keyword, *SET, can be defined in two ways:

1. Option _LIST requires a list of entities, eight entities per card, and define as many cards as
needed to define all the entities.

2. Option _COLUMN, where applicable, requires an input of one entity per line along with up to
four attribute values which are needed to specify, for example, failure criterion input that is
needed for *CONTACT_CONSTRAINT_NODES_TO_SURFACE .

*TITLE
In this section a title for the analysis is defined.

*USER_INTERFACE
This section provides a method to provide user control of some aspects of the contact algorithms
including friction coefficients via user defined subroutines.

RESTART
This section of the input is intended to allow the user to restart the simulation by providing a restart
file and optionally a restart input defining changes to the model such as deleting contacts, materials,
elements, switching materials from rigid to deformable, deformable to rigid ,etc.

*RIGID_TO_DEFORMABLE
This section switches rigid parts back to deformable in a restart to continue the event of a vehicle
impacting the ground which may have been modeled with a rigid wall.

*STRESS_INITIALIZATION
This is an option available for restart runs. In some cases there may be a need for the user to add
contacts, elements, etc., which are not available options for standard restart runs. A full input
containing the additions is needed if this option is invoked upon restart.

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SUMMARY OF COMMONLY USED OPTIONS

The following table gives a list of the commonly used keywords related by topic.

Table I.1. Keywords for the most commonly used options.

Topic Component Keyword

Geometry Nodes *NODE
Elements *ELEMENT_BEAM
*ELEMENT_SHELL
*ELEMENT_SOLID
*ELEMENT_TSHELL
Discrete Elements *ELEMENT_DISCRETE
*ELEMENT_MASS
*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_Option
Materials Part (which is *PART
composed of
Material and
Section, equation
of state and
hourglass data)
Material *MAT_Option
Sections *SECTION_BEAM
*SECTION_SHELL
*SECTION_SOLID
*SECTION_TSHELL
Discrete sections *SECTION_DISCRETE
*SECTION_SEATBELT
Equation of state *EOS_Option
Hourglass *CONTROL_HOURGLASS
*HOURGLASS
Contacts and Defaults for contacts *CONTROL_CONTACT
Rigidwalls Definition of contacts *CONTACT_Option
Definition of rigidwalls *RIGIDWALL_Option

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Table I.1. (continued) Keywords for the most commonly used options.

Topic Component Keyword

Boundary Restraints *NODE
Conditions & *BOUNDARY_SPC_Option
Loadings Gravity (body) load *LOAD_BODY_Option
Point load *LOAD_NODE_Option
Pressure load *LOAD_SEGMENT_Option
*LOAD_SHELL_Option
Thermal load *LOAD_THERMAL_Option
Load curves *DEFINE_CURVE
Constraints Constrained nodes *CONSTRAINED_NODE_SET
and spot Welds *CONSTRAINED_GENERALIZED_WELD_
welds Option
*CONSTRAINED_SPOT_WELD
Rivet *CONSTRAINED_RIVET
Output Defaults *CONTROL_OUTPUT
Control ASCII time history files *DATABASE_Option
Binary plot, time history and *DATABASE_BINARY_Option
restart files
Items in time history blocks *DATABASE_HISTORY_Option
Nodes for nodal reaction *DATABASE_NODAL_FORCE_GROUP
output
Termination Termination time *CONTROL_TERMINATION
Termination cycle *CONTROL_TERMINATION
CPU termination *CONTROL_CPU
Degree of freedom *TERMINATION_NODE

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MATERIAL MODELS
Some of the material models presently implemented are:

• elastic,
• orthotropic elastic,
• kinematic/isotropic plasticity [Krieg and Key 1976],
• thermoelastoplastic [Hallquist 1979],
• soil and crushable/non-crushable foam [Key 1974],
• linear viscoelastic [Key 1974],
• Blatz-Ko rubber [Key 1974],
• high explosive burn,
• hydrodynamic without deviatoric stresses,
• elastoplastic hydrodynamic,
• temperature dependent elastoplastic [Steinberg and Guinan 1978],
• isotropic elastoplastic,
• isotropic elastoplastic with failure,
• soil and crushable foam with failure,
• Johnson/Cook plasticity model [Johnson and Cook 1983],
• pseudo TENSOR geological model [Sackett 1987],
• elastoplastic with fracture,
• power law isotropic plasticity,
• strain rate dependent plasticity,
• rigid,
• thermal orthotropic,
• composite damage model [Chang and Chang 1987a 1987b],
• thermal orthotropic with 12 curves,
• piecewise linear isotropic plasticity,
• inviscid, two invariant geologic cap [Sandler and Rubin 1979, Simo et al, 1988a
1988b],
• orthotropic crushable model,
• Mooney-Rivlin rubber,
• resultant plasticity,
• force limited resultant formulation,
• closed form update shell plasticity,
• Frazer-Nash rubber model,
• laminated glass model,
• fabric,
• unified creep plasticity,
• temperature and rate dependent plasticity,
• elastic with viscosity,
• anisotropic plasticity,
• user defined,
• crushable cellular foams (Neilsen, Morgan, and Krieg 1987),
• urethane foam model with hystersis,

and some more foam and rubber models, as well as many materials models for springs and dampers.
The hydrodynamic material models determine only the deviatoric stresses. Pressure is determined by
one of ten equations of state including:

• linear polynomial [Woodruff 1973],

• JWL high explosive [Dobratz 1981],
• Sack “Tuesday” high explosive [Woodruff 1973],

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• Gruneisen [Woodruff 1973],
• ratio of polynomials [Woodruff 1973],
• linear polynomial with energy deposition,
• ignition and growth of reaction in HE [Lee and Tarver 1980, Cochran and Chan 1979],
• tabulated compaction,
• tabulated,
• TENSOR pore collapse [Burton et. al. 1982].

The ignition and growth EOS was adapted from KOVEC [Woodruff 1973]; the other
subroutines, programmed by the authors, are based in part on the cited references and are nearly 100
percent vectorized. The forms of the first five equations of state are also given in the KOVEC user’s
manual and are retained in this manual. The high explosive programmed burn model is described by
Giroux [Simo et al. 1988].
The orthotropic elastic and the rubber material subroutines use Green-St. Venant strains to
compute second Piola-Kirchhoff stresses, which transform to Cauchy stresses. The Jaumann stress
rate formulation is used with all other materials with the exception of one plasticity model which uses
the Green-Naghdi rate.

SPATIAL DISCRETIZATION
The elements shown in Figure I.2 are presently available. Currently springs, dampers,
beams, membranes, shells, bricks, thick shells and seatbelt elements are included.
The first shell element in DYNA3D was that of Hughes and Liu [Hughes and Liu 1981a,
1981b, 1981c], implemented as described in [Hallquist et al. 1985, Hallquist and Benson 1986].
This element [designated as HL] was selected from among a substantial body of shell element
literature because the element formulation has several desirable qualities:

• It is incrementally objective (rigid body rotations do not generate strains), allowing for
the treatment of finite strains that occur in many practical applications;

• It is compatible with brick elements, because the element is based on a degenerated brick
element formulation. This compatibility allows many of the efficient and effective
techniques developed for the DYNA3D brick elements to be used with this shell element;

• It includes finite transverse shear strains;

• A through-the-thickness thinning option (see [Hughes and Carnoy 1981]) is also

available.

All shells in our current LS-DYNA code must satisfy these desirable traits to at least some extent to
be useful in metalforming and crash simulations.
The major disadvantage of the HL element turned out to be cost related and, for this reason,
within a year of its implementation we looked at the Belytschko-Tsay [BT] shell [Belytschko and
Tsay 1981 1983 1984] as a more cost effective, but possibly less accurate alternative. In the BT
shell the geometry of the shell is assumed to be perfectly flat, the local coordinate system originates at
the first node of the connectivity, and the co-rotational stress update does not use the costly Jaumann
stress rotation. With these and other simplifications, a very cost effective shell was derived which
today has become perhaps the most widely used shell elements in both metalforming and crash
applications. Results generated by the BT shell usually compare favorably with those of the more
costly HL shell. Triangular shell elements are implemented, based on work by Belytschko and co-
workers [Belytschko and Marchertas 1974, Bazeley et al. 1965, Belytschko et al. 1984], and are

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frequently used since collapsed quadrilateral shell elements tend to lock and give very bad results.
LS-DYNA automatically treats collapsed quadrilateral shell elements as C0 triangular elements
Since the Belytschko-Tsay element is based on a perfectly flat geometry, warpage is not
considered. Although this generally poses no major difficulties and provides for an efficient
element, incorrect results in the twisted beam problem and similar situations are obtained where the
nodal points of the elements used in the discretization are not coplanar. The Hughes-Liu shell
element considers non-planar geometries and gives good results on the twisted beam. The effect of
neglecting warpage in a typical application cannot be predicted beforehand and may lead to less than
accurate results, but the latter is only speculation and is difficult to verify in practice. Obviously, it
would be better to use shells that consider warpage if the added costs are reasonable and if this
unknown effect is eliminated. Another shell published by Belytschko, Wong, and Chiang
[Belytschko, Wong, and Chiang 1989, 1992] proposes inexpensive modifications to include the
warping stiffness in the Belytschko-Tsay shell. An improved transverse shear treatment also allows
the element to pass the Kirchhoff patch test. This element is now available in LS-DYNA. Also, two
fully integrated shell elements, based on the Hughes and Liu formulation, are available in
LS-DYNA, but are rather expensive. A much faster fully integrated element which is essentially a
fully integrated version of the Belytschko, Wong, and Chiang element, type 16, is a more recent
addition and is recommended if fully integrated elements are needed due to its cost effectiveness.
Three-dimensional plane stress constitutive subroutines are implemented for the shell
elements which iteratively update the stress tensor such that the stress component normal to the shell
midsurface is zero. An iterative update is necessary to accurately determine the normal strain
component which is necessary to predict thinning. One constitutive evaluation is made for each
integration point through the shell thickness.
Zero energy modes in the shell and solid elements are controlled by either an hourglass
viscosity or stiffness. Eight node thick shell elements are implemented and have been found to
perform well in many applications. All elements are nearly 100% vectorized. All element classes
can be included as parts of a rigid body. The rigid body formulation is documented in [Benson and
Hallquist 1986]. Rigid body point nodes, as well as concentrated masses, springs and dashpots can
be added to this rigid body.
Membrane elements can be either defined directly as shell elements with a membrane
formulation option or as shell elements with only one point for through thickness integration. The
latter choice includes transverse shear stiffness and may be inappropriate. For airbag material a
special fully integrated three and four node membrane element is available.
Two different beam types are available: a stress resultant beam and a beam with cross section
integration at one point along the axis. The cross section integration allows for a more general
definition of arbitrarily shaped cross sections taking into account material nonlinearities.
Spring and damper elements can be translational or rotational. Many behavior options can be
defined, e.g., arbitrary nonlinear behavior including locking and separation.
Solid elements in LS-DYNA may be defined using from 4 to 8 nodes. The standard elements
are based on linear shape functions and use one point integration and hourglass control. A selective-
reduced integrated (called fully integrated) 8 node solid element is available for situations when the
hourglass control fails. Also, two additional solid elements, a 4 noded tetrahedron and an 8 noded
hexahedron, with nodal rotational degrees of freedom, are implemented based on the idea of Allman
[1984] to replace the nodal midside translational degrees of freedom of the elements with quadratic
shape functions by corresponding nodal rotations at the corner nodes. The latter elements, which do
not need hourglass control, require many numerical operations compared to the hourglass controlled
elements and should be used at places where the hourglass elements fail. However, it is well known
that the elements using more than one point integration are more sensitive to large distortions than
one point integrated elements.
The thick shell element is a shell element with only nodal translations for the eight nodes.
The assumptions of shell theory are included in a non-standard fashion. It also uses hourglass
control or selective-reduced integration. This element can be used in place of any four node shell
element. It is favorably used for shell-brick transitions, as no additional constraint conditions are

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necessary. However, care has to be taken to know in which direction the shell assumptions are
made; therefore, the numbering of the element is important.
Seatbelt elements can be separately defined to model seatbelt actions combined with dummy
models. Separate definitions of seatbelts, which are one-dimensional elements, with accelerometers,
sensors, pretensioners, retractors, and sliprings are possible. The actions of the various seatbelt
definitions can also be arbitrarily combined.

shells

solids

trusses

beams

springs lumped masses

dampers

Figure I.2. Elements in LS-DYNA.

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CONTACT-IMPACT INTERFACES
The three-dimensional contact-impact algorithm was originally an extension of the NIKE2D
[Hallquist 1979] two-dimensional algorithm. As currently implemented, one surface of the interface
is identified as a master surface and the other as a slave. Each surface is defined by a set of three or
four node quadrilateral segments, called master and slave segments, on which the nodes of the slave
and master surfaces, respectively, must slide. In general, an input for the contact-impact algorithm
requires that a list of master and slave segments be defined. For the single surface algorithm only the
slave surface is defined and each node in the surface is checked each time step to ensure that it does
not penetrate through the surface. Internal logic [Hallquist 1977, Hallquist et al. 1985] identifies a
master segment for each slave node and a slave segment for each master node and updates this
information every time step as the slave and master nodes slide along their respective surfaces. It
must be noted that for general automatic definitions only parts/materials or three-dimensional boxes
have to be given. Then the possible contacting outer surfaces are identified by the internal logic in
LS-DYNA. More than 20 types of interfaces can presently be defined including:

sliding only for fluid/structure or gas/structure interfaces,

tied,
sliding, impact, friction,
single surface contact,
discrete nodes impacting surface,
discrete nodes tied to surface,
shell edge tied to shell surface,
nodes spot welded to surface,
tiebreak interface,
one way treatment of sliding, impact, friction,
box/material limited automatic contact for shells,
automatic contact for shells (no additional input required),
automatic single surface with beams and arbitrary orientations,
surface to surface eroding contact,
node to surface eroding contact,
single surface eroding contact,
surface to surface symmetric constraint method [Taylor and Flanagan 1989],
node to surface constraint method [Taylor and Flanagan 1989],
rigid body to rigid body contact with arbitrary force/deflection curve,
rigid nodes to rigid body contact with arbitrary force/deflection curve,
edge-to-edge,
draw beads.

Interface friction can be used with most interface types. The tied and sliding only interface
options are similar to the two-dimensional algorithm used in LS-DYNA2D [Hallquist 1976, 1978,
1980]. Unlike the general option, the tied treatments are not symmetric; therefore, the surface which
is more coarsely zoned should be chosen as the master surface. When using the one-way slide
surface with rigid materials, the rigid material should be chosen as the master surface.
For geometric contact entities, contact has to be separately defined. It must be noted that for
the contact of a rigid body with a flexible body, either the sliding interface definitions as explained
above or the geometric contact entity contact can be used. Currently, the geometric contact entity
definition is recommended for metalforming problems due to high accuracy and computational
efficiency.

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INTERFACE DEFINITIONS FOR COMPONENT ANALYSIS
Interface definitions for component analyses are used to define surfaces, nodal lines, or nodal
points (*INTERFACE_COMPONENTS) for which the displacement and velocity time histories are
saved at some user specified frequency (*CONTROL_OUTPUT). This data may then used to drive
interfaces (*INTERFACE _LINKING) in subsequent analyses. This capability is especially useful
for studying the detailed response of a small member in a large structure. For the first analysis, the
member of interest need only be discretized sufficiently that the displacements and velocities on its
boundaries are reasonably accurate. After the first analysis is completed, the member can be finely
discretized and interfaces defined to correspond with the first analysis. Finally, the second analysis
is performed to obtain highly detailed information in the local region of interest.
When starting the analysis, specify a name for the interface segment file using the
Z = parameter on the LS-DYNA command line. When starting the second analysis, the name of the
interface segment file (created in the first run) should be specified using the L = parameter on the
LS-DYNA command line.
Following the above procedure, multiple levels of sub-modeling are easily accommodated.
The interface file may contain a multitude of interface definitions so that a single run of a full model
can provide enough interface data for many component analyses. The interface feature represents a
powerful extension of LS-DYNA’s analysis capability.

CAPACITY
Storage allocation is dynamic. The only limit that exists on the number of boundary
condition cards, number of material cards, number of pressure cards, etc., is the capacity of the
computer. Typical LS-DYNA calculations may have 10,000 to 500,000 elements. Memory
allocation is dynamic and can be controlled during execution.

SENSE SWITCH CONTROLS

The status of an in-progress LS-DYNA simulation can be determined by using the sense
switch. On UNIX versions, this is accomplished by first typing a “^C” (Control-C). This sends an
interrupt to LS-DYNA which is trapped and the user is prompted to input the sense switch code. LS-
DYNA has nine terminal sense switch controls that are tabulated below:

Type Response
SW1. A restart file is written and LS-DYNA terminates.
SW2. LS-DYNA responds with time and cycle numbers.
SW3. A restart file is written and LS-DYNA continues.
SW4. A plot state is written and LS-DYNA continues.
SW5. Enter interactive graphics phase and real time visualization.
SW7. Turn off real time visualization.
SW8. Interactive 2D rezoner for solid elements and real time visualization.
SW9. Turn off real time visualization (for option SW8).
SWA. Flush ASCII file buffers.

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Type Response (Implicit Mode Only)
lprint Enable/Disable printing of linear equation solver memory, cpu summary.
nlprint Enable/Disable printing of nonlinear equilibrium iteration information.
iter Enable/Disable output of binary plot database "d3iter" showing mesh after
each equilibrium iteration. Useful for debugging convergence problems.
conv Temporarily override nonlinear convergence tolerances.
stop Halt execution immediately, closing open files.

On UNIX systems the sense switches can still be used if the job is running in the background or in
batch mode. To interrupt LS-DYNA simply create a file call D3KIL containing the desired sense
switch, e.g., "sw1." LS-DYNA periodically looks for this file and if found, the sense switch
contained therein is invoked and the D3KIL file is deleted. A null D3KIL file is equivalent to a
"sw1."
When LS-DYNA terminates, all scratch files are destroyed: the restart file, plot files, and
high-speed printer files remain on disk. Of these, only the restart file is needed to continue the
interrupted analysis.

PRECISION
The explicit time integration algorithms used in LS-DYNA are in general much less sensitive
to machine precision than other finite element solution methods. Consequently, double precision is
not used. The benefits of this are greatly improved utilization of memory and disk. When problems
have been found we have usually been able to overcome them by reorganizing the algorithm or by
converting to double precision locally in the subroutine where the problem occurs. A few of the
known problems include: (32-bit computers only!):

• Round-off errors can cause difficulties with extremely small deflection problems.
(Maximum vibration amplitudes are <10-6 times nodal coordinates).
Workaround: Increase the load.
• Buckling problems, which are very sensitive to small imperfections.
However, the users of LS-DYNA have to be aware of potential problems.
A major reorganization of LS-DYNA has led to a version using double precision throughout
the full program. As memory and disk space of the computers is less of a problem, we prefer to
provide this version for all machines. It also allows LS-DYNA to take advantage of the 64-bit
technology offered by some computer manufacturers.

EXECUTION SYNTAX
The interactive execution line for LS-DYNA is as follows:

LS-DYNA I=inf O=otf G=ptf D=dpf F=thf U=xtf T=tpf A=rrd M=sif J=jif S=iff Z=isf1
L = isf2 B = rlf W = root E =efl X = scl C = cpu K = kill V = vda Y = c3d {KEYWORD}
{THERMAL} {COUPLE} {INIT} M E M O R Y =nwds N C P U = ncpu P A R A = p a r a
ENDTIME=time NCYLCE=ncycle

where
inf = input file (user specified)
otf = high speed printer file (default=D3HSP)
ptf = binary plot file for graphics (default=D3PLOT)

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dpf = dump file for restarting (default=D3DUMP). This file is written at the end of every
run and during the run as requested in the input. To stop the generation of this file set
the file name to NODUMP.
thf = binary plot file for time histories of selected data (default=D3THDT)
xtf = binary plot file for time extra data (default-XTFILE)
tpf = optional temperature file (TOPAZ3D plotfile)
rrd = running restart dump file (default=RUNRSF)
s i f = stress initialization file (user specified)
jif = optional JOY interface file
i f f = interface force file (user specified)
i s f 1 = interface segment save file to be created (user specified)
i s f 2 = existing interface segment save file to be used (user specified)
rlf = binary plot file for dynamic relaxation (default=D3DRFL)
efl = echo file containing optional input echo with or without node/element data
root = root file name for general print option
s c l = scale factor for binary file sizes (default=7)
cpu = cpu limit in seconds, applies to total calculation not just cpu from a restart
kill = if LS-DYNA encounters this file name it will terminate with a restart file
(default=D3KIL)
vda = VDA/IGES database for geometrical surfaces
c3d = CAL3D input file
nwds = Number of words to be allocated. On engineering workstations a word is usually
32bits. This number is ignored if memory is specified on the
*KEYWORD card at the beginning of the input deck.
ncpu = Overrides NCPU and CONST defined in *CONTROL_PARALLEL. A positive
value sets CONST=2 and a negative values sets CONST=1. See
*CONTROL_PARALLEL for an explanation of these parameters.
npara = Overrides PARA defined in *CONTROL_PARALLEL.
time = Overrides ENDTIM defined in *CONTROL_TERMINATION.
ncycle = Overrides ENDCYC defined in *CONTROL_TERMINATION.

In order to avoid undesirable or confusing results, each LS-DYNA run should be performed
in a separate directory. If rerunning a job in the same directory, old files should first be removed or
renamed to avoid confusion since the possibility exists that the binary database may contain results
from both the old and new run.
By including KEYWORD anywhere on the execute line or instead if *KEYWORD is the
first card in the input file, the keyword formats are expected; otherwise, the older structured input file
will be expected.
To run a coupled thermal analysis the command COUPLE must be in the execute line. A
thermal only analysis may be run by including the word THERMAL in the execution line.
The INIT (or sw1. can be used instead) command on the execution line causes the
calculation to run just one cycle followed by termination with a full restart file. No editing of the
input deck is required. The calculation can then be restarted with or without any additional input.
Sometimes this option can be used to reduce the memory on restart if the required memory is given
on the execution line and is specified too large in the beginning when the amount of required memory
is unknown. Generally, this option would be used at the beginning of a new calculation.
If the word MEMORY is found anywhere on the execution line and if it is not set via
(=nwds) LS-DYNA3D will give the default size of memory, request, and then read in the desired
memory size. This option is necessary if the default value is insufficient memory and termination
occurs as a result. Occasionally, the default value is too large for execution and this option can be
used to lower the default size. Memory can also be specified on the *KEYWORD card.

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File Organization
input stress restart interface vda geometry
initialization segment
I= M= R= 1L=
= V=

CAL3D TOPAZ3D
input file
Y= T=

LS-DYNA

printer file graphics restart

dump
O = d3hsp G=d3plot D = d3dump

messag running restart

time histories dump
A = runrsf
f = d3thdt

input echo interface

interface force segment save
E= Z=
S=

ASCII dynamic
Database relaxation
B = d3drfl

Figure I.3

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File names must be unique. The interface force file is created only if it is specified on the
execution line (S=iff). On large problems the default file sizes may not be large enough for a single
file to hold either a restart dump or a plot state. Then the file size may be increased by specifying the
file size on the execute line using X=scl. The default file size holds seven times one-million octal
word (262144) or 1835008 words. If the core required by LS-DYNA requires more space, it is
recommended that the scl be increased appropriately. Using C=cpu defines the maximum cpu
usage allowed that if exceeded will cause LS-DYNA to terminate with a restart file. During a restart,
cpu should be set to the total cpu used up to the current restart plus whatever amount of additional
time is wanted.
When restarting from a dump file, the execution line becomes

LS-DYNA I=inf O=otf G=ptf D=dpf R=rtf F=thf U=xtf T=tpf A=rrd J=jif S=iff Z=isf1
L = isf2 B = rlf W = root E =efl X = scl C = cpu K = kill Q = option K E Y W O R D
MEMORY=nwds

where

rtf = restart filename.

Restarting adaptive runs requires that the following parameter be specified on the command line:
LS-DYNA R=adapt.dump01 ...........
The adaptive dump files contain all information required to successfully restart so that no other files
are needed except when CAD surface data is used. When restarting a problem that uses VDA/IGES
surface data, the vda input file must be specified:
LS-DYNA R=adapt.dump01 V=vda ...........
If the data from the last run is to be remapped onto a new mesh, then specify: Q=remap. The
remap file is the dump file from which the remapping data are taken. The remap option is available
for brick elements only. File name dropouts are permitted; for example, the following execution
lines are acceptable.

LS-DYNA I=inf
LS-DYNA R=rtf

Default names for the output file, binary plot files, and the dump file are D3HSP, D3PLOT,
D3THDT, and D3DUMP, respectively.
For an analysis using interface segments the execution line in the first analysis is given by:

LS-DYNA I=inf Z=isf1

and in the second by:
LS-DYNA I=inf L=isf1
Batch execution in some installations (e.g., GM) is controlled by file NAMES on unit 88.
NAMES is a 2 line file in which the second line is blank. The first line of NAMES contains the
execution line:
I=inf

if this is the initial run. For a restart the execution line becomes:

I=inf R=rtf

Remark: No stress initialization is possible at restart. Also the VDA files and the CAL3D files
cannot be changed.

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RESTART ANALYSIS
The LS-DYNA restart capability allows analyses to be broken down into stages. After the
completion of each stage in the calculation a “restart dump” is written that contains all information
necessary to continue the analysis. The size of this “dump” file is roughly the same size as the
memory required for the calculation. Results can be checked at each stage by post-processing the
output databases in the normal way, so the chance of wasting computer time on incorrect analyses is
reduced. The restart capability is frequently used to modify models by deleting excessively distorted
elements, materials that are no longer important, and contact surfaces that are no longer needed.
Output frequencies of the various databases can also be altered. Often, these simple modifications
permit the calculation to continue on to a successful completion. Restarting can also help to diagnose
why a model is giving problems. By restarting from a dump that is written before the occurrence of
a numerical problem and obtaining output at more frequent intervals, it is often possible to identify
where the first symptoms appear and what aspect of the model is causing them.
The format of the restart input file is described in this manual. If, for example, the user
wishes to restart the analysis from dump state nn, contained in file D3DUMPnn, then the following
procedure is followed:

1. Create the restart input deck, if required, as described in the Restart Section of this
manual. Call this file restartinput.

2. By invoking the execution line:

LS-DYNA I=restartinput R=D3DUMPnn

execution begins. If no alterations to the model are made, then the execution line:

LS-DYNA R=D3DUMPnn

will suffice. Of course, the other output files should be assigned names if the defaults
have been changed in the original run.

The R=D3DUMPnn on the status line informs the program that this is a restart analysis.
The full deck restart option allows the user to begin a new analysis, with deformed shapes
and stresses carried forward from a previous analysis for selected materials. The new analysis can
be different from the original, e.g., more contact surfaces, different geometry (of parts which are not
carried forward), etc. Examples of applications include:

• Crash analysis continued with extra contact surfaces;

• Sheet metalforming continued with different tools for modeling a multi-stage forming
process.

Assume an analysis is run using the input file, job1.inf, and a restart dump named d3dump01
is created. A new input file job2.inf is generated and submitted as a restart with R=d3dump01 as the
dump file. The input file job2.inf contains the entire model in its original undeformed state but with
more contact surfaces, new output databases, and so on. Since this is a restart job, information must
be given to tell LS-DYNA which parts of the model should be initialized in the full deck restart.
When the calculation begins the restart database contained in the file d3dump01 is read, and a new
database is created to initialize the model in the input file, job2.inf. The data in file job2.inf is read
and the LS-DYNA proceeds through the entire input deck and initialization. At the end of the
initialization process, all the parts selected are initialized from the data saved from d3dump01. This
means that the deformed position and velocities of the nodes on the elements of each part, and the

LS-DYNA Version 960 I.31 (INTRODUCTION)

INTRODUCTION
stresses and strains in the elements (and, if the material of the part is rigid, the rigid body properties)
will be assigned.
It is assumed during this process that any initialized part has the same elements, in the same
order, with the same topology, in job1 and job2. If this is not the case, the parts cannot be
initialized. However, the parts may have different identifying numbers.
For discrete elements and seat belts, the choice is all or nothing. All discrete and belt
elements, retractors, sliprings, pretensioners and sensors must exist in both files and will be
initialized.
Materials which are not initialized will have no initial deformations or stresses. However, if
initialized and non-initialized materials have nodes in common, the nodes will be moved by the
initialized material causing a sudden strain in the non-initialized material. This effect could give rise
to sudden spikes in loading.
Points to note are:

• Time and output intervals are continuous with job1, i.e., the time is not reset to zero.

• Don’t try to use the restart part of the input to change anything since this will be
overwritten by the new input file.

• Usually, the complete input file part of job2.in1 will be copied from job1.inf, with the
required alterations. We again mention that there is no need to update the nodal
coordinates since the deformed shapes of the initialized materials will be carried forward
from job1.

• Completely new databases will be generated with the time offset.

VDA/IGES DATABASES
VDA surfaces are surfaces of geometric entities which are given in the form of polynomials.
The format of these surfaces is as defined by the German automobile and supplier industry in the
VDA guidelines, [VDA, 1987].
The advantage of using VDA surfaces is twofold. First, the problem of meshing the surface
of the geometric entities is avoided and, second, smooth surfaces can be achieved which are very
important in metalforming. With smooth surfaces, artificial friction introduced by standard faceted
meshes with corners and edges can be avoided. This is a big advantage in springback calculations.
A very simple and general handling of VDA surfaces is possible allowing arbitrary motion
and generation of surfaces. For a detailed description, see Appendix I.

MESH GENERATION
LS-DYNA is designed to operate with a variety of commercial pre-processing packages.
Currently, direct support is available from TRUEGRID1, PATRAN, FEMB, HYPERMESH, and
MEDINA. Several third-party translation programs are available for PATRAN and IDEAS.
Alternately, the pre-processor LS-INGRID [LSTC Report 1019] is available from LSTC and
is specialized to LS-DYNA. Some of the capabilities available in LS-INGRID are:
Complete support for all control parameters, loads and material types,

1 TRUEGRID is a trademark of XYZ Scientific Applications, Inc., PATRAN is a trademark of PDA Engineering,
HYPERMESH is a trademark of Altair Engineering, FEMB is a trademark of Engineering Technology Associates,
IDEAS is a trademark of Structural Dynamics Research Corporation.
I.32 (INTRODUCTION) LS-DYNA Version 960
 INTRODUCTION
Mass property calculations,
Importing models from other sources (TRUEGRID, PATRAN, IDEAS, IGES and
NASTRAN formats),
Interactive viewing and graphical inspection of boundary conditions, etc.,
Model editing,
General purpose mesh generation,
Importing LS-DYNA and DYNA3D models in a variety of older formats,
Complex surface treatment including NURB surfaces,
Parametric modeling.

Capabilities specialized to automotive applications:

Airbag folding and inspection,

Occupant positioning,
Seat belt positioning (both beam and shells),
Merging of occupants, airbags and belts with car models.

LS-POST
LS-POST processes output from LS-DYNA. LS-POST reads the binary plot-files generated
by LS-DYNA and plots contours, fringes, time histories, and deformed shapes. Color contours and
fringes of a large number of quantities may be interactively plotted on meshes consisting of plate,
shell, and solid type elements. LS-POST can compute a variety of strain measures, reaction forces
along constrained boundaries, and momenta. LS-POST is operational on the CRAY, SUN, DEC,
IBM RS6000, SGI, HP and PC computers.

LS-DYNA generates three binary databases. One contains information for complete states at
infrequent intervals; 50 to 100 states of this sort is typical in a LS-DYNA calculation. The second
contains information for a subset of nodes and elements at frequent intervals; 1000 to 10,000 states is
typical. The third contains interface data for contact surfaces.

Because of the difficulty in handling one large file, an alternative method for obtaining printed
output is also available. Many ASCII databases are created at the user’s option containing such
information as cross-sectional forces, rigidwall forces, nodal point data, element integration point
data, global data like total internal and kinetic energy, material energies, nodal interface forces,
resultant interface forces, single point constraint forces, as well as files that are compatible with
MOVIE.BYU and the Cray Research developed post-processor, MPGS. A SMUG animator
database and a NASTRAN BDF file is written for users at General Motors. Each ASCII database is
written at its own unique output interval defined in the user input.

LS-DYNA Version 960 I.33 (INTRODUCTION)

INTRODUCTION

File Organization

plot file ASCII command

Experimental
file
G= Database Data
C=

LS-POST
LS-TAURUS

save file for PostScript

commands hspbull plot
S = tsave

HPGL
plot

video output
HP Laserjet
PAL/NTSC
pcl plot

Figure I.4

I.34 (INTRODUCTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 INTRODUCTION
EXECUTION SPEEDS
The relative execution speeds for various elements in LS-DYNA are tabulated below:

Element Type Relative Cost

8 node solid with 1 point integration and default 4
hourglass control
as above but with Flanagan-Belytschko hourglass 5
control
constant stress and Flanagan-Belytschko hourglass 7
control, i.e., the Flanagan-Belytschko element
4 node Belytschko-Tsay shell with four thickness 4
integration points
4 node Belytschko-Tsay shell with resultant plasticity 3
BCIZ triangular shell with four thickness integration points 7
Co triangular shell with four thickness integration points 4
2 node Hughes-Liu beam with four integration points 9
2 node Belytschko-Schwer beam 2
2 node simple truss elements 1
8 node solid-shell with four thickness integration points 11

These relative timings are very approximate. Each interface node of the sliding interfaces is roughly
equivalent to one-half zone cycle in cost. Figure I.5 illustrates the relative cost of the various shell
formulations in LS-DYNA3D.

30
2 0.01

20
Pe r f o rma n ce

8 .8 4

10
2.80
2 .45
1 .4 9
1 .2 5

1 .2 8
1 .0 7
1

0
BT BTW BL BWC CHL HL FBT CFHL FHL
Element Type Fully int egrated elements

Figure I.5. Relative cost of the four noded shells available in LS-DYNA where BT is the
Belytschko-Tsay shell, BTW is the Belytschko-Tsay shell with the warping stiffness
taken from the Belytschko-Wong-Chiang, BWC, shell. The BL shell is the
Belytschko-Leviathan shell. CHL denotes the Hughes-Liu shell, HL, with one point
quadrature and a co-rotational formulation. FBT is a Belytschko-Tsay like shell with
full integration, FHL is the fully integrated Hughes-Liu shell, and the CFHL shell is its
co-rotational version.

LS-DYNA Version 960 I.35 (INTRODUCTION)

INTRODUCTION
UNITS
The units in LS-DYNA must be consistent. One way of testing whether a set of units is
consistent is to check that:

1 (force unit) = 1 (mass unit) x 1 (acceleration unit)

1 (length unit)
and that 1 (acceleration unit) =
[1 (time unit )]
2

Examples of sets of consistent units are:

(a) (b) (c)

Length unit meter millimeter millimeter
Time unit second second millisecond
Mass unit kilogram tonne kilogram
Force unit Newton Newton kiloNewton
Young’s Modulus of Steel 210.0E+09 210.0E+03 210.0
Density of Steel 7.85E+03 7.85E–09 7.85E–06
Yield stress of Mild Steel 200.0E+06 200.0 0.200
Acceleration due to gravity 9.81 9.81E+03 9.81E-03
Velocity equivalent to 30 mph 13.4 13.4E+03 13.4

GENERAL CARD FORMAT

The following sections specify for each keyword the cards that have to be defined. Each card
is defined in its rigid format form and is shown as a number of fields in an 80 character string.
Most cards are 8 fields with a length of 10 and a sample card is shown below.

Card Format
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID PSID A1 A2 A3 VEZ

Type I I F F F I

Default none none 1.0 1.0 0 1

Remarks 1 2 3

The type is the variable type and is either F, for floating point or I, for an integer. The default gives
the value set if zero is specified, the field is left blank or the card is not defined. The remarks refer to
comments at the end of the section. The card format is given above the card if it is other than eight
fields of 10. Free formats may be used with the data separated by commas. When using comma
format, the number of characters used to specify a number must not exceed the number which would
fit into the equivalent rigid format field. An I8 number is limited to a number of 99999999 and larger
numbers with more than eight characters are unacceptable. Rigid and free formats can be mixed
throughout the deck but not within a card.

I.36 (INTRODUCTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG

*AIRBAG
Purpose: Define an airbag or control volume.
The keyword *AIRBAG provides a way of defining thermodynamic behavior of the gas flow
into the airbag as well as a reference configuration for the fully inflated bag. The keyword control
cards in this section are defined in alphabetical order:

*AIRBAG_OPTION1_{OPTION2}_{OPTION3}_<OPTIONAL NUMERIC ID>

*AIRBAG_INTERACTION
*AIRBAG_REFERENCE_GEOMETRY_OPTION_OPTION

*AIRBAG_OPTION1_{OPTION2}

OPTION1 specifies one of the following thermodynamic relationships:

SIMPLE_PRESSURE_VOLUME
SIMPLE_AIRBAG_MODEL
ADIABATIC_GAS_MODEL
WANG_NEFSKE
WANG_NEFSKE_JETTING
WANG_NEFSKE_MULTIPLE_JETTING
LOAD_CURVE
LINEAR_FLUID
HYBRID
HYBRID_JETTING
HYBRID_CHEMKIN

OPTION2 specifies that an additional line of data is read for the WANG_NEFSKE type
thermodynamic relationships. The additional data controls the initiation of exit flow from the airbag.
OPTION2 takes the single option:

POP

OPTION3 specifies that a constant momentum formulation is used to calculate the jetting load on the
airbag an additional line of data is read in: OPTION3 takes the single option:

CM

The OPTIONAL_NUMERIC_ID is a unique number used only for identification of the airbag in the
definition of airbag interaction via *AIRBAG_INTERACTION. The numeric ID is not used for any
other purpose. To define an airbag using the Wang Nefske thermodynamic relationship with an ID
of 25 the keyword is *AIRBAG_WANG_NEFSKE_25. For more information on these models the
papers by Wang [1988, 1995] and Nusholtz [1991, 1996] are recommended.

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.1 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SID SIDTYP RBID VSCA PSCA VINI MWD SPSF

Type I I I F F F F F

Default none 0 0 1. 1. 0. 0. 0.

Remarks optional

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID Set ID

SIDTYP Set type:

EQ.0: segment,
NE.0: part IDs.

RBID Rigid body part ID for user defined activation subroutine:

EQ.-RBID: Sensor subroutine flags initiates the inflator. Load curves
are offset by initiation time,
EQ.0: the control volume is active from time zero,
EQ. RBID: User sensor subroutine flags the start of the inflation.
Load curves are offset by initiation time. See Appendix B.

VSCA Volume scale factor, Vsca (default=1.0)

PSCA Pressure scale factor, Psca (default=1.0)

VINI Initial filled volume, Vini

MWD Mass weighted damping factor, D

SPSF Stagnation pressure scale factor, 0 <= γ <= 1

Remarks:

The first card is necessary for all airbag options. The sequence for the following cards which
is different for each option is explained on the next pages.

Lumped parameter control volumes are a mechanism for determining volumes of closed
surfaces and applying a pressure based on some thermodynamic relationships. The volume is
specified by a list of polygons similar to the pressure boundary condition cards or by specifying a

1.2 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
material subset which represents shell elements which form the closed boundary. All polygon
normals must be oriented to face outwards from the control volume. If holes are detected, they are
assumed to be covered by planar surfaces.

Vsca and Psca allow for unit system changes from the inflator to the finite element model.
There are two sets of volume and pressure used for each control volume. First, the finite element
model computes a volume (Vfemodel) and applies a pressure ( Pfemodel ). The thermodynamics of a
control volume may be computed in a different unit system; thus, there is a separate volume
(Vcvolume) and pressure (Pcvolume) which are used for integrating the differential equations for the
control volume. The conversion is as follows:

Vcvolume = (VscaVfemodel ) − Vini

Pfe mod el = Psca Pcvolume

Damping can be applied to the structure enclosing a control volume by using a mass weighted
damping formula:

(
Fid = mi D vi − vcg )
where Fid is the damping force, mi is the nodal mass, vi is the velocity for a node, vcg is the mass
weighted average velocity of the structure enclosing the control volume, and D is the damping
factor.

An alternative, separate damping is based on the stagnation pressure concept. The stagnation
pressure is roughly the maximum pressure on a flat plate oriented normal to a steady state flow field.
The stagnation pressure is defined as p = γρV 2 where V is the normal velocity of the control volume
relative to the ambient velocity, ρ is the ambient air density, and γ is a factor which varies from 0 to
1 and has to be chosen by the user. Small values are recommended to avoid excessive damping.

Sensor Input to Activate Inflator

Define if and only if RBID nonzero.

Skip this input if RBID=0. If the rigid body ID is non-zero then define either the input for
the user defined sensor subroutine (A) or define the data for the default sensor (B).
The sensor is mounted on a rigid body which is attached to the structure. The motion of the
sensor is provided in the local coordinate system defined for the rigid body in the definition of the
rigid material, see *MAT_RIGID. This is important since the default local system is taken as the
principal axes of the inertia tensor. The local system rotates and translates with the rigid material.
When the user defined criterion is met for the deployment of the airbag, a flag is set and the
deployment begins. All load curves relating to the mass flow rate versus time are then shifted by the
initiation time.

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.3 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
A. Sensor Input for User Subroutine (RBID>0)
See Appendix B. A user supplied subroutine must be provided.

Define the following card sets which provide the input parameters for the user defined subroutine.
Up to 25 parameters may be used with each control volume.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable N

Type I

Default none

Card Format (Define up to 25 constants for the user subroutine. Input only the
number of cards necessary, i.e. for nine constants use 2 cards)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable C1 C2 C3 C4 C5

Type F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

N Number of input parameters (not to exceed 25)

C1,...CN Up to 25 constants for the user subroutine.

1.4 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG

B. LS-DYNA Sensor Input (RBID<0)

Define three cards which provide the input parameters for the built in sensor subroutine.

Acceleration/Velocity/Displacement Activation

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable AX AY AZ AMAG TDUR

Type F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DVX DVY DVZ DVMAG

Type F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable UX UY UZ UMAG

Type F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0.

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.5 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

AX Acceleration level in local x-direction to activate inflator. The absolute value

of the x-acceleration is used.
EQ.0: inactive.

AY Acceleration level in local y-direction to activate inflator. The absolute value

of the y-acceleration is used.
EQ.0: inactive.

AZ Acceleration level in local z-direction to activate inflator. The absolute value

of the z-acceleration is used.
EQ.0: inactive.

AMAG Acceleration magnitude required to activate inflator.

EQ.0: inactive.

TDUR Time duration acceleration must be exceeded before the inflator activates.
This is the cummulative time from the beginning of the calculation, i.e., it is
not continuous.

DVX Velocity change in local x-direction to activate the inflator. The absolute
value of the velocity change is used.
EQ.0: inactive.

DVY Velocity change in local y-direction to activate the inflator. The absolute
value of the velocity change is used.
EQ.0: inactive.

DVZ Velocity change in local z-direction to activate the inflator. The absolute
value of the velocity change is used.
EQ.0: inactive.

DVMAG Velocity change magnitude required to activate the inflator.

EQ.0: inactive.

UX Displacement increment in local x-direction to activate the inflator. The

absolute value of the x-displacement is used.
EQ.0: inactive.

UY Displacement increment in local y-direction to activate the inflator. The

absolute value of the y-displacement is used.
EQ.0: inactive.

UZ Displacement increment in local z-direction to activate the inflator. The

absolute value of the z-displacement is used.
EQ.0: inactive.

UMAG Displacement magnitude required to activate the inflator.

EQ.0: inactive.

1.6 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
Additional card required for SIMPLE_PRESSURE_VOLUME option

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CN BETA LCID LCIDDR

Type F F I I

Default none none none 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

CN Coefficient. Define if the load curve ID, LCID, is unspecified.

LT.0.0: |CN| is the load curve ID, which defines the coefficient as a
function of time.

BETA Scale factor, β. Define if a load curve ID is not specified.

LCID Optional load curve ID defining pressure versus relative volume.

LCIDDR Optional load curve ID defining the coefficient, CN, as a function of time
during the dynamic relaxation phase.

Remarks:

The relationship is the following:

CN
Pressure = β
Relative Volume

Current Volume
Relative Volume =
Initial Volume

The pressure is then a function of the ratio of current volume to the initial volume. The constant,
CN, is used to establish a relationship known from the literature. The scale factor β is simply used
to scale the given values. This simple model can be used when an initial pressure is given and no
leakage, no temperature, and no input mass flow is assumed. A typical application is the modeling
of air in automobile tires.

The load curve, LCIDDR, can be used to ramp up the pressure during the dynamic relaxation
phase in order to avoid oscillations after the desired gas pressure is reached. In the
DEFINE_CURVE section this load curve must be flagged for dynamic relaxation. After initialization
either the constant or load curve ID, |CN| is usedto determine the pressure.

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.7 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
Additional cards required for SIMPLE_AIRBAG_MODEL option

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CV CP T LCID MU A PE RO

Type F F F I F F F F

Default none none none none none none none none

Card 2

Variable LOU TEXT A B MW GASC

Type I F F F F F

Default 0 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

Remarks 0 optional optional optional optional optional

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION
CP Heat capacity at constant pressure

CV Heat capacity at constant volume

T Temperature of input gas

LCID Load curve ID specifying input mass flow rate. See *DEFINE_CURVE.

MU Shape factor for exit hole, µ:

LT.0.0: |µ| is the load curve number defining the shape factor as a
function of absolute pressure.

A Exit area, A:
GE.0.0: A is the exit area and is constant in time,
LT.0.0: |A| is the load curve number defining the exit area as a function
of absolute pressure.

PE Ambient pressure, pe

RO Ambient density, ρ

1.8 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LOU Optional load curve ID giving mass flow out versus gauge pressure in
bag. See *DEFINE_CURVE.

TEXT Ambient temperature. (Define if and only if CV=0.)

A First heat capacity coefficient of inflator gas (e.g., Joules/mole/oK).

(Define if and only if CV=0.)

B Second heat capacity coefficient of inflator gas, (e.g., Joules/mole/oK2).

(Define if and only if CV=0.)

MW Molecular weight of inflator gas (e.g., Kg/mole). (Define if and only if

CV=0.)

GASC Universal gas constant.of inflator gas (e.g., 8.314 Joules/mole/oK).

(Define if and only if CV=0.)

Remarks:

The gamma law equation of state used to determine the pressure in the airbag:

p = (γ − 1)ρ e

where p is the pressure, ρ is the density, e is the specific internal energy of the gas, and γ is the
ratio of the specific heats:
c
γ = p
cv

From conservation of mass, the time rate of change of mass flowing into the bag is given as:

dM dMin dMout
= −
dt dt dt
The inflow mass flow rate is given by the load curve ID, LCID. Leakage, the mass flow rate out of
the bag, can be modeled in two alternative ways. One is to give an exit area with the corresponding
shape factor, then the load curve ID, LOU, must be set to zero. The other is to define a mass flow
out by a load curve, then µ and A have to both be set to zero.

If CV=0. then the constant-pressure specific heat is given by:

(a + bT )
cp =
MW
and the constant-volume specific heat is then found from:

R
cv = c p −
MW

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.9 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
Additional card required for ADIABATIC_GAS_MODEL option

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PSF LCID GAMMA P0 PE RO

Type F I F F F F

Default 1.0 none none none none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PSF Pressure scale factor

LCID Optional load curve for preload flag. See *DEFINE_CURVE.

GAMMA Ratio of specific heats

P0 Initial pressure (gauge)

PE Ambient pressure

RO Initial density of gas

Remarks:

The optional load curve ID, LCID, defines a preload flag. During the preload phase the
function value of the load curve versus time is zero, and the pressure in the control volume is given
as:

p = PSF p0

When the first nonzero function value is encountered, the preload phase stops and the ideal gas
law applies for the rest of the analysis. If LCID is zero, no preload is performed.

The gamma law equation of state for the adiabatic expansion of an ideal gas is used to
determine the pressure after preload:

p = (γ − 1)ρ e

where p is the pressure, ρ is the density, e is the specific internal energy of the gas, and γ is the
ratio of the specific heats:

cp
γ =
cv

1.10 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
The pressure above is the absolute pressure, the resultant pressure acting on the control volume is:

ps = PSF ( p − pe )

where PSF is the pressure scale factor. Starting from the initial pressure p0 an initial internal energy
is calculated:

p0 + pe
e0 =
ρ(γ − 1)

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.11 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
Additional 4 cards are required for all WANG_NEFSKE models

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CV CP T LCT LCMT TVOL LCDT IABT

Type F F F I I F I F

Default none none 0. 0 none 0. 0. not used

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable C23 LCC23 A23 LCA23 CP23 LCCP23 AP23 LCAP23

Type F I F I F I F I

Default none 0 none 0 none 0 0.0 0

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PE RO GC LCEFR POVER PPOP OPT KNKDN

Type F F F I F F F I

Default none none none 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0

1.12 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG

If the inflator is modeled, L C M T =0, define, the following card. If not, define but
leave blank.

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IOC IOA IVOL IRO IT LCBF

Type F F F F F I

Default none none none none none none

Define the following card if and only if CV=0. This option allows temperature
dependent heat capacities to be defined. See below.

Card 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TEXT A B MW GASC

Type F F F F F

Default none none none none none

Define the following card if and only if the POP option is specified Use this option
to specify additional criteria for initiating exit flow from the airbag.

Card 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TDP AXP AYP AZP AMAGP TDURP TDA RBIDP

Type F F F F F F F I

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 none

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.13 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

CV Heat capacity at constant volume

CP Heat capacity at constant pressure

T Temperature of input gas. For temperature variations a load curve, LCT,

may be defined.

LCT Optional load curve number defining temperature of input gas versus time.
This overides columns T.

LCMT Load curve specifying input mass flow rate or tank pressure versus time. If
the tank volume, TVOL , is nonzero the curve ID is assumed to be tank
pressure versus time. If LCMT=0, then the inflator has to be modeled, see
Card 4. During the dynamic relaxation phase the airbag is ignored unless
the curve is flagged to act during dynamic relaxation.

TVOL Tank volume which is required only for the tank pressure versus time
curve, LCMT.

LCDT Load curve for time rate of change of temperature (dT/dt) versus time.

IABT Initial airbag temperature. (Optional, generally not defined.)

C23 Vent orifice coefficient which applies to exit hole. Set to zero if LCC23 is
defined below.

LCC23 Load curve number defining the vent orifice coefficient which applies to exit
hole as a function of time. A nonzero value for C23 overrides LCC23.

A23 Vent orifice area which applies to exit hole. Set to zero if LCA23 is defined
below.

LCA23 Load curve number defining the vent orifice area which applies to exit hole
as a function of absolute pressure. A nonzero value for A23 overrides
LCA23.

CP23 Orifice coefficient for leakage (fabric porosity). Set to zero if LCCP23 is
defined below.

LCCP23 Load curve number defining the orifice coefficient for leakage (fabric
porosity) as a function of time. A nonzero value for CP23 overrides
LCCP23 .

AP23 Area for leakage (fabric porosity)

LCAP23 Load curve number defining the area for leakage (fabric porosity) as a
function of (absolute) pressure. A nonzero value for AP23 overrides
LCAP23.

PE Ambient pressure

1.14 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

RO Ambient density

GC Gravitational conversion constant (mandatory - no default). If consistent

units are being used for all parameters in the airbag definition then unity
should be input.

LCEFR Optional curve for exit flow rate versus (gauge) pressure

POVER Initial relative overpressure (gauge), Pover in control volume

PPOP Pop Pressure: relative pressure (gauge) for initiating exit flow, Ppop

OPT Fabric venting option, if nonzero CP23, LCCP23, AP23, and LCAP23 are set
to zero.
EQ. 1: Wang-Nefske formulas for venting through an orifice are used.
Blockage is not considered.
EQ. 2: Wang-Nefske formulas for venting through an orifice are used.
Blockage of venting area due to contact is considered.
EQ. 3: Leakage formulas of Graefe, Krummheuer, and Siejak [1990]
are used. Blockage is not considered.
EQ. 4: Leakage formulas of Graefe, Krummheuer, and Siejak [1990]
are used. Blockage of venting area due to contact is considered.
EQ. 5: Leakage formulas based on flow through a porous media are
used. Blockage is not considered.
EQ. 6: Leakage formulas based on flow through a porous media are
used. Blockage of venting area due to contact is considered.

KNKDN Optional load curve ID defining the knock down pressure scale factor
versus time. This option only applies to jetting. The scale factor defined by
this load curve scales the pressure applied to airbag segments which do not
have a clear line-of-sight to the jet. Typically, at very early times this scale
factor will be less than unity and equal to unity at later times. The full
pressure is always applied to segments which can see the jets.

IOC Inflator orifice coefficient

IOA Inflator orifice area

IVOL Inflator volume

IRO Inflator density

IT Inflator temperature

LCBF Load curve defining burn fraction versus time

TEXT Ambient temperature.

A First heat capacity coefficient of inflator gas (e.g., Joules/mole/oK)

B Second heat capacity coefficient of inflator gas, (e.g., Joules/mole/oK2)

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.15 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

MW Molecular weight of inflator gas (e.g., Kg/mole).

GASC Universal gas constant.of inflator gas (e.g., 8.314 Joules/mole/oK)

TDP Time delay before initiating exit flow after pop pressure is reached.

AXP Pop acceleration magnitude in local x-direction.

EQ. 0.0: Inactive.

AYP Pop acceleration magnitude in local y-direction.

EQ. 0.0: Inactive.

AZP Pop acceleration magnitude in local z-direction.

EQ. 0.0: Inactive.

AMAGP Pop acceleration magnitude.

EQ. 0.0: Inactive.

TDURP Time duration pop acceleration must be exceeded to initiate exit flow. This
is a cumulative time from the beginning of the calculation, i.e., it is not
continuous.

TDA Time delay before initiating exit flow after pop acceleration is exceeded for
the prescribed time duration.

RBIDP Part ID of the rigid body for checking accelerations against pop
accelerations.

Remarks:

The gamma law equation of state for the adiabatic expansion of an ideal gas is used to
determine the pressure after preload:

p = (γ − 1)ρ e

where p is the pressure, ρ is the density, e is the specific internal energy of the gas, and γ is the
ratio of the specific heats:

cp
γ =
cv

where cv is the specific heat at constant volume, and cp is the specific heat at constant pressure. A
pressure relation is defined:

pe
Q=
p

1.16 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
where pe is the external pressure and p is the internal pressure in the bag. A critical pressure
relationship is defined as:
γ

 2 
γ −1

Qcrit = 
 γ + 1

where γ is the ratio of specific heats:

cp
γ = cv

If

Q ≤ Qcrit then Q = Qcrit

Wang and Nefske define the mass flow through the vents and leakage by

ṁ23 = C23 A23

p
R T2
1  γR
Q γ 2 gc   1− Q
 γ − 1
γ −1
γ
( )
and

′ = C23
m˙ 23 ′ A23
′
p
R T2
1  γR
Q γ 2 gc   1− Q
 γ − 1
γ −1
γ
( )

It must be noted that the gravitational conversion constant has to be given in consistent units.
As an alternative to computing the mass flow out of the bag by the Wang-Nefske model, a curve for
the exit flow rate depending on the internal pressure can be taken. Then, no definitions for C23,
LCC23, A23, LCA23, CP23, LCCP23, AP23, and LCAP23 are necessary.

The airbag inflator assumes that the control volume of the inflator is constant and that the
amount of propellant reacted can be defined by the user as a tabulated curve of fraction reacted versus
time. A pressure relation is defined:
γ
p  2  γ −1
Qcrit = c = 
pi  γ + 1

where pc is a critical pressure at which sonic flow occurs, pI , is the inflator pressure. The exhaust
pressure is given by

pe = pa if pa ≥ pc
pe = pc if pa < pc

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.17 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
where pa is the pressure in the control volume. The mass flow into the control volume is governed
by the equation:

γ +1
 γ2 
gcγ  Q − Q γ 
 
ṁin = CO AO 2 pI ρ I
γ −1

where CO , AO , and ρ I are the inflator orifice coefficient, area, and gas density, respectively.

If OPT is defined, then for OPT set to 1 or 2 the mass flow rate out of the bag, ṁout is given
by:

m˙ out
nairmats 
= gc ⋅  ∑ ( FLC(t )n ⋅ FAC( p)n ⋅ Arean ) ⋅ 2 pρ
( 2
γ Qk − Q
γ +1
γ
)
 n =1  γ −1

where, ρ is the density of airbag gas, nairmats is the number of fabrics used in the airbag, and
Arean is the current unblocked area of fabric number n.

If OPT set to 3 or 4 then:

nairmats 
m˙ out =  ∑ ( FLC(t )n ⋅ FAC( p)n ⋅ Arean ) ⋅ 2( p − pext )ρ
 n =1 
and for OPT set to 5 or 6:

nairmats 
mout =  ∑ ( FLC(t )n ⋅ FAC( p)n ⋅ Arean ) ⋅ ( p − pext )
˙
 n =1 
Multiple airbags may share the same part ID since the area summation is over the airbag segments
whose corresponding part ID’s are known. Currently, we assume that no more than ten materials are
used per bag for purposes of the output. This constraint can be eliminated if necessary.

The total mass flow out will include the portion due to venting, i.e., constants C23 and A23
or their load curves above.

If CV=0. then the constant-pressure specific heat is given by:

(a + bT )
cp =
MW
and the constant-volume specific heat is then found from:

R
cv = c p −
MW

1.18 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
Further additional 2 cards are required for JETTING models

The following additional cards are defined for the WANG_NEFSKE_JETTING and
WANG_NEFSKE_MULTIPLE_JETTING options, two further cards are defined for each option.
The jet may be defined by specifying either the coordinates of the jet focal point, jet vector head and
secondary jet focal point, or by specifying three nodes located at these positions. The nodal point
option is recommended when the location of the airbag changes as a function of time.

Define either card below but not both:

1st additional card of 2 required for WANG_NEFSKE_JETTING option

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XJFP YJFP ZJFP XJVH YJVH ZJVH CA BETA

Type F F F F F F F F

Default none none none none none none none 1.0

Remark 1 1 1 1 1 1

1st additional card of 2 required for WANG_NEFSKE_MULTIPLE_JETTING

option

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XJFP YJFP ZJFP XJVH YJVH ZJVH LCJRV BETA

Type F F F F F F F F

Default none none none none none none none 1.0

Remark 1 1 1 1 1 1

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.19 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG

2nd additional card of 2 required for WANG_NEFSKE_JETTING and

WANG_NEFSKE_MULTIPLE_JETTING option

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XSJFP YSJFP ZSJFP PSID ANGLE NODE1 NODE2 NODE3

Type F F F I F I I I

Default none none none none none 0 0 0

Remark 1 1 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XJFP x-coordinate of jet focal point, i.e., the virtual origin in Figure 1.1. See
Remark 1 below.

YJFP y-coordinate of jet focal point, i.e., the virtual origin in Figure 1.1.

ZJFP z-coordinate of jet focal point, i.e., the virtual origin in Figure 1.1.

XJVH x-coordinate of jet vector head to defined code centerline

YJVH y-coordinate of jet vector head to defined code centerline

ZJVH z-coordinate of jet vector head to defined code centerline

CA Cone angle, α, defined in radians.

LT.0.0: |α| is the load curve ID defining cone angle as a function of
time

LCJRV Load curve ID giving the spatial jet relative velocity distribution, see Figures
1.2 and 1.3. The jet velocity is determined from the inflow mass rate and
scaled by the load curve function value corresponding to the value of the angle
ψ . Typically, the values on the load curve vary between 0 and unity. See
*DEFINE_CURVE.

BETA Efficiency factor, β, which scales the final value of pressure obtained from
Bernoulli’s equation.
LT.0.0: |β| is the load curve ID defining the efficiency factor as a
function of time

1.20 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XSJFP x-coordinate of secondary jet focal point, passenger side bag. If the
coordinates of the secondary point are (0,0,0) then a conical jet (driver’s
side airbag) is assumed.

YSJFP y-coordinate of secondary jet focal point

ZSJFP z-coordinate of secondary jet focal point

PSID Optional part set ID, see *SET_PART. If zero all elements are included in
the airbag.

ANGLE Cutoff angle in degrees. The relative jet velocity is set to zero for angles
greater than the cutoff. See Figure 1.3. This option applies to the
MULTIPLE jet only.

NODE1 Node ID located at the jet focal point, i.e., the virtual origin in Figure 1.1.
See Remark 1 below.

NODE2 Node ID for node along the axis of the jet .

NODE3 Optional node ID located at secondary jet focal point.

Remarks:

1. It is assumed that the jet direction is defined by the coordinate method (XJFP, YJFP, ZJFP)
and (XJVH, YJVH, ZJVH) unless both NODE1 and NODE2 are defined. In which case the
coordinates of the nodes give by NODE1, NODE2 and NODE3 will override (XJFP, YJFP,
ZJFP) and (XJVH, YJVH, ZJVH). The use of nodes is recommended if the airbag system is
undergoing rigid body motion. The nodes should be attached to the vehicle to allow for the
coordinates of the jet to be continuously updated with the motion of the vehicle.

The jetting option provides a simple model to simulate the real pressure distribution in the
airbag during the breakout and early unfolding phase. Only the sufaces that are in the line of sight to
the virtual origin have an increased pressure applied. With the optional load curve LCRJV, the
pressure distribution with the code can be scaled according to the so-called relative jet velocity
distribution.

For passenger side airbags the cone is replaced by a wedge type shape. The first and
secondary jet focal points define the corners of the wedge and the angle α then defines the wedge
angle.

Instead of applying pressure to all surfaces in the line of sight of the virtual origin(s), a part
set can be defined to which the pressure is applied.

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.21 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG

Airbag Gaussian profile

Virtual origin

Cone center line

Node 1 Node 2
Hole diameter α-small

α-large
Pressure is applied to sufaces that are
in the line of sight to the virtual origin

a.

Secondary jet focal point

Gaussian profile
Virtual origin

Node 2
Node 1

r
Node 3

L
z
b.

Figure 1.1 Jetting configuration for (a.) driver's side airbag (pressure applied only if centroid
of surface is in line-of-sight) and (b.) the passenger’s side bag.

1.22 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG

Jet Focal Point

Figure 1.2 Multiple jet model for driver's side airbag.

Relative
jet
velocity

ψ (degrees) cutoff angle

Figure 1.3 Normalized jet velocity versus angle for multiple jet driver's side airbag.

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.23 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
Further additional required for CM option.

The following additional card is defined for the WANG_NEFSKE_JETTING_CM and WANG_
NEFSKE_MULTIPLE_JETTING_CM options.

Additional card required for _CM option

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NREACT

Type I

Default none

Remark

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NREACT Node for reacting jet force. If zero the jet force will not be applied.

Remarks:

Compared with the standard LS-DYNA jetting formulation, the Constant Momentum option
has several differences. Overall, the jetting usually has a more significant effect on airbag
deployment than the standard LS-DYNA jetting: the total force is often greater, and does not reduce
with distance from the jet.

The velocity at the jet outlet is assumed to be a choked (sonic) adiabatic flow of a perfect gas.
Therefore the velocity at the outlet is given by:

voutlet = (γRT ) =
( )
 c p − cv Tc p 
 
 cv 

The density in the nozzle is then calculated from conservation of mass flow.
•
ρ0 voutlet Aoutlet = m

This is different from the standard LS-DYNA jetting formulation, which assumes that the density of
the gas in the jet is the same as atmospheric air, and then calculates the jet velocity from conservation
of mass flow.

1.24 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
The velocity distribution at any radius, r, from the jet centerline and distance, z, from the
focus, vrz, relates to the velocity of the jet centreline, vr=0,z , in the same way as the standard LS-
DYNA jetting options:
r 2
− 
 αz 
vr , z = vr = 0, z e

The velocity at the jet centerline, vr=0, at the distance, z, from the focus of the jet is calulated such
that the momentum in the jet is conserved.

Momentum at nozzle = Momentum at z

ρ0 voutlet
2
Aoutlet = ρ0 ∫ v 2jet dAjet
{
= ρ0 vr2= 0, Z b + F b }
where

π (αz )2
b=
2
F = dis tan ce between jet focii for a passenger jet

Finally, the pressure exerted on an airbag element in view of the jey is given y:

pr , z = βρ0 vr2, z

By combining the eqations above

[ ]
• 2
β m voutlet e − ( r / αz )
2

pr , z =
 π (αz )2 π (αz ) 
2

 + F 
 2 2 

The total force exerted by the jet is given by:

•
Fjet = m voutlet (independent of distance from the nozzle)

Mass flow in the jet is not necessarily conserved, because gas is entrained into the jet from
the surrounding volume. By contrast, the standard LS-DYNA jetting formulation conserves mass
flow but not momentum. This has the effect of making the jet force reduce with distance from the
nozzle.

The jetting forces can be reacted onto a node (NREACT), to allow the reaction force through
the steering column or support bracketry to be modelled. The jetting force is written to the ASCII
ABSTAT file and the binary XTF file

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.25 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
Additional card required for LINEAR_FLUID option

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable BULK RO LCINT LCOUTT LCOUTP LCFIT LCBULK LCID

Type F F I I I I I I

Default none none none optional optional optional optional none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

BULK K, bulk modulus of the fluid in the control volume. Constant as a function
of time. Define if LCBULK=0.

RO ρ, density of the fluid

LCINT F(t ) input flow curve defining mass per unit time as a function of time, see
*DEFINE_CURVE.

LCOUTT G(t ), output flow curve defining mass per unit time as a function of time.
This load curve is optional.

LCOUTP H ( p), output flow curve defining mass per unit time as a function of
pressure. This load curve is optional.

LFIT L(t ), added pressure as a function of time. This load curve is optional.

LCBULK Curve defining the bulk modulus as a function of time. This load curve is
optional, but if defined, the constant, BULK, is not used.

LCID Load curve ID defining pressure versus time, see *DEFINE_CURVE.

Remarks:

If LCID = 0 then the pressure is determined from:

 V (t ) 
P(t ) = K (t ) ln 0  + L(t )
 V (t ) 

where

P( t ) Pressure,

V (t ) Volume of fluid in compressed state,

1.26 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
M (t )
V0 (t ) = V0 (t ) = Volume of fluid in uncompressed state,
ρ

M (t ) = M (0) + ∫ F(t )dt − ∫ G(t )dt − ∫ H ( p)dt Current fluid mass,

M (0) = V (0)ρ Mass of fluid at time zero P(0) = 0 .

By setting LCID ≠ 0 a pressure time history may be specified for the control volume and the mass of
fluid within the volume is then calculated from the volume and density.

This model is for the simulation of hydroforming processes or similar problems. The
pressure is controlled by the mass flowing into the volume and by the current volume. The pressure
is uniformly applied to the control volume.

Note the signs used in the the equation for M (t ). The mass flow should always be defined
as positive since the output flow is substracted.

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.27 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG

Additional cards required for HYBRID and HYBRID_JETTING options

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ATMOST ATMOSP ATMOSD GC CC

Type F F F F F

Default none none none none 1.0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable C23 LCC23 A23 LCA23 CP23 LCP23 AP23 LCAP23

Type F I F I F I F I

Default none 0 none 0 none 0 none 0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable OPT PVENT NGAS

Type I F I

Default none none none

1.28 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG

Define 2*NGAS cards below, two for each gas type.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCIDM LCIDT MW INITM A B C

Type I I F F F F F F

Default none none not used none none none none none

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable FMASS

Type F

Default none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ATMOST Atmospheric temperature

ATMOSP Atmospheric pressure

ATMOSD Atmospheric density

GC Universal molar gas constant

CC Conversion constant
EQ: .0 Set to 1.0.

C23 Vent orifice coefficient which applies to exit hole. Set to zero if LCC23 is
defined below.

LCC23 Load curve number defining the vent orifice coefficient which applies to exit
hole as a function of time. A nonzero value for C23 overrides LCC23.

A23 Vent orifice area which applies to exit hole. Set to zero if LCA23 is defined
below.

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.29 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCA23 Load curve number defining the vent orifice area which applies to exit hole
as a function of absolute pressure. A nonzero value for A23 overrides
LCA23.

CP23 Orifice coefficient for leakage (fabric porosity). Set to zero if LCCP23 is
defined below.

LCCP23 Load curve number defining the orifice coefficient for leakage (fabric
porosity) as a function of time. A nonzero value for CP23 overrides
LCCP23 .

AP23 Area for leakage (fabric porosity)

LCAP23 Load curve number defining the area for leakage (fabric porosity) as a
function of (absolute) pressure. A nonzero value for AP23 overrides
LCAP23.

OPT Fabric venting option, if nonzero CP23, LCCP23, AP23, and LCAP23 are set
to zero.
EQ. 1: Wang-Nefske formulas for venting through an orifice are used.
Blockage is not considered.
EQ. 2: Wang-Nefske formulas for venting through an orifice are used.
Blockage of venting area due to contact is considered.
EQ. 3: Leakage formulas of Graefe, Krummheuer, and Siejak [1990]
are used. Blockage is not considered.
EQ. 4: Leakage formulas of Graefe, Krummheuer, and Siejak [1990]
are used. Blockage of venting area due to contact is considered.
EQ. 5: Leakage formulas based on flow through a porous media are
used. Blockage is not considered.
EQ. 6: Leakage formulas based on flow through a porous media are
used. Blockage of venting area due to contact is considered.

PVENT Gauge pressure when venting begins

NGAS Number of gas inputs to be defined below. (Including initial air)

LCIDM Load curve ID for inflator mass flow rate (eq. 0 for gas in the bag at time 0)
GT.0: piece wise linear interpolation
LT.0: cubic spline interpolation

LCIDT Load curve ID for inflator gas temperature (eq.0 for gas in the bag at time 0)
GT.0: piece wise linear interpolation
LT.0: cubic spline interpolation

BLANK (not used)

MW Molecular weight

INITM Initial mass fraction of gas component

1.30 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

A Coefficient for molar heat capacity of inflator gas at constant pressure,

(e.g., Joules/mole/oK)
B Coefficient for molar heat capacity of inflator gas at constant pressure,
(e.g., Joules/mole/oK2)
C Coefficient for molar heat capacity of inflator gas at constant pressure,
(e.g., Joules/mole/oK3)
FMASS Fraction of additional aspirated mass.

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.31 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
Further additional 2 cards are required for HYBRID_JETTING models

The following two additional cards are defined for the HYBRID_JETTING options. The jet may be
defined by specifying either the coordinates of the jet focal point, jet vector head and secondary jet
focal point, or by specifying three nodes located at these positions. The nodal point option is
recommended when the location of the airbag changes as a function of time.

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XJFP YJFP ZJFP XJVH YJVH ZJVH CA BETA

Type F F F F F F F F

Default none none none none none none none none

Remark 1 1 1 1 1 1

card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XSJFP YSJFP ZSJFP PSID IDUM NODE1 NODE2 NODE3

Type F F F I F I I I

Default none none none none none 0 0 0

Remark 2 1 1 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XJFP x-coordinate of jet focal point, i.e., the virtual origin in Figure 1.1. See
Remark 1 below.

YJFP y-coordinate of jet focal point, i.e., the virtual origin in Figure 1.1.

ZJFP z-coordinate of jet focal point, i.e., the virtual origin in Figure 1.1.

XJVH x-coordinate of jet vector head to defined code centerline

1.32 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

YJVH y-coordinate of jet vector head to defined code centerline

ZJVH z-coordinate of jet vector head to defined code centerline

CA Cone angle, α, defined in radians.

LT.0.0: |α| is the load curve ID defining cone angle as a function of
time

BETA Efficiency factor, β, which scales the final value of pressure obtained from
Bernoulli’s equation.
LT.0.0: |β| is the load curve ID defining the efficiency factor as a
function of time

XSJFP x-coordinate of secondary jet focal point, passenger side bag. If the
coordinate of the secondary point is (0,0,0) then a conical jet (driver’s side
airbag) is assumed.

YSJFP y-coordinate of secondary jet focal point

ZSJFP z-coordinate of secondary jet focal point

PSID Optional part set ID, see *SET_PART. If zero all elements are included in
the airbag.

IDUM Dummy field (Variable not used)

NODE1 Node ID located at the jet focal point, i.e., the virtual origin in Figure 1.1.
See Remark 1 below.

NODE2 Node ID for node along the axis of the jet .

NODE3 Optional node ID located at secondary jet focal point.

Remarks:

1. It is assumed that the jet direction is defined by the coordinate method (XJFP, YJFP, ZJFP)
and (XJVH, YJVH, ZJVH) unless both NODE1 and NODE2 are defined. In which case the
coordinates of the nodes give by NODE1, NODE2 and NODE3 will override (XJFP, YJFP,
ZJFP) and (XJVH, YJVH, ZJVH). The use of nodes is recommended if the airbag system is
undergoing rigid body motion. The nodes should be attached to the vehicle to allow for the
coordinates of the jet to be continuously updated with the motion of the vehicle.

The jetting option provides a simple model to simulate the real pressure distribution in the
airbag during the breakout and early unfolding phase. Only the sufaces that are in the line of
sight to the virtual origin have an increased pressure applied. With the optional load curve
LCRJV, the pressure distribution with the code can be scaled according to the so-called relative
jet velocity distribution.

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.33 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
For passenger side airbags the cone is replaced by a wedge type shape. The first and
secondary jet focal points define the corners of the wedge and the angle α then defines the
wedge angle.

Instead of applying pressure to all surfaces in the line of sight of the virtual origin(s), a part set
can be defined to which the pressure is applied.

2. This variable is not used and has been included to maintain the same format as the
WANG_NEFSKE_JETTING options.

1.34 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
Additional cards required for HYBRID_CHEMKIN model

The HYBRID_CHEMKIN model includes 3 control cards. For each gas species an additional set of
cards must follow consisting of a control card and several thermodynamic property data cards.

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCIDM LCIDT NGAS DATA ATMT ATMP RG

Type I I I I F F F

Default none none none none none none none

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable HCONV

Type F

Default 0.

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable C23 A23

Type F F

Default 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCIDM Load curve specifying input mass flow rate versus time.
GT.0: piece wise linear interpolation
LT.0: cubic spline interpolation

LCIDT Load curve specifying input gas temperature versus time.

GT.0: piece wise linear interpolation
LT.0: cubic spline interpolation

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.35 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NGAS Number of gas inputs to be defined below. (Including initial air)

DATA Thermodynamic database

EQ. 1. NIST database (3 additional property cards are required below)
EQ. 2. CHEMKIN database (no additional property cards are required)
EQ. 3. Polynomial data (1 additional property card is required below)

NGAS Number of gas inputs to be defined below. (Including initial air)

ATMT Atmospheric temperature.

ATMP Atmospheric pressure

RG Universal gas constant

HCONV Convection heat transfer coefficient

C23 Vent orifice coefficient

A23 Vent orifice area

For each gas species include a set of cards consisting of a control card followed by several thermo-
dynamic property data cards. The next "*" card terminates the reading of this data.

Control Card

card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CHNAME MW LCIDN FMOLE FMOLET

Type A F I F F

Default none none 0 none 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

CHNAME Chemical symbol for this gas species (e.g., N2 for nitrogen, AR for argon).
Required for DATA=2 (CHEMKIN), optional for DATA=1 or DATA=3.

MW Molecular weight of this gas species.

LCIDN Load curve specifying the input mole fraction versus time for this gas
species. If >0, FMOLE is not used.

FMOLE Mole fraction of this gas species in the inlet stream.

FMOLET Initial mole fraction of this gas species in the tank.

1.36 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
Additional thermodynamic data cards for each gas species. No additional cards are needed if using
the CHEMKIN database (DATA=2). However, the CHEMKIN database file with file name
chemkin, must reside in the same directory that you are running LS-DYNA.

If DATA=1, include the following 3 cards for the NIST database. The required data can
be found on the NIST web site at http://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/

card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TLOW TMID THIGH

Type F F F

Default none none none

card 2

Variable a b c d e f h
low low low low low low low

Type F F F F F F F

Default none none none none none none none

Card 3

Variable a b c d e f h
high high high high high high high

Type F F F F F F F

Default none none none none none none none

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.37 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TLOW Curve fit low temperature limit.

TMID Curve fit low-to-high transition temperature.

THIGH Curve fit high temperature limit.

a ,..,h Low temperature range NIST polynomial curve fit coefficients (see below).
low low

a ,..,h High temperature range NIST polynomial curve fit coefficients (see below).
high high

If DATA=3, include the following card for the polynomial curve fit.

card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable a b c d e

Type F F F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

a Coefficient, see below.

b Coefficient, see below.

c Coefficient, see below.

d Coefficient, see below.

e Coefficient, see below.

Heat capacity curve fits:

1
a + bT + cT 2 + dT 3 + 2 
e
NIST cp =
M T 

CHEMKIN cp =
R
M
( a + bT + cT 2 + dT 3 + eT 4 )

1.38 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
R = universal gas constant (8.314 Nm / mole K)
M = gas molecular weight

Polynomial cp =
1
M
( a + bT + cT 2 + dT 3 + eT 4 )

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.39 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
*AIRBAG_INTERACTION

Purpose: To define two connected airbags which vent into each other.

Define one card for each airbag interaction definition

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable AB1 AB2 AREA SF PID LCID IFLOW

Type I I F F I I I

Default none none none none 0 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

AB1 First airbag ID, as defined on *AIRBAG card.

AB2 Second airbag ID, as defined on *AIRBAG card.

AREA Orifice area between connected bags.

LT.0.0: |AREA| is the load curve ID defining the orifice area as a
function of absolute pressure.
EQ.0.0: AREA is taken as the surface area of the part ID defined below.

SF Shape factor.
LT.0.0: |SF| is the load curve ID defining vent orifice coefficient as a
function of relative time.

PID Optional part ID of the partition between the interacting control volumes.
AREA is based on this part ID.

LCID Load curve ID defining mass flow rate versus pressure difference, see
*DEFINE_CURVE. If LCID is defined AREA, SF and PID are ignored.

IFLOW Flow direction

LT.0: One way flow from AB1 to AB2 only.
EQ.0: Two way flow between AB1 and AB2
GT.0: One way flow from AB2 to AB1 only.

1.40 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG

Remarks:

Mass flow rate and temperature load curves for the secondary chambers must be defined as
null curves, for example, in the DEFINE_CURVE definitions give two points (0.0,0.0) and
(10000.,0.0).

All input options are valid for the following airbag types:

*AIRBAG_SIMPLE_AIRBAG_MODEL

*AIRBAG_WANG_NEFSKE

*AIRBAG_WANG_NEFSKE_JETTING

*AIRBAG_WANG_NEFSKE_MULTIPLE_JETTING

*AIRBAG_HYBRID

*AIRBAG_HYBRID_JETTING

The LCID defining mass flow rate vs. pressure difference may additionally be used with:

*AIRBAG_LOAD_CURVE

*AIRBAG_LINEAR_FLUID

If the AREA, SF, and PID defined method is used to define the interaction then the airbags must
contain the same gas, i.e. Cp, Cv and g must be the same. The flow between bags is governed by
formulas which are similar to those of Wang-Nefske, except that choked flow is currently ignored.
This will be added later.

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.41 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG
*AIRBAG_REFERENCE_GEOMETRY_OPTION_OPTION

Available options include:

BIRTH
RDT

The reference geometry becomes active at time BIRTH. Until this time the input geometry is used to
inflate the airbag. Until the birth time is reached the actual geometry is used to determine the time
step size even if RDT is active.

If RDT is active the time step size will be based on the reference geometry once the solution
time exceeds the birth time.. This option is useful for shrunken bags where the bag does not carry
compressive loads and the elements can freely expand before stresses develop. If this option is not
specified, the time step size will be based on the current configuration and will increase as the area of
the elements increase. The default may be much more expensive but possibly more stable.

Purpose: If the reference configuration of the airbag is taken as the folded configuration, the
geometrical accuracy of the deployed bag will be affected by both the stretching and the compression
of elements during the folding process. Such element distortions are very difficult to avoid in a
folded bag. By reading in a reference configuration such as the final unstretched configuration of a
deployed bag, any distortions in the initial geometry of the folded bag will have no effect on the final
geometry of the inflated bag. This is because the stresses depend only on the deformation gradient
matrix:

∂xi
Fij =
∂X j

where the choice of X j may coincide with the folded or unfold configurations. It is this unfolded
configuration which may be specified here.

Note that a reference geometry which is smaller than the initial airbag geometry will not
induce initial tensile stresses.

1.42 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *AIRBAG
Define the follow card if and only if the option BIRTH is specified in the keyword.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable BIRTH

Type F

Default 0.0

Card Format (I8,3E16.0)

Card 2,... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable NID X Y Z

Type I F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0.

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

BIRTH Time at which the reference geometry activates (default=0.0)

NID Node number

X x coordinate

Y y coordinate

Z z coordinate

LS-DYNA Version 960 1.43 (AIRBAG)

*AIRBAG

1.44 (AIRBAG) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ALE

*ALE
The keyword *ALE provides a way of defining input data pertaining to the Arbitrary-
Lagrangian-Eulerian capability. The keyword control cards in this section are defined in alphabetical
order:

*ALE_MULTI-MATERIAL_GROUP

*ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_CURVE

*ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_GROUP

*ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_NODE

*ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_SWITCH

*ALE_SMOOTHING

For other input information related to the ALE capability, see keywords: *CONTROL_ALE,
*INITIAL_VOID and *SECTION_SOLID_ALE.

LS-DYNA Version 960 2.1 (ALE)

*ALE
*ALE_MULTI-MATERIAL_GROUP
Purpose: The following input defines the PART ID's of each multi-material group. Elements
containing materials of the same group are treated as single material elements. Currently, this
option allows up to three (3) different material goups to be mixed within the same element.

For each group define the following cards.

NOTE: THE TOTAL NUMBER OF GROUPS MUST BE LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO THREE.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SID IDTYPE

Type I I

Default none 0

Remarks 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID Set ID.

IDTYPE Set type:

EQ.0: Part set,
EQ.1: Part.

Remarks:

1. The multi-material option defined here and void materials, see *INITIAL_VOID, are
incompatible and cannot be used together in the same run.

2.2 (ALE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ALE
Example

OIL WATER AIR

GROUP 1 GROUP 2 GROUP 3

PART ID'S 1 AND 2 PART ID 3 PART ID'S 5, 6, AND 7

The above example defines a mixture of three groups of materials, oil, water and air, that is, the
number of ALE groupls, NALEGP=3.

The first group contains two parts (materials), part ID's 1 and 2.

The second group contains one part (material), part ID 3.

The third group contains three parts (materials), part ID's 5, 6 and 7.

LS-DYNA Version 960 2.3 (ALE)

*ALE
*ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_CURVE
Purpose: This command is used to define a prescribed motion of an ALE mesh, following
12 pre-defined load curves. The command must be combined with *ALE_ REFERENCE_
SYSTEM_GROUP.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ID

Type I

Default none

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LC1 LC2 LC3 LC4 LC5 LC6 LC7 LC8

Type I I I I I I I I

Default none none none none none none none none

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LC9 LC10 LC11 LC12

Type I I I I

Default none none none none

2.4 (ALE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ALE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ID Curve set ID.

LC1...LC12 Load curve ID's.

Remark:

The velocity of a node at coordinate ( x, y, z ) is defined as:

 x˙   f1   f2 f3 f4   x 
      
 y˙  =  f5  +  f6 f7 f8   y 
 z˙   f   f f12   z 
   9   10 f11

f1 (t ) is the value of load curve LC1 at time t etc.

LS-DYNA Version 960 2.5 (ALE)

*ALE
*ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_GROUP

Purpose: This command is used to assign a specific reference system type (Lagrangian,
Eulerian or ALE) to a set of nodes.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SID STYPE PRTYPE PRID BCTRAN BCEXP BCROT ICOORD

Type I I I I I I I I

Default none 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XC YC ZC EXPLIM

Type F F F F

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0 inf.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID Set ID.

STYPE Set type:

EQ.0: part set,
EQ.1: part,
EQ.2: node set,
EQ.3: segment set.

2.6 (ALE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ALE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PRTYPE Reference system type:

EQ.0: Eulerian,
EQ.1: Lagrangian,
EQ.2: Normal ALE mesh smoothing,
EQ.3: Prescribed motion following load curves, see
*ALE_REFERENCE_ SYSTEM_CURVE,
EQ.4: Automatic mesh motion following mass weighted average
velocity in ALE mesh,
EQ.5: Automatic mesh motion following coordinate system defined by
three user defined nodes, see *ALE_REFERENCE_SYSEM_NODE,
EQ.6: Switching in time between different reference system types, see
*ALE_REFERENCE_SYSEM_SWITCH,
EQ.7: Automatic mesh expansion in order to enclose up to twelve user
defined nodes, see *ALE_REFERENCE_SYSEM_NODE.

PRID ID of switch list, node group or curve group (PRTYPE 3, 5, 6 or 7).

BCTRAN Translational constraints (PRTYPE 3, 4, 5 and 7):

EQ.0: no constraints,
EQ.1: constrained x translation,
EQ.2: constrained y translation,
EQ.3: constrained z translation,
EQ.4: constrained x and y translation,
EQ.5: constrained y and z ranslation,
EQ.6: constrained z and x translation,
EQ.7: constrained x, y, and z translation.

BCEXP Mesh expansion constraints (PRTYPE 3, 4, 5 and 7):

EQ.0: no constraints,
EQ.1: constrained x expansion,
EQ.2: constrained y expansion,
EQ.3: constrained z expansion,
EQ.4: constrained x and y expansion,
EQ.5: constrained y and z expansion,
EQ.6: constrained z and x expansion,
EQ.7: constrained x, y, and z expansion.

BCROT Mesh rotation constraints (PRTYPE 3,4 5 and 7):

EQ.0: no constraints,
EQ.1: constrained x rotation,
EQ.2: constrained y rotation,
EQ.3: constrained z rotation,
EQ.4: constrained x and y rotation,
EQ.5: constrained y and z rotation,
EQ.6: constrained z and x rotation,
EQ.7: constrained x, y, and z rotation.

LS-DYNA Version 960 2.7 (ALE)

*ALE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ICOORD Center of mesh expansion and rotation (PRTYPE 3, 4, 5 and 7):

EQ.0: at center of gravity,
EQ.1: at (XC,YC,ZC).

XC,YC,ZC Center of mesh expansion.

EXPLIM Limit ratio for mesh expansion and shrinkage. Each cartesian direction is
treated separately. The distance between the nodes is not allowed to
increase by more than a factor EXPLIM, or decrease to less than a factor
1/EXPLIM.

2.8 (ALE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ALE
*ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_NODE

Purpose: The purpose of this command is to define a group of nodes that control the motion of an
ALE mesh.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ID

Type I

Default none

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID1 NID2 NID3 NID4 NID5 NID6 NID7 NID8

Type I I I I I I I I

Default none none none none none none none none

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID9 NID10 NID11 NID12

Type I I I I

Default none none none none

LS-DYNA Version 960 2.9 (ALE)

*ALE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ID Node group ID for PRTYPE 3 or 7, see *ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_

GROUP.

NID1...NID12 User specified nodes.

Remark:

For PRTYPE=3 the ALE mesh is forced to follow the motion of a coordinate system, which
is defined by three nodes (NID1, NID2, NID3). These nodes are located at x1 , x2 and x3 ,
respectively. The axes of the coordinate system, x ′ , y ′ and z ′ , are defined as:

x ′ = ( x2 − x1 ) / | x2 − x1 |
z ′ = x ′ × ( x3 − x1 ) / | x ′ × ( x3 − x1 ) |
y′ = z ′ × x ′

For PRTYPE=7, the ALE mesh is forced to move and expand, so as to enclose up to twelve
user defined nodes (NID1...NID12).

2.10 (ALE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ALE
*ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_SWITCH

Purpose: This command allows for switching between Lagrangian, Eulerian and ALE formulations
during the simulation.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ID

Type I

Default none

Card Format

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7

Type F F F F F F F

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Card Format

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TYPE1 TYPE2 TYPE3 TYPE4 TYPE5 TYPE6 TYPE7 TYPE8

Type I I I I I I I I

Default 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

LS-DYNA Version 960 2.11 (ALE)

*ALE
Card Format

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ID1 ID2 ID3 ID4 ID5 ID6 ID7 ID8

Type I I I I I I I I

Default none none none none none none none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ID Switch list ID, see *ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_GROUP,

T1...T7 Times for switching reference system type.

TYPE1...TYPE8 Reference system types:

EQ.0: Eulerian,
EQ.1: Lagrangian,
EQ.2: Normal ALE mesh smoothing,
EQ.3: Prescribed motion following load curves, see
*ALE_REFERENCE_SYSTEM_CURVE,
EQ.4: Automatic mesh motion following mass weighted average
velocity in ALE mesh,
EQ.5: Automatic mesh motion following coordinate system defined by
three user defined nodes, see *ALE_REFERENCE_SYSEM_NODE,
EQ.7: Automatic mesh expansion in order to enclose up to twelve user
defined nodes, see *ALE_REFERENCE_SYSEM_NODE.

ID1...ID7 ID of node or curve group (PRTYPE 3, 5 or 7).

Remark:

At time T2 the reference system type is switched from TYPE2 to TYPE3 etc.

2.12 (ALE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ALE
*ALE_SMOOTHING

Purpose: This smoothing constraint keeps a node at its initial parametric location along a line
between two other nodes. This constraint is active during each mesh smoothing operation.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SNID MNID1 MNID2 IPRE XCO YCO ZCO

Type I I I I F F F

Default none none none 0 0.0 0.0 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SNID Slave node ID, see Figure 2.1.

MNID1 First master node ID.

MNID2 Second master node ID.

IPRE EQ.0: smoothing constraints are performed after mesh relaxation,

EQ.1: smoothing constraints are performed before mesh relaxation.

XCO x-coordinate of constraint vector

YCO y-coordinate of constraint vector

ZCO z-coordinate of constraint vector

LS-DYNA Version 960 2.13 (ALE)

*ALE
Remark:

Abritrary Lagrangian Eulerian meshes are defined via the choice of the element type and the
*CONTROL_ALE card. This can only be used with solid elements.

1st master node

•
• slave node

• 2nd master node

Figure 2.1 This simple constraint, which ensures that a slave node remains on a straight line
between two master nodes, is sometimes necessary during ALE smoothing.

2.14 (ALE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY

*BOUNDARY
The keyword *BOUNDARY provides a way of defining imposed motions on boundary
nodes. The keyword control cards in this section are defined in alphabetical order:

*BOUNDARY_ACOUSTIC_COUPLING

*BOUNDARY_AMBIENT_EOS

*BOUNDARY_CONVECTION_OPTION

*BOUNDARY_CYCLIC

*BOUNDARY_ELEMENT_METHOD_OPTION

*BOUNDARY_FLUX_OPTION

*BOUNDARY_NON_REFLECTING

*BOUNDARY_NON_REFLECTING_2D

*BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_MOTION_OPTION

*BOUNDARY_PRESSURE_OUTFLOW_OPTION

*BOUNDARY_RADIATION_OPTION

*BOUNDARY_SLIDING_PLANE

*BOUNDARY_SPC_OPTION

*BOUNDARY_SYMMETRY_FAILURE

*BOUNDARY_TEMPERATURE_OPTION

*BOUNDARY_USA_SURFACE

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.1 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_ACOUSTIC_COUPLING

Purpose: Define a segment set for acoustic coupling. The segments should define the surface of a
shell or solid (structural) element. This option allows for acoustic elements (type 8 solid elements) to
couple on either one side of a shell or solid element structure or both sides of a shell structure. The
nodal points of the shell segments and those on either side of the segments must be coincident. If the
fluid exists on just one side of the segment and if the nodes are merged, no input is necessary and
input data in this section is not needed. Two sided coupling will not work if the interface nodes are
merged out.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID

Type I

Default none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Segment set ID, see *SET_SEGMENT

Remark:

For the stability of the acoustic-structure coupling, the following condition must be satisfied:

2 ρa D
<5
ρ s ts

where ρa is the density of the acoustic medium, D is the total thickness of the acoustic elements
adjacent to the structural element, ρs is the density, and ts is the thickness of the structural shell
element.

3.2 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_AMBIENT_EOS

Purpose: Define load curve driven internal energy and relative volume for ambient elements.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID LC1 LC2

Type I I I

Default none none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID.

LC1 Load curve ID for specific internal energy.

LC2 Load curve ID for relative volume.

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.3 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_CONVECTION_OPTION

Available options are:

SEGMENT

SET

Purpose: Define convection boundary conditions for a thermal or coupled thermal/structural analysis.
Two cards are defined for each option.

For the SET option define the following card:

Card Format (Card 1 of 2)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID

Type I

Default none

For the SEGMENT option define the following card:

Card Format (Card 1 of 2)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable N1 N2 N3 N4

Type I I I I

Default none none none none

3.4 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
Define the following card for both options:

Card Format (Card 2 of 2)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable HLCID HMULT TLCID TMULT

Type I F I F

Default none 1.0 none 1.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Segment set ID, see *SET_SEGMENT.

N1,N2... Node ID’s defining segment.

HLCID Load curve ID for heat transfer coefficient, h:

GT.0: function versus time,
EQ.0: use constant multiplier value, HMULT,
LT.0: function versus temperature.

HMULT Curve multiplier for h.

TLCID Load curve ID for T ∞ versus time, see *DEFINE_CURVE:

EQ.0: use constant multiplier value, TMULT.

TMULT Curve multiplier for T ∞

Remarks:

A convection boundary condition is calculated using q̇ ′′ = h(T - T ∞ ) where

h heat transfer coefficient

(T - T ∞ ) temperature potential

Three alternatives are possible for the heat transfer coefficient which can be a function of
time, a function of temperature, or constant. Also, the temperature of the boundary T ∞ can be either
constant or a function of time. For both curves, multipliers can be used to scale the values.

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.5 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_CYCLIC

Purpose: Define nodes in boundary planes for cyclic symmetry.

These boundary conditions can be used to model a segment of an object that has rotational symmetry
such as an impeller, i.e., Figure 3.1. The segment boundary, denoted as a side 1 and side 2, may be
curved or planar. In this section, a paired list of points are defined on the sides that are to be joined.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XC YC ZC NSID1 NSID2

Type F F F I I

Default none none none none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XC x-component axis vector of axis of rotation

YC y-component axis vector of axis of rotation

ZC z-component axis vector of axis of rotation

NSID1 Node set ID for first boundary plane (side 1, see Figure 3.1).

NSID2 Node set ID for second boundary plane (side 2, see Figure 3.1). Each
boundary node in this boundary plane is constrained to its corresponding
node in the first node set. Node sets NSID1 and NSID2 must contain the
same number of nodal points. Care has to be taken that the nodes in both
node sets have a location which, if given in cylindrical coordinates, all differ
by the same angle.

Remark:

Only globally defined axes of rotation are possible.

3.6 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY

Conformable
Interface

Side 1

Sid
Sid
e2
e2

e1
Sid

Segment

Figure 3.1 With cyclic symmetry only one segment is modeled.

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.7 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_ELEMENT_METHOD_OPTION

Available options are:

CONTROL

FLOW

NEIGHBOR

SYMMETRY

WAKE

Purpose: Define input parameters for boundary element method analysis of incompressible fluid
dynamics or fluid-structure interaction problems.

The boundary element method (BEM) can be used to compute the steady state or transient
fluid flow about a rigid or deformable body. The theory which underlies the method (see the LS-
DYNA Theoretical Manual) is restricted to inviscid, incompressible, attached fluid flow. The
method should not be used to analyze flows where shocks or cavitation are present.

In practice the method can be successfully applied to a wider class of fluid flow problems
than the assumption of inviscid, incompressible, attached flow would imply. Many flows of
practical engineering significance have large Reynolds numbers (above 1 million). For these flows
the effects of fluid viscosity are small if the flow remains attached, and the assumption of zero
viscosity may not be a significant limitation. Flow separation does not necessarily invalidate the
analysis. If well-defined separation lines exist on the body, then wakes can be attached to these
separation lines and reasonable results can be obtained. The Prandtl-Glauert rule can be used to
correct for non-zero Mach numbers in a gas, so the effects of aerodynamic compressibility can be
correctly modeled (as long as no shocks are present).

The BOUNDARY_ELEMENT_METHOD_FLOW card turns on the analysis, and is

mandatory.

3.8 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_ELEMENT_METHOD_CONTROL

Purpose: Control the execution time of the boundary element method calculation. The CONTROL
option is used to control the execution time of the boundary element method calculation, and the use
of this option is strongly recommended. The BEM calculations can easily dominate the total
execution time of a LS-DYNA run unless the parameters on this card (especially DTBEM and/or
IUPBEM) are used appropriately.

DTBEM is used to increase the time increment between calls to the BEM routines. This can
usually be done with little loss in accuracy since the characteristic times of the structural dynamics
and the fluid flow can differ by several orders of magnitude. The characteristic time of the structural
dynamics in LS-DYNA is given by the size of the smallest structural element divided by the speed of
sound of its material. For a typical problem this characteristic time might be equal to 1 microsecond.
Since the fluid in the boundary element method is assumed to be incompressible (infinite speed of
sound), the characteristic time of the fluid flow is given by the streamwise length of the smallest
surface in the flow divided by the fluid velocity. For a typical problem this characteristic time might
be equal to 10 milliseconds. For this example DTBEM might be set to 1 millisecond with little loss
of accuracy. Thus, for this example, the boundary element method would be called only once for
every 1000 LS-DYNA iterations, saving an enormous amount of computer time.

IUPBEM is used to increase the number of times the BEM routines are called before the
matrix of influence coefficients is recomputed and factored (these are time-consuming procedures).
If the motion of the body is entirely rigid body motion there is no need to ever recompute and factor
the matrix of influence coefficients after initialization, and the execution time of the BEM can be
significantly reduced by setting IUPBEM to a very large number. For situations where the structural
deformations are modest an intermediate value (e.g. 10) for IUPBEM can be used.

Define one card.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LWAKE DTBEM IUPBEM FARBEM

Type I F I F

Default 50 0. 100 2.0

Remark 1 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LWAKE Number of elements in the wake of lifting surfaces. Wakes must be defined
for all lifting surfaces.

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.9 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DTBEM Time increment between calls to the boundary element method. The fluid
pressures computed during the previous call to the BEM will continue to be
used for subsequent LS-DYNA iterations until a time increment of DTBEM
has elapsed.

IUPBEM The number of times the BEM routines are called before the matrix of
influence coefficients is recomputed and refactored.

FARBEM Nondimensional boundary between near-field and far-field calculation of

influence coefficients.

Remarks:

1. Wakes convect with the free-stream velocity. The number of elements in the wake should be
set to provide a total wake length equal to 5-10 times the characteristic streamwise length of the
lifting surface to which the wake is attached. Note that each wake element has a streamwise
length equal to the magnitude of the free stream velocity multiplied by the time increment
between calls to the boundary element method routines. This time increment is controlled by
DTBEM.

2. The most accurate results will be obtained with FARBEM set to 5 or more, while values as low
as 2 will provide slightly reduced accuracy with a 50% reduction in the time required to
compute the matrix of influence coefficients.

3.10 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_ELEMENT_METHOD_FLOW

Purpose: Turn on the boundary element method calculation, specify the set of shells which define
the surface of the bodies of interest, and specify the onset flow.

The *BOUNDARY_ELEMENT_METHOD_FLOW card turns on the BEM calculation. This

card also identifies the shell elements which define the surfaces of the bodies of interest, and the
properties of the onset fluid flow. The onset flow can be zero for bodies which move through a fluid
which is initially at rest.

Define one card.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID VX VY VZ RO PSTATIC MACH

Type I F F F F F F

Default none none none none none 0. 0.

Remark 1 2 3

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Shell set ID for the set of shell elements which define the surface of the
bodies of interest (see *SET_SHELL). The nodes of these shells should be
ordered so that the shell normals point into the fluid.

VX, VY, VZ x, y, and z components of the free-stream fluid velocity.

RO Fluid density.

PSTATIC Fluid static pressure.

MACH Free-stream Mach number.

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.11 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY

Remarks:

1. It is recommended that the shell segments in the SSID set use the NULL material (see
*MAT_NULL). This will provide for the display of fluid pressures in the post-processor. For
triangular shells the 4th node number should be the same as the 3rd node number. For fluid-
structure interaction problems it is recommended that the boundary element shells use the same
nodes and be coincident with the structural shell elements (or the outer face of solid elements)
which define the surface of the body. This approach guarantees that the boundary element
segments will move with the surface of the body as it deforms.

2. A pressure of PSTATIC is applied uniformly to all segments in the segment set. If the body of
interest is hollow, then PSTATIC should be set to the free-stream static pressure minus the
pressure on the inside of the body.

3. The effects of susbsonic compressibility on gas flows can be included using a non-zero value
for MACH. The pressures which arise from the fluid flow are increased using the Prandtl-
Glauert compressibility correction. MACH should be set to zero for water or other liquid
flows.

3.12 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_ELEMENT_METHOD_NEIGHBOR

Purpose: Define the neighboring elements for a given boundary element segment.

The pressure at the surface of a body is determined by the gradient of the doublet distribution
on the surface (see the LS-DYNA Theoretical Manual). The “Neighbor Array” is used to specify
how the gradient is computed for each boundary element segment. Ordinarily, the Neighbor Array is
set up automatically by LS-DYNA, and no user input is required. The NEIGHBOR option is
provided for those circumstances when the user desires to define this array manually.

For the NEIGHBOR option define the following cards:

Card Format - Cards 1, 2, 3, ... (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NELEM NABOR1 NABOR2 NABOR3 NABOR4

Type I I I I I

Default none none none none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NELEM Element number.

NABOR1 Neighbor for side 1 of NELEM.

NABOR2 Neighbor for side 2 of NELEM.

NABOR3 Neighbor for side 3 of NELEM.

NABOR4 Neighbor for side 4 of NELEM.

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.13 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY

Remarks:

Each boundary element has 4 sides (Figure 3.2). Side 1 connects the 1st and 2nd nodes, side
2 connects the 2nd and 3rd nodes, etc. The 4th side is null for triangular elements.

node 4 node 3

side 3
side 4 side 2
side 1
node 1 node 2

Figure 3.2 Each segment has 4 sides.

For most elements the specification of neighbors is straightforward. For the typical case a
quadrilateral element is surrounded by 4 other elements, and the neighbor array is as shown in Figure
3.3.

neighbor(3,j)

side 3
neighbor(4,j) neighbor(2,j)
segment j
side 4 side 2
side 1

neighbor(1,j)

Figure 3.3 Typical neighbor specification.

There are several situations for which the user may desire to directly specify the neighbor
array for certain elements. For example, boundary element wakes result in discontinuous doublet
distributions, and neighbors which cross a wake should not be used. Figure 3.4 illustrates a
situation where a wake is attached to side 2 of segment j. For this situation two options exist. If
neighbor(2,j) is set to zero, then a linear computation of the gradient in the side 2 to side 4 direction
will be made using the difference between the doublet strengths on segment j and segment
neighbor(4,j). This is the default setup used by LS-DYNA when no user input is provided. By
specifying neighbor(2,j) as a negative number a more accurate quadratic curve fit will be used to
compute the gradient. The curve fit will use segment j, segment neighbor(4,j), and segment
-neighbor(2,j); which is located on the opposite side of segment neighbor(4,j) as segment j.

3.14 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY

-neighbor(2,j) neighbor(4,j) segment j

side 4 side 2

Figure 3.4 If neighbor(2,j) is a negative number it is assumed to lie on the

opposite side of neighbor(4,j) as segment j.

Another possibility is that no neighbors at all are available in the side 2 to side 4 direction. In
this case both neighbor(2,j) and neighbor(4,j) can be set to zero, and the gradient in that direction
will be assumed to be zero. This option should be used with caution, as the resulting fluid pressures
will not be accurate for three-dimensional flows. However, this option is occaisionally useful where
quasi-two dimensional results are desired. All of the above options apply to the side 1 to side 3
direction in the obvious ways.

For triangular boundary elements side 4 is null. Gradients in the side 2 to side 4 direction can
be computed as described above by setting neighbor(4,j) to zero for a linear derivative computation
(this is the default setup used by LS-DYNA when no user input is provided) or to a negative number
to use the segment on the other side of neighbor(2,j) and a quadratic curve fit. There may also be
another triangular segment which can be used as neighbor(4,j) (see Figure 3.5).

neighbor(4,j)
segment j side 2

Figure 3.5 Sometimes another triangular boundary element segment can be used
as neighbor(4,j).

The rules for computing the doublet gradient in the side 2 to side 4 direction can be
summarized as follows (the side 1 to side 3 case is similar):

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.15 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
Table 3.1 Surface pressure computation for element j.

NABOR2 NABOR4 Doublet Gradient Computation

GT.0 GT.0 quadratic fit using elements j,
NABOR2, and NABOR4
LT.0 GT.0 quadratic fit using elements j,
-NABOR2, and NABOR4.
-NABOR2 is assumed to lie on
the opposite side of NABOR4
as segment j (see Fig. 3.4)
GT.0 LT.0 quadratic fit using elements j,
NABOR2, and -NABOR4.
-NABOR4 is assumed to lie on
the opposite side of NABOR2
as segment j
EQ.0 GT.0 linear fit using elements j and
NABOR4
GT.0 EQ.0 linear fit using elements j and
NABOR2
EQ.0 EQ.0 zero gradient

3.16 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_ELEMENT_METHOD_SYMMETRY

Purpose: To define a plane of symmetry for the boundary element method. The SYMMETRY
option can be used to reduce the time and memory required for symmetric configurations. For these
configurations the reduction in the number of boundary elements by a factor of 2 will reduce the
memory used by the boundary element method by a factor of 4, and will reduce the computer time
required to factor the matrix of influence coefficients by a factor of 8. Only 1 plane of symmetry can
be defined.

For the SYMMETRY option define the the following card:

Define one card.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable BEMSYM

Type I

Default 0

Remark

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

BEMSYM Defines symmetry plane for boundary element method.

EQ. 0: no symmetry plane is defined

EQ. 1: x = 0 is a symmetry plane

EQ. 2: y = 0 is a symmetry plane

EQ. 3: z = 0 is a symmetry plane

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.17 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_ELEMENT_METHOD_WAKE

Purpose: To attach wakes to the trailing edges of lifting surfaces. Wakes should be attached to
boundary elements at the trailing edge of a lifting surface (such as a wing, propeller blade, rudder, or
diving plane). Wakes should also be attached to known separation lines when detached flow is
known to exist (such as the sharp leading edge of a delata wing at high angles of attack). Wakes are
required for the correct computation of surface pressures for these situations. As described above,
two segments on opposite sides of a wake should never be used as neighbors.

For the WAKE option define the the following cards:

Card Format - Cards 1, 2, 3, ... (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NELEM NSIDE

Type I I

Default none none

Remark 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NELEM Element number to which a wake is attached.

NSIDE The side of NELEM to which the wake is attached (see Fig. 3.2). This
should be the "downstream" side of NELEM.

Remarks:

1. Normally two elements meet at a trailing edge (one on the "upper" surface and one on the
"lower" surface). The wake can be attached to either element, but not to both.

3.18 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_FLUX_OPTION

Available options are:

SEGMENT

SET

Purpose: Define flux boundary conditions for a thermal or coupled thermal/structural analysis. Two
cards are defined for each option.

For the SET option define the following card:

Card Format (Card 1 of 2)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID

Type I

Default none

For the SEGMENT option define the following card:

Card Format (Card 1 of 2)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable N1 N2 N3 N4

Type I I I I

Default none none none none

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.19 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
Define the following card for both options:

Card Format (Card 2 of 2)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCID MLC1 MLC2 MLC3 MLC4

Type I F F F F

Default none 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Segment set ID, see *SET_SEGMENT

N1,N2... Node ID’s defining segment

LCID Load curve ID for heat flux, see *DEFINE_CURVE:

GT.0: function versus time,
EQ.0: use constant multiplier values at nodes,
LT.0: function versus temperature.

MLC1 Curve multiplier at node N1, see Figure 3.2.

MLC2 Curve multiplier at node N2, see Figure 3.2.

MLC3 Curve multiplier at node N3, see Figure 3.2.

MLC4 Curve multiplier at node N4, see Figure 3.2.

Remarks:

Three definitions for heat flux are possible. Heat flux can be a function of time, a function of
temperature, or constant values that are maintained throughout the calculation. With the definition of
multipliers at each node of the segment, a bilinear spatial variation can be assumed.

By convention, heat flow is negative in the direction of the surface outward normal vector.
Surface definition is in accordance with the left hand rule. The outward normal vector points to the
left as one progresses from node N1-N2-N3-N4. See Figure 3.6.

3.20 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
q3

q2
q4
• n3
q1

n2• •n4
•
n1

Figure 3.6. Nodal number determines outward normal.

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.21 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_MCOL

Purpose: Define parameters for MCOL coupling. The MCOL Program is a rigid body mechanics
program for modeling the dynamics of ships. See Remark 1 for more information

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NMCOL MXSTEP ENDTMCOL TSUBC PRTMCOL

Type I I F F F

Default 2 none 0.0 0.0 none

Remarks 2

Card 2 must be defined for each ship

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5

Variable RBMCOL MCOLFILE

Type I A60

Default 2 none

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NMCOL Number of ships in MCOL coupling.

MXSTEP Maximum of time step in MCOL calculation. If the number of MCOL time
steps exceeds MXSTEP, then LS-DYNA will terminate.

ENDTMCOL Uncoupling termination time, see Remark 2 below.

EQ. 0.0: set to LS-DYNA termination time

3.22 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TSUBC Time interval for MCOL subcycling.

EQ. 0.0: no subcycling

PRTMCOL Time interval for output of MCOL rigid body data.

RBMCOL LS-DYNA rigid body material assignment for the ship.

MCOLFILE Filename containing MCOL input parameters for the ship.

Remarks:

1. The basis for MCOL is a convolution integral approach for simulating the equations of motion.
A mass and inertia tensor are required as input for each ship. The masses are then augmented to
include the effects of the mass of the surrounding water. A separate program determines the
various terms of the damping/buoyancy force formulas which are also input to MCOL. The
coupling is accomplished in a simple manner: at each time step LS-DYNA computes the
resultant forces and moments on the MCOL rigid bodies and passes them to MCOL. MCOL
then updates the positions of the ships and returns the new rigid body locations to LS-DYNA.
A more detailed theoretical and practical description of MCOL can be found in a separate report
(to appear).

2. After the end of the LS-DYNA / MCOL calculation, the analysis can be pursued using MCOL
alone. ENDTMCOL is the termination time for this analysis. If ENDTMCOL is lower than the
LS-DYNA termination time, the uncoupled analysis will not be activated.

3. The MCOL output is set to the files MCOLOUT (ship position) and MCOLENERGY (energy
breakdown). In LS-POST, MCOLOUT can be plotted through the rigid body time history
option and MCOLENERGY.

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.23 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_NON_REFLECTING

Purpose: Define a non-reflecting boundary. This option applies to continuum domains modeled
with solid elements, as indefinite domains are usually not modeled. For geomechanical problems
this option is important for limiting the size of the models.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID AD AS

Type I F F

Default none 0.0 0.0

Remarks 1, 2 3 3

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Segment set ID, see *SET_SEGMENT.

AD Default activation flag for dilatational waves. (on.EQ.0.0, off.NE.0.0)

AS Default activation flag for shear waves. (on.EQ.0.0, off.NE.0.0)

Remarks:

1. Non-reflecting boundaries defined with this keyword are only used with three-dimensional solid
elements. Boundaries are defined as a collection of segments, and segments are equivalent to
element faces on the boundary. Segments are defined by listing the corner nodes in either a
clockwise or counterclockwise order.

2. Non-reflecting boundaries are used on the exterior boundaries of an analysis model of an infinite
domain, such as a half-space to prevent artificial stress wave reflections generated at the model
boundaries form reentering the model and contaminating the results. Internally, LS-DYNA
computes an impedance matching function for all non-reflecting boundary segments based on an
assumption of linear material behavior. Thus, the finite element mesh should be constructed so
that all significant nonlinear behavior is contained within the discrete analysis model.

3. With the two optional switches, the influence of reflecting waves can be studied.

3.24 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_NON_REFLECTING_2D

Purpose: Define a non-reflecting boundary. This option applies to continuum domains modeled
with two dimensional solid elements in the xy plane, as indefinite domains are usually not modeled.
For geomechanical problems, this option is important for limiting the size of the models.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID

Type I

Default none

Remarks 1, 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID Node set ID, see *SET_NODE. See Figure 3.7.

Remarks:

1. Non-reflecting boundaries defined with this keyword are only used with two-dimensional solid
elements in either plane strain or axisymmetric geometries. Boundaries are defined as a
sequential string of nodes moving counterclockwise around the boundary.

2. Non-reflecting boundaries are used on the exterior boundaries of an analysis model of an infinite
domain, such as a half-space to prevent artificial stress wave reflections generated at the model
boundaries form reentering the model and contaminating the results. Internally, LS-DYNA
computes an impedance matching function for all non-reflecting boundary segments based on an
assumption of linear material behavior. Thus, the finite element mesh should be constructed so
that all significant nonlinear behavior in contained within the discrete analysis model.

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.25 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY

Define the nodes k, k+1, k+2, ...,k+n

while moving counterclockwise around
the boundary.

k+....

x k+2

k+1

Figure 3.7 When defining a transmitting boundary in 2D define the node numbers in the node set
in consecutive order while moving counterclockwise around the boundary.

3.26 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_OUTFLOW_CFD_OPTION

Available options include:

SEGMENT

SET

Purpose: Define "passive" outflow boundary conditions for the incompressible flow solvers. These
boundary conditions are active only when SOLN=4 or SOLN=5 on the *CONTROL_SOLUTION
keyword.

For the SET option define the following card.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID

Type I

Default none

For the SEGMENT option define the following card.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable N1 N2 N3 N4

Type I I I I

Default none none none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Segment set ID.

N1, N2, ... Node ID's defining segment.

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.27 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
Remarks:

In the incompressible flow solver, the role of the outflow boundary conditions is to provide a
computational boundary that is passive - particularly in the presence of strong vortical flow
structures. Typically, this boundary condition is applied at boundaries that have been artificially
imposed to emulate far-field conditions in a large physical domain.

3.28 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_CFD_OPTION

Available options include:

NODE

SET

Purpose: Define an imposed nodal variable (velocity, temperature, species, etc.) on a node or a set
of nodes for the Navier-Stokes flow solver. Do not use the NODE option in r-adaptive problems
since the node ID's may change during the adaptive step.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable typeID DOF LCID SF

Type I I I F

Default none none none 1.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

typeID Node ID (NID) or nodal set ID (NSID), see *SET_NODE.

DOF Applicable degrees-of-freedom:

EQ. 101: x-velocity,
EQ. 102: y-velocity,
EQ. 103: z-velocity,
EQ. 104: Temperature,
EQ. 107: turbulent kinetic energy,
EQ. 110: turbulent eddy viscosity,
EQ. 121: Species mass fraction-1,
EQ. 122: Species mass fraction-2,
EQ. 123: Species mass fraction-3,
EQ. 124: Species mass fraction-4,
EQ. 125: Species mass fraction-5,
EQ. 126: Species mass fraction-6,
EQ. 127: Species mass fraction-7,
EQ. 128: Species mass fraction-8,
EQ. 129: Species mass fraction-9,
EQ. 130: Species mass fraction-10,
EQ. 201: x-, y-, z-velocity,
EQ. 202: x-, y-velocity,
EQ. 203: x-, z-velocity,
EQ. 204: y-, z-velocity,

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.29 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
EQ. 301: All species.

LCID Load curve ID to describe motion value versus time, see

*DEFINE_CURVE.

SF Load curve scale factor. (default=1.0)

Remarks:

The prescription of all nodal variables in the incompressible flow solver are defined using this
keyword. It is similar in function to the *BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_MOTION_OPTION
keyword, but permits the specification of boundary conditions for velocities, mass concentration of
each species, temperature, turbulent kinetic energy, etc. Additionally, the keyword optionally
provides for prescribing all velocities, for example on a no-slip and no-penetration surface. Multiple
instances of the keyword permit individual nodal variables to be prescribed using independent load
curves and scale factors.

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_CFD_SET
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ A set of nodes is given a prescribed velocity in the
$ x-direction according to a specified vel-time curve (which is scaled).
$
*BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_CFD_SET
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ nsid dof lcid sf
4 101 8 2.0
$
$ nsid = 4 nodal set ID number, requires a *SET_NODE_option
$ dof = 101 x-velocity is prescribed
$ lcid = 8 velocity follows load curve 8, requires a *DEFINE_CURVE
$ sf = 2.0 velocity specified by load curve is scaled by 2.0
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

3.30 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_MOTION_OPTION

Available options include:

NODE

SET

RIGID

RIGID_LOCAL

Purpose: Define an imposed nodal motion (velocity, acceleration, or displacement) on a node or a set
of nodes. Also velocities and displacements can be imposed on rigid bodies. If the local option is
active the motion is prescribed with respect to the local coordinate system for the rigid body (See
variable LCO for keyword *MAT_RIGID). Translational nodal velocity and acceleration
specifications for rigid body nodes are allowed and are applied as described at the end of this section.
For nodes on rigid bodies use the NODE option. Do not use the NODE option in r-adaptive
problems since the node ID's may change during the adaptive step.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable typeID DOF VAD LCID SF VID DEATH BIRTH

Type I I I I F I F F

Default none none 0 none 1. 0 1.E+28 0.0

Card is required if DOF=9,10,11 on the first card or VAD=4. If DOF<9 and

VAD<4, skip this card.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable OFFSET1 OFFSET2 MRB NODE1 NODE2

Type F F I I I

Default 0. 0. 0 0 0

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.31 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID, NSID, PID Node ID (NID), nodal set ID (NSID), SEE *SET_NODE, or part ID
(PID), see *PART, for a rigid body.

DOF Applicable degrees-of-freedom:

EQ. 1: x-translational degree-of-freedom,
EQ. 2: y-translational degree-of-freedom,
EQ. 3: z-translational degree-of-freedom,
EQ. 4: translational motion in direction given by the VID. Movement
on plane normal to the vector is permitted.
EQ.-4: translational motion in direction given by the VID. Movement
on plane normal to the vector is not permitted. This option does not
apply to rigid bodies.
EQ.5: x-rotational degree-of-freedom,
EQ. 6: y-rotational degree-of-freedom,
EQ. 7: z-rotational degree-of-freedom,
EQ. 8: rotational motion about the vector given by the VID. Rotation
about the normal axes is permitted.
EQ.-8: rotational motion about the vector given by the VID. Rotation
about the normal axes is not permitted. This option does not apply to
rigid bodies.
EQ. 9: y/z degrees-of-freedom for node rotating about the x-axis at
location (OFFSET1,OFFSET2 ) in the yz-plane, point (y,z). Radial
motion is NOT permitted.
EQ.-9: y/z degrees-of-freedom for node rotating about the x-axis at
location (OFFSET1,OFFSET2 ) in the yz-plane, point (y,z). Radial
motion is permitted.
EQ.10: z/x degrees-of-freedom for node rotating about the y-axis at
location (OFFSET1,OFFSET2) in the zx-plane, point (z,x). Radial motion
is NOT permitted.
EQ.-10: z/x degrees-of-freedom for node rotating about the y-axis at
location (OFFSET1,OFFSET2) in the zx-plane, point (z,x). Radial motion
is permitted.
EQ.11: x/y degrees-of-freedom for node rotating about the z-axis at
location (OFFSET1,OFFSET2 ) in the xy-plane, point (x,y). Radial
motion is NOT permitted.
EQ.-11: x/y degrees-of-freedom for node rotating about the z-axis at
location (OFFSET1,OFFSET2 ) in the xy-plane, point (x,y). Radial
motion is permitted.

VAD Velocity/Acceleration/Displacement flag:

EQ.0: velocity (rigid bodies and nodes),
EQ.1: acceleration (nodes only),
EQ.2: displacement (rigid bodies and nodes).
EQ.3: velocity versus displacement (rigid bodies)
EQ.4: relative displacement (rigid bodies only)

LCID Load curve ID to describe motion value versus time, see *DEFINE_
CURVE.

SF Load curve scale factor. (default=1.0)

3.32 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

VID Vector ID for DOF values of 4 or 8, see *DEFINE_VECTOR.

DEATH Time imposed motion/constraint is removed:

EQ.0.0: default set to 1028.
BIRTH Time imposed motion/constraint is activated.

OFFSET1 Offset for DOF types 9-11 (y, z, x direction)

OFFSET2 Offset for DOF types 9-11 (z, x, y direction)

MRB Master rigid body for measuring the relative displacement.

NODE1 Optional orientation node, n1, for relative displacement

NODE2 Optional orientation node, n2, for relative displacement

Remarks:

Arbitrary translations and rotations are possible. Rotations around local axis can be defined
either by setting DOF=8 or by using the offset option of DOF>8. The load curve scale factor can be
used for simple modifications or unit adjustments.

The relative displacement can be measured in either of two ways:

1. Along a straight line between the mass centers of the rigid bodies,

2. Along a vector beginning at node n1 and terminating at node n2.

With option 1, a positive displacement will move the rigid bodies further apart, and, likewise a
negative motion will move the rigid bodies closer together. The mass centers of the rigid bodies
must not be coincident when this option is used. With option 2 the relative displacement is measured
along the vector, and the rigid bodies may be coincident. Note that the motion of the master rigid
body is not directly affected by this option, i.e., no forces are generated on the master rigid body.

The activation time, BIRTH, is the time during the solution that the constraint begins to act.
Until this time, the prescribed motion card is ignored. The function value of the load curves will be
evaluated at the offset time given by the difference of the solution time and BIRTH, i.e., (solution
time-BIRTH). Relative displacements that occur prior to reaching BIRTH are ignored. Only relative
displacements that occur after BIRTH are prescribed.

When the constrained node is on a rigid body, the translational motion is imposed without
altering the angular velocity of the rigid body by calculating the appropriate translational velocity for
the center of mass of the rigid body using the equation:

vcm = vnode − ω × ( xcm − xnode )

where vcm is the velocity of the center of mass, vnode is the specified nodal velocity, ω is the angular
velocity of the rigid body, xcm is the current coordinate of the mass center, and xnode is the current
coordinate of the nodal point. Extreme care must be used when prescribing motion of a rigid body
LS-DYNA Version 960 3.33 (BOUNDARY)
*BOUNDARY
node. Typically, for nodes on a given rigid body, the motion of no more than one node should be
prescribed or unexpected results may be obtained.

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_MOTION_SET
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ A set of nodes is given a prescribed translational velocity in the
$ x-direction according to a specified vel-time curve (which is scaled).
$
*BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_MOTION_SET
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ nsid dof vad lcid sf vid death
4 1 0 8 2.0
$
$ nsid = 4 nodal set ID number, requires a *SET_NODE_option
$ dof = 1 motion is in x-translation
$ vad = 0 motion prescribed is velocity
$ lcid = 8 velocity follows load curve 8, requires a *DEFINE_CURVE
$ sf = 2.0 velocity specified by load curve is scaled by 2.0
$ vid not used in this example
$ death use default (essentially no death time for the motion)
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_MOTION_RIGID
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ A rigid body is given a prescribed rotational displacement about the
$ z-axis according to a specified displacement-time curve.
$
*BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_MOTION_RIGID
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ pid dof vad lcid sf vid death
84 7 2 9 14.0
$
$ pid = 84 apply motion to part number 84
$ dof = 7 rotation is prescribed about the z-axis
$ vad = 2 the prescribed motion is displacement (angular)
$ lcid = 9 rotation follows load curve 9, requires a *DEFINE_CURVE
$ (rotation should be in radians)
$ sf use default (sf = 1.0)
$ vid not used in this example
$ death = 14 prescribed motion is removed at 14 ms (assuming time is in ms)
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

3.34 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_PRESSURE_CFD_SET

Purpose: Apply a pressure load over each segment in a segment set for the incompressible flow
solver. The pressure convention follows Figure 3.8.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID LCID P

Type I I F

Default none none none

Remarks 1 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Segment set ID, see *SET_SEGMENT

LCID Load curve ID, see *DEFINE_CURVE

P Pressure to be applied.

Remarks:

1. The load curve multipliers may be used to increase or decrease the pressure amplitude. The time
value is not scaled.

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.35 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY

n1 n2

a) 2-Dimensional definition for pressure boundary segments.

t
n3
s

n1
n2
r

n4 t s n3

n1

n2

b) 3-Dimensional definition for pressure boundary segments

Figure 3.8. Nodal numbering for pressure boundary segments. Positive pressure acts in the
negative t-direction. For two dimensional problems repeat the second node for the
third and fourth nodes in the segment definitions.

3.36 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_PRESSURE_OUTFLOW_OPTION

Available options are

SEGMENT

SET

Purpose: Define pressure outflow boundary conditions. These boundary conditions are attached to
solid elements using the Eulerian ambient formulation (7) and defined to be pressure outflow ambient
elements (3). See *SECTION_SOLID_OPTION.

For the SET option define the following card

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID

Type I

Default none

For the SEGMENT option define the following card

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable N1 N2 N3 N4

Type I I I I

Default none none none none

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.37 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Segment set ID

N1,N2... Node ID’s defining segment

3.38 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_RADIATION_OPTION

Available options are:

SEGMENT
SET

Purpose: Define radiation boundary conditions for a thermal or coupled thermal/structural analysis.
Two cards are defined for each option.
There are two types of radiation boundary conditions that can be specified.

1. The first type, models radiation exchange between a finite element surface segment and the
environment at temperature T∞. The view factor between the finite element surface segment and
the environment is 1.

2. The second type, models the radiation exchange between all the finite element segments that define
a completely closed volume. The view factors between all the finite element segments defining the
enclosure must be calculated and stored in a file named viewfl. With the _SET option multiple
independent boundary radiation enclosures may be defined.

For the SET option define the following card:

Card Format (Card 1 of 2)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID TYPE RAD_GRP FILE_NO

Type I I I I

Default none 1 0 0

For the SEGMENT option define the following card:

Card Format (Card 1 of 2)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable N1 N2 N3 N4 TYPE

Type I I I I I

Default none none none none 1

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.39 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
Define the following card boundary radiation type 1 :

Card Format (Card 2 of 2)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable RFLCID RFMULT TILCID TIMULT

Type I F I F

Default none 1.0 none 1.0

Define the following card boundary radiation type 2 :

Card Format (Card 2 of 2)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SELCID SEMULT

Type I F

Default none 1.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Segment set ID, see *SET_SEGMENT

N1,N2... Node ID’s defining segment

TYPE Radiation type:

EQ.1: Radiation boundary to environment (default),
EQ.2: Radiation in enclosure.

The following two parameters are used for enclosure radiation definitions
defined using the _SET option.

RAD_GRP Radiation enclosure group ID. The segment sets from all radiation
enclosure definitions with the same group ID are augmented to form a single
enclosure definition. If RAD_GRP is not specified or set to zero, then the
segments are placed in group zero. All segments defined by the
_SEGMENT option are placed in set zero.

3.40 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

FILE_NO File number for view factor file. FILE_NO is added to viewfl_ to form
the name of the file containing the view factors. For example if FILE_NO
is specified as 22, then the view factors are read from viewfl_22. For
radiation enclosure group zero FILE_NO is ignored and view factors are
read from viewfl. The same file may be used for different radiation
enclosure group definitions.

RFLCID Load curve ID for radiation factor f, see *DEFINE_CURVE:

GT.0: function versus time,
EQ.0: use constant multiplier value, RFMULT,
LT.0: function versus temperature.

RFMULT Curve multiplier for f, see *DEFINE_CURVE

TILCID Load curve ID for T ∞ versus time, see *DEFINE_CURVE:

EQ.0: use constant multiplier, TIMULT.

TIMULT Curve multiplier for T ∞ , see *DEFINE_CURVE

SELCID Load curve ID for surface emissivity, see *DEFINE_CURVE:

GT.0: function versus time,
EQ.0: use constant multiplier value, SEMULT,
LT.0: function versus temperature.

SEMULT Curve multiplier for surface emissivity, see *DEFINE_CURVE

Remarks:

A radiation boundary condition is calculated using a radiant-heat-transfer coefficient. Set

q̇ ′′ = hr (T - T ∞ ), where hr is a radiant-heat-transfer coefficient defined as

hr = f (T + T∞ )(T 2 + T 2 ∞ )

The exchange factor, F, is a characterization of the effect of the system geometry, emissivity
and reflectivity on the capability of radiative transport between surfaces. The radiation boundary
condition data cards require specification of the product, f = F σ , and T ∞ for the boundary surface.

The Stefan Boltzmann constant must be defined for radiation in enclosure (type 2). See
*CONTROL_THERMAL_SOLVER.

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.41 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
A file, with the name viewfl or viewfl_**, containing the surface-to-surface area*view
factor products (i.e., AiFij) must be defined. The AiFij products must be stored in this file by row
and formatted as 8E10.0.

row 1 A1F11 A1F12 • • • • A1F1n

row 2 A2F21 A1F22 • • • • A2F2n

• • • •••• •

row n AnFn1 AnFn2 • • • • AnFnn

The order of segments in the view factor file follow the order the sets are assigned to the boundary
radiation definition. For example with the following definition,
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *BOUNDARY_RADIATION_SET
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Make boundary enclosure radiation groups 8 and 9.
$
*BOUNDARY_RADIATION_SET
15 2 9 10
1.0 1.0
*BOUNDARY_RADIATION_SET
12 2 9 10
1.0 1.0
*BOUNDARY_RADIATION_SET
13 2 8 21
1.0 1.0
$
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

Enclousre radiation group 9 is composed of all the segments in SEGMENT_SET 15 followed by

those in SEGMENT_SET 12, the view factors are stored file view_10. Enclosure radiation group 8
is composed of the segment in SEGMENT_SET 13 and reads the view factors from viewfl_21.

For the zero group definition the order is segments defined by

*BOUNDARY_RADIATION_SEGMENT followed by segments defined by
*BOUNDARY_RADIATION_SET.

3.42 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_SLIDING_PLANE

Purpose: Define a sliding symmetry plane. This option applies to continuum domains modeled with
solid elements.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID VX VY VZ COPT

Type I F F F I

Default none 0 0 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID Nodal set ID, see *SET_NODE

VX x-component of vector defining normal or vector

VY y-component of vector defining normal or vector

VZ z-component of vector defining normal or vector

COPT Option:
EQ.0: node moves on normal plane,
EQ.1: node moves only in vector direction.

Remarks:

Any node may be constrained to move on an arbitrarily oriented plane or line depending on
the choice of COPT. Each boundary condition card defines a vector originating at (0,0,0) and
terminating at the coordinates defined above. Since an arbitrary magnitude is assumed for this
vector, the specified coordinates are non-unique and define only a direction. Use of
*BOUNDARY_SPC is preferred over *BOUNDARY_SLIDING_PLANE as the boundary
conditions imposed via the latter have been seen to break down somewhat in lengthy simulations
owing to numerical roundoff.

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.43 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_SPC_OPTION

Available options include:

NODE

SET

Purpose: Define nodal single point constraints. Do not use this option in r-adaptive problems since
the nodal point ID's change during the adaptive step. If possible use CONSTRAINED_GLOBAL
instead.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID/NSID CID DOFX DOFY DOFZ DOFRX DOFRY DOFRZ

Type I I I I I I I I

Default none 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID/NSID Node ID or nodal set ID, see *SET_NODE.

CID Coordinate system ID, see *DEFINE_COORDINATE_SYSTEM.

DOFX Insert 1 for translational constraint in local x-direction.

DOFY Insert 1 for translational constraint in local y-direction.

DOFZ Insert 1 for translational constraint in local z-direction.

DOFRX Insert 1 for rotational constraint about local x-axis.

DOFRY Insert 1 for rotational constraint about local y-axis.

DOFRZ Insert 1 for rotational constraint about local z-axis.

Remark:

Constraints are applied if a value of 1 is given for DOFxx. A value of zero means no
constraint. No attempt should be made to apply SPCs to nodes belonging to rigid bodies (see
*MAT_RIGID for application of rigid body constraints).

3.44 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *BOUNDARY_SPC_NODE
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Make boundary constraints for nodes 6 and 542.
$
*BOUNDARY_SPC_NODE
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ nid cid dofx dofy dofz dofrx dofry dofrz
6 0 1 1 1 1 1 1
542 0 0 1 0 1 0 1
$
$ Node 6 is fixed in all six degrees of freedom (no motion allowed).
$
$ Node 542 has a symmetry condition constraint in the x-z plane,
$ no motion allowed for y translation, and x & z rotation.
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.45 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_SYMMETRY_FAILURE

Purpose: Define a symmetry plane with a failure criterion. This option applies to continuum
domains modeled with solid elements.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID FS VTX VTY VTZ VHX VHY VHZ

Type I F F F F F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Segment set ID, see *SET_SEGMENT

FS Tensile failure stress > 0.0. The average stress in the elements surrounding
the boundary nodes in a direction perpendicular to the boundary is used.

VTX x-coordinate of tail of a normal vector originating on the wall (tail) and
terminating in the body (head) (i.e., vector points from the symmetry plane
into the body).

VTY y-coordinate of tail

VTZ z-coordinate of tail

VHX x-coordinate of head

VHY y-coordinate of head

VHZ z-coordinate of head

Remarks:

A plane of symmetry is assumed for the nodes on the boundary at the tail of the vector given
above. Only the motion perpendicular to the symmetry plane is constrained. After failure the nodes
are set free.

3.46 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_TEMPERATURE_OPTION

Available options are:

NODE

SET

Purpose: Define temperature boundary conditions for a thermal or coupled thermal/structural

analysis.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID/SID LCID CMULT

Type I I F

Default none 0 1.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID/SID Node ID/Node Set ID, see *SET_NODE_OPTION

LCID Load curve ID for temperature versus time:

EQ.0: use the constant multiplier value given below by CMULT.

CMULT Curve multiplier for temperature

Remarks:

If no load curve ID is given, then a constant boundary temperature is assumed. CMULT is

also used to scale the load curve values.

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.47 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_THERMAL_WELD

Purpose: Define a moving heat source to model welding. Only applicable for a coupled thermal-
structural simulations in which the weld source or workpiece is moving.

Card 1 Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID PTYP NID NFLAG X0 Y0 Z0 N2ID

Type I I I I F F F I

Default none 1 none 1 none none none none

Card 2 Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable a b c c LCID Q F F
f r f r

Type F F F F I F F F

Default none none none none none none none none

Optional Card 3 Format (define this card only if N2ID = -1 on card 1 above)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable tx ty tz

Type F F F

Default none none none

3.48 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID or Part Set ID to which weld source is applied

PTYP PID type:

EQ.1: PID defines a single part ID
EQ.2: PID defines a part set ID

NID Node ID giving location of weld source

EQ.0: location defined by (X0,Y0,Z0) below

NFLAG Flag controlling motion of weld source

EQ.1: source moves with node NID
EQ.2: source is fixed in space at original position of node NID

X0,Y0,Z0 Coordinates of weld source, which remains fixed in space (optional,

ignored if NID nonzero above)

N2ID Second node ID for weld beam aiming direction

GT. 0: beam is aimed from N2ID to NID, moves with these nodes
EQ.-1: beam aiming direction is (tx,ty,tz) input on optional card 3

a weld pool width

b weld pool depth (in beam aiming direction)

cf weld pool forward direction

c weld pool rearward direction

r

LCID load curve ID for weld energy input rate vs. time
EQ.0: use constant multiplier value Q.

Q curve multiplier for weld energy input rate [energy/time , e.g., Watt]

F forward distribution function

f

F reward distribution function (Note: Ff+ Fr = 2.0)

r

tx,ty,tz weld beam direction vector in global coordinates (N2ID = -1 only)

Remarks:

This boundary condition allows simulation of a moving weld heat source, following the work of
Goldak (J. Goldak, "A New Finite Element Model for Welding Heat Sources", Metallurgical
Transactions B, Volume 15B, June 1984, pp 299-305). Heat is generated in a ellipsoidal region
centered at the weld source, and decaying exponentially with distance according to:

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.49 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY

 −3 x 2   −3 y 2   −3z 2 
6 3FQ  2   2   2 
 a   b   c 
q= e e e
π π abc
where:
q = weld source power density

( x, y, z) = coordinates of point p in weld material

Ff if point p is in front of beam
F=
 Fr if point p is behind beam
c f if point p is in front of beam
c=
 c r if point p is behind beam
A local coordinate system is constructed which is centered at the heat source. The relative velocity
vector of the heat source defines the "forward" direction, so material points that are approaching the
heat source are in "front" of the beam. The beam aiming direction is used to compute the weld pool
depth. The weld pool width is measured normal to the relative velocity - aiming direction plane.

3.50 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *BOUNDARY
*BOUNDARY_USA_SURFACE

Purpose: Define a surface for coupling with the USA boundary element code [DeRuntz, 1993]. The
outward normal vectors should point into the fluid media.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID WETDRY NBEAM

Type I I I

Default none 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Segment set ID, see *SET_SEGMENT

WETDRY Wet surface flag:

EQ.0: dry, no coupling,
EQ.1: wet, coupled with USA.

NBEAM The number of nodes touched by USA Surface-of-Revolution (SOR)

elements. It is not necessary that the LS-DYNA model has beams where
USA has beams (i.e., SOR elements), merely that the LS-DYNA model has
nodes to receive the forces that USA will return.

Remarks:

The wet surface of 3 and 4-noded USA General boundary elements is defined in LS-DYNA
with a segment set of 4-noded surface segments, where the fourth node can duplicate the third node
to form a triangle. The segment normals should be directed into the USA fluid. If USA overlays are
going to be used to reduce the size of the DAA matrices, the user should nonetheless define the wet
surface here as if no overlay were being used. If Surface-of -Revolution elements (SORs) are being
used in USA, then NBEAM should be non zero on one and only one card in this section.

When running a coupled problem with USA, the procedure involves several steps. First,
LS-DYNA is executed to create a LS-DYNA dump file "d3dump" and a linking file "strnam" which
contains the nodal grid point data and wet segment connectivity data for the FLUMAS processor, and
the dof-equation table and strutural mass vector for the AUGMAT processor. "Dyna.pre" is denoted
"grdnam" in the FLUMAS manual and "strnam" in the AUGMAT manual. The execution line in the
first step is:

LS-DYNA Version 960 3.51 (BOUNDARY)

*BOUNDARY

LS-DYNA memory=nwds i=inputfilename > outputfilename

where "inputfilename" is the LS-DYNA input file.

In the second step, the DAA fluid mass matrix is created through execution of the USA
FLUMAS processor:

FLUMAS -m nwds < flumasinputfilename > flumasoutputfilename

In the third step, the modified augmented DAA equations for the coupled problem are
calculated and saved through execution of the USA AUGMAT processor:

AUGMAT -m nwds < augmatinputfilename > augmatoutputfilename

This step is repeated whenever one wishes to change DAA formulations.

In the fourth step the actual coupled time-integration is conducted using the execution line:

LS-DYNA memory=nwds r=d3dump usa=usainputfilename > outputfilename

The input files, flumasinputfilename, augmatinputfilename, and usainputfilename, are prepared in

accordance with the USA code documentation.

It is advisable when running coupled problems to check the ASCII output files to ensure that
each run completed normally.

3.52 (BOUNDARY) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *COMPONENT

*COMPONENT
The keyword *COMPONENT provides a way of incorporating specialized components and
features. The keyword control cards in this section are defined in alphabetical order:

*COMPONENT_GEBOD_OPTION

*COMPONENT_GEBOD_JOINT_OPTION

*COMPONENT_HYBRIDIII

*COMPONENT_HYBRIDIII_JOINT_OPTION

LS-DYNA Version 960 4.1 (COMPONENT)

*COMPONENT
*COMPONENT_GEBOD_OPTION

Purpose: Generate a rigid body dummy based on dimensions and mass properties from the GEBOD
database. The motion of the dummy is governed by equations integrated within LS-DYNA
separately from the finite element model. Default joint characteristics (stiffnesses, stop angles, etc.)
are set internally and should give reasonable results, however, they may be altered using the
*COMPONENT_GEBOD_JOINT command. Contact between the segments of the dummy and the
finite element model is defined using the *CONTACT_GEBOD command. The use of a positoning
file is essential with this feature, see Appendix K for further details.

OPTION specifies the human subject type. The male and female type represent adults while the
child is genderless.

MALE

FEMALE

CHILD

Card Format (Card 1 of 2)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DID UNITS SIZE

Type I I F

Default none none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DID Dummy ID. A unique number must be specified.

UNITS System of units used in the finite element model.

EQ.1: lbf*sec2/in - inch - sec
EQ.2: kg - meter - sec
EQ.3: kgf*sec2/mm - mm - sec
EQ.4: metric ton - mm - sec
EQ.5: kg - mm - msec
SIZE Size of the dummy. This represents a combined height and weight
percentile ranging from 0 to 100 for the male and female types. For the
child the number of months of age is input with an admissible range from
24 to 240.

4.2 (COMPONENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *COMPONENT
Card Format (Card 2 of 2)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable VX VY VZ GX GY GZ

Type F F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

VX,VY,VZ Initial velocity of the dummy in the global x, y and z directions.

GX,GY,GZ Global x,y, and z components of gravitational acceleration applied to the

dummy.

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *COMPONENT_GEBOD_MALE
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ A 50th percentile male dummy with the ID number of 7 is generated in the
$ lbf*sec^2-inch-sec system of units. The dummy is given an initial velocity of
$ 616 in/sec in the negative x direction and gravity acts in the negative z
$ direction with a value 386 in/sec^2.
$
*COMPONENT_GEBOD_MALE
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ did units size
7 1 50
$ vx vy vz gx gy gz
-616 0 0 0 0 -386
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 4.3 (COMPONENT)

*COMPONENT
*COMPONENT_GEBOD_JOINT_OPTION

Purpose : Alter the joint characteristics of a GEBOD rigid body dummy. Setting a joint parameter
value to zero retains the default value set internally. See Appendix K for further details.

The following options are available.

PELVIS

WAIST

LOWER_NECK

UPPER_NECK

LEFT_SHOULDER

RIGHT_SHOULDER

LEFT_ELBOW

RIGHT_ELBOW

LEFT_HIP

RIGHT_HIP

LEFT_KNEE

RIGHT_KNEE

LEFT_ANKLE

RIGHT_ANKLE

Card 1 - Required.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DID LC1 LC2 LC3 SCF1 SCF2 SCF3

Type F I I I F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DID Dummy ID, see *COMPONENT_GEBOD_OPTION.

LCi Load curve ID specifying the loading torque versus rotation (in radians) for
the i-th degree of freedom of the joint.

4.4 (COMPONENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *COMPONENT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SCFi Scale factor applied to the load curve of the i-th joint degree of freedom.

Card 2 - Required.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable C1 C2 C3 NEUT1 NEUT2 NEUT3

Type F F F F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

Ci Linear viscous damping coefficient applied to the i-th DOF of the joint.
Units are torque*time/radian, where the units of torque and time depend on
the choice of UNITS in card 1 of *COMPONENT_GEBOD_OPTION.

NEUTi Neutral angle (degrees) of joint's i-th DOF.

Card 3 - Required.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LOSA1 HISA1 LOSA2 HISA2 LOSA3 HISA3

Type F F F F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LOSAi Value of the low stop angle (degrees) for the i-th DOF of this joint.

HISAi Value of the high stop angle (degrees) for the i-th DOF of this joint.

LS-DYNA Version 960 4.5 (COMPONENT)

*COMPONENT
Card 4 - Required.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable UNK1 UNK2 UNK3

Type F F F

Default 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

UNKi Unloading stiffness (torque/radian) for the i-th degree of freedom of the
joint. This must be a positive number. Units of torque depend on the
choice of UNITS in card 1 of *COMPONENT_GEBOD_OPTION.

4.6 (COMPONENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *COMPONENT
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *COMPONENT_GEBOD_JOINT_LEFT_SHOULDER
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ The damping coefficients applied to all three degrees of freedom of the left
$ shoulder of dummy 7 are set to 2.5. All other characteristics of this joint
$ remain set to the default value.
$
*COMPONENT_GEBOD_JOINT_LEFT_SHOULDER
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ did lc1 lc2 lc3 scf1 scf2 scf3
7 0 0 0 0 0 0
$ c1 c2 c3 neut1 neut2 neut3
2.5 2.5 2.5 0 0 0
$ losa1 hisa1 losa2 hisa2 losa3 hisa3
0 0 0 0 0 0
$ unk1 unk2 unk3
0 0 0
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *COMPONENT_GEBOD_JOINT_WAIST
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Load curve 8 gives the torque versus rotation relationship for the 2nd DOF
$ (lateral flexion) of the waist of dummy 7. Also, the high stop angle of the
$ 1st DOF (forward flexion) is set to 45 degrees. All other characteristics
$ of this joint remain set to the default value.
$
*COMPONENT_GEBOD_JOINT_WAIST
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ did lc1 lc2 lc3 scf1 scf2 scf3
7 0 8 0 0 0 0
$ c1 c2 c3 neut1 neut2 neut3
0 0 0 0 0 0
$ losa1 hisa1 losa2 hisa2 losa3 hisa3
0 45 0 0 0 0
$ unk1 unk2 unk3
0 0 0
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 4.7 (COMPONENT)

*COMPONENT
*COMPONENT_HYBRIDIII

Purpose: Define a HYBRID III dummy. The motion of the dummy is governed by equations
integrated within LS-DYNA separately from the finite element model. Joint characteristics
(stiffnesses, damping, friction, etc.) are set internally and should give reasonable results, however,
they may be altered using the *COMPONENT_HYBRIDIII_JOINT command. The dummy
interacts with the finite element structure through contact interfaces.

Card Format (Card 1 of 2)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DID SIZE UNITS DEFRM VX VY VZ

Type I F I I F F F

Default none none none 1 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DID Dummy ID. A unique number must be specified.

SIZE Size of dummy.

EQ.1: 5th percentile adult
EQ.2: 50th percemtile adult
EQ.3: 95th percentile adult

UNITS System of units used in the finite element model.

EQ.1: lbf*sec2/in - inch - sec
EQ.2: kg - meter - sec
EQ.3: kgf*sec2/mm - mm - sec
EQ.4: metric ton - mm - sec
EQ.5: kg - mm - msec
DEFRM Deformability type.
EQ.1: all dummy segments entirely rigid
EQ.2: deformable abdomen (low density foam, mat #57)
EQ.3: deformable jacket (low density foam, mat #57)
EQ.4: deformable headskin (viscoelastic, mat #6)
EQ.5: deformable abdomen/jacket
EQ.6: deformable jacket/headskin
EQ.2: deformable abdomen/headskin
EQ.7: deformable abdomen/jacket/headskin

VX,VY,VZ Initial velocity of the dummy in the global x, y and z directions.

4.8 (COMPONENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *COMPONENT
Card Format (Card 2 of 2)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable HX HY HZ RX RY RZ

Type F F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

HX,HY,HZ Initial global x,y, and z coordinate values of the H-point .

RX,RY,RZ Initial rotation of dummy about the H-point with respect to the global x,y,
and z axes (degrees).
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *COMPONENT_HYBRIDIII
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ A 50th percentile adult rigid HYBRID III dummy with an ID number of 7 is defined
$ in the lbf*sec^2-inch-sec system of units. The dummy is assigned an initial
$ velocity of 616 in/sec in the negative x direction. The H-point is initially
$ situated at (x,y,z)=(38,20,0) and the dummy is rotated 18 degrees about the
$ global x-axis.
$
*COMPONENT_HYBRIDIII
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ did . size units defrm vx vy vz
7 2 1 1 -616. 0. 0.
$ hx hy hz rx ry rz
38. 20. 0. 18. 0. 0.
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 4.9 (COMPONENT)

*COMPONENT
*COMPONENT_HYBRIDIII_JOINT_OPTION

Purpose : Alter the joint characteristics of a HYBRID III dummy. Setting a joint parameter value to
zero retains the default value set internally.

The following options are available.

LUMBAR

LOWER_NECK

UPPER_NECK

LEFT_SHOULDER

RIGHT_SHOULDER

LEFT_ELBOW

RIGHT_ELBOW

LEFT_WRIST

RIGHT_WRIST

LEFT_HIP

RIGHT_HIP

LEFT_KNEE

RIGHT_KNEE

LEFT_ANKLE

RIGHT_ANKLE

RIBCAGE

Card 1 - Required.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DID Q1 Q2 Q3 FRIC

Type F F F F F

4.10 (COMPONENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *COMPONENT

Card 2 - Required.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable C1 ALO1 BLO1 AHI1 BHI1 QLO1 QHI1

Type F F F F F F F

Card 3 - Required. Left blank if joint has only one degree of freedom.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable C2 ALO2 BLO2 AHI2 BHI2 QLO2 QHI2

Type F F F F F F F

Card 4 - Required. Left blank if the joint has only two degrees of freedom.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable C3 ALO3 BLO3 AHI3 BHI3 QLO3 QHI3

Type F F F F F F F

LS-DYNA Version 960 4.11 (COMPONENT)

*COMPONENT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DID Dummy ID, see *COMPONENT_HYBRIDIII

Qi Initial value of the joint's i-th degree of freedom. Units of degrees are
defined for rotational DOF. See Appendix K for a listing of the applicable
DOF.

FRIC Friction load on the joint.

Ci Linear viscous damping coefficient applied to the i-th DOF of the joint.

ALOi Linear coefficient for the low regime spring of the joint's i-th DOF.

BLOi Cubic coeffient for the low regime spring of the joint's i-th DOF.

AHIi Linear coeffient for the high regime spring of the joint's i-th DOF.

BHIi Cubic coeffient for the high regime spring of the joint's i-th DOF.

QLOi Value for which the low regime spring definition becomes active.

QHIi Value for which the high regime spring definition becomes active.

4.12 (COMPONENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *COMPONENT
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *COMPONENT_HYBRIDIII_JOINT_LEFT_ANKLE
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ The damping coefficients applied to all three degrees of freedom of the left
$ ankle of dummy 7 are set to 2.5. All other characteristics of this joint
$ remain set to the default value. The dorsi-plantar flexion angle is set to
$ 20 degrees.
$
*COMPONENT_HYBRIDIII_JOINT_LEFT_ANKLE
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ did q1 q2 q3 fric
7 0 20. 0 0 0
$ c1 alo1 blo1 ahi1 bhi1 qlo1 qhi1
2.5 0 0 0 0 0 0
$ c2 alo2 blo2 ahi2 bhi2 qlo2 qhi2
2.5 0 0 0 0 0 0
$ 2.5 alo3 blo3 ahi3 bhi3 qlo3 qhi3

LS-DYNA Version 960 4.13 (COMPONENT)

*COMPONENT

4.14 (COMPONENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED

*CONSTRAINED
The keyword *CONSTRAINED provides a way of constraining degrees of freedom to move
together in some way. The keyword control cards in this section are defined in alphabetical order:

*CONSTRAINED_ADAPTIVITY

*CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODES_OPTION

*CONSTRAINED_GENERALIZED_WELD_OPTION

*CONSTRAINED_GLOBAL

*CONSTRAINED_INTERPOLATION

*CONSTRAINED_JOINT_OPTION

*CONSTRAINED_JOINT_STIFFNESS_OPTION

*CONSTRAINED_LAGRANGE_IN_SOLID

*CONSTRAINED_LINEAR

*CONSTRAINED_NODAL_RIGID_BODY_{OPTION}

*CONSTRAINED_NODE_SET

*CONSTRAINED_POINTS

*CONSTRAINED_RIGID_BODIES

*CONSTRAINED_RIGID_BODY_STOPPERS

*CONSTRAINED_RIVET

*CONSTRAINED_SHELL_TO_SOLID

*CONSTRAINED_SPOTWELD_{OPTION}

*CONSTRAINED_TIE-BREAK

*CONSTRAINED_TIED_NODES_FAILURE

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.1 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_ADAPTIVITY

Purpose: Define an adaptive constraint which constrains a node to the midpoint along an edge of a
shell element. This keyword is also created by LS-DYNA during an adaptive calculation. This
option applies to shell elements.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SN! MN1 MN2

Type I I I

Default none none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SN Slave node. This is the node constrained at the midpoint of an edge of a

shell element.

MN1 One node along the edge of the shell element.

MN2 The second node along the edge.

5.2 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODES_OPTION

Available options include:

NODE

SET

Purpose: Define extra nodes for rigid body.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID NID/NSID

Type I I

Default none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID of rigid body to which the nodes will be added, see *PART.

NID/NSID Node (option: _NODE) or node set ID (option: _SET), see *SET_NODE,
of added nodes.

Remarks:

Extra nodes for rigid bodies may be placed anywhere, even outside the body, and they are
assumed to be part of the rigid body They have many uses including:

1. The definition of draw beads in metal forming applications by listing nodes along
the draw bead.

2. Placing nodes where joints will be attached between rigid bodies.

3. Defining a nodes where point loads are to be applied or where springs may be
attached.

4. Defining a lumped mass at a particular location.

and so on. The coordinates of the extra nodes are updated according to the rigid body motion.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.3 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODES_NODE
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Rigidly attach nodes 285 and 4576 to part 14. (Part 14 MUST be a rigid body.)
$
*CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODES_NODE
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ pid nid
14 285
14 4576
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODES_SET
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Rigidly attach all nodes in set 4 to part 17. (Part 17 MUST be a rigid body.)
$
$ In this example, four nodes from a deformable body are attached
$ to rigid body 17 as a means of joining the two parts.
$
*CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODES_SET
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ pid nsid
17 4
$
$
*SET_NODE_LIST
$ sid
4
$ nid1 nid2 nid3 nid4 nid5 nid6 nid7 nid8
665 778 896 827
$
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

5.4 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_GENERALIZED_WELD_OPTION

Then the following options are available:

SPOT

FILLET

BUTT

CROSS_FILLET

COMBINED

Purpose: Define spot and fillet welds. Coincident nodes are permitted if the local coordinate ID is
defined. For the spot weld a local coordinate ID is not required if the nodes are offset. Failures can
include both the plastic and brittle failures. These can be used either independently or together.
Failure occurs when either criteria is met. The welds may undergo large rotations since the equations
of rigid body mechanics are used to update their motion.

Card 1 Format. This card is required for all weld options.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID CID FILTER WINDOW NPR NPRT

Type I I I E I I

Default none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID Nodal set ID, see *SET_NODE_OPTION.

CID Coordinate system ID for output of data in local system, see *DEFINE_
COORDINATE_OPTION. CID is not required for spotwelds if the nodes
are not conincident.

FILTER Number of force vectors saved for filtering. This option can eliminate
spurious failures due to numerical force spikes; however, memory
requirements are significant since 6 force components are stored with each
vector.
LE.1: no filtering
EQ.n: simple average of force components divided by n or the
maximum number of force vectors that are stored for the time window
option below.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.5 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

WINDOW Time window for filtering. This option requires the specification of the
maximum number of steps which can occur within the filtering time
window. If the time step decreases too far, then the filtering time window
will be ignored and the simple average is used.
EQ.0: time window is not used

NPR NFW, number of individual nodal pairs in the cross fillet or combined
general weld.

and general welds.

NPRT Print option in file RBDOUT.

EQ.0: default from Control Card is used
EQ.1: data is printed
EQ.2: data is not printed

5.6 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
Additional Card required for the CONSTRAINED_GENERALIZED_WELD_SPOT
option:

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TFAIL EPSF SN SS N M

Type F F F F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TFAIL Failure time for constraint set, tf . (default=1.E+20)

EPSF Effective plastic strain at failure, ε fail

p
defines ductile failure.

SN Sn, normal force at failure, only for the brittle failure of spotwelds.

SS Ss, shear force at failure, only for the brittle failure of spotwelds.

N n, exponent for normal force, only for the brittle failure of spotwelds.

M m, exponent for shear force, only for the brittle failure of spotwelds.

Remarks:

Spotweld failure due to plastic straining occurs when the effective nodal plastic strain exceeds
the input value, ε pfail . This option can model the tearing out of a spotweld from the sheet metal since
the plasticity is in the material that surrounds the spotweld, not the spotweld itself. A least squares
algorithm is used to generate the nodal values of plastic strains at the nodes from the element
integration point values. The plastic strain is integrated through the element and the average value is
projected to the nodes via a least square fit. This option should only be used for the material models
related to metallic plasticity and can result in slightly increased run times.

Brittle failure of the spotwelds occurs when:

 max( fn , 0) 
n m
 f 
  + s ≥1
 Sn   Ss 

where fn and fs are the normal and shear interface force. Component fn contributes for tensile values
only. When the failure time, tf , is reached the nodal rigid body becomes inactive and the constrained
nodes may move freely. In Figure 5.1 the ordering of the nodes is shown for the 2 node and 3 node
spotwelds. This order is with respect to the local coordinate system where the local z axis determines
the tensile direction. The nodes in the spotweld may coincide. The failure of the 3 node spotweld
may occur gradually with first one node failing and later the second node may fail. For n noded
spotwelds the failure is progressive starting with the outer nodes (1 and n) and then moving inward

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.7 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
to nodes 2 and n-1. Progressive failure is necessary to preclude failures that would create new rigid
bodies.
z z

node 2 node 3

node 1 node 2
y y

2 NODE SPOTWELD 3 NODE SPOTWELD

node 1
x x
z

node n

node n-1

n NODE SPOTWELD

y
node 2

x
node 1

Figure 5.1. Nodal ordering and orientation of the local coordinate system is important for
determining spotweld failure.

5.8 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
Additional Card required for the FILLET option:

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TFAIL EPSF SIGY BETA L W A ALPHA

Type F F F F F F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TFAIL Failure time for constraint set, tf . (default=1.E+20)

EPSF Effective plastic strain at failure, ε fail

p
defines ductile failure.

SIGY σf, stress at failure for brittle failure.

BETA β, failure parameter for brittle failure.

L L, length of fillet/butt weld (see Figure 5.2 and 5.3).

W w, width of flange (see Figure 5.2).

A a, width of fillet weld (see Figure 5.2).

ALPHA α, weld angle (see Figure 5.2) in degrees.

Remarks:
Ductile fillet weld failure, due to plastic straining, is treated identically to spotweld failure.
Brittle failure of the fillet welds occurs when:

(
β σ 2n + 3 τ 2n + τt2 ) ≥σf
where σn = normal stress
τn = shear stress in direction of weld (local y)
τt = shear stress normal to weld (local x)
σf = failure stress
β = failure parameter

Component σn is nonzero for tensile values only. When the failure time, tf , is reached the nodal
rigid body becomes inactive and the constrained nodes may move freely. In Figure 5.2 the ordering
of the nodes is shown for the 2 node and 3 node fillet welds. This order is with respect to the local
coordinate system where the local z axis determines the tensile direction. The nodes in the fillet weld
may coincide. The failure of the 3 node fillet weld may occur gradually with first one node failing
and later the second node may fail.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.9 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED

z local coordinate
system z

2 NODE FILLET WELD

α
2
x
1 y

w a L

3 NODE FILLET WELD

Figure 5.2. Nodal ordering and orientation of the local coordinate system is shown for fillet weld
failure. The angle is defined in degrees.

5.10 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
Additional Card required for the BUTT option:

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TFAIL EPSF SIGY BETA L D LT

Type F F F F F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TFAIL Failure time for constraint set, tf . (default=1.E+20)

EPSF Effective plastic strain at failure, ε fail

p
defines ductile failure.

SIGY σf, stress at failure for brittle failure.

BETA β, failure parameter for brittle failure.

L L, length of fillet/butt weld (see Figure 5.2 and 5.3).

D d, thickness of butt weld (see Figure 5.3).

LT Lt, transverse length of butt weld (see Figure 5.3).

Remarks:

Ductile butt weld failure, due to plastic straining, is treated identically to spotweld
failure. Brittle failure of the butt welds occurs when:

(
β σ 2n + 3 τ 2n + τt2 ) ≥σf
where

σn = normal stress
τn = shear stress in direction of weld (local y)
τt = shear stress normal to weld (local z)
σf = failure stress
β = failure parameter

Component σn is nonzero for tensile values only. When the failure time, tf , is reached the nodal
rigid body becomes inactive and the constrained nodes may move freely. The nodes in the butt weld
may coincide.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.11 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED

z 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2 2
y

x
2 tied nodes that can
be coincident
d

2 tied nodes

Lt

y
L
4 tied nodes

Figure 5.3. Orientation of the local coordinate system and nodal ordering is shown for butt weld
failure.

5.12 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_GENERALIZED_WELD_BUTT
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Weld two plates that butt up against each other at three nodal pair
$ locations. The nodal pairs are 32-33, 34-35 and 36-37.
$
$ This requires 3 separate *CONSTRAINED_GENERALIZED_WELD_BUTT definitions,
$ one for each nodal pair. Each weld is to have a length (L) = 10,
$ thickness (D) = 2, and a transverse length (Lt) = 1.
$
$ Failure is defined two ways:
$ Ductile failure if effective plastic strain exceeds 0.3
$ Brittle failure if the stress failure criteria exceeds 0.25
$ - scale the brittle failure criteria by beta = 0.9.
$ Note: beta < 1 weakens weld beta > 1 strengthens weld
$
*CONSTRAINED_GENERALIZED_WELD_BUTT
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ nsid cid
21
$ tfail epsf sigy beta L D Lt
0.3 0.250 0.9 10.0 2.0 1.0
$
$
*CONSTRAINED_GENERALIZED_WELD_BUTT
$ nsid cid
23
$ tfail epsf sigy beta L D Lt
0.3 0.250 0.9 10.0 2.0 1.0
$
$
*CONSTRAINED_GENERALIZED_WELD_BUTT
$ nsid cid
25
$ tfail epsf sigy beta L D Lt
0.3 0.250 0.9 10.0 2.0 1.0
$
$
*SET_NODE_LIST
$ sid
21
$ nid1 nid2
32 33
*SET_NODE_LIST
23
34 35
*SET_NODE_LIST
25
36 37
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.13 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
Additional Cards (1+NPR) required for the CROSS_FILLET option:

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TFAIL EPSF SIGY BETA L W A ALPHA

Type F F F F F F F F

Cards 3,4,
...,2+NPR

Variable NODEA NODEB NCID

Type I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TFAIL Failure time for constraint set, tf . (default=1.E+20)

EPSF Effective plastic strain at failure, ε fail

p
defines ductile failure.

SIGY σf, stress at failure for brittle failure.

BETA β, failure parameter for brittle failure.

L L, length of fillet/butt weld (see Figure 5.2 and 5.3).

W w, width of flange (see Figure 5.2).

A a, width of fillet weld (see Figure 5.2).

ALPHA α, weld angle (see Figure 5.2) in degrees.

NODEA Node ID, A, in weld pair (CROSS or COMBINED option only). See
Figure 5.4.

NODEB Node ID, B, in weld pair (CROSS orCOMBINED option only).

NCID Local coordinate system ID (CROSS or COMBINED option only).

5.14 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED

3
1

z1 z2
y1 x2

x1 y2
2 3
1 1

z3
x3

2 y3

Figure 5.4. A simple cross fillet weld illustrates the required input. Here NFW=3 with nodal pairs
(A=2, B=1), (A=3, B=1), and (A=3, B=2). The local coordinate axes are shown.
These axes are fixed in the rigid body and are referenced to the local rigid body
coordinate system which tracks the rigid body rotation.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.15 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
Additional NPR Card Sets required for the COMBINED option. Repeat cards 2 and
3 below NPR times:

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TFAIL EPSF SIGY BETA L W A ALPHA

Type F F F F F F F F

Card 3

Variable NODEA NODEB NCID WTYP

Type I I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TFAIL Failure time for constraint set, tf . (default=1.E+20)

EPSF Effective plastic strain at failure, ε fail

p
defines ductile failure.

SIGY σf, stress at failure for brittle failure.

BETA β, failure parameter for brittle failure.

L L, length of fillet/butt weld (see Figure 5.2 and 5.3).

W w, width of flange (see Figure 5.2).

A a, width of fillet weld (see Figure 5.2).

ALPHA α, weld angle (see Figure 5.2) in degrees.

NODEA Node ID, A, in weld pair (CROSS or COMBINED option only).

NODEB Node ID, B, in weld pair (CROSS or COMBINED option only).

NCID Local coordinate system ID (CROSS or COMBINED option only).

WTYPE Weld pair type (GENERAL option only). See Figure 5.5.
EQ.0: fillet weld
EQ.1: butt weld

5.16 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED

Figure 5.5. A combined weld is a mixture of fillet and butt welds.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.17 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_GLOBAL

Purpose: Define a global boundary constraint plane.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TC RC DIR X Y Z

Type I I I F F F

Default 0 0 0 0 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TC Translational Constraint:
EQ. 1: constrained x translation,
EQ. 2: constrained y translation,
EQ. 3: constrained z translation,
EQ. 4: constrained x and y translations,
EQ. 5: constrained y and z translations,
EQ. 6: constrained x and z translations,
EQ. 7: constrained x, y, and z translations,

RC Rotational Constraint:
EQ. 1: constrained x-rotation,
EQ. 2: constrained y-rotation,
EQ. 3: constrained z-rotation,
EQ. 4: constrained x and y rotations,
EQ. 5: constrained y and z rotations,
EQ. 6: constrained z and x rotations,
EQ. 7: constrained x, y, and z rotations.

DIR Direction of normal

EQ. 1: global x,
EQ. 2: global y,
EQ. 3: global x.

X x-offset coordinate

Y y-offset coordinate

Z z-offset coordinate

5.18 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED

Remarks:

Nodes within a mesh-size-dependent tolerance are constrained on a global plane. This option
is recommended for use with r-method adaptive remeshing where nodal constraints are lost during
the remeshing phase.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.19 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_INTERPOLATION

Purpose: Define an interpolation constraint. With this constraint type, the motion of a single
dependent node is interpolated from the motion of a set of independent nodes. This option is useful
for the load redistribution of a load, which can be either a translational force or moment, applied to
the dependent node to the surrounding independent nodes, and it can also be used to model shell-
brick and beam-brick interfaces. The mass and rotary inertia of the dependent nodal point is also
redistributed. This constraint is applied in the global coordinate system. One *CONSTRAINED_
INTERPOLATION card is required for each constraint definition. The input list of independent
nodes is terminated when the next "*" card is found.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ICID DNID DDOF

Type I I I

Default 0 0 123456

Cards 2, 3, 4, etc. Define one card per independent node. Input is terminated
when a "*" card is found.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable INID IDOF TWGHTX TWGHTY TWGHTZ RWGHTX RWGHTY RWGHTZ

Type I I F F F F F F

Default 0 123456 1.0 TWGHTX TWGHTX TWGHTX TWGHTX TWGHTX

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ICID Interpolation constraint ID.

DNID Dependent node ID. This node should not be a member of a rigid body, or
elsewhere constrained in the input.

DDOF Dependent degrees-of-freedom. The list of dependent degrees-of-freedom

consists of a number with up to six digits, with each digit representing a
degree of freedom. For example, the value 1356 indicates that degrees of
freedom 1, 3, 5, and 6 are controlled by the constraint. The default is
123456. Digit: degree of freedom ID's:

5.20 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EQ.1:x
EQ.2:y
EQ.3:z
EQ.4:rotation about x axis
EQ.5:rotation about y axis
EQ.6:rotation about z axis

INID Independent node ID.

IDOF Independent degrees-of-freedom using the same form as for the dependent
degrees-of-freedom, DDOF, above.

TWGHTX Weighting factor for node INID with active degrees-of-freedom IDOF.
This weight scales the x-translational component. It is normally sufficient
to define only TWGHTX even if its degree-of-freedom is inactive since the
other factors are set equal to this input value as the default. There is no
requirement on the values that are chosen as the weighting factors, i.e., that
they sum to unity. The default value for the weighting factor is unity.

TWGHTY Weighting factor for node INID with active degrees-of-freedom IDOF.
This weight scales the y-translational component.

TWGHTZ Weighting factor for node INID with active degrees-of-freedom IDOF.
This weight scales the z-translational component.

RWGHTX Weighting factor for node INID with active degrees-of-freedom IDOF.
This weight scales the x-rotational component.

RWGHTY Weighting factor for node INID with active degrees-of-freedom IDOF.
This weight scales the y-rotational component.

RWGHTZ Weighting factor for node INID with active degrees-of-freedom IDOF.
This weight scales the z-rotational component.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_INTERPOLATION (Beam to solid coupling)
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Tie a beam element to a solid element.
$
$ The node of the beam to be tied does not share a common node with the solids.
$ If the beam node is shared, for example, then set ddof=456.
$
*CONSTRAINED_INTERPOLATION
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ icid dnid ddof
1 45 123456

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.21 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
$ inid idof twghtx twghty twghtz rwghtx rwghty rwghtz
22 123
44 123
43 123
$
*.........
$

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_INTERPOLATION (Load redistribution)
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Moment about normal axis of node 100 is converted to an equivalent load by
$ applying x-force resultants to the nodes lying along the right boundary
$
*DEFINE_CURVE
1,0,0.,0.,0.,0.,0
0.,0.
.1,10000.
*LOAD_NODE_POINT
100,6,1,1.0

5.22 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
$
*CONSTRAINED_INTERPOLATION
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ icid dnid ddof
1 100 5
$ inid idof twghtx twghty twghtz rwghtx rwghty rwghtz
96 1
97 1
98 1
99 1
177 1
178 1
179 1
180 1
$
*.........
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.23 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_JOINT_OPTION_{OPTION}

Available forms include (one is mandatory):

CONSTRAINED_JOINT_SPHERICAL

CONSTRAINED_JOINT_REVOLUTE

CONSTRAINED_JOINT_CYLINDRICAL

CONSTRAINED_JOINT_PLANAR

CONSTRAINED_JOINT_UNIVERSAL

CONSTRAINED_JOINT_TRANSLATIONAL

CONSTRAINED_JOINT_LOCKING

CONSTRAINED_JOINT_TRANSLATIONAL_MOTOR

CONSTRAINED_JOINT_ROTATIONAL_MOTOR

CONSTRAINED_JOINT_GEARS

CONSTRAINED_JOINT_RACK_AND_PINION

CONSTRAINED_JOINT_CONSTANT_VELOCITY

CONSTRAINED_JOINT_PULLEY

CONSTRAINED_JOINT_SCREW

If the force output data is to be transformed into a local coordinate then an additional option is
available:

LOCAL

Purpose: Define a joint between two rigid bodies, see Figure 5.6.

Card Format:

Card 1 is required for all joint types.

Card 2 is required for joint types: MOTOR, GEARS, RACK_AND_PINION, PULLEY, and
SCREW
Optional Card is required only if LOCAL is specified in the keyword.

In the first seven joint types above excepting the Universal joint, the nodal points within the
nodal pairs (1,2), (3,4), and (5,6) (see Figure 4.4) should coincide in the initial configuration, and
the nodal pairs should be as far apart as possible to obtain the best behavior. For the Universal Joint
the nodes within the nodal pair (3,4) do not coincide, but the lines drawn between nodes (1,3) and
(2,4) must be perpendicular.

5.24 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
The geometry of joints is defined in Figure 5.4. When the penalty method is used (see
*CONTROL_RIGID), at each time step, the relative penalty stiffness is multiplied by a function
dependent on the step size to give the maximum stiffness that will not destroy the stability of the
solution. Instabilities can result in the explicit time integration scheme if the penalty stiffness is too
large. If instabilities occur, the recommended way to eliminate these problems is to decrease the time
step or reduce the scale factor on the penalties..

For cylindrical joints, by setting node 3 to zero, it is possible to use a cylindrical joint to join
a node that is not on a rigid body (node 1) to a rigid body (nodes 2 and 4).

Card 1 - Required

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable N1 N2 N3 N4 N5 N6 RPS DAMP

Type I I I I I I F F

Default 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 1.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

N1 Node 1, in rigid body A. Define for all joint types.

N2 Node 2, in rigid body B. Define for all joint types.

N3 Node 3, in rigid body A. Define for all joint types except SPHERICAL

N4 Node 4, in rigid body B. Define for all joint types except SPHERICAL.

N5 Node 5, in rigid body A. Define for joint types TRANSLATIONAL,

LOCKING, ROTATIONAL_MOTOR, CONSTANT_VELOCITY,
GEARS, RACK_AND_PINION, PULLEY, and SCREW

N6 Node 6, in rigid body B. Define for joint types TRANSLATIONAL,

LOCKING, ROTATIONAL_MOTOR, CONSTANT_VELOCITY,
GEARS, RACK_AND_PINION, PULLEY, and SCREW

RPS Relative penalty stiffness (default = 1.0).

DAMP Damping scale factor on default damping value. (Revolute and Spherical
Joints):
EQ.0.0: default is set to 1.0,
LE.0.01 and GT.0.0: no damping is used.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.25 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
Card 2. Required for joint types MOTOR, GEARS, RACK_AND_PINION,
PULLEY, and SCREW only.

Card 1 1

Variable PARM LCID TYPE R1

Type F I I F

Default none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PARM Parameter which a function of joint type. Leave blank for MOTORS.
Gears: define R2 / R1
Rack and Pinion: define h
Pulley: define R2 / R1
Screw: define x˙ / ω

LCID Define load curve ID for MOTOR joints.

TYPE Define integer flag for MOTOR joints as follows:

EQ.0: translational/rotational velocity
EQ.1: translational/rotational acceleration
EQ.2: translational/rotational displacement

R1 Radius, R1 , for the gear and pulley joint type. If left undefined, nodal
points 5 and 6 are assumed to be on the outer radius.

Optional Card Format: Required only if LOCAL is specified after the keyword.

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable RAID LST

Type I I

Default 0 0

5.26 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

RAID Rigid body or accelerometer ID. The force resultants are output in the local
system of the rigid body or accelerometer.

LST Flag for local system type:

EQ. 0: rigid body
EQ. 1: accelerometer

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.27 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED

Spherical joint Revolute joint

Cylindrical joint Planar joint

Universal joint Translational joint

Figure 5.6. Joint definitions 1-6

5
1
3
6
2
4

Locking joint

Figure 5.7. Locking joint.

5.28 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED

Load curve defines

relative motion

1 2 3

Figure 5.8. Translational motor joint. This joint can be used in combination with the
translational or the cylindrical joint.

Load curve defines relative

rotational motion in radians
per unit time.

4
6

1
5

Figure 5.9. Rotational motor joint. This joint can be used in combination with other joints such
as the revolute or cylindrical joints.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.29 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED

R2
R
1
1
6
3 5 2
4

Figure 5.10. Gear joint. Nodal pairs (1,3) and (2,4) define axes that are orthogonal to the gears.
R
Nodal pairs (1,5) and (2,6) define vectors in the plane of the gears. The ratio 2 is
R1
specified.

3 5
h
6

2 4

Figure 5.11. Rack and pinion joint. Nodal pair (1,3) defines a vector that is orthogonal to the
plane of the gear. Nodal pair (1,5) is a vector in the plane of the gear. Nodal pair
(2,4) defines the direction of travel for the second body. The value h is specified.

5.30 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED

5 3

6
1 2
4
ω

Figure 5.12. Constant velocity joint. Nodal pairs (1,3) and (2,4) define an axes for the constant
angular velocity, and nodal pairs (1,5) are orthogonal vectors. Here nodal points 1
and 2 must be coincident.

R2
R
1
1 2

3 5 4 6

Figure 5.13. Pulley joint. Nodal pairs (1,3) and (2,4) define axes that are orthogonal to the
pulleys. Nodal pairs (1,5) and (2,6) define vectors in the plane of the pulleys. The
R
ratio 2 is specified.
R1

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.31 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED

5 6

1 3 2 4

.
x

Figure 5.14. Screw joint. The second body translates in response to the spin of the first body.
Nodal pairs (1,3) and (2,4) lie along the same axis and nodal pairs (1,5) and (2,6)
ẋ
are orthogonal vectors. The helix ratio, , is specified.
ω

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_JOINT_PLANAR
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define a planar joint between two rigid bodies.
$ - Nodes 91 and 94 are on rigid body 1.
$ - Nodes 21 and 150 are on rigid body 2.
$ - Nodes 91 and 21 must be coincident.
$ * These nodes define the origin of the joint plane.
$ - Nodes 94 and 150 must be coincident.
$ * To accomplish this, massless node 150 is artificially created at
$ the same coordinates as node 94 and then added to rigid body 2.
$ * These nodes define the normal of the joint plane (e.g., the
$ vector from node 91 to 94 defines the planes' normal).
$
*CONSTRAINED_JOINT_PLANAR
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ n1 n2 n3 n4 n5 n6 rps
91 21 94 150 0.000E+00
$
$
*NODE
$ nid x y z tc rc
150 0.00 3.00 0.00 0 0
$
*CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODES_SET
$ pid nsid
2 6
$

5.32 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
*SET_NODE_LIST
$ sid
6
$ nid1
150
$
$$$ request output for joint force data
$
*DATABASE_JNTFORC
$ dt/cycl lcdt
0.0001
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_JOINT_REVOLUTE
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Create a revolute joint between two rigid bodies. The rigid bodies must
$ share a common edge to define the joint along. This edge, however, must
$ not have the nodes merged together. Rigid bodies A and B will rotate
$ relative to each other along the axis defined by the common edge.
$
$ Nodes 1 and 2 are on rigid body A and coincide with nodes 9 and 10
$ on rigid body B, respectively. (This defines the axis of rotation.)
$
$ The relative penalty stiffness on the revolute joint is to be 1.0,
$ the joint is well lubricated, thus no damping at the joint is supplied.
$
*CONSTRAINED_JOINT_REVOLUTE
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ n1 n2 n3 n4 n5 n6 rps damp
1 9 2 10 1.0
$
$ Note: A joint stiffness is not mandatory for this joint to work.
$ However, to see how a joint stiffness can be defined for this
$ particular joint, see the corresponding example listed in:
$ *CONSTRAINED_JOINT_STIFFNESS_GENERALIZED
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.33 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_JOINT_STIFFNESS_OPTION

Options include:

GENERALIZED

FLEXION-TORSION

Purpose: Define optional rotational joint stiffnesses for joints defined by

*CONSTRAINED_JOINT_OPTION. These definitions apply to all joints even though degrees of
freedom that are considered in the joint stiffness capability may constrained out in some joint types.
The energy that is dissipated with the joint stiffness option is written for each joint in joint force file
with the default name, JNTFORC. In the global energy balance this energy is included with the
energy of the discrete elements, i.e., the springs and dampers.

Card Format:

Card 1 is common to all joint stiffness types.

Cards 2 to 4 are unique for each stiffness type.

Card 1 - Required for all joint stiffness types.

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5

Variable JSID PIDA PIDB CIDA CIDB

Type I I I I I

Default none none none none CIDA

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

JSID Joint stiffness ID

PIDA Part ID for rigid body A, see *PART.

PIDB Part ID for rigid body B, see *PART.

CIDA Coordinate ID for rigid body A, see *DEFINE_COORDINATE_OPTION.

CIDB Coordinate ID for rigid body B. If zero, the coordinate ID for rigid body A
is used, see *DEFINE_COORDINATE_OPTION.

5.34 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
Card 2 of 4 - Required for GENERALIZED stiffness.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6

Variable LCIDPH LCIDT LCIDPS DLCIDPH DLCIDT DLCIDPS

Type I I I I I I

Default none none none none none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCIDPH Load curve ID for φ−moment versus rotation in radians. See Figure 5.15.
If zero, the applied moment is set to 0.0. See *DEFINE_CURVE.

LCIDT Load curve ID for θ−moment versus rotation in radians. If zero, the
applied moment is set to 0.0. See *DEFINE_CURVE.

LCIDPS Load curve ID for ψ−moment versus rotation in radians. If zero, the
applied moment is set to 0.0. See *DEFINE_CURVE.

DLCIDPH Load curve ID for φ−damping moment versus rate of rotation in radians per
unit time. If zero, damping is not considered. See *DEFINE_CURVE.

DLCIDT Load curve ID for θ−damping moment versus rate of rotation in radians per
unit time. If zero, damping is not considered. See *DEFINE_CURVE.

DLCIDPS Load curve ID for ψ−damping torque versus rate of rotation in radians per
unit time. If zero, damping is not considered. See *DEFINE_CURVE.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.35 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
Card 3 of 4 - Required for GENERALIZED stiffness.

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6

Variable ESPH FMPH EST FMT ESPS FMPS

Type F F F F F F

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ESPH Elastic stiffness per unit radian for friction and stop angles for φ rotation.
See Figure 5.16. If zero, friction and stop angles are inactive for φ
rotation.

FMPH Frictional moment limiting value for φ rotation. If zero, friction is inactive
for φ rotation. This option may also be thought of as an elastic-plastic
spring. If a negative value is input then the absolute value is taken as the
load curve ID defining the yield moment versus φ rotation. See Figure 5.8.

EST Elastic stiffness per unit radian for friction and stop angles for θ rotation.
See Figure 5.16. If zero, friction and stop angles are inactive for θ rotation.

FMT Frictional moment limiting value for θ rotation. If zero, friction is inactive
for θ rotation. This option may also be thought of as an elastic-plastic
spring. If a negative value is input then the absolute value is taken as the
load curve ID defining the yield moment versus θ rotation. See Figure
5.16.

ESPS Elastic stiffness per unit radian for friction and stop angles for ψ rotation.
See Figure 5.16. If zero, friction and stop angles are inactive for ψ
rotation..

FMPS Frictional moment limiting value for ψ rotation. If zero, friction is inactive
for ψ rotation. This option may also be thought of as an elastic-plastic
spring. If a negative value is input then the absolute value is taken as the
load curve ID defining the yield moment versus ψ rotation. See Figure
5.16.

5.36 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
Card 4 of 4 - Required for GENERALIZED stiffness.

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6

Variable NSAPH PSAPH NSAT PSAT NSAPS PSAPS

Type F F F F F F

Default not used not used not used not used not used not used

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSAPH Stop angle in degrees for negative φ rotation. Ignored if zero.

PSAPH Stop angle in degrees for positive φ rotation. Ignored if zero.

NSAT Stop angle in degrees for negative θ rotation. Ignored if zero.

PSAT Stop angle in degrees for positive θ rotation. Ignored if zero.

NSAPS Stop angle in degrees for negative ψ rotation. Ignored if zero.

PSAPS Stop angle in degrees for positive ψ rotation. Ignored if zero.

Remarks:

After the stop angles are reached the torques increase linearly to resist further angular motion
using the stiffness values on Card 3. Reasonable stiffness values have to be chosen. If the stiffness
values are too low or zero, the stop will be violated.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.37 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED

x φ

Figure 5.15. Definition of angles for the generalized joint stiffness. The magnitude of the
angular rotations are limited by the stop angles defined on Card 4. If the initial local
coordinate axes do not coincide, the angles, φ, θ, and ψ, will be initialized and
torques will develop instantaneously based on the defined load curves.

Moment

yield moment
curve

elastic perfectly plastic

behavior

elastic
stiffness

negative
Rotation positive stop
stop angle
angle

Figure 5.16. Frictional behavior is modeled by a plasticity model. Elastic behavior is obtained
once the stop angles are reached. The same elastic stiffness is used to simulate
sticking situations.

5.38 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
Card 2 of 4 - Required for FLEXION-TORSION stiffness.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6

Variable LCIDAL LCIDG LCIDBT DLCIDAL DLCIDG DLCIDBT

Type I I I I I I

Default none 1.0 none none 1.0 none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCIDAL Load curve ID for α−moment versus rotation in radians. See Figure 5.9
where it should be noted that 0 ≤ α ≤ π . If zero, the applied moment is set
to zero. See *DEFINE_CURVE.

LCIDG Load curve ID for γ versus a scale factor which scales the bending moment
due to the α rotation. This load curve should be defined in the interval
− π ≤ γ ≤ π . If zero the scale factor defaults to 1.0. See *DEFINE_
CURVE.

LCIDBT Load curve ID for β−torsion moment versus twist in radians. If zero the
applied twist is set to zero. See *DEFINE_CURVE.

DLCIDAL Load curve ID for α−damping moment versus rate of rotation in radians per
unit time. If zero, damping is not considered. See *DEFINE_CURVE.

DLCIDG Load curve ID for γ−damping scale factor versus rate of rotation in radians
per unit time. This scale factor scales the α−damping moment. If zero, the
scale factor defaults to one. See *DEFINE_CURVE.

DLCIDBT Load curve ID for β−damping torque versus rate of twist. If zero damping
is not considered. See *DEFINE_CURVE.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.39 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
Card 3 of 4 - Required for FLEXION-TORSION stiffness.

Card 3 1 2 3 4

Variable ESAL FMAL ESBT FMBT

Type F F F F

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ESAL Elastic stiffness per unit radian for friction and stop angles for α rotation,
see Figure 5.17. If zero, friction and stop angles are inactive for α
rotation..

FMAL Frictional moment limiting value for α rotation. If zero, friction is inactive
for α rotation. This option may also be thought of as an elastic-plastic
spring. If a negative value is input then the absolute value is taken as the
load curve ID defining the yield moment versus α rotation, see Figure 5.17.

ESBT Elastic stiffness per unit radian for friction and stop angles for β twist, see
Figure 5.17. If zero, friction and stop angles are inactive for β twist.

FMBT Frictional moment limiting value for β twist. If zero, friction is inactive for
β twist. This option may also be thought of as an elastic-plastic spring. If a
negative value is input then the absolute value is taken as the load curve ID
defining the yield moment versus β rotation, see Figure 5.17.

5.40 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
Card 4 of 4 - Required for FLEXION-TORSION stiffness.

Card 4 1 2 3

Variable SAAL NSABT PSABT

Type F F F

Default not used not used not used

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SAAL Stop angle in degrees for α rotation where 0 ≤ α ≤ π . Ignored if zero.

NSABT Stop angle in degrees for negative β rotation. Ignored if zero.

PSABT Stop angle in degrees for positive β rotation. Ignored if zero.

Remarks:

This option simulates a flexion-torsion behavior of a joint in a slightly different fashion than
with the generalized joint option.

After the stop angles are reached the torques increase linearly to resist further angular motion
using the stiffness values on Card 3. If the stiffness value is too low or zero, the stop will be
violated.

The moment resultants generated from the moment versus rotation curve, damping moment
versus rate-of-rotation curve, and friction are evaluated independently and are added together.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.41 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED

γ
x

Figure 5.17. Flexion-torsion joint angles. If the initial positions of the local coordinate axes of
the two rigid bodies connected by the joint do not coincide, the angles, α and γ, are
initialized and torques will develop instantaneously based on the defined load
curves. The angle β is also initialized but no torque will develop about the local
axis on which β is measured. Rather, β will be measured relative to the computed
offset.

5.42 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_JOINT_STIFFNESS_GENERALIZED
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define a joint stiffness for the revolute joint described in
$ *CONSTRAINED_JOINT_REVOLUTE
$
$ Attributes of the joint stiffness:
$ - Used for defining a stop angle of 30 degrees rotation
$ (i.e., the joint allows a positive rotation of 30 degrees and
$ then imparts an elastic stiffness to prevent futher rotation)
$ - Define between rigid body A (part 1) and rigid body B (part 2)
$ - Define a local coordinate system along the revolute axis
$ on rigid body A - nodes 1, 2 and 3 (cid = 5). This is used to
$ define the revolute angles phi (PH), theta (T), and psi (PS).
$ - The elastic stiffness per unit radian for the stop angles
$ are 100, 10, 10 for PH, T, and PS, respectively.
$ - Values not specified are not used during the simulation.
$
*CONSTRAINED_JOINT_STIFFNESS_GENERALIZED
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ jsid pida pidb cida cidb
1 1 2 5 5
$
$ lcidph lcidt lcidps dlcidph dlcidt dlcidps

$
$ esph fmps est fmt esps fmps
100.0 10.0 10.0
$
$ nsaph psaph nsat psat nsaps psaps
30.0
$
$
*DEFINE_COORDINATE_NODES
$ cid n1 n2 n3
5 1 2 3
$
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.43 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_LAGRANGE_IN_SOLID

Purpose: Couple a Lagrangian mesh (slave) of shells, solids or beams to the material points of an
Eulerian mesh (master). This option may also be used to model rebar in concrete or tire cords in
rubber. The slave part or slave part set is coupled to the master part or master part set.

Note: For RIGID slave PARTS a penalty coupling method must be used, see option CTYPE below.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SLAVE MASTER SSTYP MSTYP NQUAD CTYPE DIREC MCOUP

Type I I I I I I I I

Default none none 0 0 0 2 1 0

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable START END PFAC FRIC FRCMIN NORM

Type F F F F F I

Default 0 1.0E10 0.1 0.0 0.5 0

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CQ HMIN HMAX

Type F F F

Default 0.0 none none

5.44 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SLAVE Part, part set ID or Segment set ID of slaves see *PART , *SET_PART or
*SET_SEGMENT.

MASTER Part or part set ID of master solid elements, see *PART or *SET_PART.

SSTYP Slave type:

EQ.0: part set ID,
EQ.1: part ID.
EQ.2: segment set ID

MSTYP Master type:

EQ.0: part set ID,
EQ.1: part ID.

NQUAD Quadratue rule for coupling slaves to solids.

EQ.0: at nodes only,
EQ.n: use a rectangular grid of n*n points,
EQ.-n: at nodes and a rectangular grid of n*n points.

CTYPE Coupling type

EQ.1: constrained acceleration,
EQ.2: constrained acceleration and velocity (default),
EQ.3: constrained acceleration and velocity, normal
direction only,
EQ.4: penalty coupling (Shell Elements),
EQ.5: penalty coupling with erosion (Solid Elements).

DIREC Coupling direction (CTYPE 4 and 5).

EQ.1: normal direction, compression and tension (default),
EQ.2: normal direction, compression only,
EQ.3: all directions.

MCOUP Multi-material option (CTYPE 4 and 5).

EQ.0: couple with all multi-material groups,
EQ.1: couple with material with highest density.

START Start time for coupling.

END End time for coupling.

PFAC Penalty factor (CTYPE 4 and 5 only).

FRIC Coefficient of friction (DIREC 2 only).

FRCMIN Minimum volume fraction to activate coupling (MCOUP=1)

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.45 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NORM Shell and segment normal orientation:

EQ.0: right hand rule (default),
EQ.1: left hand rule.

CQ Heat transfer coefficeint, Cq .

HMIN Minimum air gap in heat transfer, hmin .

PFAC Maximum air gap in heat transfer, hmax . There is no heat transfer above this
value.

Remark:

The heat flux per unit area, q ,is defined as:

Cq ∆T
q=
max(hmin , h)

where ∆T is the temperature difference between the master and slave sides and where h is the
actual air gap

5.46 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_LINEAR

Purpose: Define linear constraint equations between displacements/rotations, which can be defined
in global coordinate systems. For a newer and for a more general constraint see *CONSTRAINED_
INTERPOLATION

Card 1 - Required

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NUM

Type I

Default none

Card 2 - Define NUM cards below, one card for each nodal point.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID DOFX DOFY DOFZ DOFRX DOFRY DOFRZ COEF

Type I I I I I I I F

Default none 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Remark 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NUM Number of nodes in equation

NID Node ID

Define only one nonzero number for parameters DOFX, DOFY, DOFZ, DOFRX, DOFRY, and DOFRZ.

DOFX Insert 1 (0) for (no) translational constraint in x-direction.

DOFY Insert 1 (0) for (no) translational constraint in y-direction.

DOFZ Insert 1 (0) for (no) translational constraint in z-direction.

DOFRX Insert 1 (0) for (no) rotational constraint about x-axis.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.47 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DOFRY Insert 1 (0) for (no) rotational constraint about y-axis.

DOFRZ Insert 1 (0) for (no) rotational constraint about z-axis.

COEF Nonzero coefficient, Ck

Remarks:

Nodes of a nodal constraint equation cannot be members of another constraint equation or

constraint set that constrain the same degrees-of-freedom, a tied interface, or a rigid body; i.e. nodes
cannot be subjected to multiple, independent, and possibly conflicting constraints. Also care must be
taken to ensure that single point constraints applied to nodes in a constraint equation do not conflict
with the constraint sets constrained degrees-of-freedom.

In this section linear constraint equations of the form:

n

∑C u
k =1
k k = C0

can be defined, where uk are the displacements and Ck are user defined coefficients. Unless
LS-DYNA is initialized by linking to an implicit code to satisfy this equation at the beginning of the
calculation, the constant C 0 is assumed to be zero. The first constrained degree-of-freedom is
eliminated from the equations-of-motion:
n
Ck
u1 = C0 − ∑ uk
k = 2 C1

Its velocities and accelerations are given by

⋅ n
Ck ⋅
u 1 = −∑ uk
k = 2 C1
⋅⋅ n
C ⋅⋅
u 1 = −∑ k uk ,
k = 2 C1

respectively. In the implementation a transformation matrix, L , is constructed relating the

~
unconstrained, u , and constrained, u , degrees-of-freedom. The constrained accelerations used in
~ ~c
the above equation are given by:

[ ]
−1
u˙˙ = L t M L Lt F
~c ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
where M is the Diagonal lumped mass matrix and F is the right hand side force vector. This
~ ~
requires the inversion of the condensed mass matrix which is equal in size to the number of
constrained degrees-of-freedom minus one.

5.48 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_LINEAR
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Constrain nodes 40 and 42 to move identically in the z-direction.
$
$ When the linear constraint equation is applied, it goes like this:
$
$ 0 = C40uz40 + C42uz42
$
$ = uz40 - uz42
$
$ uz40 = uz42
$
$ where,
$ C40 = 1.00 coefficient for node 40
$ C42 = -1.00 coefficient for node 42
$ uz40 = displacement of node 40 in z-direction
$ uz42 = displacement of node 42 in z-direction
$
$
*CONSTRAINED_LINEAR
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ i
$ num
2
$
$ nid dofx dofy dofz dofrx dofry dofrz coef
40 1 1.00
42 1 -1.00
$
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.49 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_NODAL_RIGID_BODY_{OPTION}

If the inertial properties are defined rather than computed, then the following option is available:

INERTIA

Purpose: Define a nodal rigid body. This is a rigid body which consists of the defined nodes. If the
INERTIA option is not used, then the inertia tensor is computed from the nodal masses. Arbitrary
motion of this rigid body is allowed. If the INERTIA option is used, constant translational and
rotational velocities can be defined in a global or local coordinate system.

Card Format:

Card 1 is required.

Cards 2 - 4 are required for the INERTIA option.

Card 5 is required if a local coordinate system is used to specify the inertia tensor when the
INERTIA option is used.

Remarks:

1. Unlike the *CONSTRAINED_NODE_SET which permits only translational motion, here the
equations of rigid body dynamics are used to update the motion of the nodes and therefore
rotations of the nodal sets are admissible. Mass properties are determined from the nodal masses
and coordinates. Inertial properties are defined if and only if the INERTIA option is specified.

Card 1 - Required.

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID CID NSID PNODE IPRT

Type I I I I I

Default none none none 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID of the nodal rigid body.

CID Coordinate system ID for output of data in local system, see

*DEFINE_COORDINATE_OPTION. Only necessary if no local system is
defined below.

5.50 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID Nodal set ID, see *SET_NODE_OPTION. This nodal set defines the rigid
body. If NSID=0, then NSID=PID, i.e., the node set ID and the part ID
are assumed to be identical.

PNODE An optional, possibly massless, nodal point located at the mass center of the
nodal rigid body. The initial nodal coordinates will be reset if necessary to
ensure that they lie at the mass center. In the output files, the coordinates,
accelerations, velocites, and displacements of this node will coorespond to
the mass center of the nodal rigid body. If CID is defined, the velocities
and accelerations of PNODE will be output in the local system in the
D3PLOT and D3THDT files unless PNODE is specified as a negative
number in which case the global system is used.

IPRT Print flag. For nodal rigid bodies with more than two nodes the following
values apply:
EQ.0: write data into both MATSUM and RBDOUT
EQ.1: write data into RBDOUT file only
EQ.2: write data into MATSUM file only
EQ.3: do not write data into RBDOUT and MATSUM
Printing is suppressed for two noded rigid bodies unless IPRT is set to
unity. This is to avoid excessively large RBDOUT files when many, two-
noded welds are used.

Card 2 of 4 - Required for the INERTIA option.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XC YC ZC TM IRCS NODEID

Type F F F F I I

Default 0 0 0 0 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XC x-coordinate of center of mass. If nodal point, NODEID, is defined XC,

YC, and ZC are ignored and the coordinates of the nodal point, NODEID,
are taken as the center of mass.

YC y-coordinate of center of mass

ZC z-coordinate of center of mass

TM Translational mass

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.51 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IRCS Flag for inertia tensor reference coordinate system:

EQ.0: global inertia tensor,
EQ.1: principal moments of inertias with orientation vectors as given
below.

NODEID Optional nodal point defining the CG of the rigid body. If this node is not a
member of the set NSID above, its motion will not be updated to
correspond with the nodal rigid body after the calculation begins. PNODE
and NODEID can be identical if and only if PNODE physically lies at the
mass center at time zero.

Card 3 of 4 - Required for the INERTIA option.

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IXX IXY IXZ IYY IYZ IZZ

Type F F F F F F

Default none 0 0 none 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION
IXX Ixx, xx component of inertia tensor
IXY Ixy (set to zero if IRCS=1)
IXZ Ixz (set to zero if IRCS=1)
IYY Iyy, yy component of inertia tensor
IYZ Iyz (set to zero if IRCS=1)
IZZ Izz, zz component of inertia tensor

Card 4 of 4 - Required for the INERTIA option.

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable VTX VTY VTZ VRX VRY VRZ

Type F F F F F F

Default 0 0 0 0 0 0

5.52 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION
VTX x-rigid body initial translational velocity in global coordinate system.
VTY y-rigid body initial translational velocity in global coordinate system.
VTZ z-rigid body initial translational velocity in global coordinate system.
VRX x-rigid body initial rotational velocity in global coordinate system.
VRY y-rigid body initial rotational velocity in global coordinate system.
VRZ z-rigid body initial rotational velocity in global coordinate system.

Optional card required for IRCS=1. Define two local vectors or a local coordinate
system ID.

Card 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XL YL ZL XLIP YLIP ZLIP CID

Type F F F F F F I

Default none none none none none none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XL x-coordinate of local x-axis. Origin lies at (0,0,0).

YL y-coordinate of local x-axis

ZL z-coordinate of local x-axis

XLIP x-coordinate of local in-plane vector

YLIP y-coordinate of local in-plane vector

ZLIP z-coordinate of local in-plane vector

CID Local coordinate system ID, see *DEFINE_COORDINATE_.... With this

option leave fields 1-6 blank.

Remark:

The local coordinate system is set up in the following way. After the local x-axis is defined,
the local z-axis is computed from the cross-product of the local x-axis vector with the given in-plane
vector. Finally, the local y-axis is determined from the cross-product of the local z-axis with the
local x-axis. The local coordinate system defined by CID has the advantage that the local system can
be defined by nodes in the rigid body which makes repositioning of the rigid body in a preprocessor
much easier since the local system moves with the nodal points.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.53 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_NODAL_RIGID_BODY
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define a rigid body consisting of the nodes in nodal set 61.
$
$ This particular example was used to connect three separate deformable
$ parts. Physically, these parts were welded together. Modeling wise,
$ however, this joint is quit messy and is most conveniently modeled
$ by making a rigid body using several of the nodes in the area. Physically,
$ this joint was so strong that weld failure was never of concern.
$
*CONSTRAINED_NODAL_RIGID_BODY
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ nsid cid
61
$
$ nsid = 61 nodal set ID number, requires a *SET_NODE_option
$ cid not used in this example, output will be in global coordinates
$
$
*SET_NODE_LIST
$ sid
61
$ nid1 nid2 nid3 nid4 nid5 nid6 nid7 nid8
823 1057 1174 1931 2124 1961 2101
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

5.54 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_NODE_SET

Purpose: Define nodal constraint sets for translational motion in global coordinates. No rotational
coupling. See Figure 5.18. Nodal points included in the sets should not be subjected to any other
constraints including prescribed motion, e.g., with the *BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_MOTION
options.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID DOF TF

Type I I F

Default none none 1.E+20

Remarks 1 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID Nodal set ID, see *SET_NODE_OPTION.

DOF Applicable degrees-of-freedom:

EQ. 1: x-translational degree-of-freedom,
EQ. 2: y-translational degree-of-freedom,
EQ. 3: z-translational degree-of-freedom,
EQ. 4: x and y-translational degrees-of-freedom,
EQ. 5: y and z-translational degrees-of-freedom,
EQ. 6: z and x-translational degrees-of-freedom,
EQ. 7: x, y, and z-translational degrees-of-freedom.

TF Failure time for nodal constraint set.

Remarks:

1. The masses of the nodes are summed up to determine the total mass of the constrained set. It
must be noted that the definiton of a nodal rigid body is not possible with this input. For
nodal rigid bodies the keyword input: *CONSTRAINED_NODAL_RIGID_BODY_
OPTION, must be used.

2. When the failure time, TF, is reached the nodal constraint becomes inactive and the constrained
nodes may move freely.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.55 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
* C ON ST RA I N ED _ N OD E_ SET * CO N ST RA IN ED _ N OD A L _ RI GID _ BOD Y
* CO N ST RA IN ED _ SPO T WEL D
Since no rotation is permitted,
this option should not be used to Behavior is like a rigid beam. These options
model rigid body behavior that may be used to model spotwelds.
involves rotations.
F F
a b a b

F
y F y

x x

Offset nodes a and b are constrained to move together.

Figure 5.18. *CONSTRAINED_NODE_SET can lead to nonphysical responses.

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_NODE_SET
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Constrain all the nodes in a nodal set to move equivalently
$ in the z-direction.
$
*CONSTRAINED_NODE_SET
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
nsid dof tf
7 3 10.0
$
$ nsid = 7 nodal set ID number, requires a *SET_NODE_option
$ dof = 3 nodal motions are equivalent in z-translation
$ tf = 3 at time=10. the nodal contraint is removed
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

5.56 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_POINTS

Purpose: Constrain two points with the specified coordinates connecting two shell elements at
locations other than nodal points. In this option, the penalty method is used to constrain the
translational and rotational degrees-of-freedom of the points. Force resultants are written into the
SWFORC ASCII file for post-processing.

Card Format (I10)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CID

Type I

Default none

Card Format (I8,3E16.0)

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable EID1 X1 Y1 Z1

Type I F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0.

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable EID2 X2 Y2 Z2

Type I F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.57 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
Card Format (4E10.0)

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PSF FAILA FAILS FAILM

Type F F F F

Default 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

CID Constrained points ID.

Xi, Yi, Zi Coordinates of the constrained points, i=1,2.

EIDi Shell element ID, i=1,2.

PSF Penalty scale factor (Default=1.0).

FAILA Axial force resultant failure value (Skip if zero.).

FAILS Shear force resultant failure value (Skip if zero.).

FAILM Moment resultant failure value (Skip if zero.).

5.58 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_RIGID_BODIES

Purpose: Merge two rigid bodies. One rigid body, called slave rigid body, is merged to the other
one called a master rigid body.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PIDM PIDS

Type I I

Default none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PIDM Master rigid body part ID, see *PART.

PIDS Slave rigid body part ID, see *PART.

Remarks:

The slave rigid body is merged to the master rigid body. The inertial properties computed by
LS-DYNA are based on the combination of the master rigid body plus all the rigid bodies which are
slaved to it unless the inertial properties of the master rigid body are defined via the *PART_
INERTIA keyword in which case those properties are used for the combination of the master and
slave rigid bodies. Note that a master rigid body may have many slaves.

Rigid bodies must not share common nodes since each rigid body updates the motion of its
nodes independently of the other rigid bodies. If common nodes exists between rigid bodies the
rigid bodies sharing the nodes must be merged.

It is also possible to merge rigid bodies that are completely separated and share no common
nodal points or boundaries.

All actions valid for the master rigid body, e.g., constraints, given velocity, are now also
valid for the newly-created rigid body.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.59 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_RIGID_BODIES
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Rigidly connect parts 35, 70, 71, and 72 to part 12.
$ All parts must be defined as rigid.
$
$ This example is used to make a single rigid body out of the five parts
$ that compose the back end of a vehicle. This was done to save cpu time
$ and was determined to be valid because the application was a frontal
$ impact with insignificant rear end deformations. (The cpu time saved
$ was from making the parts rigid, not from merging them - merging was
$ more of a convenience in this case for post processing, for checking
$ inertial properties, and for joining the parts.)
$
*CONSTRAINED_RIGID_BODIES
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ pidm pids
12 35
12 70
12 71
12 72
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

5.60 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_RIGID_BODY_STOPPERS

Purpose: Rigid body stoppers provide a convenient way of controlling the motion of rigid tooling in
metalforming applications. The motion of a “master” rigid body is limited by load curves. This
option will stop the motion based on a time dependent constraint. The stopper overrides prescribed
velocity and displacement boundary conditions for both the master and slaved rigid bodies. See
Figure 5.19.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID LCMAX LCMIN PSIDMX PSIDMN LCVMNX DIR VID

Type I I I I I I I I

Default required 0 0 0 0 0 required 0

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TB TD

Type F F

Default 0 1021

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID of master rigid body, see *PART.

LCMAX Load curve ID defining the maximum coordinate or displacement as a

function of time. See *DEFINE_CURVE:
LT.0: Load Curve ID |LCMAX| provides an upper bound for the
displacement of the rigid body
EQ.0: no limitation of the maximum displacement.
GT 0: Load Curve ID LCMAX provides an upper bound for the
position of the rigid body center of mass

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.61 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCMIN Load curve ID defining the minimum coordinate or displacement as a

function of time. See *DEFINE_CURVE:
LT.0: Load Curve ID |LCMIN| defines a lower bound for the
displacement of the rigid body
EQ.0: no limitation of the minimum displacement.
GT.0: Load Curve ID LCMIN defines a lower bound for the position
of the rigid body center of mass

PSIDMX Optional part set ID of rigid bodies that are slaved in the maximum
coordinate direction to the master rigid body. In the part set, see
*SET_PART_OPTION, definition the “COLUMN” option may be used to
defined as a part attribute the closure distance (D1 and D2 in Figure 5.19)
which activates the constraint. The constraint does not begin to act until the
master rigid body stops. If the distance between the master rigid body is
less than or equal to the closure distance, the slave rigid body motion
towards the master rigid body also stops. However, the slaved rigid body
is free to move away from the master. If the closure distance is input as
zero (0.0) then the slaved rigid body stops when the master stops.

PSIDMN Optional part set ID of rigid bodies that are slaved in the minimum
coordinate direction to the master rigid body. In the part set, see
*SET_PART_DEFINITION, definition the “COLUMN” option may be
used to defined as a part attribute the closure distance (D1 and D2 in Figure
5.11) which activates the constraint. The constraint does not begin to act
until the master rigid body stops. If the distance between the master rigid
body is less than or equal to the closure distance, the slave rigid body
motion towards the master rigid body also stops. However, the slaved rigid
body is free to move away from the master. If the closure distance is input
as zero (0.0) then the slaved rigid body stops when the master stops.

LCVMNX Load curve ID which defines the maximum absolute value of the velocity as
a function of time that is allowed within the stopper. See *DEFINE_
CURVE:
EQ.0: no limitation on the velocity.

DIR Direction stopper acts in:

EQ.1: x-translation,
EQ.2: y-translation,
EQ.3: z-translation,
EQ.4: arbitrary, defined by vector VID (see below),
EQ.5: x-axis rotation ,
EQ.6: y-axis rotation,
EQ.7: z-axis rotation,
EQ.8: arbitrary, defined by vector VID (see below).

VID Vector for arbitrary orientation of stopper, see *DEFINE_VECTOR.

TB Time at which stopper is activated.

TD Time at which stopper is deactivated.

5.62 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
Remark:

The optional definition of part sets in minimum or maximum coordinate direction allows the
motion to be controlled in arbitrary direction.

SLAVE 1
c.g.

SLAVE 2
c.g. D
1

D
2
MASTER
c.g.

RIGID BODY
STOPPER

Figure 5.19 When the master rigid body reaches the rigid body stopper, the velocity component
into the stopper is set to zero. Slave rigid bodies 1 and 2 also stop if the distance
between their mass centers and the master rigid body is less than or equal to the input
values D1 and D2, respectively. (c.g. ≡ center of gravity).

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.63 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_RIVET

Purpose: Define massless rivets between non-contiguous nodal pairs. The nodes must not have the
same coordinates. The action is such that the distance between the two nodes is kept constant
throughout any motion. No failure can be specified.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable N1 N2 TF

Type I I F

Default none none 1.E+20

Remarks 1 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

N1 Node ID

N2 Node ID

TF Failure time for nodal constraint set.

Remarks:

1. Nodes connected by a rivet cannot be members of another constraint set that constrain the same
degrees-of-freedom, a tied interface, or a rigid body, i.e., nodes cannot be subjected to
multiple, independent, and possibly conflicting constraints. Also care must be taken to ensure
that single point constraints applied to nodes in a constraint set do not conflict with the
constraint sets constrained degrees-of-freedom.

2. When the failure time, TF, is reached the rivet becomes inactive and the constrained nodes may
move freely.

5.64 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_RIVET
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Connect node 382 to node 88471 with a massless rivet.
$
*CONSTRAINED_RIVET
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ n1 n2 tf
382 88471 0.0
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.65 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_SHELL_TO_SOLID

Purpose: Define a tie between a shell edge and solid elements. Nodal rigid bodies can perform the
same function and may also be used.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID NSID

Type I I

Default none none

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Shell node ID

NSID Solid nodal set ID, see *SET_NODE_OPTION.

Remarks:

The shell-brick interface, an extension of the tied surface capability, ties regions of
hexahedron elements to regions of shell elements. A shell node may be tied to up to nine brick nodes
lying along the tangent vector to the nodal fiber. See Figure 5.20. During the calculation, nodes
thus constrained must lie along the fiber but can move relative to each other in the fiber direction.
The brick nodes must be input in the order in which they occur, in either the plus or minus direction,
as one moves along the shell node fiber.

This feature is intended to tie four node shells to eight node shells or solids; it is not intended
for tying eight node shells to eight node solids.

5.66 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED

Nodes are constrained to stay on

fiber vector.

n5

n
4

n3
s
1

Nodes s1 and n3 are n2

coincident.
n1

Figure 5.20. The interface between shell elements and solids ties shell node s1 to a line of
nodes on the solid elements n1-n5. It is very important for the nodes to be
aligned.
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_SHELL_TO_SOLID
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Tie shell element, at node 329, to a solid element at node 203.
$ - nodes 329 and 203 are coincident
$
$ Additionally, define a line of nodes on the solids elements, containing
$ node 203, that must remain in the same direction as the fiber of the shell
$ containing node 329. In other words:
$
$ - Nodes 119, 161, 203, 245 and 287 are nodes on a solid part that
$ define a line on that solid part.
$ - This line of nodes will be constrained to remain linear throughout
$ the simulation.
$ - The direction of this line will be kept the same as the fiber of the
$ of the shell containing node 329.
$
*CONSTRAINED_SHELL_TO_SOLID
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ nid nsid
329 4
$
*SET_NODE_LIST
$ sid
4
$ nid1 nid2 nid3 nid4 nid5 nid6 nid7 nid8
119 161 203 245 287
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.67 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_SPOTWELD_{OPTION}

If it is desired to use a time filtered force calculation for the forced basae failure criterion then the
following option is available:

FILTERED_FORCE

and one additional card must be defined below.

Purpose: Define massless spot welds between non-contiguous nodal pairs. The spot weld is a rigid
beam that connects the nodal points of the nodal pairs; thus, nodal rotations and displacements are
coupled. The spot welds must be connected to nodes having rotary inertias, i.e., beams or shells. If
this is not the case, for example, if the nodes belong to solid elements, use the option:
*CONSTRAINED_RIVET. Note that shell elements do not have rotary stiffness in the normal
direction and, therefore, this component cannot be transmitted. Spot welded nodes must not have the
same coordinates. Coincident nodes in spot weld can be handeled by the
*CONSTRAINED_NODAL_RIGID_BODY option. Brittle and ductile failures can be specified.
Brittle failure is based on the resultant forces acting on the weld, and ductile failure is based on the
average plastic strain value of the shell elements which include the spot welded node. Spot welds,
which are connected to massless nodes, are automatically deleted in the initialization phase and a
warning message is printed in the MESSAG file and the D3HSP file.

Warning: The accelerations of spot welded nodes are output as zero into the various databases, but. if
the acceleration of spotwelded nodes are required, use either the *CONSTRAINED_
GENERALIZED_WELD or the *CONSTRAINED_NODAL_RIGID_BODY input. However, if the
output interval is frequent enough accurate acceleration time histories can be obtained from the
velocity time history by differentiation in the post-processing phase.

Card 1 Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable N1 N2 SN SS N M TF EP

Type I I F F F F F F

Default none none optional optional optional optional 1.E+20 1.E+20

Remarks 1. 2. 3 4

5.68 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
Card 2 Format Define if and only if the option FILTERED_FORCE is specified.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NF TW

Type I F

Default none none

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

N1 Node ID

N2 Node ID

SN Normal force at spotweld failure (see Remark 2 below).

SS Shear force at spotweld failure (see Remark 2 below).

N Exponent for normal spotweld force (see Remark 2 below).

M Exponent for shear spotweld force (see Remark 2 below).

TF Failure time for nodal constraint set.

EP Effective plastic strain at failure.

NF Number of force vectors stored for filtering.

TW Time window for filtering.

Remarks:

1. Nodes connected by a spot weld cannot be members of another constraint set that constrain the
same degrees-of-freedom, a tied interface, or a rigid body, i.e., nodes cannot be subjected to
multiple, independent, and possibly conflicting constraints. Also, care must be taken to ensure
that single point constraints applied to nodes in a constraint set do not conflict with the
constraint sets constrained degrees-of-freedom.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.69 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
2. Failure of the spot welds occurs when:
n m
 fn   fs 
  +   ≥1
 Sn   Ss 

where fn and fs are the normal and shear interface force. Component fn is nonzero for
tensile values only.

3. When the failure time, TF, is reached the spot weld becomes inactive and the constrained nodes
may move freely.

4. Spot weld failure due to plastic straining occurs when the effective nodal plastic strain exceeds
the input value, ε fail
p
. This option can model the tearing out of a spotweld from the sheet metal
since the plasticity is in the material that surrounds the spotweld, not the spotweld itself. A
least squares algorithm is used to generate the nodal values of plastic strains at the nodes from
the element integration point values. The plastic strain is integrated through the element and the
average value is projected to the nodes via a least square fit. This option should only be used
for the material models related to metallic plasticity and can result is slightly increased run
times. Failures can include both the plastic and brittle failures.

5.70 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_SPOTWELD
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Spotweld two nodes (34574 and 34383) with the approximate strength
$ of a 3/8" SAE Grade No 3 bolt.
$
*CONSTRAINED_SPOTWELD
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ n1 n2 sn sf n m tf ps
34574 34383 36.0 18.0 2.0 2.0 10. 1.0
$
$
$ sn = 36.0 normal failure force is 36 kN
$ sf = 18.0 shear failure force is 18 kN
$ n = 2.0 normal failure criteria is raised to the power of 2
$ m = 2.0 shear failure criteria is raised to the power of 2
$ tf = 10.0 failure occurs at time 10 unless strain failure occurs
$ ps = 2.0 plastic strain at failure
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.71 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_TIE-BREAK

Purpose: Define a tied shell edge to shell edge interface that can release locally as a function of
plastic strain of the shells surrounding the interface nodes. A rather ductile failure is achieved.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SNSID MNSID EPPF

Type I I F

Default none none 0.

Remarks 1, 2 3, 4

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SNSID Slave node set ID, see *SET_NODE_OPTION.

MNSID Master node set ID, see *SET_NODE_OPTION.

EPPF Plastic strain at failure

Remarks:

1. Nodes in the master node set must be given in the order they appear as one moves along the
edge of the surface.

2. Tie-breaks may not cross.

3. Tie-breaks may be used to tie shell edges together with a failure criterion on the joint. If the
average volume-weighted effective plastic strain in the shell elements adjacent to a node exceeds
the specified plastic strain at failure, the node is released. The default plastic strain at failure is
defined for the entire tie-break but can be overridden in the slave node set to define a unique
failure plastic strain for each node.

4. Tie-breaks may be used to simulate the effect of failure along a predetermined line, such as a
seam or structural joint. When the failure criterion is reached in the adjoining elements, nodes
along the slideline will begin to separate. As this effect propagates, the tie-breaks will appear to
“unzip,” thus simulating failure of the connection.

5.72 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONSTRAINED
*CONSTRAINED_TIED_NODES_FAILURE

Purpose: Define a tied node set with failure based on plastic strain. The nodes must be coincident.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID EPPF ETYPE

Type I F

Default none 0.

Remarks 1, 2, 3, 4

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID Nodal set ID, see *SET_NODE_OPTION.

EPPF Plastic strain at failure

ETYPE Element type for nodal group:

EQ:0: shell,
EQ.1: solid element

Remarks:

1. This feature applies only to deformable plastic three and four noded shell elements and to brick
elements using the honeycomb material *MAT_HONEYCOMB. The specified nodes are tied
together until the average volume weighted plastic strain exceeds the specified value. Entire
regions of individual shell elements may be tied together unlike the tie-breaking shell slidelines.
The tied nodes are coincident until failure. When the volume weighted average of the failure
value is reached for a group of constrained nodes, the nodes of the elements that exceed the
failure value are released to simulate the formation of a crack.

2. To use this feature to simulate failure, each shell element in the failure region should be
generated with unique node numbers that are coincident in space with those of adjacent
elements. Rather than merging these coincident nodes, the *CONSTRAINED_TIED_
NODES_FAILURE option ties the nodal points together. As plastic strain develops and
exceeds the failure strain, cracks will form and propagate through the mesh.

3. Entire regions of individual shell elements may be tied together, unlike the *CONSTRAINED_
TIE-BREAK option. This latter option is recommended when the location of failure is known,
e.g., as in the plastic covers which hide airbags in automotive structures.

LS-DYNA Version 960 5.73 (CONSTRAINED)

*CONSTRAINED
4. When using surfaces of shell elements defined using the *CONSTRAINED_TIED_NODES_
FAILURE option in contact, it is best to defined each node in the surface as a slave node with
the NODE_TO_SURFACE contact options. If this is not possible, the automatic contact
algorithms beginning with *CONTACT_AUTOMATIC_... all of which include thickness
offsets are recommended.

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONSTRAINED_TIED_NODES_FAILURE
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Tie shell elements together at the nodes specified in nodal set 101. The
$ constraint will be broken when the plastic strain at the nodes exceeds 0.085.
$
$ In this example, four shell elements come together at a common point.
$ The four corners of the shells are tied together with failure as opposed
$ to the more common method of merging the nodes in the pre-processing stage.
$
*CONSTRAINED_TIED_NODES_FAILURE
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ nsid eppf
101 0.085
$
$
*SET_NODE_LIST
$ sid
101
$ nid1 nid2 nid3 nid4 nid5 nid6 nid7 nid8
775 778 896 897
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

5.74 (CONSTRAINED) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT

*CONTACT
The keyword *CONTACT provides a way of treating interaction be between disjoint parts.
Different types of contact may be defined:

*CONTACT_{OPTION1}_{OPTION2}_{OPTION3}_{OPTION4}

*CONTACT_ENTITY

*CONTACT_GEBOD_OPTION

*CONTACT_INTERIOR

*CONTACT_RIGID_SURFACE

*CONTACT_1D

*CONTACT_2D_OPTION1_{OPTION2}_{OPTION3}

The first, *CONTACT_..., is the general 3D contact algorithms. The second, *CONTACT_
ENTITY, treats contact using mathematical functions to describe the surface geometry for the master
surface. The third, *CONTACT_GEBOD is a specialized form of the contact entity for use with the
rigid body dummies (see *COMPONENT_GEBOD). The fourth, *CONTACT_INTERIOR, is
under development and is used with soft foams where element inversion is sometimes a problem.
Contact between layers of brick elements is treated to eliminate negative volumes. The fifth,
*CONTACT_RIGID_SURFACE is for modeling road surfaces for durability and NVH calculations.
The sixth, *CONTACT_1D, remains in LS-DYNA for historical reasons, and is sometimes still used
to model rebars which run along edges of brick elements. The last, *CONTACT_2D, is the general
2D contact algorithm based on those used previously in LS-DYNA2D.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.1 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
*CONTACT_{OPTION1}_{OPTION2}_{OPTION3}_{OPTION4}

Purpose: Define a contact interface.

OPTION1 specifies the contact type. Not all options are implemented for implicit solutions. A list
of avaiable contact options is given in remark 4:

AIRBAG_SINGLE_SURFACE
AUTOMATIC_GENERAL
AUTOMATIC_GENERAL_INTERIOR
AUTOMATIC_NODES_TO_SURFACE
AUTOMATIC_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
AUTOMATIC_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_TIEBREAK
AUTOMATIC_SINGLE_SURFACE
AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_TIEBREAK
CONSTRAINT_NODES_TO_SURFACE
CONSTRAINT_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
DRAWBEAD
ERODING_NODES_TO_SURFACE
ERODING_SINGLE_SURFACE
ERODING_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
FORCE_TRANSDUCER_CONSTRAINT
FORCE_TRANSDUCER_PENALTY
FORMING_NODES_TO_SURFACE
FORMING_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
FORMING_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
NODES_TO_SURFACE
NODES_TO_SURFACE_INTERFERENCE
ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_INTERFERENCE
RIGID_NODES_TO_RIGID_BODY
RIGID_BODY_ONE_WAY_TO_RIGID_BODY
RIGID_BODY_TWO_WAY_TO_RIGID_BODY
SINGLE_EDGE
SINGLE_SURFACE
SLIDING_ONLY
SLIDING_ONLY_PENALTY
6.2 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960
 *CONTACT
SPOTWELD
SPOTWELD_WITH_TORSION
SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_INTERFERENCE
TIEBREAK_NODES_TO_SURFACE
TIEBREAK_NODES_ONLY
TIEBREAK_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
TIED_NODES_TO_SURFACE
TIED_SHELL_EDGE_TO_SURFACE
TIED_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
TIED_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_FAILURE

OPTION2 specifies a thermal contact and takes the single option:

THERMAL

Only the SURFACE_TO_SURFACE contact type may be used with this option.

OPTION3 specifies that the first card to read defines the title and ID number of contact interface and
takes the single option:

TITLE

OPTION4 specifies that offsets may be used with the tied contacts types and takes the single option.

OFFSET

Only contact types TIED_NODES_TO_SURFACE, TIED_SHELL_EDGE_TO_SURFACE,

and TIED_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE may be used with this option. If this option is set,
then offsets are permitted for these contact types, and, if not, the nodes are projected back to
the contact surface during the initialization phase. The OFFSET option switches the
formulation from a constraint type formulation to one that is penalty based.

Remarks:

1. OPTION1, OPTION2, OPTION3 and OPTION4 may appear in any order in the
keyword command line. The data must be in the order specified below.

2. OPTION1 is mandatory.

3. OPTION2, OPTION3 and OPTION4 are optional.

4. The following contact types are available for implicit calculations:

SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
NODES_TO_SURFACE

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.3 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
FORMING_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
FORMING_NODES_TO_SURFACE
FORMING_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
AUTOMATIC_NODES_TO_SURFACE
AUTOMATIC_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
AUTOMATIC_SINGLE_SURFACE
TIED_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_OFFSET
TIED_NODES_TO_SURFACE_OFFSET
2D_AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE

6.4 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
DISCUSSION AND EXAMPLES:

A brief discussion on the contact types and a few examples are provided at the end of this
section. A theoretical discussion is provided in the LS-DYNA Theory Manual.

Card ordering is important in this section:

• Card for the TITLE option is inserted here; otherwise, do not define this card.

Define the title card first.

• Cards 1 to 3 are mandatory for all contact types.

• Card 4 is mandatory for the following contact types:

*CONTACT_CONSTRAINT_type
*CONTACT_DRAWBEAD
*CONTACT_ERODING_type
*CONTACT_..._INTERFERENCE
*CONTACT_RIGID_type
*CONTACT_TIEBREAK_type

Each of these types have different Card 4 formats. These card formats are presented
in this manual after the optional cards specified above but, if used, Card 4 needs to be
specified in your dyna deck before the optional cards.

• Card for the THERMAL option is inserted here; otherwise, do not define this
card.

Additional parameters are required for thermal contact and are defined on this card.

• Optional Card A

Additional contact parameters that may be user specified. Default values have evolved
over time to become pretty good values for most circumstances.

• Optional Card B

Additional contact parameters that may be user specified. Default values have evolved
over time to become pretty good values for most circumstances. If Optional Card B is used,
then Optional Card A is mandatory (use a blank line if no changes are desired for Card A
parameters).

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.5 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
The following card is read if and only if the TITLE option is specified.

Optional 1 2

Variable CID NAME

Type I A70

The contact ID is needed during full deck restarts for contact initialization. If the contact ID is
undefined, the default ID is determined by the sequence of the contact definitions, i.e., the first
contact definition has an ID of 1, the second, 2, and so forth. In a full deck restart without contact
IDs, for a successful run no contact interfaces can be deleted and those which are added must be
placed after the last definition in the previous run. The title card is picked up by some of the
peripheral LS-DYNA codes to aid in post-processing.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

CID Contact interface ID. This must be a unique number.

NAME Interface descriptor. It is suggested that unique descriptions be used.

6.6 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
Card 1 is mandatory for all contact types.

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID MSID SSTYP MSTYP SBOXID MBOXID SPR MPR

Type I I I I I I I I

Default none none none none 0 0

Remarks 1 2 optional optional 0=off 0=off

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Slave segment, node set ID, partset ID, part ID, or shell element set ID, see
*SET_SEGMENT, *SET_NODE_OPTION, *PART, *SET_PART or
*SET_SHELL_OPTION. For eroding contact use either a part ID or a
partset ID.
EQ.0: all part IDs are included for single surface contact, automatic
single surface, and eroding single surface.

MSID Master segment set ID, partset ID, part ID, or shell element set ID, see
*SET_SEGMENT, *SET_NODE_OPTION, *PART, *SET_PART, or
*SET_SHELL_OPTION:
EQ.0: for single surface contact, automatic single surface, and eroding
single surface.

SSTYP Slave segment or node set type. The type must correlate with the number
specified for SSID:
EQ.0: segment set ID for surface to surface contact,
EQ.1: shell element set ID for surface to surface contact,
EQ.2: part set ID,
EQ.3: part ID,
EQ.4: node set ID for node to surface contact,
EQ.5: include all for single surface defintion.
EQ.6: part set ID for exempted parts. All non exempted parts are
included in the contact.

MSTYP Master segment set type. The type must correlate with the number specified
for MSID:
EQ.0: segment set ID,
EQ.1: shell element set ID,
EQ.2: part set ID,
EQ.3: part ID.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.7 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
Card 1 (continued)

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SBOXID BOXID, Include only slave nodes/segments within specified box, see
*DEFINE_BOX, in contact definition. Only applies when SSID is defined
by PART or PART SET.

MBOXID BOXID, Include only master segments within specified box, see
*DEFINE_BOX, in contact. Only applies when MSID is defined by PART
or PART SET.

SPR Include the slave side in the *DATABASE_NCFORC and the

*DATABASE _BINARY_INTFOR interface force files:
EQ.1: slave side forces included.

MPR Include the master side in the *DATABASE_NCFORC and the

*DATABASE_BINARY_INTFOR interface force files:
EQ.1: master side forces included.

Remarks:

1. Giving a slave set ID equal to zero is valid only for the single surface contact algorithms, i.e.,
the options SINGLE_SURFACE, and the AUTOMATIC_, AIRBAG_, and ERODING_
SINGLE_ SURFACE options.

2. A master set ID is not defined for the single surface contact algorithms (including
AUTOMATIC_GENERAL) or FORCE_ TRANSDUCERS.

6.8 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
Card 2 is mandatory for all contact types.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable FS FD DC VC VDC PENCHK BT DT

Type F F F F F I F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0 0. 1.0E20

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

FS Static coefficient of friction if FS is >0. and not equal to 2. The frictional

coefficient is assumed to be dependent on the relative velocity vrel of the
surfaces in contact µc = FD + ( FS − FD)e
− DC ⋅ vrel
. The two other
possibilities are:

EQ.-1: If the frictional coefficients defined in the *PART section are to be

used, set FS to a negative number (-1.0).

WARNING: Please note that the FS=-1.0 option applies only to contact
types: SINGLE_SURFACE, AUTOMATIC_GENERAL, AUTOMATIC_
SINGLE_SURFACE, AUTOMATIC_NODES_TO_SURFACE, AUTO-
MATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE, AUTOMATIC_ONE_WAY_SUR-
FACE_TO_SURFACE, and ERODING_SINGLE_SURFACE.

EQ. 2: For contact types SURFACE_TO_SURFACE and ONE_WAY_

SURFACE_TO_SURFACE, the dynamic coefficient of friction points to
the table, see DEFINE_TABLE (The table ID is give by FD below.), giving
the coefficient of friction as a function of the relative velocity and pressure.
This option must be used in combination with the thickness offset option.
See Figure 6.1.

FD Dynamic coefficient of friction. The frictional coefficient is assumed to be

dependent on the relative velocity v rel of the surfaces in contact
µc = FD + ( FS − FD)e
− DC ⋅ vrel
. Give table ID if FS=2.

Note: For the special contact option "TIED_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_

FAILURE" only, the variables FS and FD act as failure stresses, i.e.,

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.9 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

max(0.0, σ normal )   σ shear 

2 2
failure occurs if   +  FD  − 1 > 0 where σ normal and
 FS
σ shear are the interface normal and shear stresses.

FS Normal tensile stress at failure

FD Shear stress at failure

DC Exponential decay coefficient. The frictional coefficient is assumed to be

dependent on the relative velocity v rel of the surfaces in contact
µc = FD + ( FS − FD)e
− DC ⋅ vrel
.

VC Coefficient for viscous friction. This is necessary to limit the friction force
to a maximum. A limiting force is computed Flim = VC ⋅ Acont . A cont being
the area of the segment contacted by the node in contact. The suggested
σ
value for VC is to use the yield stress in shear VC = o where σ o is the
3
yield stress of the contacted material.

VDC Viscous damping coefficient in percent of critical. In order to avoid

undesirable oscillation in contact, e.g., for sheet forming simulation, a
contact damping perpendicular to the contacting surfaces is applied.
VDC
Damping coefficient ξ = ξ wd, eg VDC = 20. ξcrit is determined in the
100
following fashion by LS-DYNA.
ξcrit = 2 mw; m = min( mslave , mmaster ) resp
mass of master
. slave node

mslave + mmaster
w = k⋅ k interface stiffness
mslave ⋅ mmaster

PENCHK Small penetration in contact search option. If the slave node penetrates
more than the segment thickness times the factor XPENE, see
*CONTROL_ CONTACT, the penetration is ignored and the slave node is
set free. The thickness is taken as the shell thickness if the segment belongs
to a shell element or it is taken as 1/20 of its shortest diagonal if the segment
belongs to a solid element. This option applies to the surface to surface
contact algorithms: See table 6.1 for contact types and more details.
EQ.0: check is turned off,
EQ.1: check is turned on ,
EQ.2: check is on but shortest diagonal is used.

BT Birth time (contact surface becomes active at this time).

DT Death time (contact surface is deactivated at this time).

6.10 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
Card 3 is mandatory for all contact types.

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SFS SFM SST MST SFST SFMT FSF VSF

Type F F F F F F F F

element element
Default 1. 1. thickness thickness 1. 1. 1. 1.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SFS Scale factor on default slave penalty stiffness, see also *CONTROL_
CONTACT.

SFM Scale factor on default master penalty stiffness, see also *CONTROL_
CONTACT.

SST Optional thickness for slave surface (overrides true thickness). This option
applies only to contact with shell elements. True thickness is the element
thickness of the shell elements. For the *CONTACT_TIED_.. options,
SST and MST below can be defined as negative values, which will cause
the determination of whether or not a node is tied to depend only on the
separation distance relative to the absolute value of these thicknesses. More
information is given under General Remarks on *CONTACT following
Optional Card C.

MST Optional thickness for master surface (overrides true thickness). This
option applies only to contact with shell elements. True thickness is the
element thickness of the shell elements. For the TIED options see SST
above.

SFST Scale factor for slave surface thickness (scales true thickness). This option
applies only to contact with shell elements. True thickness is the element
thickness of the shell elements.

SFMT Scale factor for master surface thickness (scales true thickness). This
option applies only to contact with shell elements. True thickness is the
element thickness of the shell elements.

FSF Coulomb friction scale factor. The Coulomb friction value is scaled as
µ sc = FSF ⋅ µc , see above.

VSF Viscous friction scale factor. If this factor is defined then the limiting force
becomes: Flim = VSF ⋅ VC ⋅ Acont , see above.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.11 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
Remarks:

The variables FSF and VSF above can be overridden segment by segment on the
*SET_SEGMENT or *SET_SHELL_ OPTION cards for the slave surface only as A3 and A4,
and for the master surface only as A1 and A2. See *SET_SEGMENT and
*SET_SHELL_OPTION.

This Card 4 is mandatory for:

*CONTACT_AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_TIEBREAK
*CONTACT_AUTOMATIC_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_TIEBREAK

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable OPTION NFLS SFLS CCRIT

Type I F F F

Default required required required option=6

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

OPTION Response:
EQ.1: slave nodes in contact and which come into contact will
permanently stick. Tangential motion is inhibited.
EQ.2: tiebreak is active for nodes which are initially in contact. Until
failure, tangential motion is inhibited.
EQ.3: as 1 above but with failure after sticking.
EQ.4: tiebreak is active for nodes which are initially in contact but
tangential motion with frictional sliding is permitted.
EQ.5: tiebreak is active for nodes which are initially in contact.
Damage is a nonlinear function of the crack width opening and is
defined by a load curve which starts at unity for a crack width of zero
and decays in some way to zero at a given value of the crack opening.
This interface can be used to represent deformable glue bonds.
EQ.6: This option is for use with solids and thick shells only. Tiebreak
is active for nodes which are initially in comtact. Damage is a linear
function of the (maximum over time) distanc C between points initially
in contact. When the distance is equal to CCRIT damage is fully
developed and interface failure occurs. After failure, this contact
olption behaves as a surface to surface contact. Assuming no load
reversals, the energy released due to the failure of the interface is

6.12 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

approximately 0.5*S*CCRIT, wher S is equal to max(σ n , 0) + σ n2

2

at initiation of damage. This interface may be used for simulating crack

propagation. For the energy release to be correct, the contact penalty
MIN ( NFLF, SFLS)
stiffness must be much larger than .
CCRIT
NFLS Normal failure stress for OPTION=2 or 3 below. For OPTION=5 NFLS
becomes the plastic yield stress. See remark below.

SFLS Shear failure stress for OPTION=2 or 3 below. Failure criterion:

2 2
 σn   σs 
  +  ≥1.
 NFLS   SFLS 
For OPTION=5 SFLS becomes the load curve ID of the damage model.

CCRIT Critical distance. Define for option 6 above.

Remarks:

After failure, this contact option behaves as a surface-to-surface contact with no thickness
offsets. After failure, no interface tension is possible. The soft constraint option with SOFT=2 is
not implemented for the tiebreak option.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.13 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
This Card 4 is mandatory for:

*CONTACT_CONSTRAINT_NODES_TO_SURFACE
*CONTACT_CONSTRAINT_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable KPF

Type F

Default 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

KPF Kinematic partition factor for constraint:

EQ. 0.0: fully symmetric treatment.
EQ.1.0: one way treatment with slave nodes constrained to master
surface. Only the slave nodes are checked against contact.
EQ.-1.0: one way treatment with master nodes constrained to slave
surface. Only the master nodes are checked against contact.

µ
p3
p2
p1

vrel
Figure 6.1. Friction coefficient, µ, can be a function of realtive velocity and pressure. Specify a
flag for the static coefficient of friction, FS, and a table ID for the dynamic
coefficient. This option only works with SURFACE_TO_SURFACE and
ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE with thickness offsets.

6.14 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
This Card 4 is mandatory for:

*CONTACT_ DRAWBEAD

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCIDRF LCIDNF DBDTH DFSCL NUMINT

Type I I F F I

Default required none 0.0 1.0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCIDRF If LCIDRF is positive then it defibes the load curve ID giving the bending
component of the restraining force, Fbending, per unit draw bead length as a
function of displacement, δ , see Figure 6.2. This force is due to the
bending and unbending of the blank as it moves through the drawbead. The
total restraining force is the sum of the bending and friction components.

If LCIDRF is negative then the absolute value gives the load curve ID
defining max bead force versus normalized drawbead length. The abscissa
values is between zero and 1 and is the normalized drawbead length. The
ordinate gives the maximum allowed drawbead retaining force when the
bead is in the fully closed position. If the drawbead is not fully closed
linear interpolation is used to compute the drawbead force.

LCIDNF Load curve ID giving the normal force per unit draw bead length as a
function of displacement, δ, see Figure 6.2. This force is due to the bending
of the blank into the draw bead as the binder closes on the die and
represents a limiting value. The normal force begins to develop when the
distance between the die and binder is less than the draw bead depth. As
the binder and die close on the blank this force should diminish or reach
a plateau, see the explanation below.
DBDTH Draw bead depth, see Figure 6.2. Necessary to determine correct δ
displacement from contact displacements.

DFSCL Scale factor for load curve. Default=1.0. This factor scales load curve ID,
LCIDRF above.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.15 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NUMINT Number of equally spaced integration points along the draw bead:
EQ.0: Internally calculated based on element size of elements that
interact with draw bead.
This is necessary for the correct calculation of the restraining forces. More
integration points may increase the accuracy since the force is applied more
evenly along the bead.

Remarks:

The draw bead is defined by a consecutive list of slave nodes that lie along the draw bead.
For straight draw beads only two nodes need to be defined, i.e., one at each end, but for curved
beads sufficient nodes are required to define the curvature of the bead geometry. The integration
points along the bead are equally spaced and are independent of the nodal spacing used in the
definition of the draw bead. By using the capability of tying extra nodes to rigid bodies (see
*CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODES_OPTION) the draw bead nodal points do not need to belong
to the element connectivities of the die and binder. The blank makes up the master surface. IT IS
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO DEFINE A BOXID AROUND THE DRAWBEAD TO LIMIT
THE SIZE OF THE MASTER SURFACE CONSIDERED FOR THE DRAW BEAD. THIS WILL
SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE COST AND MEMORY REQUIREMENTS.

D, depth of draw bead

δ F = F friction + Fbending

Figure 6.2. Draw bead contact model defines a resisting force as a function of draw bead
displacement. The friction force is computed from the normal force in the draw
bead and the given friction coefficient.

6.16 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
This Card 4 is mandatory for:

*CONTACT_ ERODING_NODES_TO_SURFACE
*CONTACT_ ERODING_SINGLE_SURFACE
*CONTACT_ ERODING_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ISYM EROSOP IADJ

Type I I I

Default 0 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ISYM Symmetry plane option:

EQ.0: off,
EQ.1: do not include faces with normal boundary constraints (e.g.,
segments of brick elements on a symmetry plane).
This option is important to retain the correct boundary conditions in the
model with symmetry.

EROSOP Erosion/Interior node option:

EQ.0: only exterior boundary information is saved,
EQ.1: storage is allocated so that eroding contact can occur.
Otherwise, no contact is assumed after erosion of the corresponding
element.

IADJ Adjacent material treatment for solid elements:

EQ.0: solid element faces are included only for free boundaries,
EQ.1: solid element faces are included if they are on the boundary of
the material subset. This option also allows the erosion within a body
and the subsequent treatment of contact.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.17 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
This Card 4 is mandatory for:

*CONTACT_NODES_TO_SURFACE_INTERFERENCE
*CONTACT_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_INTERFERENCE
*CONTACT_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_INTERFERENCE

Purpose: This contact option provides of means of modeling parts which are shrink fitted together
and are, therefore, prestressed in the initial configuration. This option turns off the nodal
interpenetration checks (which changes the geometry by moving the nodes to eliminate the
interpenetration) at the start of the simulation and allows the contact forces to develop to remove the
interpenetrations. The load curves defined in this section scale the interface stiffness constants such
that the stiffness can increase slowly from zero to a final value with effect that the interface forces
also increase gradually to remove the overlaps.

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCID1 LCID2

Type I I

Default 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCID1 Load curve ID which scales the interface stiffness during dynamic
relaxation. This curve must originate at (0,0) at time=0 and gradually
increase.

LCID2 Load curve ID which scales the interface stiffness during the transient
calculation. This curve is generally has a constant value of unity for the
duration of the calculation if LCID1 is defined. If LCID1=0, this curve
must originate at (0,0) at time=0 and gradually increase to a constant value.

Remarks:

Extreme caution must be used with this option. First, shell thickness offsets are taken into
account for deformable shell elements. Furthermore, SEGMENT ORIENTATION FOR SHELL
ELEMENTS AND INTERPENETRATION CHECKS ARE SKIPPED. Therefore, it is necessary in
the problem setup to ensure that all contact segments which belong to shell elements are properly
oriented, i.e., the outward normal vector of the segment based on the right hand rule relative to the
segment numbering, must point to the opposing contact surface; consequently, automatic contact
generation should be avoided for parts composed of shell elements unless automatic generation is
used on the slave side of a nodes to surface interface.

6.18 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
This Card 4 is mandatory for:

*CONTACT_RIGID_NODES_TO_RIGID_BODY

*CONTACT_RIGID_BODY_ONE_WAY_TO_RIGID_BODY

*CONTACT_RIGID_BODY_TWO_WAY_TO_RIGID_BODY

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCID FCM US

Type I I F

Default required required from LCID

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCID Load curve ID giving force versus penetation behavior for RIGID_ contact.
See also the definition of FCM below.

FCM Force calculation method for RIGID_contact:

EQ.1: Load curve gives total normal force on surface versus maximum
penetration of any node (RIGID_BODY_ONE_WAY only).
EQ.2: Load curve gives normal force on each node versus penetration
of node through the surface (all RIGID_contact types).
EQ.3: Load curve gives normal pressure versus penetration of node
through the surface (RIGID_BODY_TWO_WAY and RIGID_BODY_
ONE_WAY only).
EQ.4: Load curve gives total normal force versus maximum soft
penetration. In this case the force will be followed based on the
original penetration point. (RIGID_BODY_ONE_WAY only).

US Unloading stiffness for RIGID_contact. The default is to unload along the

loading curve. This should not be larger than the maximum value used in
the loading curve.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.19 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
This Card 4 is mandatory for:

*CONTACT_TIEBREAK_NODES_TO_SURFACE and
*CONTACT_TIEBREAK_NODES_ONLY

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NFLF SFLF NEN MES

Type F F F F

Default required required 2. 2.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NFLF Normal failure force. Only tensile failure, i.e., tensile normal forces, will be
considered in the failure criterion.

SFLF Shear failure force

NEN Exponent for normal force

MES Exponent for shear force. Failure criterion:

NEN MES
 fn   f 
  + s  ≥ 1.
 NFLF   SFLF 

Failure is assumed if the left side is larger than 1. fn and fs are the normal
and shear interface force.
Remarks:

These attributes can be overridden node by node on the *SET_NODE_option cards.

Both NFLF and SFLF must be defined. If failure in only tension or shear is required then set
the other failure force to a large value (1E+10).

After failure, the contact_tiebreak_nodes_to_surface behaves as a nodes-to-surface contact

with no thickness offsets (no interface tension possible) whereas the contact_tiebreak_nodes_only
stops acting altogether. Prior to failure, the two contact types behave identically.

6.20 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
This Card 4 is mandatory for:

*CONTACT_ TIEBREAK_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NFLS SFLS TBLCID

Type F F I

Default required required 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NFLS Tensile failure stress. See remark below.

SFLS Shear failure stress. Failure criterion:

2 2
 σn   σs 
  +  ≥1.
 NFLS   SFLS 

TBLCID Optional load curve number defining the resisting stress versus gap opening
for the post failure response. This can be used to model the failure of
adhesives.

Remarks:

The failure attributes can be overridden segment by segment on the *SET_SEGMENT or

*SET_SHELL_option cards for the slave surface only as A1 and A2. These variables do not
apply to the master surface.

Both NFLS and SFLS must be defined. If failure in only tension or shear is required then set
the other failure stress to a large value (1E+10). When used with shells, contact segment normals are
used to establish the tension direction (as opposed to compression). Compressive stress does not
contribute to the failure equation.

After failure, this contact option behaves as a surface-to-surface contact with no thickness
offsets. After failure, no interface tension is possible.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.21 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
This Card is mandatory for the THERMAL option, i.e.,:

Reminder: If Card 4 is required, then it must go before this optional card. (Card 4 is
required for certain contact types - see earlier in this section for the list, later in this section for
details of Card 4.)

*CONTACT_ ..._THERMAL_.....

Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CF FRAD HTC GCRIT GMAX CD_FACT

Type F F F F F F

Default none none none none none 1.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

CF Thermal conductivity ( k ) of fluid between the slide surfaces. If a gap with

a thickness lgap exists between the slide surfaces, then the conductance due
to thermal conductivity between the slide surfaces is
k
hcond =
lgap

Note that LS- DYNA calculates lgap based on deformation.

FRAD Radiation factor, f, between the slide surfaces. A radient-heat-transfer

coefficient ( hrad ) is calculated (see *BOUNDARY_RADIATION). If a gap
exists between the slide surfaces, then the contact conductance is calculated
by

h = hcond + hrad

HTC Heat transfer conductance ( hcont ) for closed gaps. Use this heat transfer
conductance for gaps in the range

0 ≤ lgap ≤ lmin

where lmin is GCRIT defined below.

GCRIT Critical gap ( lmin ), use the heat transfer conductance defined (HTC) for
gap thicknesses less than this value.

6.22 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

GMAX No thermal contact if gap is greater than this value ( lmax ).

CD_FACT Is a multiplier used on the element characteristic distance for the search
routine. The characteristic length is the largest interface surface element
diagonal.

EQ:0. Default set to 1.0

Remarks:

In summary:

h = hcont , if the gap thickness is 0 ≤ lgap ≤ lmin

h = hcond + hrad , if the gap thickness is lmin ≤ lgap ≤ lmax

h = 0 , if the gap thickness is lgap > lmax

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.23 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
Optional Card A

Reminder: If Card 4 is required, then it must go before this optional card. (Card 4 is
required for certain contact types - see earlier in this section for the list, later in this section for
details of Card 4.)

Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Card A

Variable SOFT SOFSCL LCIDAB MAXPAR EDGE DEPTH BSORT FRCFRQ

Type I F I F F I I I

Default 0 .1 0 1.025. 0. 2 10-100 1

Remarks type a13 type 13

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SOFT Soft constraint option:

EQ.0: penalty formulation,
EQ.1: soft constraint formulation,
EQ.2: pinball segment-based contact.
EQ.4: constraint approach for FORMING contact option.
The soft constraint may be necessary if the material constants of the
elements which make up the surfaces in contact have a wide variation in
the elastic bulk modulii. In the soft constraint option, the interface stiffness
is based on the nodal mass and the global time step size. This method of
computing the interface stiffness will typically give much higher stiffness
value than would be obtained by using the bulk modulus; therefore, this
method the preferred approach when soft foam materials interact with
metals. See the remark below for the alternate penalty formulation.

SOFSCL Scale factor for constraint forces of soft constraint option (default=.10).
Values greater than .5 for single surface contact and 1.0 for a one way
treatment are inadmissible.

LCIDAB Load curve ID defining airbag thickness as a function of time for type a13
contact (*CONTACT_AIRBAG_SINGLE_SURFACE).

MAXPAR Maximum parametric coordinate in segment search (values 1.025 and 1.20
recommended). Larger values can increase cost. If zero, the default is set to
1.025. This factor allows an increase in the size of the segments . May be
useful at sharp corners.

EDGE Edge-to-edge penetration check for alternate penalty formulation (SOFT=2).

EQ.0: Check only surface penetrations (default).
GT.0: Check both surface and edge-edge penetrations.

6.24 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
Optional Card A (continued)

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DEPTH Search depth in automatic contact. Value of 1 is sufficiently accurate for

most crash applications and is much less expensive. LS-DYNA for
improved accuracy sets this value to 2. If zero, the default is set to 2.
LT.0: |DEPTH| is the load curve ID defining searching depth versus time.

BSORT Number of cycles between bucket sorts. Values of 25 and 100 are recom-
mended for contact types 4 and 13 (SINGLE_SURFACE), respectively.
Values of 10-15 are okay for the surface to surface and node to surface
contact. If zero, LS-DYNA determines the interval.
LT.0: |BSORT| load curve ID defining bucket sorting frequency
versus time.

FRCFRQ Number of cycles between contact force updates for penalty contact
formulations. This option can provide a significant speed-up of the contact
treatment. If used, values exceeding 3 or 4 are dangerous. Considerable
care must be exercised when using this option, as this option assumes that
contact does not change FRCFRG cycles.
EQ.0: FRCFRG is set to 1 and force calculations are performed each
cycle-strongly recommended.
Remark:

Setting SOFT=1 or 2 on optional contact card A will cause the contact stiffness to be
determined based on stability considerations, taking into account the timestep and nodal masses.
This approach is generally more effective for contact between materials of dissimilar stiffness or
dissimilar mesh densities.

SOFT=2 is for general shell and solid element contact. This option is available for all
SURFACE_TO_ SURFACE, ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE, and SINGLE_ SURFACE
options. When the AUTOMATIC option is used, orientation of shell segment normals is automatic.
When the AUTOMATIC option is not used, the segment or element orientations are used as input.
The alternate penalty formulation contact algorithm checks for segments vs. segment penetration
rather than node vs. segment. After penetrating segments are found, an automatic judgment is made
as to which is the master segment, and penalty forces are applied normal to that segment. The user
may override this automatic judgment by using the ONE_WAY options in which case the master
segment normals are used as input by the user. The EDGE parameter on optional card A is used to
enable a segment edge to segment edge penetration check. Setting EDGE=0 disables this check and
is recommended when edge penetrations are not likely to occur. Setting EDGE>0 enables the edge-
edge penetration judgment and EDGE=1 is recommended. Smaller values may be tried if problems
occur when the EDGE option is active. In this version , all parameters on the first three cards are
active except for VC, and VSF. Only the SOFT and EDGE parameters on optional card A are active.
Only the ISYM parameter on optional card B is active.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.25 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
Optional Card B

Reminder: If Optional Card B is used, then Optional Card A must be defined. (Optional
Card A may be a blank line).

Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Card B

Variable PENMAX THKOPT SHLTHK SNLOG ISYM I2D3D SLDTHK SLDSTF

Type F I I I I I F F

Default 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Remarks Old types Old types

3, 5, 10 3, 5, 10

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PENMAX Maximum penetration distance for old type 3, 5, 8, 9, and 10 contact or the
segment thickness multiplied by PENMAX defines the maximum
penetration allowed (as a multiple of the segment thickness) for contact
types a 3, a 5, a10, 13, 15, and 26. (see discussion at end of section,
including Table 6.1):
EQ.0.0 for old type contacts 3, 5, and 10: Use small penetration search
and value calculated from thickness and XPENE, see *CONTROL_
CONTACT.
EQ.0.0 for contact types a 3, a 5, a10, 13, and 15: Default is 0.4, or 40
percent of the segment thickness
EQ.0.0 for contact type26: Default is 200.0 times the segment
thickness

THKOPT Thickness option for contact types 3, 5, and 10:

EQ.0: default is taken from control card, *CONTROL_CONTACT,
EQ.1: thickness offsets are included,
EQ.2: thickness offsets are not included (old way).

SHLTHK Define if and only if THKOPT above equals 1. Shell thickness considered
in type surface to surface and node to surface type contact options, where
options 1 and 2 below activate the new contact algorithms. The thickness
offsets are always included in single surface and constraint method contact
types:
EQ.0: thickness is not considered,
EQ.1: thickness is considered but rigid bodies are excluded,
EQ.2: thickness is considered including rigid bodies.

6.26 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SNLOG Disable shooting node logic in thickness offset contact. With the shooting
node logic enabled, the first cycle that a slave node penetrates a master
segment, that node is moved back to the master surface without applying
any contact force.
EQ.0: logic is enabled (default),
EQ.1: logic is skipped (sometimes recommended for metalforming
calculations or for contact involving foam materials).

ISYM Symmetry plane option:

EQ.0: off,
EQ.1: do not include faces with normal boundary constraints (e.g.,
segments of brick elements on a symmetry plane).
This option is important to retain the correct boundary conditions in the
model with symmetry. For the _ERODING_ contacts this option may
also be defined on card 4.

I2D3D Segment searching option:

EQ.0: search 2D elements (shells) before 3D elements (solids, thick
shells) when locating segments.
EQ.1: search 3D (solids, thick shells) elements before 2D elements
(shells) when locating segments.

SLDTHK Optional solid element thickness. A nonzero positive value will activate the
contact thickness offsets in the contact algorithms where offsets apply. The
contact treatment with then be equivalent to the case where null shell
elements are used to cover the brick elements. The contact stiffness
parameter below, SLDSTF, may also be used to override the default value.

SLDSTF Optional solid element stiffness. A nonzero positive value overrides the
bulk modulus taken from the material model referenced by the solid
element.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.27 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
Optional Card C

Reminder: If Optional Card C is used, then Optional Cards A and B must be defined.
(Optional Cards A and B may be blank lines).

Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Card C

Variable IGAP IGNORE

Type I I

Default 2 0

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IGAP Flag to improve implicit convergence behavior at the expense of creating

some sticking if parts attempt to separate. (IMPLICIT ONLY)
EQ. 1: apply method to improve convergence
EQ. 2: do not apply method (DEFAULT)

IGNORE Ignore initial penetrations in the *CONTACT_AUTOMATIC options. This

option can also be specified for each interface. The value defined here will
be the default.
EQ.0: Take the default value from the fourth card of the CONTROL_
CONTACT input.
EQ.1: Allow initial penetrations to exist by tracking the initial
penetrations.
EQ.2: Move nodes to eliminate initial penetrations in the model
definition.

6.28 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
General Remarks on *CONTACT:

1. TIED_NODES_TO_SURFACE

TIED_SHELL_EDGE_TO_SURFACE

SPOTWELD

SPOTWELD_WITH_TORSION

TIED_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE

These contact definitions are based on constraint equations and will not work with rigid bodies.
However, tied interfaces with the offset option can be used with rigid bodies, i.e.,

TIED_NODES_TO_SURFACE_OFFSET

TIED_SHELL_EDGE_TO_SURFACE_OFFSET

TIED_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_OFFSET

Also, it may sometimes be advantageous to use the CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODE_

OPTION instead for tying deformable nodes to rigid bodies since in this latter case the tied
nodes may be an arbitrary distance away from the rigid body.

Tying will only work if the sufaces are near each other. The criteria used to determine whether
a slave node is tied down is that it must be "close". For shell elements "close" is defined as as
distance, δ , less than:

δ1 = 0.60 * (thickness_ slave_ node + thickness_ master_ segment )

δ 2 = 0.05 * min( master_ segment_ diagonals)
δ = max(δ1 , δ 2 )

If a node is further away it will not be tied and a warning message will be printed. For solid
elements the slave node thickness is zero; otherwise, the same procedure is used.

If there is a large difference in element areas between the master and slave side, the distance,
δ 2 , may be too large and may cause the unexpected projection of nodes that should not be tied.
This can occur during calculation when adaptive remeshing is used. To avoid this difficulty the
slave and master thickness can be specified as negative values on Card 3 in which case

δ = abs(δ1 )

2. The contact algorithm for tying spotwelds with torsion, SPOTWELD_WITH_TORSION, must
be used with care. Parts that are tied by this option should be subjected to stiffness
proportional damping of approximately ten percent, i.e., input a coefficient of 0.10. This can
be defined for each part on the *DAMPING_PART_STIFFNESS input. Stability problems
may arise with this option if damping is not used.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.29 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
3. CONSTRAINT_NODES_TO_SURFACE

CONSTRAINT_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE

These contact definitions must be used with care. The surface and the nodes which are
constrained to a surface are not allowed to be used in any other CONSTRAINT_... contact
definition. If, however, contact has to be defined from both sides as in sheetmetalforming, one
of these contact definitions can be a CONSTRAINT_ type; the other one could be a standard
penalty type such as SURFACE_TO_SURFACE or NODES_TO_SURFACE.

4. AIRBAG_SINGLE_SURFACE

AUTOMATIC_GENERAL

AUTOMATIC_GENERAL_INTERIOR

AUTOMATIC_NODES_TO_SURFACE

AUTOMATIC_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE

AUTOMATIC_SINGLE_SURFACE

AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE

SINGLE_SURFACE

These contact definitions require thickness to be taken into account for rigid bodies modeled
with shell elements. Therefore, care should be taken to ensure that realistic thicknesses are
specified for the rigid body shells. A thickness that is too small may result in loss of contact
and an unrealistically large thickness may result in a degradation in speed during the bucket
sorts as well as nonphysical behavior. The SHLTHK option on the *CONTROL_CONTACT
card is ignored for these contact types.

5. Two methods are used in LS-DYNA for projecting the contact surface to account for shell
thicknesses. The choice of methods can influence the accuracy and cost of the calculation.
Segment based projection is used in contact types:

AIRBAG_SINGLE_SURFACE

AUTOMATIC_GENERAL

AUTOMATIC_NODES_TO_SURFACE

AUTOMATIC_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE

AUTOMATIC_SINGLE_SURFACE

AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE

FORMING_NODES_TO_SURFACE

FORMING_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE

6.30 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
FORMING_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE

The remaining contact types use nodal normal projections if projections are used. The main
advantage of nodal projections is that a continuous contact surface is obtained which is much
more accurate in applications such as metal forming. The disadvantages of nodal projections are
the higher costs due to the nodal normal calculations, difficulties in treating T-intersections and
other geometric complications, and the need for consistent orientation of contact surface
segments. The contact type:

SINGLE_SURFACE

uses nodal normal projections and consequently is slower than the alternatives.

6. FORCE_TRANSDUCER_PENALTY
FORCE_TRANSDUCER_CONSTRAINT

This contact allows the total contact forces applied by all contacts to be picked up. This contact
does not apply any force to the model. Only the slave set and slave set type need be defined for
this contact type. Generally, only the first three cards are defined. The force transducer
option, _PENALTY, works with penalty type contact algorithms only, i.e., it does not work
with the CONSTRAINT or TIED options. For these latter options, use the _CONSTRAINT
option.

7. FORMING_... These contacts are mainly used for metal forming applications. A connected
mesh is not required for the master (tooling) side but the orienation of the mesh must be in the
same direction. These contact types are based on the AUTOMATIC type contacts and
consequently the performance is better than the original two surface contacts.

a)
Nodal normal projection

b)
Segment based projection

Figure 6.3. Nodal normal and segment based projection is used in the contact options.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.31 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT

INTERFACE TYPE ID PENCHK ELEMENT FORMULA FOR RELEASE OF PENETRATING

TYPE NODAL POINT

1, 2, 6, 7 –––––– ––––––– –––––––––---------------------

3, 5, 8, 9, 10 0 solid d=PENMAX if and only if PENMAX>0

(without thickness) d=1.e+10 if PENMAX=0
shell d=PENMAX if and only if PENMAX>0
d=1.e+10 if PENMAX=0
1 solid d=XPENE*thickness of solid element
shell d=XPENE*thickness of shell element
2 solid d=0.05*minimum diagonal length
shell d=0.05*minimum diagonal length

3, 5, 10 (thickness) –––––– solid d=XPENE*thickness of solid element

17, and 18 shell d=XPENE*thickness of shell element

a3, a5, a10, 13, 15 –––––– solid d=PENMAX*thickness of solid element

[default: PENMAX=0.5]
shell d=PENMAX*(slave thickness+master
thickness) [default: PENMAX=0.4]

4 –––––– solid d=0.5*thickness of solid element

shell d=0.4*(slave thickness+master thickness)

26 –––––– solid d=PENMAX*thickness of solid element

[default: PENMAX=200.0]
shell d=PENMAX*(slave thickness+master
thickness) [default: PENMAX=200.]

Table 6.1. Criterion for node release for nodal points which have penetrated too far. Larger
penalty stiffnesses are recommended for the contact interface which allows nodes to
be released. For node-to-surface type contacts (5, 5a) the element thicknesses which
contain the node determines the nodal thickness. The parameter is defined on the
*CONTROL_CONTACT input.

6.32 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
The keyword options for the contact type and the corresponding Version 92X, 93X, 94X, 95X type
numbers are:

STRUCTURED INPUT TYPE ID KEYWORD NAME

a13 AIRBAG_SINGLE_SURFACE
26 AUTOMATIC_GENERAL
i26 AUTOMATIC_GENERAL_INTERIOR
a5 AUTOMATIC_NODES_TO_SURFACE
a5 AUTOMATIC_NODES_TO_SURFACE_TIEBREAK
a10 AUTOMATIC_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
13 AUTOMATIC_SINGLE_SURFACE
a3 AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
a3 AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_TIEBREAK
18 CONSTRAINT_NODES_TO_SURFACE
17 CONSTRAINT_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
23 DRAWBEAD
16 ERODING_NODES_TO_SURFACE
14 ERODING_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
15 ERODING_SINGLE_SURFACE
27 FORCE_TRANSDUCER_CONSTRAINT
25 FORCE_TRANSDUCER_PENALTY
m5 FORMING_NODES_TO_SURFACE
m10 FORMING_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
m3 FORMING_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
5 NODES_TO_SURFACE
5 NODES_TO_SURFACE_INTERFERENCE
10 ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
20 RIGID_NODES_TO_RIGID_BODY
21 RIGID_BODY_ONE_WAY_TO_RIGID_BODY
19 RIGID_BODY_TWO_WAY_TO_RIGID_BODY
22 SINGLE_EDGE
4 SINGLE_SURFACE
1 SLIDING_ONLY
p1 SLIDING_ONLY_PENALTY
3 SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
3 SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_INTERFERENCE

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.33 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
STRUCTURED INPUT TYPE ID KEYWORD NAME

8 TIEBREAK_NODES_TO_SURFACE
9 TIEBREAK_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
6 TIED_NODES_TO_SURFACE
o6 TIED_NODES_TO_SURFACE_OFFSET
7 TIED_SHELL_EDGE_TO_SURFACE
7 SPOTWELD
s7 SPOTWELD_WITH_TORSION
2 TIED_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE
o2 TIED_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE_OFFSET

6.34 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
CONTACT EXAMPLES
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONTACT_NODES_TO_SURFACE
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Make a simple contact that prevents the nodes in part 2 from
$ penetrating the segments in part 3.
$
*CONTACT_NODES_TO_SURFACE
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ ssid msid sstyp mstyp sboxid mboxid spr mpr
2 3 3 3
$
$ fs fd dc vc vdc penchk bt dt

$
$ sfs sfm sst mst sfst sfmt fsf vsf

$
$ sstype, mstype = 3 id's specified in ssid and msid are parts
$ ssid = 2 use slave nodes in part 2
$ msid = 3 use master segments in part 3
$
$ Use defaults for all parameters.
$
$$$$ Optional Cards A and B not specified (default values will be used).
$
$
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.35 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONTACT_SINGLE_SURFACE
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Create a single surface contact between four parts: 28, 97, 88 and 92
$ - create a part set with set ID = 5, list the four parts
$ - in the *CONTACT_SINGLE_SURFACE definition specify:
$ sstyp = 2 which means the value for ssid is a part set
$ ssid = 5 use part set 5 for defining the contact surfaces
$
$ Additonal contact specifications described below.
$
*CONTACT_SINGLE_SURFACE
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ ssid msid sstyp mstyp sboxid mboxid spr mpr
5 2
$ fs fd dc vc vdc penchk bt dt
0.08 0.05 10 20 40.0
$ sfs sfm sst mst sfst sfmt fsf vsf

$
$ fs = 0.08 static coefficient of friction equals 0.08
$ fd = 0.05 dynamic coefficient of friction equals 0.05
$ dc = 10 exponential decay coefficient, helps specify the transition
$ from a static slide to a very dynamic slide
$ vdc = 20 viscous damping of 20% critical (damps out nodal
$ oscillations due to the contact)
$ dt = 40.0 contact will deactivate at 40 ms (assuming time unit is ms)
$
$$$$ Optional Cards A and B not specified (default values will be used).
$
$
*SET_PART_LIST
$ sid
5
$ pid1 pid2 pid3 pid4
28 97 88 92
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

6.36 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *CONTACT_DRAWBEAD
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define a draw bead contact:
$ - the draw bead is to be made from the nodes specified in node set 2
$ - the master segments are to be those found in the box defined by box 2
$ that are in part 18
$ - include slave and master forces in interface file (spr, mpr = 1)
$
*CONTACT_DRAWBEAD
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ ssid msid sstyp mstyp sboxid mboxid spr mpr
2 18 4 3 2 1 1
$
$ fs fd dc vc vdc penchk bt dt
0.10
$
$ sfs sfm sst mst sfst sfmt fsf vsf

$
$$$$ Card 4 required because it's a drawbead contact
$
$ lcdidrf lcidnf dbdth dfscl numint
3 0.17436 2.0
$
$ lcdidrf = 3 load curve 3 specifies the bending component of the
$ restraining force per unit draw bead length
$ dbdth = 0.17436 drwa bead depth
$ dfscl = 2.0 scale load curve 3 (lcdidrf) by 2
$
$$$$ Optional Cards A and B not specified (default values will be used).
$
$
*DEFINE_BOX
$ boxid xmm xmx ymn ymx zmn zmx
2 0.000E+00 6.000E+00 6.000E+00 1.000E+02-1.000E+03 1.000E+03
$
*SET_NODE_LIST
$ sid da1 da2 da3 da4
2
$ nid1 nid2 nid3 nid4 nid5 nid6 nid7 nid8
2580 2581 2582 2583 2584 2585 2586 2587
2588 2589 2590
$
*DEFINE_CURVE
$ lcid sidr scla sclo offa offo
3
$ a o
$ DEPTH FORC/LGTH
0.000E+00 0.000E+00
1.200E-01 1.300E+02
1.500E-01 2.000E+02
1.800E-01 5.000E+02

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.37 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
*CONTACT_ENTITY

Purpose: Define a contact entity. Geometric contact entities treat the impact between a deformable
body defined as a set of slave nodes or nodes in a shell part set and a rigid body. The shape of the
rigid body is determined by attaching geometric entities. Contact is treated between these geometric
entities and the slave nodes using a penalty formulation. The penalty stiffness is optionally
maximized within the constraint of the Courant criterion. As an alternative, a finite element mesh
made with shells can be used as geometric entity. Also, axisymmetric entities with arbitrary shape
made with multilinear polygons are possible. The latter is particularly useful for metalforming
simulations.

WARNING: If the problem being simulated involves dynamic motion of the entity, care should be
taken to insure that the inertial properties of the entity are correct. It may be necessary to use the
*PART_INERTIA option to specify these properties.

Define 5 cards for the contact entity definition below.

Card 1 Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID GEOTYP SSID SSTYP SF DF CF INTORD

Type I I I I F F F I

Default required required required 0 1. 0. 0. 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID of the rigid body to which the geometric entity is attached, see
*PART.

GEOTYP Type of geometric entity:

EQ.1: plane,
EQ.2: sphere,
EQ.3: cylinder,
EQ.4: ellipsoid,
EQ.5: torus,
EQ.6: CAL3D/MADYMO Plane, see Appendix F,
EQ.7: CAL3D/MADYMO Ellipsoid, see Appendix F,
EQ.8: VDA surface, see Appendix I,

6.38 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EQ.9: rigid body finite element mesh (shells only),

EQ.10: finite plane,
EQ.11: load curve defining line as surface profile of axisymmetric
rigid bodies.

SSID Slave set ID, see *SET_NODE_OPTION, *PART, or *SET_PART.

SSTYP Slave set type:

EQ.0: node set,
EQ.1: part ID,
EQ.2: part set ID.

SF Penalty scale factor. Useful to scale maximized penalty.

DF Damping option, see description for *CONTACT_OPTION:

EQ..0: no damping,
GT..0: viscous damping in percent of critical, e.g., 20 for 20%
damping,
EQ.-n: |n| is the load curve ID giving the damping force versus relative
normal velocity (see remark 1 below).

CF Coulomb friction coefficient. Assumed to be constant.

INTORD Integration order (slaved materials only). This option is not available with
entity types 8 and 9 where only nodes are checked:
EQ.0: check nodes only,
EQ.1: 1 point integration over segments,
EQ.2: 2×2 integration,
EQ.3: 3×3 integration,
EQ.4: 4×4 integration,
EQ.5: 5×5 integration.
This option allows a check of the penetration of the rigid body into the
deformable (slaved) material. Then virtual nodes at the location of the
integration points are checked.

Remark:

1. The optional load curves that are defined for damping versus relative normal velocity and for
force versus normal penetration should be defined in the positive quadrant. The sign for the
damping force depends on the direction of the relative velocity and the treatment is symmetric
if the damping curve is in the positive quadrant. If the damping force is defined in the
negative and positive quadrants, the sign of the relative velocity is used in the table look-up.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.39 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
Card 2 Format

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable BT DT SO GO

Type F F I I

Default 0. 1.E+20 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

BT Birth time

DT Death time

SO Flag to use penalty stiffness as in surface to surface contact:

EQ.0: contact entity stiffness formulation,
EQ.1: surface to surface contact method,
EQ.-n: |n| is the load curve ID giving the force versus the normal
penetration.

GO Flag for mesh generation of the contact entity for entity types 1-5 and 10-
11. This is used for visualization in post-processing only.
EQ.0: mesh is not generated,
EQ.1: mesh is generated.

6.40 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
Cards 3 and 4 Format

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XC YC ZC AX AY AZ

Type F F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable BX BY BZ

Type F F F

Default 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XC x-center, xc, see remarks below.

YC y-center, yc, see remarks below.

ZC z-center, zc. See remarks below.

AX x-direction for local axis A, Ax, see remarks below.

AY y-direction for local axis A, Ay, see remarks below.

AZ z-direction for local axis A, Az, see remarks below.

BX x-direction for local axis B, Bx, see remarks below.

BY y-direction for local axis B, By,. see remarks below.

BZ z-direction for local axis B, Bz,. see remarks below.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.41 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
Remarks:

1. The coordinates, (xc, yc, zc), are the positions of the local origin of the geometric entity in
global coordinates. The entity’s local A-axis is determined by the vector (Ax, Ay, Az) and the
local B-axis by the vector (Bx, By, Bz).

2. Cards 3 and 4 define a local to global transformation. The geometric contact entities are
defined in a local system and transformed into the global system. For the ellipsoid, this is
necessary because it has a restricted definition for the local position. For the plane, sphere,
and cylinder, the entities can be defined in the global system and the transformation becomes
(xc, yc, zc)=(0,0,0), (Ax, Ay, Az)=(1,0,0), and (Bx, By, Bz)=(0,1,0).

6.42 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
Card 5 Format

Card 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable INOUT G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7

Type I F F F F F F F

Default 0 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

INOUT In-out flag. Allows contact from the inside or the outside (default) of the
entity:
EQ.0: slave nodes exist outside of the entity,
EQ.1: slave nodes exist inside the entity.

G1 Entity coefficient g1 (CAL3D/MADYMO plane or ellipse number) for

coupled analysis (see Appendix F).

G2 Entity coefficient g2, see remarks below.

G3 Entity coefficient g3, see remarks below.

G4 Entity coefficient g4, see remarks below.

G5 Entity coefficient g5, see remarks below.

G6 Entity coefficient g6, see remarks below.

G7 Entity coefficient g7, see remarks below.

Remarks:

Figures 6.4a and 6.4b show the definitions of the geometric contact entities. The
relationships between the entity coefficients and the Figure 6.4a and 6.4b variables are as follows
(please note that (Px,Py,Pz) is a position vector and that (Qx,Qy,Qz) is a direction vector):

GEOTYP = 1: g1 = Px g4 = Qx

g2 = Py g5 = Qy

g3 = Pz g6 = Qz

g7 = L

If automatic generation is used, a square plane of length L on each edge is generated which
represents the infinite plane. If generation is inactive, then g7 may be ignored.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.43 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
GEOTYP = 2: g1 = Px g4 = r
g2 = Py
g3 = Pz

GEOTYP = 3: g1 = Px g4 = Qx
g2 = Py g5 = Qy
g3 = Pz g6 = Qz
g7 = r

If automatic generation is used, a cylinder of length Qx 2 + Qy 2 + Qz 2 and radius r is generated

which represents the infinite cylinder.

GEOTYP = 4: g1 = Px g4 = a
g2 = Py g5 = b
g3 = Pz g6 = c

g7 = n (order of the ellipsoid)

GEOTYP = 5: g1 = Radius of torus
g2 = r
g3 = number of elements along minor circumference
g4 = number of elements along major circumference

GEOTYP = 8: g1 = Blank thickness (option to override true thickness)

g2 = Scale factor for true thickness (optional)
g3 = Load curve ID defining thickness versus time. (optional)

GEOTYP = 9: g1 = Shell thickness (option to override true thickness).

NOTE: The shell thickness specification is necessary if the slave
surface is generated from solid elements.
g2 = Scale factor for true thickness (optional)
g3 = Load curve ID defining thickness versus time. (optional)

GEOTYP =10: g1 = Length of edge along X′ axis

g2 = Length of edge along Y′ axis

GEOTYP=11: g1 =Load curve ID defining axisymmetric surface profile about Z′-axis

g2 = Number of elements along circumference

EQ.0: default set to 10

g3 = Number of elements along axis

EQ.0: default set to 20
EQ.-1: the elements are generated from the points on the load curve

g4 = Number of sub divisions on load curve used to calculate contact

EQ:0 default set to 1000

6.44 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
r
Q
Z′
Y′

r
P r
r
P

X′
IGTYPE= 1: Infinite Plane IGTYPE= 2: Sphere

Z′

r
P r
r P
Q a
b
r X′
Y′
n n n
 X ′ Y′   Z′ 
  +   +  = 1
 a  b  c

IGTYPE= 3: Infinite Cylinder IGTYPE= 4: Hyperellipsoid

Figure 6.4a. Contact Entities.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.45 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT

Z′
Y′ Z′
Y′

X′ g2
r

r X′
P
g1
IGTYPE= 5: Torus IGTYPE= 10: Finite Plane

Z′ - axis of symmetry

r
P
Load Curve

X′
Y′
IGTYPE= 11:Load Curve

Figure 6.4b. Contact Entities.

6.46 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
*CONTACT_GEBOD_OPTION

Purpose: Define contact interaction between the segment of a GEBOD dummy and parts or nodes of
the finite element model. This implementation follows that of the contact entity, however, it is
specialized for the dummies. Forces may be output using the *DATABASE_GCEOUT command.
See *COMPONENT_GEBOD and Appendix K for further details.

Conventional *CONTACT_OPTION treatment (surface-to-surface, nodes-to-surface, etc.) can also

be applied to the segments of a dummy. To use this approach it is first necessary to determine part
ID assignments by running the model through LSDYNA's initialization phase.

The following options are available and refer to the ellipsoids which comprise the dummy. Options
involving HAND are not applicable for the child dummy since its lower arm and hand share a
common ellipsoid.

LOWER_TORSO

MIDDLE_TORSO

UPPER_TORSO

NECK

HEAD

LEFT_SHOULDER

RIGHT_SHOULDER

LEFT_UPPER_ARM

RIGHT_UPPER_ARM

LEFT_LOWER_ARM

RIGHT_LOWER_ARM

LEFT_HAND

RIGHT_HAND

LEFT_UPPER_LEG

RIGHT_UPPER_LEG

LEFT_LOWER_LEG

RIGHT_LOWER_LEG

LEFT_FOOT

RIGHT_FOOT

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.47 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
Card 1 Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DID SSID SSTYP SF DF CF INTORD

Type I I I F F F I

Default required required required 1. 20. 0.5 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DID Dummy ID, see *COMPONENT_GEBOD_OPTION.

SSID Slave set ID, see *SET_NODE_OPTION, *PART, or *SET_PART.

SSTYP Slave set type:

EQ.0: node set,
EQ.1: part ID,
EQ.2: part set ID.

SF Penalty scale factor. Useful to scale maximized penalty.

DF Damping option, see description for *CONTACT_OPTION:

EQ..0: no damping,
GT..0: viscous damping in percent of critical, e.g., 20 for 20%
damping,
EQ.-n: |n| is the load curve ID giving the damping force versus relative
normal velocity (see remark 1 below).

CF Coulomb friction coefficient (see remark 2 below). Assumed to be

constant.

INTORD Integration order (slaved materials only).

EQ.0: check nodes only,
EQ.1: 1 point integration over segments,
EQ.2: 2×2 integration,
EQ.3: 3×3 integration,
EQ.4: 4×4 integration,
EQ.5: 5×5 integration.
This option allows a check of the penetration of the dummy segment into
the deformable (slaved) material. Then virtual nodes at the location of the
integration points are checked.

6.48 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
Card 2 Format

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable BT DT SO

Type F F I

Default 0. 1.E+20 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

BT Birth time

DT Death time

SO Flag to use penalty stiffness as in surface to surface contact:

EQ.0: contact entity stiffness formulation,
EQ.1: surface to surface contact method,
EQ.-n: |n| is the load curve ID giving the force versus the normal
penetration.
Remarks:

1. The optional load curves that are defined for damping versus relative normal velocity and for
force versus normal penetration should be defined in the positive quadrant. The sign for the
damping force depends on the direction of the relative velocity and the treatment is symmetric
if the damping curve is in the positive quadrant. If the damping force is defined in the
negative and positive quadrants, the sign of the relative velocity is used in the table look-up.

2. Insofar as these ellipsoidal contact surfaces are continuous and smooth it may be necessary to
specify Coulomb friction values larger than hose typically used with faceted contact surfaces.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.49 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
*CONTACT_INTERIOR

Purpose: Define interior contact for foam brick elements. Frequently, when foam materials are
compressed under high pressure, the solid elements used to discretize these materials may invert
leading to negative volumes and error terminations. In order to keep these elements from inverting, it
is possible to consider interior contacts within the foam between layers of interior surfaces made up
of the faces of the solid elements. Since these interior surfaces are generated automatically, the part
(material) ID’s for the materials of interest are defined here, prior to the interface definitions. ONLY
ONE PART SET ID CAN BE DEFINED.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PSID

Type I

Default none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PSID Part set ID including all parts for which interior contact is desired.

Three attributes should be defined for the part set:

Attribute 1: PSF, penalty scale factor (Default=1.00).

Attribute 2: Activation factor, Fa (Default=0.10).When the crushing of the element

reaches Fa times the initial thickness the contact algorithm begins to act.

Attribute 3: ED, Optional modulus for interior contact stiffness.

Remarks:

The interior penalty is determined by the formula:

2
SLSFAC ⋅ PSF ⋅ Volume ⋅ E3
K=
Min. Thickness

where SLSFAC is the value specified on the *CONTROL_CONTACT card , volume is the volume
of the brick element, E is a consitutive modulus, and min. thickness is approximately the thickness
of the solid element through its thinnest dimension. If ED, is defined above the interior penalty is
then given instead by:

6.50 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
2
Volume 3 ⋅ ED
K=
Min. Thickness

where the scaling factors are ignored. Generally, ED should be taken as the locking modulus
specified for the foam constitutive model.

Caution should be observed when using this option since if the time step size is too large an
instability may result. The time step size is not affected by the use of interior contact.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.51 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
*CONTACT_RIGID_SURFACE

Purpose: Define rigid surface contact. The purpose of rigid surface contact is to model large rigid
surfaces, e.g., road surfaces, with nodal points and segments that require little storage and are
written out at the beginning of the binary databases. The rigid surface motion, which can be
optionally prescribed, is defined by a displacement vector which is written with each output state.
The nodal points defining the rigid surface must be defined in the *NODE_RIGID_SURFACE
section of this manual. These rigid nodal points do not contribute degrees-of-freedom.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CID PSID BOXID SEGID FS FD DC VC

Type I I I I F F F F

Default none none 0 none 0. 0. 0. 0.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCIDX LCIDY LCIDZ FSLCID FDLCID

Type I I I I I

Default 0 0 0 0 0

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SFS STTHK SFTHK XPENE BSORT

Type F F F F F

Default 1.0 0.0 1.0 4.0 10

6.52 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

CID Contact interface ID. This must be a unique number.

PSID Part set ID of all parts that may contact the rigid surface. See *SET_PART.

BOXID Include only nodes of the part set that are within the specified box, see
*DEFINE_BOX, in contact. If BOXID is zero, all nodes from the part set,
PSID, will be included in the contact.

SSID Segment set ID defining the rigid surface. See *SET_SEGMENT.

FS Static coefficient of friction. The frictional coefficient is assumed to be

dependent on the relative velocity v rel of the surfaces in contact
µc = FD + ( FS − FD)e
− DC ⋅ v
rel
. If FSLCID is defined, see below, then FS
is overwritten by the value from the load curve.
FD Dynamic coefficient of friction. The frictional coefficient is assumed to be
dependent on the relative velocity v rel of the surfaces in contact
µc = FD + ( FS − FD)e
− DC ⋅ v
rel
. If FDLCID is defined, see below, then FD is
overwritten by the value from the load curve.
DC Exponential decay coefficient. The frictional coefficient is assumed to be
dependent on the relative velocity v rel of the surfaces in contact
µc = FD + ( FS − FD)e
− DC ⋅ vrel
.

VC Coefficient for viscous friction. This is necessary to limit the friction force
to a maximum. A limiting force is computed Flim = VC ⋅ Acont . A cont being
the area of the segment contacted by the node in contact. The suggested
σ
value for VC is to use the yield stress in shear VC = o where σ o is the
3
yield stress of the contacted material.

LCIDX Load curve ID defining x-direction motion. If zero, there is no motion in

the x-coordinate system.

LCIDY Load curve ID defining y-direction motion. If zero, there is no motion in

the y-coordinate system.

LCIDZ Load curve ID defining z-direction motion. If zero, there is no motion in

the z-coordinate system.

FSLCID Load curve ID defining the static coefficient of friction as a function of

interface pressure. This option applies to shell segments only.

FDLCID Load curve ID defining the dynamic coefficient of friction as a function of

interface pressure. This option applies to shell segments only.

SFS Scale factor on default slave penalty stiffness, see also *CONTROL_
CONTACT.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.53 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

STTHK Optional thickness for slave surface (overrides true thickness). This option
applies to contact with shell, solid, and beam elements. True thickness is
the element thickness of the shell elements. Thickness offsets are not used
for solid element unless this option is specified.

SFTHK Scale factor for slave surface thickness (scales true thickness). This option
applies only to contact with shell elements. True thickness is the element
thickness of the shell elements.

XPENE Contact surface maximum penetration check multiplier. If the penetration of

a node through the rigid surface exceeds the product of XPENE and the
slave node thickness, the node is set free.
EQ.0: default is set to 4.0.

BSORT Number of cycles between bucket sorts. The default value is set to 10 but
can be much larger, e.g., 50-100, for fully connected surfaces.

Remarks:

Thickness offsets do not apply to the rigid surface. There is no orientation requirement for
the segments in the rigid surface, and the surface may be assembled from disjoint, but contiguous,
arbitrarily oriented meshes. With disjoint meshes, the global searches must be done frequently,
about every 10 cycles, to ensure a smooth movement of a slave node between mesh patches. For
fully connected meshes this frequency interval can be safely set to 50-200 steps between searches.

The modified binary database (D3PLOT) contains the road surface information prior to the
state data. This information contains:

NPDS = Total number of rigid surface points in problem.

NRSC = Total number of rigid surface contact segments summed over all definitions.
NSID = Number of rigid surface definitions.
NVELQ = Number of words at the end of each binary output state defining the rigid
surface motion. This equals 6 x NSID if any rigid surface moves or zero if
all rigid surfaces are stationary.
PIDS = An array equal in length to NPDS. This array defines the ID for each point
in the road surface.
XC = An array equal in length to 3 x NPDS. This array defines the global x, y,
and z coordinates of each point.

For each road surface define the following NSID sets of data.

ID = Rigid surface ID.

NS = Number of segments in rigid surface.
IXRS = An array equal in length to 4 x NS. This is the connectivity of the rigid
surface in the internal numbering system.

At the end of each state, 6 x NVELQ words of information are written. For each road surface the
x, y, and z displacements and velocities are written. If the road surface is fixed, a null vector
should be output. Skip this section if NVELQ=0. LS-POST currently displays rigid surfaces and
animates their motion.

6.54 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
*CONTACT_1D

Purpose: Define one-dimensional slide lines for rebar in concrete.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSIDS NSIDM ERR SIGC GB SMAX EXP

Type I I F F F F F

Default none none 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSIDS Nodal set ID for the slave nodes, see *SET_NODE.

NSIDM Nodal set ID for the master nodes, see *SET_NODE.

ERR External radius of rebar

SIGC Compressive strength of concrete

GB Bond shear modulus

SMAX Maximum shear strain

EXP Exponent in damage curve

Remarks:

With this option the concrete is defined with solid elements and the rebar with truss elements,
each with their own unique set of nodal points. A string of consecutive nodes, called slave nodes,
related to the truss elements may slide along a string of consecutive nodes, called master nodes,
related to the solid elements. The sliding commences after the rebar debonds.

The bond between the rebar and concrete is assumed to be elastic perfectly plastic. The
maximum allowable slip strain is given as:

umax = SMAX ⋅ e − EXP⋅D

where D is the damage parameter Dn +1 = Dn + ∆u . The shear force, acting on area As, at time n+1
is given as:

fn +1 = min( fn − GB ⋅ As ⋅ ∆u, GB ⋅ As ⋅ umax )

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.55 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
*CONTACT_2D_OPTION1_{OPTION2}_{OPTION3}

Purpose : Define a 2-dimensional contact or slide line. This option is to be used with 2D solid and
shell elements using the plane_stress, plane_strain or axisymmetric formulations, see *SECTION_
SHELL,

OPTION1 specifies the contact type. The following options should be used with deformable
materials only (i.e., not rigid):

SLIDING_ONLY

TIED_SLIDING

SLIDING_VOIDS

since these methods are based on the imposition of constraints. The constraint methods may be used
with rigid bodies if the rigid body is the master surface and all rigid body motions are prescribed.
The following options may be used with rigid materials as well:

PENALTY_FRICTION

PENALTY

AUTOMATIC_SINGLE_SURFACE

AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE

AUTOMATIC_NODE_TO_SURFACE

AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_IN_CONTINUUM

OPTION2 specifies a thermal contact and takes the single option:

THERMAL

Only the AUTOMATIC types: SINGLE_SURFACE, SURFACE_TO_SURFACE, and NODE_

TO_SURFACE may be used with this option.

OPTION3 specifies that the first card to read defines the title and ID number of contact interface and
takes the single option:

TITLE

Note: OPTION2 and OPTION3 may appear in any order.

At present, the contact ID number and title are ignored by LS-DYNA but are included for
extension in the near future. The title card is picked up by some of the peripheral LS-DYNA codes to
aid in post-processing.

Single surface contact in two dimensions is accomplished by the AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_

TO_SURFACE option when the master surface part set is set to zero. The SINGLE_SURFACE
option in version 940 has been removed.

6.56 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
Read the following card here if and only if the option TITLE is specified:

Optional 1 2

Variable CID NAME

Type I A70

For all options except the AUTOMATIC options, define the following two cards.

Card 1 Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID MSID

Type I I

Default none none

Card 2 Format

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EXT_PAS THETA1 THETA2 TOL_IG PEN

Type I F F F F

Default none none none 0.001 0.1

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.57 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
For the PENALTY_FRICTION option define the following additional card

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable FRIC FRIC_L FRIC_H FRIC_S

Type F F F F

Default none none none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Nodal set ID for the slave nodes, see *SET_NODE. The slave surface
must be to the left of the master surface.

MSID Nodal set ID for the master nodes, see *SET_NODE.

EXT_PAS Slideline extension bypass option.

EQ:0 extensions are use
EQ:1 extensions are not used

THETA1 Angle in degrees of slideline extension at first master node.

EQ:0 extension remains tangent to first master segment.

THETA2 Angle in degrees of slideline extension at last master node.

EQ:0 extension remains tangent to first master segment.

TOL_IG Tolerance for determing initial gaps.

EQ:0.0 default set to 0.001

PEN Scale factor or penalty.

EQ:0.0 default set to 0.10

FRIC Coefficient of friction

FRIC_L Coefficient of friction at low velocity.

FRIC_H Coefficient of friction at high velocity.

FRIC_S Friction factor for shear.

6.58 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
For the AUTOMATIC options define the following two cards:

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PSIDS PSIDM SFACT FREQ FS FD DC MEMBS

Type I I F I F F F I

Default none none 1.0 50 0. 0. 0. 6

Remarks 1,2 1,2

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TBIRTH TDEATH SOS SOM NDS NDM IPF/COF INIT

Type F F F F I I I I

Default 0. 1.e20 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 0

Remarks 3 3 4 5

This Card is mandatory for the THERMAL option, i.e.,:

*CONTACT_ AUTOMATIC_..._THERMAL_.....

Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CF FRAD HTC GCRIT GMAX CD_FACT

Type F F F F F F

Default none none none none none 1.0

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.59 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PSIDS Part set ID to define the slave surface, see *SET_PART.

PSIDM Part set ID to define the master surface, see *SET_PART. Do not define if
single surface contact is desired.

SFACT Scale factor for the penalty force stiffness.

FREQ Search frequency. The number of timesteps between bucket sorts.

EQ.0: default set to 50.

FS Static coefficient of friction. The frictional coefficient is assumed to be

dependent on the relative velocity vrel of the surfaces in contact according to
the relationship given by: µc = FD + ( FS − FD)e − DC ⋅1vrel .
1

FD Dynamic coefficient of friction. The frictional coefficient is assumed to be

dependent on the relative velocity v rel of the surfaces in contact
µc = FD + ( FS − FD)e
− DC ⋅ vrel
.

DC Exponential decay coefficient. The frictional coefficient is assumed to be

dependent on the relative velocity v rel of the surfaces in contact
µc = FD + ( FS − FD)e
− DC ⋅ vrel
.

MEMBS Parameter to allocate memory for bucket sort pair information.

TBIRTH Birth time for contact.

TDEATH Death time for contact.

SOS Surface offset from midline for 2D shells of slave surface

EQ.0.0: default to 1.
GT.0.0: scale factor applied to actual thickness
LT.0.0: absolute value is used as the offset

SOM Surface offset from midline for 2D shells of master surface

EQ.0: default to 1.
GT.0: scale factor applied to actual thickness
LT.0: absolute value is used as the offset

NDS Normal direction flag for 2D shells of slave surface

EQ.0: Normal direction is determined automatically
EQ.1: Normal direction is in the positive direction
EQ.-1: Normal direction is in the negative direction

6.60 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NDM Normal direction flag for 2D shells of master surface

EQ.0: Normal direction is determined automatically
EQ.1: Normal direction is in the positive direction
EQ.-1: Normal direction is in the negative direction

IPF Initial penetration flag for explicit analysis

EQ.0: Allow initial penetrations to remain
EQ.1: Push apart initially penetrated surfaces

COF Closing/Opening flag for implicit analysis

EQ.0: Recommended for most problem where gaps are only closing.
EQ.1: Recommended when gaps are opening to aviod sticking.

INIT Special processing during initializaion

EQ.0: No special processing.
EQ.1: Forming option.

CF Thermal conductivity ( k ) of fluid between the slide surfaces. If a gap with

a thickness lgap exists between the slide surfaces, then the conductance due
to thermal conductivity between the slide surfaces is

k
hcond =
lgap

Note that LS- DYNA calculates lgap based on deformation.

FRAD Radiation factor, f, between the slide surfaces. A radient-heat-transfer

coefficient ( hrad ) is calculated (see *BOUNDARY_RADIATION). If a gap
exists between the slide surfaces, then the contact conductance is calculated
by

h = hcond + hrad

HTC Heat transfer conductance ( hcont ) for closed gaps. Use this heat transfer
conductance for gaps in the range

0 ≤ lgap ≤ lmin

where lmin is GCRIT defined below.

GCRIT Critical gap ( lmin ), use the heat transfer conductance defined (HTC) for
gap thicknesses less than this value.

GMAX No thermal contact if gap is greater than this value ( lmax ).

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.61 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT
CD_FACT Is a multiplier used on the element characteristic distance for the search
routine. The characteristic length is the largest interface surface element
diagonal.
EQ:0. Default set to 1.0

Remarks:

Remarks 1 through 9 pertain to 2D_AUTOMATIC contact.

1. For AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE, AUTOMATIC_SINGLE_SURFACE

contact and AUTOMATIC_NODE_TO_SURFACE contact, penetration of 2D shell elements
and external faces of 2D continuum elements is prevented by penalty forces. Parts in the
slave part set are checked for contact with parts in the master part set. Self contact is checked
for any part in both sets. If the slave part set is omitted, all parts are checked for contact. If
the master part set is omitted, it is assumed to be identical to the slave part set.

2. For AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_IN_CONTINUUM contact, penalty forces prevent the flow

of slave element material (the continuum) through the master surfaces. Flow of the
continuum tangent to the surface is permitted. Only 2D solid parts are permitted in the slave
part set. Both 2D 2D solid and 2D shell parts are permitted in the master part set. Neither the
slave part set ID nor the master part set ID may be omitted.

3. By default, the true thickness of 2D shell elements is taken into account for AUTOMATIC_

SURFACE_TO_SURFACE and AUTOMATIC_NODE_TO_SURFACE contact. The user

can override the true thickness by using SOS and SOM. If the surface offset is reduced to a
small value, the automatic normal direction algorithm may fail, so it is best to specify the
normal direction using NDS or NDM. Thickness of 2D shell elements is not considered for
AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_IN_CONTINUUM contact.

4. By default, the normal direction of 2D shell elements is evaluated automatically for

AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE and AUTOMATIC_NODE_TO_SURFACE
contact. The user can override the automatic algorithm using NDS or NDM and contact will
occur with the positive or negative face of the element.

5. For SURFACE_IN_CONTINUUM contact, flow though 2D shell elements is prevented in

both directions by default. If NDM is set to ±1, flow in the direction of the normal is
permitted.

6 When using AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_IN_CONTINUUM contact, there is no need to

mesh the continuum around the structure because contact is not with continnum nodes but
with material in the interior of the continuum elements. The algorithm works well for
Eulerian or ALE elements since the structure does not interfere with remeshing. However, a
structure will usually not penetrate the surface of an ALE continuum since the nodes are
Lagrangian normal to the surface. Therefore, if using an ALE fluid, the structure should be
initially immersed in the fluid and remain immersed throughout the calculation. Penetrating
the surface of an Eulerian continuum is not a problem.

7. For all types of 2D_AUTOMATIC contact, eroding materials are treated by default. At
present, subcycling is not possible.

6.62 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT
8. Currently only one special initialization option is available.

9. For the thermal option:

h = hcont , if the gap thickness is 0 ≤ lgap ≤ lmin
h = hcond + hrad , if the gap thickness is lmin ≤ lgap ≤ lmax
h = 0 , if the gap thickness is lgap > lmax

The remaining discussion applies to the SLIDING_ONLY, TIED_SLIDING, SLIDING_

VOIDS, PENALTY_FRICTION, and PENALTY options. These options were adopted from LS-
DYNA2D and originated in the public domain version of DYNA2D from the Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory. The AUTOMATIC contact options are generally recommended excepted for
the TIED option.

Consider two slideline surfaces in contact. It is necessary to designate one as a slave surface
and the other as a master surface. Nodal points defining the slave surface are called slave nodes, and
similarly, nodes defining the master surface are called master nodes. Each slave-master surface
combination is referred to as a slideline.

Many potential problems with the algorithm can be avoided by observing the following
precautions:

• Metallic materials should contain the master surface along high explosive-metal
interfaces.

• Sliding only type slidelines are appropriate along high explosive-metal interfaces. The
penalty formulation is not recommended along such interfaces.

• If one surface is more finely zoned, it should be used as the slave surface. If penalty
slidelines are used, PENALTY and PENALTY_FRICTION , the slave-master distinction
is irrelevant.

• A slave node may have more than one master segment, and may be included as a member
of a master segment if a slideline intersection is defined.

• Angles in the master side of a slideline that approach 90° must be avoided. Whenever
such angles exist in a master surface, two or more slidelines should be defined. This
procedure is illustrated in Figure 6.5. An exception for the foregoing rule arises if the
surfaces are tied. In this case, only one slideline is needed.

• Whenever two surfaces are in contact, the smaller of the two surfaces should be used as
the slave surface. For example, in modeling a missile impacting a wall, the contact
surface on the missile should be used as the slave surface.

• Care should be used when defining a master surface to prevent the extension from
interfering with the solution. In Figures 6.6 and 6.7, slideline extensions are shown.

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.63 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT

s1 s15
s2 s16
m1 m15
s17 m9
m2 m10
s18
m3 m11
Master surface − nodes m1 − m15
Slave surface − nodes s1 − s24
m4 m12

m5 m13
s10 s23
s11 s14 s24
m6 m7 m8 m14

1 2 3
Slaves Masters Slaves Masters Slaves Masters
s1 m1 s11 m6 s24 m14
s2 m2 s12 m7 s23 m13
. . . m8 . .
. . . m14 . .
. . . . . .
s14 m9
s11 m6 s24 s15 m15

Figure 6.5. Proper definition of illustrated slave-master surface requires three slidelines (note
that slave surface is to the left of the master surface as one moves along master
nodes in order of definition).

6.64 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTACT

Better1 This is the extension if node m0 is

included in the master surface definition.

Poor1 This extension may interfere with slave

nodes s1 to s2 and lead to erroneous results.

s1
m0
s2
s3

Denotes slide-line
extension

Figure 6.6. Master surface extensions defined automatically by DYNA (extensions are updated
every time step to remain tangent to ends of master sides of slidelines unless angle
of extension is defined in input).

LS-DYNA Version 960 6.65 (CONTACT)

*CONTACT

Without extension
and with improper
definition of
slide-lines, slave
nodes move down
inner and outer
walls as shown.

Master
surface

With extension and proper

slide-line definition, elements
behave properly.

Slide-line
extension Slide-lines (arrows point to master slides).

Figure 6.7 Example of slideline extensions helping to provide realistic response.

6.66 (CONTACT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL

*CONTROL
The keyword control cards are optional and can be used to change defaults, activate solution
options such as mass scaling, adaptive remeshing, and an implicit solution; however, it is advisable
to define the *CONTROL_TERMINATION card. The ordering of the control cards in the
input file is arbitrary. To avoid ambiguities, define no more than one control card
of each type. The following control cards are organized in an alphabetical order:

*CONTROL_ACCURACY
*CONTROL_ADAPSTEP
*CONTROL_ADAPTIVE
*CONTROL_ALE
*CONTROL_BULK_VISCOSITY
*CONTROL_CFD_AUTO
*CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL
*CONTROL_CFD_MOMENTUM
*CONTROL_CFD_PRESSURE
*CONTROL_CFD_TRANSPORT
*CONTROL_CFD_TURBULENCE
*CONTROL_COARSEN
*CONTROL_CONTACT
*CONTROL_COUPLING
*CONTROL_CPU
*CONTROL_DYNAMIC_RELAXATION
*CONTROL_ENERGY
*CONTROL_EXPLOSIVE_SHADOW
*CONTROL_HOURGLASS_{OPTION}
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_AUTO
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_DYNAMICS
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_EIGENVALUE
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_GENERAL
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_SOLUTION
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_SOLVER
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_STABILIZATION
*CONTROL_OUTPUT
*CONTROL_PARALLEL
*CONTROL_RIGID

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.1 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_SHELL
*CONTROL_SOLID
*CONTROL_SOLUTION
*CONTROL_SPH
*CONTROL_STRUCTURED_{OPTION}
*CONTROL_SUBCYCLE
*CONTROL_TERMINATION
*CONTROL_THERMAL_NONLINEAR
*CONTROL_THERMAL_SOLVER
*CONTROL_THERMAL_TIMESTEP
*CONTROL_TIMESTEP

LS-DYNA’s implicit mode may be activated in two ways. Using the

*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_GENERAL keyword, a simulation may be flagged to run entirely in
implicit mode. Alternatively, an explicit simulation may be seamlessly switched into implicit mode at
a specific time using the *INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK_SEAMLESS keyword. The seamless
switching feature is intended to simplify metal forming springback calculations, where the forming
phase can be run in explicit mode, followed immediately by an implicit static springback simulation.
In case of difficulty, restart capability is supported. Seven keywords are available to support implicit
analysis. Default values are carefully selected to minimize input necessary for most simulations.
These are summarized below:

*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_GENERAL
Activates implicit mode, selects time step size.

*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_SOLVER
Selects parameters for solving system of linear equations [K]{x}={f}.

*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_SOLUTION
Selects linear or nonlinear solution method, convergence tolerances.

*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_AUTO
Activates automatic time step control.

*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_DYNAMICS
Activates and controls dynamic implicit solution using Newmark method.

*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_EIGENVALUE
Activates and controls eigenvalue analysis.

*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_STABILIZATION
Activates and controls artificial stabilization for multi-step springback.

7.2 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_ACCURACY

Purpose: Define control parameters that can improve the accuracy of the calculation.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable OSU INN PIDOSU

Type I I I

Default 0 (off) 1 (off) optional

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

OSU Global flag for objective stress updates (See Remark 1 below). Generally,
for explicit calculations only those parts undergoing large rotations, such as
rolling tires, need this options. Objective stress updates can be activated for
a subset of part IDs by defining the part set in columns 21-30.
EQ.0: Off (default)
EQ.1: On

INN Invarient node numbering for shell element (See Remark 2 below).
EQ.1: Off (default)
EQ.2: On

PIDOSU Part set ID for objective stress updates. If this part set ID is given only
those part IDs listed will use the objective stress update; therefore, OSU is
ignored.

Remarks:

1. Objective stress updates are occasionally necessary. Some examples include spinning bodies
such as turbine blades in a jet engine, high velocity impacts generating large strains in a few
time steps, and large time step sizes due to mass scaling in metal forming. There is a
significant added cost which is due in part to the added cost of the second order terms in the
stress update when the Jaumann rate is used and the need to compute the strain-displacement
matrix at the mid-point geometry. This option is available for one point brick elements, the
selective-reduced integrated brick element which uses eight integration points, the fully
integrated plane strain and axisymmetric volume weighted (type 15) 2D solid elements, the
fully integrated thick shell element, and the following shell elements: Belytschko-Tsay,
Belyschko-Tsay with warping stiffness, Belyschko-Chiang-Wong, S/R Hughes-Liu, and the
type 16 fully integrated shell element.

2. Invarient node numbering for shell elements affects the choice of the local element shell
coordinate system. The orientation of the default local coordinate system is based on the shell
normal vector and the direction of the 1-2 side of the element. If the element numbering is

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.3 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
permuted, the results will change in irregularly shaped elements. With invarient node
numbering, permuting the nodes shifts the local system by an exact multiple of 90 degrees. In
spite of its higher costs [<5%], the invarient local system is recommended for several reasons.
First, element forces are nearly independent of node sequencing; secondly, the hourglass
modes will not substantially affect the material directions; and, finally, stable calculations over
long time periods are achievable.

7.4 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_ADAPSTEP

Purpose: Define control parameters for contact interface force update during each adaptive cycle.
Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable FACTIN DFACTR

Type F F

Default 1.0 0.01

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

FACTIN Initial relaxation factor for contact force during each adaptive remesh. To
turn this option off set FACTIN=1.0. Unless stability problems occur in
the contact, FACTIN=1.0 is recommended since this option can create some
numerical noise in the resultant tooling forces. A typical value for this
parameter is 0.10.

DFACTR Incremental increase of FACTIN during each time step after the adaptive
step. FACTIN is not allowed to exceed unity. A typical value might be
0.01.

Remarks:

1. This command applies to contact with thickness offsets including contact types *CONTACT_
FORMING_..., *CONTACT_NODES_TO_SURFACE, *CONTACT_SURFACE_TO_
SUR-FACE, and *CONTACT_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.5 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_ADAPTIVE

Purpose: Activate adaptive meshing. The parts which are adaptively meshed are defined by *PART.
See remarks below.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ADPFREQ ADPTOL ADPOPT MAXLVL TBIRTH TDEATH LCADP IOFLAG

Type F F I I F F I I

20 20
Default none 10 1 3 0.0 10 0 0

Card Format (This card is optional).

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ADPSIZE ADPASS IREFLG ADPENE ADPTH MEMORY ORIENT MAXEL

Type F I I F F I I I

20
Default 10 0 0 0.0 inactive inactive 0 inactive

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ADPFREQ Time interval between adaptive refinements, see Figure 7.1.

ADPTOL Adaptive error tolerance in degrees for ADPOPT set to 1 or 2 below. If

ADPOPT is set to 8, ADPTOL is the characteristic element size.

ADPOPT Adaptive options:

EQ.1: angle change in degrees per adaptive refinement relative to the

surrounding elements for each element to be refined.

7.6 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EQ.2: total angle change in degrees relative to the surrounding element

for each element to be refined. For example, if the adptol=5 degrees,
the element will be refined to the second level when the total angle
change reaches 5 degrees. When the angle change is 10 degrees the
element will be refined to the third level.

EQ.7: 3D r-adaptive remeshing for solid elements. Solid element type

13, a tetrahedron, is used in the adaptive remeshing process. A
completely new mesh is generated which is initialized from the old
mesh using a least squares approximation. The mesh size is currently
based on the minimum and maximum edge lengths defined on the
*CONTROL_REMESHING keyword input. This option remains
under development, and, we are not sure of its reliability on complex
geometries.

EQ.8: 2D r-adaptive remeshing for axisymmetric and plane strain solid

elements. A completely new mesh is generated which is initialized
from the old mesh using a least squares approximation. The mesh size
is currently based on the value, ADPTOL, which gives the
characteristic element size. This option is based on earlier work by
Dick and Harris [1992].

MAXLVL Maximum number of refinement levels. Values of 1, 2, 3, 4,... allow a

maximum of 1, 4, 16, 64, ... elements, respectively, to be created for each
original element.

TBIRTH Birth time at which the adaptive remeshing begins, see Figure 7.1.

TDEATH Death time at which the adaptive remeshing ends, see Figure 7.1.

LCADP Adaptive interval is changed as a function of time given by load curve ID,
LCADP. If this option is nonzero, the ADPFREQ will be replaced by
LCADP. The x-axis is time and the y-axis is the varied adaptive time
interval.

IOFLAG Flag to generate adaptive mesh at exit including *NODE, *ELEMENT,

*SHELL, and *BOUNDARY_, *CONTACT_NODE_, and *CON-
STRAINED_ADAPTIVITY, to be saved in the file, adapt.msh.
EQ.1: generate adaptive mesh.

ADPSIZE Minimum element size to be adapted based on element edge length. If

undefined the edge length limit is ignored.

ADPASS One or two pass adaptivity flag:

EQ.0: two pass adaptivity as shown in Figure 7.1a,

EQ.1: one pass adaptivity as shown in Figure 7.1b.

IREFLG Uniform refinement level. A values of 1, 2, 3, ... allow 4, 16, 64, ....
elements, respectively, to be created uniformly for each original element.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.7 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ADPENE Adapt the mesh when the contact surfaces approach or penetrate the tooling
surface depending on whether the value of ADPENE is positive (approach)
or negative (penetrates), respectively. The tooling adaptive refinement is
based on the curvature of the tooling. If ADPENE is positive the refinement
generally occurs before contact takes place; consequently, it is possible that
the parameter ADPASS can be set to 1 in invoke the one pass adaptivity.

ADPTH Absolute shell thickness level below which adaptive remeshing should
began. If zero, this parameter is ignored. This option works only if
ADPTOL is nonzero. If thickness based adaptive remeshing is
desired without angle changes, then, set ADPTOL to a large
angle.

MEMORY This flag can have two meanings depending on whether the memory
environmental variable is or is not set. The command "s e t e n v
LSTC_MEMORY auto" sets the memory environmental variable which
causes LS-DYNA to expand memory automatically. Note that automatic
memory expension.is not always 100% reliable depending on the machine
and operating system level; consequently, it is not yet the default. To see if
this is set on a particular machine type the command "env".

If the environmental variable is not set then when memory usage reaches
this percentage, MEMORY, further adaptivity is prevented to avoid
exceeding the memory specified at execution time. Caution is necessary
since memory usage is checked after each adaptive step, and, if the memory
usage increases by more than the residual percentage, 100-PERCENT, the
calculation will terminate.

If the memory environmental variable is set then when the number of

words of memory allocated reaches or exceeds this value, MEMORY,
further adaptivity is stopped.

ORIENT This option applies to the FORMING contact option only. If this flag is set
to one (1), the user orientation for the contact interface is used. If this flag
is set to zero (0), LS-DYNA sets the global orientation of the contact surface
the first time a potential contact is observed after the birth time. If slave
nodes are found on both sides of the contact surface, the orientation is set
based on the principle of "majority rules". Experience has shown that this
principle is not always reliable.

MAXEL Adaptivity is stopped if this number of elements is exceeded.

Remarks:

1. D3DUMP and RUNRSF files contain all information necessary to restart an adaptive run.
This did not work in version 936 of LS-DYNA.

2. Card 2 input is optional and is not required.

3. In order for this control card to work, the flag ADPOPT=1 must be set in the *PART
definition. Otherwise, adaptivity will not function.

7.8 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
4. In order for adaptivity to work optimally, the parameter SNLOG=1, must be set on Optional
Control Card B in the *CONTACT Section. On disjoint tooling meshes the contact option
*CONTACT_FORMING_..... is recommended.

5. A file adapt.rid is left on disk after the adaptive run is completed. This file contains the root
ID of all elements that are created during the calculation, and it does not need to be kept if it is
not used in post-processing.

(a)
output periods

time
0

endtime
tdeath
tbirth
adpfreq adpfreq
With adpass=0 the calculation is
repeated after adaptive remeshing.

(b) output periods

time
0

endtime
tdeath
tbirth
adpfreq adpfreq
With adpass=1the calculation is not
repeated after adaptive remeshing.

Figure 7.1. At time=tbirth the adaptive calculation begins. After computing for a time interval
adpfreq error norms are computed. If ADPASS=0, then the mesh that existed at
time=tbirth is refined based on the computed error norms. With the new mesh, the
calculation continues to time=tbirth+2 x adpfreq where the error norms are again
computed. The mesh that existed at time=tbirth+adpfreq is refined and the
calculation continues to time=tbirth+3 x adpfreq, and so on. However, if
ADPASS=1, then the mesh that exist at time =thirth+adpfreq is refined and the
calculation continues. Errors that develop between adaptive remeshing are
preserved. Generally, ADPASS=0 is recommended but this option is considerably
more expensive.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.9 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_ALE

Purpose: Set default control parameters for the Arbitrary Lagrange-Eulerian and Eulerian
calculations. See also *ALE_MULTI-MATERIAL_GROUP, *ALE_SMOOTHING, *INITIAL_
VOID_OPTION., and *SECTION_SOLID_ALE.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DCT NADV METH AFAC BFAC CFAC DFAC EFAC

Type I I I F F F F F

Default 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable START END AAFAC VFACT VLIMIT EBC

Type F F F F F I

Default 0 1. 0E+20 1 1.0E-06 0.0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DCT Default continuum treatment:

EQ.1: Lagrangian (default),
EQ.2: Eulerian,
EQ.3: Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian,
EQ.4: Eulerian Ambient.

NADV Number of cycles between advections.

METH Advection method:

EQ.1: donor cell + HIS (first order accuracte),
EQ.2: Van Leer + HIS (second order).

7.10 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

AFAC ALE smoothing weight factor - Simple average:

EQ.-1: turn smoothing off.

BFAC ALE smoothing weight factor – Volume weighting

CFAC ALE smoothing weight factor – Isoparametric

DFAC ALE smoothing weight factor – Equipotential

EFAC ALE smoothing weight factor – Equilibrium

START Start time for ALE smoothing

END End time for ALE smoothing

AAFAC ALE advection factor (donor cell options, default=1.0)

VFACT Volume fraction limit for stresses in single material and void formulation.
All stresses are set to zero for elements with lower volume fraction than
VFACT.
EQ.0.0: set to default 1.0E-06.

VLIMIT Velocity limit. The time step is scaled down if the velocitiy exceed this
limit.

EBC Automatic Euler boundary condition

EQ.0. off
EQ.1. On with stick condition
EQ.2. On with slip condition

This option, used for ALE and EULER formulations, defines velocity
boundary conditions for the user. Velocity boundary conditions are applied
to all nodes on free surfaces of an ALE or Eulerian material. For problems
where the normal velocity of the material at the boundary is zero such as
injection molding problems, the automatic boundary condition parameter is
set to 2. This will play the same role as the Nodal Single Point Constraint.
For EBC=1, the material velocity of all free surface nodes of ALE and
Euler material is set to zero.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.11 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_BULK_VISCOSITY

Purpose: Reset the default values of the bulk viscosity coefficients globally. This may be advisable
for shock wave propagation and some materials. Bulk viscosity is used to treat shock waves. A
viscous term q is added to the pressure to smear the shock discontinuities into rapidly varying but
continuous transition regions. With this method the solution is unperturbed away from a shock, the
Hugoniot jump conditions remain valid across the shock transition, and shocks are treated
automatically.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable Q1 Q2 TYPE

Type F F I

Default 1.5 .06 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

Q1 Default quadratic viscosity coefficient.

Q2 Default linear viscosity coefficient.

TYPE Default bulk viscosity type, IBQ (Default=1)

EQ. -1: standard (also type 2, 10, and 16 shell elements)
EQ.+1: standard

Remarks

The bulk viscosity creates an additional additive pressure term given by:

q = ρ l(Q1l ε˙kk2 − Q2 aε˙kk ) if ε˙kk < 0

q=0 if ε˙kk ≥ 0

where Q1 and Q2 are dimensionless input constants which default to 1.5 and .06, respectively,
and l is a characteristic length given as the square root of the area in two dimensions and as the
cube root of the volume in three, a is the local sound speed, Q1 defaults to 1.5 and Q2 defaults
to .06. See Chapter 18 in Theoretical Manual for more details

7.12 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_CFD_AUTO

Purpose: Set the time-step control options for the Navier-Stokes flow solver.
*CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL is used in conjunction with this keyword to control the flow solver
time-integration options.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IAUTO EPSDT DTSF DTMAX

Type I F F F

Default 0 1.0e-3 1.25 -

Remarks 1 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IAUTO Set the time step control type:

EQ.0: IAUTO=1 for fixed time step size,
EQ.1: Fixed time step based on DTINIT - see
*CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL (default),
EQ.2: Time step based on CFL/stability for INSOL=3/1,
EQ.3: Automatic time step selection based on a second-order Adams-
Bashforth predictor with a trapezoidal rule corrector.

EPSDT Set the tolerance for local truncation error in time.

EQ.0: EPSDT=1.0e-3 (default).

DTSF Set the maximum time step scale factor that may be applied at any given time
step. This puts the upper limit on the amount that the time step can be
increased during any given time step.
EQ.0: DTSF=1.25 (default).

DTMAX Set the upper limit on the time step size. This value puts a ceiling on how far
the time step may be increased for IAUTO=3.
EQ.0: 10*DTINIT (default).

Remarks:

1. There are multiple solver options for a variety of flow-related physics in LS-DYNA. The
selection of the time step control mechanism is dependent upon the flow solver that is
selected. IAUTO=1 may be used with any of the solution methods. IAUTO=2 forces the time
step to be based on either stability or the CFL number (see *CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL)

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.13 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
for either the explicit (INSOL=1) or the semi-implicit (INSOL=3) methods. For IAUTO=2,
the ICKDT parameter may be used to control the interval at which the time step is checked
and adjusted. The use of the second-order predictor-corrector time step control is restricted to
the full-implicit solver, i.e., INSOL=3 and IADVEC=40.

2. For IAUTO=3, the default maximum time step, DTMAX, is set 10 times larger than the
starting time step DTINIT.

7.14 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL

Purpose: Set solver parameters for the Navier-Stokes flow solver. *CONTROL_CFD_OPTION
where OPTION = MOMENTUM, TRANSPORT, and PRESSURE are used in conjunction
with this keyword to control the flow solver options. Material models may be specified with the
* M A T _ C F D _ _ OPTION keyword input and turbulence models are activated with the
*CONTROL_CFD_TURBULENCE keyword input.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable INSOL DTINIT CFL ICKDT IACURC

Type I F F I I

Default 3 - 0.9 (2.0) 10 0

Remarks 1 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

INSOL Set the solver type:

EQ.0: INSOL=3 (default).
EQ.1: Explicit, transient, incompressible Navier-Stokes,
EQ.3: Semi-implicit/fully implicit, transient, incompressible Navier-
Stokes using staggered velocity-pressure.

DTINIT Set the initial time step for the Navier-Stokes and all auxiliary transport
equations. The time step is computed based on either the prescribed CFL
number (INSOL=3) or stability (INSOL=1) unless ICKDT<0 or IAUTO=3
on the *CONTROL_CFD_AUTO keyword.

CFL Set the maximum advective grid-CFL number to be maintained during the
computation.
EQ.0: CFL=0.9 (default for INSOL=1), CFL=2.0 (default for
INSOL=3).

ICKDT Set the interval to check and report the grid Reynolds and advective CFL
numbers. ICKDT<0 checks and reports the grid Reynolds and advective
CFL numbers but does not modify the time step. ICKDT>0 modifies the
time step according to the prescribed CFL limit and any required stability
limits. The report of the grid Reynolds and CFL numbers to the screen may
be toggled with the “grid” sense switch.
EQ.0: ICKDT=10 (default).

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.15 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
IACURC Activate the use of full-quadrature for certain terms in the momentum and
transport equations. The accuracy flag improves the accuracy of body force
calculations and certain advective/convective terms with a modest increase in
computational time.
EQ.0: don't use the increased quadruature rules (default),
EQ.1: use the increased quadrature on advective/convective and body
force terms.

Remarks:

1. There are multiple solver options for a variety of flow-related physics in LS-DYNA. The
selection of the incompressible/low-Mach flow physics and related flow solver is determined
by the INSOL input on the *CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL keyword. Currently, there are two
valid values for INSOL. INSOL=1 selects the explicit time integrator that requires the use of a
lumped mass matrix. In this case, the IMASS, THETAK, THETAB, THETAA and THETAF
variables associated with the *CONTROL_CFD_MOMENTUM keyword are ignored.
INSOL=3 selects the semi-implicit projection algorithm which makes use of these variables.

2. This option is only available for the semi-implicit/implicit solution algorithm INSOL=3.

7.16 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_CFD_MOMENTUM

Purpose: Set the solver parameters to be used for the momentum equations in the Navier-Stokes
solver. Card 1 is used to control the time integrator and advective transport options. Card 2 is used to
set the linear solver options such as the maximum iteration count and interval to check the
convergence criteria.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IMASS IADVEC IFCT DIVU THETAK THETAA THETAF

Type I I I F F F F

Default 1 10 1 1.0e-5 0.5 0.5 0.5

Remarks 1 2 3 4 5 6 6

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable MSOL MAXIT ICHKIT IWRT IHIST EPS IHG EHG

Type I I I I I F I F

Default 20 100 2 0 0 1.0e-5 1 1.0

Remarks 6

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IMASS Select the mass matrix formulation to use:

EQ.0: IMASS=1 (default),
EQ.1: Lumped mass matrix,
EQ.2: Consistent mass matrix,
EQ.3: Higher-order mass matrix.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.17 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IADVEC Toggle the treatment of advection between explicit with balancing tensor
diffusivity (BTD) or fully-implicit..
EQ.0: IADVEC=10 for forward-Euler with BTD (default),
EQ.-1: IADVEC=0 for foward-Euler without BTD,
EQ.10: forward-Euler with BTD,
EQ.40: fully-implicit with simplified trapezoid rule.

IFCT Toggle the use of the advective flux limiting advection scheme.
EQ.0: IFCT=1 (default),
EQ.1: Advective flux limiting is on,
EQ.-1: Advective flux limiting is off.

DIVU Set the RMS divergence tolerance, i.e., ∇ ⋅ u RMS ≤ ε . This tolerance is
used for the initial startup procedure to insure that proper initial conditions
are prescribed for the momentum equations.
EQ.0: DIVU=1.0e-5 (default).

THETAK Time weighting for viscous/diffusion terms. Valid values are 0 ≤ θ K ≤ 1

with θ K = 1 2 for second-order accuracy in time.
EQ.0: THETAK=0.5 (default).

THETAA Time weighting for advection terms.

THETAF Time weighting for body forces and boundary conditions. Valid values are
0 ≤ θ F ≤ 1 with θ F = 1 2 for second-order accuracy in time.
EQ.0: THETAF=0.5 (default).

MSOL Set the equation solver type for the momentum equations.
EQ.0: MSOL=20 (default),
EQ.20: Jacobi preconditioned conjugate gradient method,
EQ.30: Jacobi preconditioned conjugate gradient squared method
(default when IADVEC=40).

MAXIT Set the maximum number of iterations for the iterative equation solver.
EQ.0: MAXIT=100 (default).

ICHKIT Set the interval to check the convergence criteria for the iterative equation
solver.
EQ.0: ICHKIT=2 (default).

IWRT Activate the output of diagnostic information from the equation solver.
EQ.0: Diagnostic information is off (default),
EQ.1: Diagnostic information is on.

IHIST Activate the generation of a convergence history file from the equation
solver. The ASCII history files are “velx.his”, “vely.his” and “velz.his”
EQ.0: Convergence history is off (default),
EQ.1: Convergence history is on.

7.18 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EPS Set the convergence criteria for the iterative equation solver.
EQ.0: EPS=1.0e-5 (default).

IHG Set the type of hourglass stabilization to be used with the momentum
equations. This only applies to the explicit treatment of the momentum
equations (INSOL=1).
EQ.0: IHG=1 (default),
EQ.1: LS-DYNA CFD viscous hourglass stabilization,
EQ.2: γ -hourglass stabilization viscous form.

EHG Set the hourglass stabilization multiplier. (see IHG above).

EQ.0: EHG=1.0 (default).

Remarks:

1. The IMASS variable is only active when INSOL ≥ 2 on the *CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL

keyword.

2. The balancing tensor diffusivity should always be used with the explicit forward-Euler
treatment of the advection terms. This is the default.

3. The use of the flux limiting procedures is currently restricted to the explicit advection
procedures.

4. DIVU sets the ceiling on the discrete divergence that is permitted during a simulation when
INSOL=1. If the divergence at a given time step exceeds the value set by DIVU, then an
intermediate projection is performed to return the velocity to a div-free state.

5. The time weighting variables only apply to the case when INSOL≥2 on the
*CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL keyword.

6. The MSOL keyword for the *CONTROL_CFD_MOMENTUM keyword only applies for
INSOL ≥ 2 on the *CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL keyword.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.19 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_CFD_PRESSURE

Purpose: Set the pressure solver parameters to be used for the incompressible Navier-Stokes
equations.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IPSOL MAXIT ICHKIT IWRT IHIST EPS

Type I I I I I F

Default 22 200 5 0 0 1.0e-5

Remarks

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NVEC ISTAB BETA SID PLEV LCID

Type I I F I F I

Default 5 1 0.05 none 0.0 0

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IPSOL Set the pressure solver type:

EQ.0: IPSOL=22 for serial, IPSOL=21 for MPP (default).
EQ.10: Sparse direct solver,
EQ.11: PVS direct solver,
EQ.20: Jacobi preconditioned conjugate gradient method,
EQ.21: SSOR preconditioned conjugate gradient method,
EQ.22: SSOR preconditioned conjugate gradient using the Eisenstat
transformation.

7.20 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

MAXIT Set the maximum number of iterations for the pressure solver.
EQ.0: MAXIT=200 (default).

ICHKIT Set the interval to check the convergence criteria for the pressure solver.
EQ.0: ICHKIT=5 (default).

IWRT Activate the output of diagnostic information from the pressure solver.
EQ.0: Diagnostic information is off (default),
EQ.1: Diagnostic information is on.
(NOTE: during execution, sense switch “lprint” can be used to toggle
this flag on or off.)

IHIST Activate the generation of a convergence history file for the pressure solver.
The ASCII history file is “ppe.his”.
EQ.0: Convergence history is off (default),
EQ.1: Convergence history is on.

EPS Set the convergence criteria for the pressure solver.

EQ.0: EPS=1.0e-5 (default).

NVEC Set the number of A-conjugate vectors to use during the iterative pressure
solve.
EQ.0: NVEC=5 (default),
LT.0: A-conjugate projection is disabled.

ISTAB Set the stabilization type.

EQ.0: ISTAB=1 (default),
EQ.1: Local jump stabilization,
EQ.2: Global jump stabilization,
EQ.-1: No stabilization is active.

BETA Stabilization parameter for ISTAB=1,2. Valid values for the stabilization
parameter are 0 ≤ β ≤ 1.
EQ.0: BETA=0.05 (default).

SID Solid element set ID or shell element set ID (see SET_SOLID/

SET_SHELL_OPTION) to be used for the prescription of hydrostatic
pressure.

PLEV Set the hydrostatic pressure level. This value multiplies the values of the
load curve specified with the LCID option.
EQ.0: PLEV=0.0 (default).

LCID Load curve to be used for setting the hydrostatic pressure. By default,
LCID=0 which forces a constant pressure level to be set at the level
prescribed by PLEV.
EQ.0: LCID=0 (default).

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.21 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_CFD_TRANSPORT

Purpose: Activate the calculation of transport variables and associated solver parameters to be used
for the auxiliary scalar transport equations. Card 1 is used to activate the auxiliary transport equations
and Card 2 is used to set the mass matrix, advection, and time-weighting options. Card 3 is used to
set the linear solver options such as the maximum iteration count and interval to check the
convergence criteria.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ITEMP NSPEC

Type I I

Default 0 0

Remarks

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IMASS IADVEC IFCT THETAK THETAA THETAF

Type I I I F F F

Default 1 10 1 0.5 0.5 0.5

Remarks 1 2 3 4 4 4

7.22 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ITSOL MAXIT ICHKIT IWRT IHIST EPS IHG EHG

Type I I I I I F I F

Default 20 100 2 0 0 1.0e-5 1 1.0

Remarks 5

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ITEMP Solve the energy equation in terms of temperature.

EQ.0: No energy equation (default),
EQ.1: Energy equation is solved in terms of temperature.

NSPEC Activate the solution of NSPEC species transport equations.

EQ.0: No species equations are solved (default),
EQ.NSPEC: Solve for NSPEC species. Up to 10 species transport
equations may be active ( 0 ≤ NSPEC ≤ 10 ).
IMASS Select the mass matrix formulation to use:
EQ.0: IMASS=1 (default),
EQ.1: Lumped mass matrix,
EQ.2: Consistent mass matrix,
EQ.3: Higher-order mass matrix.

IADVEC Toggle the treatment of advection between explicit with balancing tensor
diffusivity (BTD) or fully-implicit..
EQ.0: IADVEC=10 for forward-Euler with BTD (default),
EQ.-1: IADVEC=0 for foward-Euler without BTD,
EQ.10: forward-Euler with BTD,
EQ.40: fully-implicit with simplified trapezoid rule.

IFCT Toggle the use of the advective flux limiting advection scheme.
EQ.0:IFCT=1 (default),
EQ.1: Advective flux limiting is on,
EQ.-1: Advective flux limiting is off.

THETAK Time weighting for viscous/diffusion terms. Valid values are 0 ≤ θ K ≤ 1

with θ K = 1 2 for second-order accuracy in time.
EQ.0: THETAK=0.5 (default).

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.23 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

THETAA Time weighting for advection terms.

THETAF Time weighting for body forces and boundary conditions. Valid values are
0 ≤ θ F ≤ 1 with θ F = 1 2 for second-order accuracy in time.
EQ.0: THETAF=0.5 (default).

ITSOL Set the equation solver type for the transport equations.
EQ.0: ITSOL=20 (default),
EQ.20: Jacobi preconditioned conjugate gradient method,
EQ.30: Jacobi preconditioned conjugate gradient squared method
(default when IADVEC=40).

MAXIT Set the maximum number of iterations for the iterative equation solver.
EQ.0: MAXIT=100 (default).

ICHKIT Set the interval to check the convergence criteria for the iterative equation
solver.
EQ.0: ICHKIT=2 (default).

IWRT Activate the output of diagnostic information from the equation solver.
EQ.0: Diagnostic information is off (default),
EQ.1: Diagnostic information is on.

IHIST Activate the generation of a convergence history file from the equation
solver.
EQ.0: Convergence history is off (default),
EQ.1: Convergence history is on.

EPS Set the convergence criteria for the iterative equation solver.
EQ.0: EPS=1.0e-5 (default).

IHG Set the type of hourglass stabilization to be used with the momentum
equations. This only applies to the explicit treatment of the momentum
equations (INSOL=1).
EQ.0: IHG=1 (default),
EQ.1: LS-DYNA CFD viscous hourglass stabilization,
EQ.2: γ -hourglass stabilization viscous form.

EHG Set the hourglass stabilization multiplier. (see IHG above).

EQ.0: EHG=1.0 (default).
Remarks:

1. The IMASS variable is only active when INSOL≥2 on the *CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL

keyword.

2. The balancing tensor diffusivity should always be used with explicit treatment of the advection
terms. (This is the default.)

3. The use of flux limiting procedures is currently restricted to the explicit advective procedures.

7.24 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
4. The time weighting variables only apply to the case when INSOL ≥2 on the
*CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL keyword.

5. The ITSOL keyword for the *CONTROL_CFD_TRANSPORT keyword only applies for
INSOL ≥2 on the *CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL keyword.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.25 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_CFD_TURBULENCE

Purpose: Activate a turbulence model and set the associated model parameters.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ITRB SMAGC

Type I F

Default 0 0.1

Remarks 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ITRB Select the turbulence model:

EQ.0: Turbulence models are disabled (default),
EQ.1: Smagorinsky LES sub-grid scale model,
EQ.101: Spalart-Almaras model.

Remarks:

1. The default value of the Smagorinsky constant is Cs = 0.1.

7.26 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_COARSEN

Purpose: Adaptively de-refine (coarsen) a shell mesh by selectively merging four adjcent elements
into one. Adaptive constraints are added and removed as necessary.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ICOARSE ANGLE NSEED

Type I F I

Default 0 none 0

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable N1 N2 N3 N4 N5 N6 N7 N8

Type I I I I I I I I

Default 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ICOARSE Coarsening flag:

EQ.0: do not coarsen (default),
EQ.1: coarsen mesh at beginning of simulation

ANGLE Allowable angle change between neighboring elements. Adjcent elements

which are flat to within ANGLE degrees are merged. (Suggested starting
value = 8.0 degrees)

NSEED Number of seed nodes (optional).

EQ.0: use only automatic searching.
EQ.n: also search starting with node IDs given below (maximum = 8
nodes)

N1...N8 Optional list of seed node IDs for extra searching.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.27 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
Remarks:

1. Coarsening is performed at the start of a simulation. The first plot state represents the
coarsened mesh. By setting the termination time to zero and including the keyword
*INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK_DYNA3D, a keyword input deck can be generated containing
the coarsened mesh.

2. By default, an automatic search is performed to identify elements for coarsening. In some

meshes, isolated regions of refinement may be overlooked. Seed nodes can be identified in
these regions to assist the automatic search. Seed nodes identify the central node of a four-
element group which is coarsened into a single element if the angle criterion is satisfied.

3. The keyword *DEFINE_BOX_COARSEN can be used to indicate regions of the mesh which
are protected from coarsening.

7.28 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_CONTACT

Purpose: Change defaults for computation with contact surfaces.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SLSFAC RWPNAL ISLCHK SHLTHK PENOPT THKCHG ORIEN ENMASS

Type F F I I I I I I

Default .1 none 2 0 1 0 1 0

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable USRSTR USRFRC NSBCS INTERM XPENE SSTHK ECDT TIEDPRJ

Type I I I I F I I I

Default 0 0 10-100 0 4.0 0 0 0

Card 3 is optional. The following parameters are the default values used by parts
in automatic contacts. These frictional coefficients apply only to contact types:
SINGLE_SURFACE, AUTOMATIC_GENERAL, AUTOMATIC_SINGLE_
SURFACE, AUTOMATIC_NODES_TO_..., AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_..., and
AUTOMATIC_ONE_WAY_...., and ERODING_SINGLE_SURFACE. Also, see
*CONTACT, and *PART.

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SFRIC DFRIC EDC VFC TH TH_SF PEN_SF

Type F F F F F F F

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.29 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL

Card 4 is optional. If this card is defined, then Card 3 above must be included. A
blank card may be inserted for Card 3.

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IGNORE FRCENG

Type I I

Default 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SLSFAC Scale factor for sliding interface penalties, SLSFAC:

EQ.0: default = .1.

RWPNAL Scale factor for rigid wall penalties for treating rigid bodies interacting with
fixed rigid walls, RWPNAL. The penalties are set so that a scale factor of
unity should be optimal; however, this may be very problem dependent. If
rigid/deformable materials switching is used, this option should be used if
the switched materials are interacting with rigid walls.
EQ.0.0: rigid bodies interacting with rigid walls are not considered.
GT.0.0: rigid bodies interact with fixed rigid walls. A value of 1.0 is
recommended. Seven (7) variables are stored for each slave node. This
can increase memory requirements significantly if all nodes are slaved to
the rigid walls.

ISLCHK Initial penetration check in contact surfaces with indication of initial

penetration in output file, ISLCHK (see remarks below):
EQ.0: the default is set to 1,
EQ.1: no checking,
EQ.2: full check of initial penetration is performed.

SHLTHK Shell thickness considered in type surface to surface and node to surface
type contact options, where options 1 and 2 below activate the new contact
algorithms. The thickness offsets are always included in single surface,
constraint method, and automatic surface to surface and node to surface
contact types (See remarks below.):
EQ.0: thickness is not considered,
EQ.1: thickness is considered but rigid bodies are excluded,
EQ.2: thickness is considered including rigid bodies.

PENOPT Penalty stiffness value option. For default calculation of the penalty value
please refer to the Theoretical Manual.
EQ.0: the default is set to 1,
EQ.1: minimum of master segment and slave node (default for most
contact types),

7.30 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EQ.2: use master segment stiffness (old way),

EQ.3: use slave node value,
EQ.4: use slave node value, area or mass weighted,
EQ.5: same as 4 but inversely proportional to the shell thickness. This
may require special scaling and is not generally recommended.
Options 4 and 5 are recommended for metalforming calculations.

THKCHG Shell thickness changes considered in single surface contact:

EQ.0: no consideration (default),
EQ.1: shell thickness changes are included.

ORIEN Optional automatic reorientation of contact interface segments during

initialization:
EQ.0: default is set to 1.
EQ.1: active for automated (part) input only. Contact surfaces are
given by *PART definitions.
EQ.2: active for manual (segment) and automated (part) input.
EQ.3: inactive.

ENMASS Treatment of the mass of eroded nodes in contact. This option effects all
contact types where nodes are removed after surrounding elements fail.
Generally, the removal of eroded nodes makes the calculation more stable;
however, in problems where erosion is important the reduction of mass will
lead to incorrect results.
EQ.0: eroding nodes are removed from the calculation.
EQ.1: eroding nodes of solid elements are retained and continue to be
active in contact.
EQ.2: the eroding nodes of solid and shell elements are retained and
continue to be active in contact.

USRSTR Storage per contact interface for user supplied interface control subroutine,
see Appendix D. If zero, no input data is read and no interface storage is
permitted in the user subroutine. This storage should be large enough to
accommodate input parameters and any history data. This input data is
available in the user supplied subroutine.

USRFRC Storage per contact interface for user supplied interface friction subroutine,
see Appendix E. If zero, no input data is read and no interface storage is
permitted in the user subroutine. This storage should be large enough to
accommodate input parameters and any history data. This input data is
available in the user supplied subroutine.

NSBCS Number of cycles between contact searching using three dimensional bucket
searches. Defaults recommended.

INTERM Flag for intermittent searching in old surface to surface contact using the
interval specified as NSBCS above:
EQ.0: off,
EQ.1: on.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.31 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XPENE Contact surface maximum penetration check multiplier. If the small

penetration checking option, PENCHK, on the contact surface control card
is active, then nodes whose penetration then exceeds the product of XPENE
and the element thickness are set free, see *CONTROL_OPTION_...:
EQ.0: default is set to 4.0.

SSTHK Flag for using actual shell thickness in single surface contact logic-types 4,
13, 15 and 26. See remarks 1 and 2 below.
EQ.0: Actual shell thickness is not used in the contacts.(default),
EQ.1: Actual shell thickness is used in the contacts. (sometimes
recommended for metal forming calculations).

ECDT Time step size override for eroding contact:

EQ.0: contact time size may control Dt.
EQ.1: contact is not considered in Dt determination.

TIEDPRJ Bypass projection of slave nodes to master surface in types: *CONTACT_

TIED_NODES_TO_SURFACE, *CONTACT_TIED_SHELL_EDGE_TO_
SURFACE, and, *CONTACT_TIED_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE tied
interface options:
EQ.0: eliminate gaps by projection nodes,
EQ.1: bypass projection. Gaps create rotational constraints which can
substantially affect results.

SFRIC Default static coefficient of friction (see *PART_CONTACT)

DFRIC Default dynamic coefficient of friction (see *PART_CONTACT)

EDC Default exponential decay coefficient (see *PART_CONTACT)

VFC Default viscous friction coefficient (see *PART_CONTACT)

TH Default contact thickness (see *PART_CONTACT)

TH_SF Default thickness scale factor (see *PART_CONTACT)

PEN_SF Default local penalty scale factor (see *PART_CONTACT)

IGNORE Ignore initial penetrations in the *CONTACT_AUTOMATIC options. This

option can also be specified for each interface on the third optional card
under the keyword, *CONTACT. The value defined here will be the
default.
EQ.0: Move nodes to eliminate initial penetrations in the model
definition.
EQ.1: Allow initial penetrations to exist by tracking the initial
penetrations.

FRCENG Flag to activate the calculation of frictional sliding energy:

EQ.0: do not calculate,
EQ.1: calculation frictional energy in contact.

7.32 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
Remarks:

1. The shell thickness change option must be activated in CONTROL_SHELL control input (see
ISTUPD) and a nonzero flag specified for SHLTHK above before the shell thickness changes
can be included in the surface to surface contact types. An additional flag must be set, see
THKCHG above, if thickness changes are included in the single surface contact algorithms.
The contact algorithms that include the shell thickness are relatively recent and are now fully
optimized and parallelized. The searching in these algorithms is considerably more extensive
and therefore slightly more expensive.

2. In the single surface contacts types SINGLE_SURFACE, AUTOMATIC_SINGLE_

SURFACE, and ERODING_SINGLE_SURFACE, the default contact thickness is taken as the
smaller value of the shell thickness or the shell edge lengths between shell nodes 1-2, 2-3, and
4-1. This may create unexpected difficulties if it is the intent to include thickness effects when
the in-plane shell element dimensions are less than the thickness. The default is based on years
of experience where it has been observed that sometimes rather large nonphysical thicknesses
are specified to achieve high stiffness values. Since the global searching algorithm includes the
effects of shell thicknesses, it is possible to slow the searches down considerably by using such
nonphysical thickness dimensions.

3. The initial penetration check option is always performed in v. 950 irregardless of the value of
ISLCHK. If you do not want to remove initial penetrations then set the contact birth time (see
*CONTACT_...) so that the contact is not active at time 0.

4. Automatic reorientation requires offsets between the master and slave surface segments. The
reorientation is based on segment connectivity and, once all segments are oriented consistently
based on connectivity, a check is made to see if the master and slave surfaces face each other
based on the right hand rule. If not, all segments in a given surface are reoriented. This
procedure works well for non disjoint surfaces. If the surfaces are disjoint, the AUTOMATIC
contact options, which do not require orientation, are recommended. In the FORMING contact
options automatic reorientation works for disjoint surfaces.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.33 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_COUPLING

Purpose: Change defaults for MADYMO3D/CAL3D coupling, see Appendix F.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable UNLENG UNTIME UNFORC TIMIDL FLIPX FLIPY FLIPZ SUBCYL

Type F F F F I I I I

Default 1. 1. 1. 0. 0 0 0 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

UNLENG Unit conversion factor for length. MADYMO3D/GM-CAL3D lengths are

multiplied by UNLENG to obtain LS-DYNA lengths.

UNTIME Unit conversion factor for time, UNTIME. MADYMO3D/GM-CAL3D

time is multiplied by UTIME to obtain LS-DYNA time.

UNFORC Unit conversion factor for force, UNFORC. MADYMO3D/GM-CAL3D

force is multiplied by UNFORC to obtain LS-DYNA force.

TIMIDL Idle time during which CAL3D or MADYMO is computing and

LS-DYNA3D remains inactive. Important for saving computer time.

FLIPX Flag for flipping X-coordinate of CAL3D/MADYMO3D relative to the

LS-DYNA3D model:
EQ.0: off,
EQ.1: on.

FLIPY Flag for flipping Y-coordinate of CAL3D/MADYMO3D relative to the

LS-DYNA3D model:
EQ.0: off,
EQ.1: on.

FLIPZ Flag for flipping Z-coordinate of CAL3D/MADYMO3D relative to the

LS-DYNA3D model:
EQ.0: off,
EQ.1: on.

7.34 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SUBCYL CAL3D/MADYMO3D subcycling interval (# of cycles):

EQ.0: Set to 1,
EQ.n: number of LS-DYNA time steps between each CAL3D/
MADYMO3D step. Then the position of the contacting rigid bodies is
assumed to be constant for n LS-DYNA time steps. This may result in
some increase in the spikes in contact, thus this option should be used
carefully. As the CAL3D/MADYMO3D programs usually work with a
very small number of degrees of freedom, not much gain in efficiency
can be achieved.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.35 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_CPU

Purpose: Control cpu time.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CPUTIM

Type F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

CPUTIM Seconds of cpu time:

EQ:0.0 no cpu time limit set

Remarks:

The CPU time limit applies to the current phase of the analysis or restart. The limit is not
checked until after the initialization stage of the calculation. Upon reaching the cpu limit, the
code will output a restart dump file and terminate. The CPU limit can also be specified on the
input control line to LS-DYNA. If a value is specified on both the control line and in the input
deck, the minimum value will be used.

7.36 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_DYNAMIC_RELAXATION

Purpose: Define controls for dynamic relaxation. Important for stress initialization.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NRCYCK DRTOL DRFCTR DRTERM TSSFDR IRELAL EDTTL IDRFLG

Type I F F F F I F I

Default 250 0.001 0.995 infinity TSSFAC 0 0.04 0

Remarks 1, 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NRCYCK Number of iterations between convergence checks, for dynamic relaxation

option (default = 250).

DRTOL Convergence tolerance for dynamic relaxation option (default = 0.001).

DRFCTR Dynamic relaxation factor (default = .995).

DRTERM Optional termination time for dynamic relaxation. Termination occurs at this
time or when convergence is attained (default = infinity).

TSSFDR Scale factor for computed time step during dynamic relaxation. If zero, the
value is set to TSSFAC defined on *CONTROL_TIMESTEP. After
converging, the scale factor is reset to TSSFAC.

IRELAL Automatic control for dynamic relaxation option based on algorithm of

Papadrakakis [Papadrakakis 1981]:
EQ.0: not active,
EQ.1: active.

EDTTL Convergence tolerance on automatic control of dynamic relaxation.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.37 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IDRFLG Dynamic relaxation flag for stress initialization:

EQ.-999: dynamic relaxation not activated even if specified on a load
curve, see *DEFINE_CURVE,
EQ.-1: dynamic relaxation is activated and time history output is
produced during dynamic relaxation,
see Remark 2 below,
EQ.0: not active,
EQ.1: dynamic relaxation is activated,
EQ.2: initialization to a prescribed geometry,
see Remark 1 below
Remarks:

1. Stress initialization in LS-DYNA for small strains may be accomplished by linking to an

implicit code (option 2). A displacement state is required that gives for each nodal point its
label, xyz displacements, xyz rotations and temperature. This data is read from unit 7 (m=)
with the format (i8,7e15.0). See also INTRODUCTION, Execution Syntax.

2. If IDRFLG is set to -1 the dynamic relaxation proceeds as normal but time history data is
written to the D3THDT file in addition to the normal data being writen to the D3DRLF file.
At the end of dynamic relaxation, the problem time is reset to zero. However, information is
written to the D3THDT file with an increment to the time value. The time increment used is
reported at the end of dynamic relaxation.

7.38 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_ENERGY

Purpose: Provide controls for energy dissipation options.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable HGEN RWEN SLNTEN RYLEN

Type I I I I

Default 1 2 1 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

HGEN Hourglass energy calculation option. This option requires significant

additional storage and increases cost by ten percent:
EQ.1: hourglass energy is not computed (default),
EQ.2: hourglass energy is computed and included in the energy
balance. The hourglass energies are reported in the ASCII files
GLSTAT and MATSUM, see *DATABASE_OPTION.

RWEN Stonewall energy dissipation option:

EQ.1: energy dissipation is not computed,
EQ.2: energy dissipation is computed and included in the energy
balance (default). The stonewall energy dissipation is reported in the
ASCII file GLSTAT, see *DATABASE_OPTION.

SLNTEN Sliding interface energy dissipation option (This parameter is always set to 2
if contact is active. The option SLNTEN=1 is not available.):
EQ.1: energy dissipation is not computed,
EQ.2: energy dissipation is computed and included in the energy
balance. The sliding interface energy is reported in ASCII files
GLSTAT and SLEOUT, see *DATABASE_OPTION.

RYLEN Rayleigh energy dissipation option (damping energy dissipation):

EQ.1: energy dissipation is not computed (default),
EQ.2: energy dissipation is computed and included in the energy
balance. The damping energy is reported in ASCII file GLSTAT, see
*DATABASE_OPTION.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.39 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_EXPLOSIVE_SHADOW

Purpose: Compute detonation times in explosive elements for which there is no direct line of sight..
If this control card is missing, the lighting time for an explosive element is computed using the
distance from the center of the element to the nearest detonation point, Ld ; the detonation velocity, D;
and the lighting time for the detonator, td :

Ld
t L = td +
D
The detonation velocity for this option is taken from the element whose lighting time is computed and
does not account for the possiblities that the detonation wave may travel through other explosives
with different detonation velocities or that the line of sight may pass outside of the explosive material.
If this control card is present, the lighting time is based on the shortest distance through the
explosive material. If inert obstacles exist within the explosive material, the lighting time will
account for the extra time required for the detonation wave to travel around the obstacles. The
lighting times also automatically accounts for variations in the detonation velocity if different
explosives are used. No additional input is required for this control option. This option works for
two and three dimensional solid elements. Also, see *INITIAL_DETONATION and
*MAT_HIGH_EXPLOSIVE.

7.40 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_HOURGLASS_{OPTION}

One option is available:

936

which switches the hourglass formulation so that it is identical to that used in version 936 of LS-
DYNA. The modification in the hourglass control from version 936 was to ensure that all
components of the hourglass force vector are orthogonal to rigid body rotations. However, problems
that run under version 936 sometimes lead to different results in versions 940 and later. This
difference in results is primarily due to the modifications in the hourglass force vector. Versions
released after 936 should be more accurate.

Purpose: Set the default values of the hourglass control to override the default values.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IHQ QH

Type I F

Default 1 0.1

Remarks 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IHQ Default hourglass viscosity type:

EQ.1: standard LS-DYNA,
EQ.2: Flanagan-Belytschko integration,
EQ.3: Flanagan-Belytschko with exact volume integration,
EQ.4: stiffness form of type 2 (Flanagan-Belytschko),
EQ.5: stiffness form of type 3 (Flanagan-Belytschko),
EQ:6: Belytschko-Bindeman [1993] assumed strain co-rotational
stiffness form for 2D and 3D solid elements only. This form is
available for explicit and IMPLICIT solution methods. In fact,
type 6 is mandatory for the implicit options.
EQ.8: Applicable to the type 16 fully integrated shell element. IHQ=8
activates warping stiffness for accurate solutions. A speed
penalty of 25% is common for this option.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.41 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

In the shell elements, IHQ < 4 is the viscous form based on Belytschko-
Tsay. If IHQ = 4, 5 or 6, the stiffness form is obtained. The stiffness
forms, however, can stiffen the response, especially if the deformations are
large, and therefore should be used with care. For high velocities the
viscous forms are recommeded and for low velocities the stiffness forms are
recommended. For large deformations and nonregular solids, option 3 or 5
is recommended.

QH Default hourglass coefficient, QH. Values of QH that exceed .15 may cause
instabilities. The recommended default applies to all options.

Remark:
1. Hourglass coefficients and type can be set by part ID in the *HOURGLASS Section.

7.42 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_AUTO

Purpose: Define parameters for automatic time step control during implicit analysis.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IAUTO ITEOPT ITEWIN DTMIN DTMAX

Type I I I F F

Default (see below) 11 15 DT/1000. DT*10.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IAUTO Automatic time step control flag

EQ.0: constant time step size
(Default for “standard” implicit analysis)
EQ.1: automatically adjusted time step size
(Default for “springback” implicit analysis)

ITEOPT Optimum equilibrium iteration count per time step

ITEWIN Allowable iteration window. If iteration count is within ITEWIN iterations

of ITEOPT, step size will not be adjusted.

DTMIN Minimum allowable time step size. Simulation stops with error termination
if time step falls below DTMIN.

DTMAX Maximum allowable time step size.

LT.0: load curve gives DTMAX(t), each time point reached exactly
(see Figure 7.2)

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.43 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
DTMAX active from previous key point
to current key point

2.0 A key point is automatically

generated at the termination time
Time Step Size Limit, DTMAX

1.0

0.0
Problem Time, t tend

-1.0
negative key point => no plot state
= user defined key point
= LS-DYNA generated key point

Figure 7.2. A key point load curve can be identified with a negative value for DTMAX.
Function values of each load curve point give DTMAX. Time values are reached
exactly by the automatic step controller, and a plot state is output unless DTMAX is
negative.

Remarks:
IAUTO The default for IAUTO depends on the analysis type. For “springback” analysis,
automatic time step control and artificial stabilization are activated by default.
ITEOPT The time step size is adjusted so that equilibrium is reached in ITEOPT iterations,
increasing after “easy” steps, and decreasing after “difficult” but successful steps. A
value of ITEOPT=21 or more can be more efficient for highly nonlinear simulations by
allowing more iterations in each step, hence fewer total steps.
ITEWIN The step size is not adjusted if the iteration count falls within ITEWIN of ITEOPT.
Large values of ITEWIN make the controller more tolerant of variations in iteration
count.
DTMAX To strike a particular simulation time exactly, use a key point load curve (Figure 7.2)
and enter DTMAX = -(curve ID).

7.44 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_DYNAMICS

Purpose: Activate implicit dynamic analysis and define time integration constants.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IMASS GAMMA BETA

Type I F F

Default 0 .50 .25

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IMASS Implicit analysis type

EQ.0: static analysis
EQ.1: dynamic analysis using Newmark time integration.
EQ.2: dynamic analysis by modal superpostion

GAMMA Newmark time integration constant (see remarks below.)

BETA Newmark time integration constant.

Remarks:

For the dynamic problem, the linearized equilibrium equations may be written in the form

Mu˙˙n +1 + Du˙ n +1 + Kt ( x n )∆u = P( x n ) − F( x n )

n +1

where

M = lumped mass matrix

D = damping matrix

u n +1 = x n +1 − x 0 = nodal displacement vector

u̇ n +1 = nodal point velocities at time n+1

u˙˙n +1 = nodal point accelerations at time n+1.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.45 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
The time integration is by the unconditionally stable, one-step, Newmark-β time integration
scheme

∆u u˙ n
−  − β  u˙˙n
n +1 1 1
u˙˙ = −
β ∆t 2
β ∆t β  2 

= u˙ n + ∆t (1 − γ )u˙˙n + γ ∆tu˙˙n +1
n +1
u˙

x n +1 = x n + ∆u

1
Here, ∆t is the time step size, and β and γ are the free parameters of integration. For γ =
2
1
and β = the method reduces to the trapezoidal rule and is energy conserving. If
4

1
γ >
2
2
1 1
β> +γ

4 2 

numerical damping is induced into the solution leading to a loss of energy and momentum.

7.46 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_EIGENVALUE

Purpose: Activate implicit eigenvalue analysis and define associated input parameters.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NEIG CENTER LFLAG LFTEND RFLAG RHTEND EIGMTH SHFSCL

Type I F I F I F I F

Default 0 0.0 0 -infinity 0 +infinity 2 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NEIG Number of eigenvalues to extract. This must be specified. The other

parameters below are optional.

CENTER Center frequency. This option finds the nearest NEIG eigenvalues located
about this value.

LFLAG Left end point finite flag.

EQ.0: left end point is -infinity
EQ.1: left end point is LFTEND.

LFTEND Left end point of interval. Only used when LFLAG = 1.

RFLAG Right end point finite flag:

EQ.0: right end point is +infinity
EQ.1: right end point is RHTEND.

RHTEND Right end point of interval. Only used when RFLAG = 1.

EIGMTH Eigenvalue extraction method:

EQ.1: Subspace iteration (not recommended).
EQ.2: Block Shift and Invert Lanczos (default).

SHFSCL Shift scale. Generally not used, but see explanation below.

Remarks:

To perform an eigenvalue analysis, activate the implicit method by selecting IMFLAG=1 on

*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_GENERAL, and indicate a nonzero value for NEIG above. By
default, the lowest NEIG eigenvalues will be found. If a nonzero center frequency is
specified, the NEIG eigenvalues nearest to CENTER will be found.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.47 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
It is strongly recommended that the default eigenvalue extraction method, Block Shift and
Invert Lanczos, is used. The Block Shift and Invert Lanczos code is from BCSLIB-EXT,
Boeing's Extreme Mathematical Library. This method is much more robust and efficient than
subspace iteration. Subscape iteration is only included for comparison and testing purposes.

When using Block Shift and Invert Lanczos, the user can specify a semifinite or finite interval
region in which to compute eigenvalues. Setting LFLAG = 1 changes the left end point from
-infinity to the value specified by LFTEND. Setting RFLAG = 1 changes the right end point
from +infinity to the values given by RHTEND. If the interval includes CENTER (default
value of 0.0) then the problem is to compute the NEIG eigenvalues nearest to CENTER. If the
interval does not include CENTER, the problem is to compute the smallest in magnitude NEIG
eigenvalues.

If all of the eigenvalues are desired in an interval where both end points are finite just input a
large number for NEIG. The software will automatically compute the number of eigenvalues
in the interval and lower NEIG to that value. The most general problem specification is to
compute NEIG eigenvalues nearest CENTER in the interval [LFTEND,RHTEND].
Computing the lowest NEIG eigenvalues is equivalent to computing the NEIG eigenvalues
nearest 0.0.

For some problems it is useful to override the internal heuristic for picking a starting point for
Lanczos shift strategy, that is the initial shift. In these rare cases, the user may specify the
initial shift via the parameter SHFSCL. SHFSCL should be in the range of first few nonzero
frequencies.

Eigenvectors are written to an auxiliary binary plot database named "d3eigv", which is
automatically created. These can be viewed using a postprocessor in the same way as a
standard "d3plot" database. The time value associated with each eigenvector plot is the
corresponding circular frequency. A summary table of eigenvalue results is printed to the
"eigout" file.

The print control parameter, LPRINT, and ordering method paramenter, ORDER, from the
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_LINEAR keyword card also affects the Block Shift and Invert
Eigensolver. LPRINT and LSOLVR affects Subspace Iteration.

7.48 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_GENERAL

Purpose: Define control parameters for implicit analysis.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IMFLAG DT0 IMFORM NSBS IGS CNSTN FORM

Type I F I I I I I

Default 0 none 2 1 2 0 0

(see remarks below)

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IMFLAG Implicit/Explicit switching flag

EQ.0: explicit analysis
EQ.1: implicit analysis
EQ.2: explicit followed by one implicit step (“springback” analysis)

DT0 Initial time step size for implicit analysis

IMFORM Element formulation switching flag

EQ.1: switch to fully integrated formulation for implicit springback.
Recommended for stability.
EQ.2: retain original element formulation (default)

NSBS Number of steps in nonlinear springback

IGS Geometric (initial stress) stiffness flag

EQ.1: include
EQ.2: ignore

CNSTN Indicator for consistent tangent stiffness:

EQ.0: do not use (default)
EQ.1: use.

FORM Element formulation when using IMFORM flag.

EQ.0: type 16
EQ.1: type 6.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.49 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
Remarks:
IMFLAG The default value 0 indicates a standard explicit analysis will be performed. Using
value 1 causes an entirely implicit analysis to be performed. Value 2 is automatically
activated when the keyword *INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK_SEAMLESS is
present, causing the analysis type to switch when the termination time is reached.
After this switch, the termination time is extended by NSBS*DT0, or reset to twice its
original value if DT0 =0.0. The implicit simulation then proceeds until the new
termination time is reached.
DT0 This parameter selects the initial time step size for the implicit phase of a simulation.
In a springback simulation, the default initial time step size is the termination time
from the explicit forming phase of the simulation. The step size may be adjusted
during a multiple step simulation if the automatic time step size control feature is
active.
IMFORM The default Belytschko-Tsay shell element works well for forming analysis, but can
perform poorly for springback analysis. This element formulation switching flag
causes the more stable fully integrated shell elements to be used for the springback
phase. Adaptive mesh must be activated when using element formulation switching.
NSBS The default springback analysis is nonlinear, single step. When the automatic time
step control and artificial stabilization are activated, a multiple step solution will be
performed automatically if the single step fails. The NSBS option allows a user to skip
the single step attempt, and proceed directly to a multiple step solution. Artificial
stabilization must be used for all multiple step solutions.
IGS The geometric stiffness adds the effect of initial stress to the global stiffness matrix.
This effect is seen in a piano string whose natural frequency changes with tension.
Geometric stiffness does not always improve nonlinear convergence, so its inclusion
is optional.

7.50 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_SOLUTION

Purpose: Define these control cards for an implicit calculation. These cards specify whether a linear
or nonlinear solution is desired. If nonlinear, set the parameters to control the implicit nonlinear
solution.

Card 1 Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSOLVR ILIMIT MAXREF DCTOL ECTOL (blank) LSTOL

Type I I I F F F F

Default 2 11 15 0.001 0.01 0.90

Optional Card 2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DNORM DIVERG ISTIF NLPRINT

Type I I I I

Default 2 1 1 2

Optional Card 3 (if card 3 is used, then card 2 above must also be used)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ARCCTL ARCDIR ARCLEN ARCMTH ARCDMP

Type I I F I I

Default 0 none 0 1 2

(see remarks below)

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.51 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSOLVR Solution method for implicit analysis:

EQ.1: Linear
EQ.2: Nonlinear with BFGS updates (default)
EQ.3: Nonlinear with Broyden updates
EQ.4: Nonlinear with DFP updates
EQ.5: Nonlinear with Davidon updates
EQ.6: Nonlinear with BFGS updates + arclength
EQ.7: Nonlinear with Broyden updates + arclength
EQ.8: Nonlinear with DFP updates + arclength
EQ.9: Nonlinear with Davidon updates + arclength

ILIMIT Iteration limit between automatic stiffness reformations

MAXREF Stiffness reformation limit per time step

DCTOL Displacement convergence tolerance

ECTOL Energy convergence tolerance

LSTOL Line search convergence tolerance

DNORM Displacement norm for convergence test

EQ.1: Increment vs. displacement over current step
EQ.2: Increment vs. total displacement (default)

DIVERG Divergence flag (force imbalance increase during equilibrium iterations)

EQ.1: reform stiffness if divergence detected (default)
EQ.2: ignore divergence

ISTIF Initial stiffness formation flag

EQ.1: reform stiffness at start of each step (default)
EQ.n: reform stiffness at start of every “n”th step

NLPRINT Nonlinear solver print flag

EQ.1: print iteration information to screen, messag, d3hsp files
EQ.2: print information only to messag, d3hsp files (default)
(NOTE: during execution, sense switch "nlprint" can also be used to
toggle this print flag on and off.)

7.52 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

The following parameters are for use with arc length methods only (6 ≤ NSOLVR ≤ 9):

ARCCTL Arc length controlling node ID

EQ.0: generalized arc length method

ARCDIR Arc length controlling node direction (ignored if ARCCTL=0 above)

EQ.1: global X-translation
EQ.2: global Y-translation
EQ.3: global Z-translation

ARCLEN Relative arc length size. See remarks below.

LE.0.0: use automatic size size,
GT.0.0: use ARCLEN*automatic step size.

ARCMTH Arc length method

EQ.1: Crisfield (default)
EQ.2: Ramm

ARCDMP Arc length damping option

EQ.2: off (default)
EQ.1: on, oscillations in static solution are supressed

Remarks:
NSOLVR This flag may be used to select a linear springback analysis. This disables
equilibrium checking and iterations. The default nonlinear BFGS method can be used
as a Full Newton method by resetting the ILIMIT parameter below.
In the neighborhood of limit points the Newton based iteration schemes often fail.
The arc length method of Riks and Wempner (combined here with the BFGS method)
adds a constraint equaiton to limit the load step to a constatnt "arc Length" in load-
displacement space. This latter method is frequently used to solve snap through
buckling problems. When applying the arc-length method, the load curves that define
the loading should contain two points and start at the origin (0,0). If the arc-length
method is flagged and if two points characterize the load curve, LS-DYNA will
extrapolate, if necessary, to determine the load. Time and load magnitude are related
by a constant when the arc length method is used and it is possible that time can be
negative. The arc length apply cannot be used with a dynamic analysis.
ILIMIT In the default BFGS method, the global stiffness matrix is only reformed every ILIMIT
iterations. Otherwise, an inexpensive stiffness update is applied. By setting
ILIMIT=1, a stiffness reformation is performed every iteration. This is equivalent to
the Full Newton method (with line search). A higher value of ILIMIT (20-25) can
reduce the number of stiffness matrix reformations and factorizations which may lead
to a significant reduction in cost.
MAXREF The nonlinear equilibrium search will continue until the stiffness matrix has been
reformed MAXREF times, with ILIMIT iterations between each reformation. If
equilibrium has not been found, control will be passed to the automatic time step
controller if it is activated. Otherwise, error termination will result. When the auto
time step controller is active, it is often efficient to choose MAXREF=5 and try another
stepsize quickly, rather than wasting too many iterations on a difficult step.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.53 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
DCTOL When the displacement ratio (shown for each iteration) is reduced below DCTOL, this
condition is satisfied. Smaller numbers lead to more strict determination of
equilibrium and, on the negative side, result in more iterations and higher costs.
ECTOL When the energy ratio shown for each iteration is reduced below ECTOL , this
condition is satisfied. Smaller numbers lead to more strict determination of
equilibrium and, on the negative side, result in more iterations and higher costs.
LSTOL A line search is sometimes performed to this tolerance to guard against divergence.
The search is done in the event that the system is stiffening which can often lead to a
failure to converge during the equilibrium iterations.
DNORM When computing the displacement ratio, the norm of the incremental displacement
vector is divided by the norm of “total” displacement. This “total” displacement may
be either the total over the current step, or the total over the entire simulation. The
latter tends to be more lax, and can be poor at the end of simulations where large
motions develop. For these problems, an effective combination is DNORM=1, and
DCTOL=0.01 or larger.
DIVERG By default, a new stiffness matrix is formed whenever divergence (growing out-of-
balance force) is detected. This flag can be used to supress this stiffness reformation.
ISTIF By default, a new stiffness matrix is formed at the start of every time step.
Supressing this stiffness reformation can decrease the cost of simulations which have
many tiny steps that are mostly linear.
NLPRT This flag controls printing of displacement and energy convergence measures during
the nonlinear equilibrium search. If convergence difficulty occurs, this information is
helpful in determining the problem. See also the section on interactive sense switches
"<ctrl-c> nlprt" and "<ctrl-c> iter".
ARCCTL The arc length method can be controlled based on the displacement of a single node in
the model. For example, in dome reversal problems the node at the center of the
dome can be used. By default, the generalized arc length method is used where the
norm of the global displacement vector controls the solution. This includes all nodes.
ARCLEN In many cases the arc length method has difficulty tracking the load displacement
curve through critical regions. Using 0<ARCLEN<1 will reduce the step size to
assist tracking the load-displacement curve with more accuracy. Use of ARCLEN<1
will cause more steps to be taken. Suggested values are 1.0 (the defalut), 0.5, 0.25,
and 0.10.
ARCDMP Some static problems exhibit oscillatory response near instability points. This option
numerically supresses these oscillations, and may improve the convergence behavior
of the post-buckling solution.

7.54 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_SOLVER

Purpose: Define control parameters for the implicit analysis linear equation solver. The linear
equation solver performs the CPU-intensive stiffness matrix inversion.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LSOLVR LPRINT NEGEV ORDER DRCM DRCPRM AUTOSPC AUTOTOL

Type I I I I I F I F

Default 4 0 2 0 1 see below 1 see below

(see remarks below)

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LSOLVR Linear equation solver method

EQ.1: direct, sparse, incore with automatic out-of-core
EQ.3: direct, sparse, double precision
EQ.4: SMP parallel multi-frontal sparse solver #2 (default).
EQ.5: SMP parallel multi-frontal sparse solver # 2, double precision
EQ.6: BCSLIB-EXT, direct, sparse, double precision
EQ.10: iterative, best of currently available iterative methods
EQ.11: iterative, Conjugate Gradient method
EQ.12: iterative, CG with Jacobi preconditioner
EQ.13: iterative, CG with Incomplete Choleski preconditioner
EQ.14: iterative, Lanczos method
EQ.15: iterative, Lanczos with Jacobi preconditioner
EQ.16: iterative, Lanczos with Incomplete Choleski preconditioner

LPRINT Linear solver print flag

EQ.0: no printing
EQ.1: summary statistics on memory, cpu time, and iteration count.
EQ.2: more statistics
EQ.3: even more statistics and debug checking, e.g., residual of
eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
(NOTE: during execution, sense switch "lprint" can also be used to
toggle this print flag on and off.)

NEGEV Negative eigenvalue flag. Selects procedure when negative eigenvalues are
detected during stiffness matrix inversion.
EQ.1: stop or retry step
EQ.2: print warning message, try to continue (default)

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.55 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ORDER Ordering option

EQ.0: method set automatically by LS-DYNA
EQ.1: MMD, Multiple Minimum Degree.
EQ.2: Metis

DRCM Drilling rotation constraint methoc:

EQ.1: add stiffness (default)
EQ.2: generate geometry based drilling constraint,
EQ.3: do neither.

DRCPRM Drilling rotation constraint parameter, DRCPRM. If adding stiffness,

DRCM=1, then, for linear problems, DRCPRM=1.0; for nonlinear
problems, DRCPRM=100.0; and for eigenvalue problems either 1.E-12 or
1.E-8 is used depending on the shell element type. In the latter case, the
input value for DRCPRM is ignored. If generate geometry based drilling
constraints is active, DRCM=2, then DRCPRM controls the "flatness" test.
The default value of DRCPRM=10.0 for this case. If the maximum
deviation of a neighbor node to the best fit plane at a candidate node is less
than this parameter the local geometry is declared flat and a constraint is
generated on the rotation around the outward pointing normal at the
candidate node.

AUTOSPC AUTOSPC switch:

EQ.1: automatically scan the assembled stiffness matrix after all
constraints have been applied looking for triples of columns associated
with translations or rotations at a node or master of a rigid body. If the
set of 3 columns is rank deficient, a constraint is generated to remove
the column most associated with the null space of the singularity,
EQ.2: do not do the scan.

AUTOTOL AUTOSPC tolerance. The test for singularity is the ratio of the smallest
singular value and the largest singular value. If this ratio is less than
AUTOTOL, then the triple of columns are declared singular and a constraint
is generated. Default value in single precision is 1.E-4 and in double
precision, 1.E-8.
Remarks:
LSOLVR The user can select one of 5 direct factorization methods and 6 iterative methods.
Solver options 4 (default) and 5 are updated versions of options 1 and 3. The updates
include faster single cpu performance, parallel implementation, and the ability to select
either MMD or Metis ordering (see ORDER). Options 1 and 3 are still included for
backward compatibility with previous versions.
The direct linear equation solver from BCSLIB-EXT, Boeing's Extreme Mathematical
Library is option 6. This option should be used whenever the factorization is too
large to fit into memory. It has extensive capabilities for out-of-core solution and can
solve larger problems than any of the other direct factorization methods. It is also
faster than the older options 1 and 3.
LPRINT Select printing of the timing and storage information (LPRINT = 1) if you are
comparing performance of linear equation solvers, or if you are running out of
memory for large models. Minimum memory requirements for in-core and out-of-

7.56 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
core solution are printed. This flag can also be toggled using sense switch "<ctrl-c>
lprint".
When using solver option 6, LPRINT = 2 and 3 will cause increased printed output
of statistics and performance information.
NEGEV Negative eigenvalues result from underconstrained models (rigid body modes),
severely deformed elements, or non-physical material properties. This flag allows
control to be passed directly to the automatic time step controller when negative
eigenvalues are detected. Otherwise, significant numerical roundoff error is likely to
occur during factorization, and equilibrium iterations may fail.
ORDER The system of linear equations must be reordered to preserve the sparsity of the
factorization when using direct methods. The older sparse solvers (LSOLVR = 1 and
LSOLVR = 3) can only use the Multiple Minimum Degree ordering method. The
newer sparse direct solvers (LSOLVR = 4, 5, and 6) can use either MMD or Metis.
Metis is a ordering method from University of Minnesota and is very effective for
larger problems and for 3D solid problems. MMD is best for smaller problems, that
is less than 100,000 rows in the assembled stiffness matrix.

Note that the values of LPRINT and ORDER also affect the eigensolution software.
That is LPRINT and ORDER from tthis keyword card is applicable to eigensolution.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.57 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_IMPLICIT_STABILIZATION

Purpose: Define parameters for artificial stabilization during multi-step implicit springback analysis.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IAS SCALE TSTART TEND

Type I F F F

Default (see below) 1.0 (see below) (see below)

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IAS Artificial Stabilization flag

EQ.1: active (Default for “springback” implicit analysis)
EQ.2: inactive (Default for “standard” implicit analysis)

SCALE Scale factor for artificial stabilization. Values greater than 1.0 cause less
springback in the first few steps, while values less than 1.0 allow the part to
springback more freely over the first few steps. For flexible parts with
large springback a value of 0.001 may be required.
EQ.-n: curve "n" defines SCALE as a function of time

TSTART Start time. (Default: immediately upon entering implicit mode)

TEND End time. (Default: termination time)

Remarks:
Artificial stabilization allows springback to occur over several steps. This is often necessary to
obtain convergence during equilibrium iterations on problems with large springback deformation.
Stabilization is introduced at the start time TSTART, and slowly removed as the end time TEND is
approached. Intermediate results are not accurate representations of the fully unloaded state. The
end time TEND must be reached exactly for total springback to be predicted accurately. At this time,
all stabilization has been removed from the simulation.
IAS The default for IAS depends on the analysis type in *CONTROL_IMPLICIT_
GENERAL. For “springback” analysis, automatic time step control and artificial
stabilization are activated by default.
SCALE This is a penalty scale factor similar to that used in contact interfaces. If modified, it
should be changed in order-of-magnitude increments at first. Large values supress
springback until very near the termination time. Small values may not stabilize the
solution enough to allow equilibrium iterations to converge.

7.58 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_NONLOCAL

Purpose: Allocate additional memory for *MAT_NONLOCAL option.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable MEM

Type I

Default none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

MEM Percentage increase of memory allocated for MAT_NONLOCAL option

over that required initially. This is for additional storage that may be
required due to geometry changes as the calculation proceeds. Generally, a
vaiue of 10 should be sufficient.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.59 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_OUTPUT

Purpose: Set miscellaneous output parameters. This keyword does not control the information, such
as the stress and strain tensors, which is written into the binary databases. For the latter, see the
keyword *DATABASE_EXTENT_BINARY.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NPOPT NEECHO NREFUP IACCOP OPIFS IPNINT IKEDIT IFLUSH

Type I I I I F I I I

Default 0 0 0 0 0. 0 100 5000

Optional Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IPRTF

Type I

Default 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NPOPT Print suppression during input phase flag for the printed output file:
EQ.0: no suppression,
EQ.1: nodal coordinates, element connectivities, rigid wall definitions
and initial velocities are not printed.

NEECHO Print suppression during input phase flag for echo file:
EQ.0: all data printed,
EQ.1: nodal printing is suppressed,
EQ.2: element printing is suppressed,
EQ.3: both node and element printing is suppressed.

7.60 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NREFUP Flag to update reference node coordinates for beam elements. This option
requires that each reference node is unique to the beam:
EQ.0: no update,
EQ.1: update.

IACCOP Averaged accelerations from velocities in file “nodout” and the time history
database file “d3thdt”:
EQ.0: no average (default),
EQ.1: averaged between output intervals.

OPIFS Output interval for interface file (∆t), see INTRODUCTION, Execution syntax.

IPNINT Print initial time step sizes for all elements on the first cycle:
EQ.0: 100 elements with the smallest time step sizes are printed.
EQ.1: the governing time step sizes for each element are printed.

IKEDIT Problem status report interval steps to the D3HSP (printed output) file.
This flag is ignored if the GLSTAT file is written, see
*DATABASE_GLSTAT.

IFLUSH Number of time steps interval for flushing I/O buffers. The default value is
5000. If the I/O buffers are not emptied and an abnormal termination
occurs, the output files can be incomplete. The I/O buffers for restart files
are emptied automatically whenever a restart file is written so these files are
not affected by this option.

IPRTF Default print flag for RBDOUT and MATSUM files. This flag defines the
default value for the print flag which can be defined in the part definition
section, see *PART. This option is meant to reduce the file sizes by
eliminating data which is not of interest.
EQ.0: write part data into both MATSUM and RBDOUT
EQ.1: write data into RBDOUT file only
EQ.2: write data into MATSUM file only
EQ.3: do not write data into RBDOUT and MATSUM

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.61 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_PARALLEL

Purpose: Control parallel processing usage for shared memory computers by defining the number of
processors and invoking the optional consistency of the global vector assembly.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NCPU NUMRHS CONST PARA

Type I I I I

Default 1 0 2 0

Remarks 1 2 3

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NCPU Number of cpus used.

NUMRHS Number of right-hand sides allocated in memory:

EQ.0: same as NCPU, always recommended,
EQ.1: allocate only one.

CONST Consistency flag for parallel solution (NCPU >1). Option 2 is recommended
for metal forming applications.
EQ.1: on
EQ.2: off, for a faster solution (default).

PARA Flag for parallel force assembly if CONST=1.

EQ.0: off
EQ.1: on

Remarks:

1. It is recommended to always set NUMRHS=NCPU since great improvements in the parallel

performance are obtained since the force assembly is then done in parallel. Setting NUMRHS
to one reduces storage by one right hand side vector for each additional processor after the
first. If the consistency flag is active, i.e., CONTST=1, NUMRHS defaults to unity.

7.62 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
2. For any given problem with the consistency option off, i.e., CONST=2, slight differences in
results are seen when running the same job multiple times with the same number of processors
and also when varying the number of processors. Comparisons of nodal accelerations often
show wide discrepancies; however, it is worth noting that the results of accelerometers often
show insignificant variations due to the smoothing effect of the accelerometers which are
generally attached to nodal rigid bodies. The accuracy issues are not new and are inherent in
numerical simulations of automotive crash and impact problems where structural bifurcations
under compressive loads are common. This problem can be easily demonstrated by using a
perfectly square thin-walled tubular beam of uniform cross section under a compressive load.
Typically, every run on one processor that includes a minor input change (i.e., element or
hourglass formulation) will produces dramatically different results in terms of the final shape,
and, likewise, if the same problem is again run on a different brand of computer. If the same
problem is run on multiple processors the results can vary dramatically from run to run WITH
NO INPUT CHANGE. The problem here is due to the randomness of numerical round-off
which acts as a trigger in a “perfect” beam. Since summations with (CONST=2) occur in a
different order from run to run, the round-off is also random. The consistency flag,
CONST=1, provides for identical results (or nearly so) whether one, two, or more processors
are used while running in the shared memory parallel (SMP) mode. This is done by requiring
that all contributions to global vectors be summed in a precise order independently of the
number of processors used. When checking for consistent results, nodal displacements or
element stresses should be compared. The NODOUT and ELOUT files should be digit to digit
identical. However, the GLSTAT, SECFORC, and many of the other ASCII files will not be
identical since the quantities in these files are summed in parallel for efficiency reasons and the
ordering of summation operations are not enforced. The biggest drawback of this option is the
CPU cost penalty which is at least 15 percent if PARA=0 and is much less if PARA=1 and 2 or
more processors are used. Unless the PARA flag is on (for non-vector processors), parallel
scaling is adversely affected. The consistency flag does not apply to MPP parallel.

3. The PARA flag will cause the force assembly for the consistency option to be performed in
parallel for the shared memory parallel option. Better scaling will be obtained with the
consistency option, but with more memory usage. However, the single processing speed is
slightly diminished. The logic for parallelization cannot be efficiently vectorized and is not
recommended for vector computers since is will degrade CPU performance. This option does
not apply to MPP parallel. If PARA=CONST=0 and NUMRHS=NCPU the force assembly
by default is done in parallel.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.63 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_REMESHING

Purpose: Control the element size for three dimensional adaptivity for solids element. This
commands control the size of the elements on the surface of the solid part.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable RMIN RMAX

Type F F

Default none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

RMIN Minimum edge length for the surface mesh surrounding the parts which
should be remeshed.

RMAX Maximum edge length for the surface mesh surrounding the parts which
should be remeshed.

Remarks:

1. The value of RMIN and RMAX should be of the same order. The value of RMAX can be set
to 2-5 times greater than RMIN.

7.64 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_RIGID

Purpose: Special control options related to rigid bodies and the rigid-flexible bodies, see
*PART_MODES.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LMF JNTF ORTHMD PARTM SPARCE

Type I I I I I

Default 0 0 0 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LMF Switch the explicit rigid body joint treatment to an implicit formulation
which uses Lagrange multipliers to impose prescribed kinematic boundary
conditions and joint constraints. This is a new option which is
underdevelopment in version 960. There is a slight cost overhead due to the
assembly of sparse matrix equations which are solved using standard
procedures for nonlinear problems in rigid multi-body dynamics. Lagrange
multiplier flag:
EQ.0: explicit penalty formulation,
EQ.1: implicit formulation with Lagrange multipliers.

LMF Generalized joint stiffness formulation; see remark 1 below:

EQ.0: incremental update,
EQ.1: total formulation (exact).

ORTHMD Orthogonalize modes with respect to each other:

EQ.0: true.
EQ.1: false, the modes are already orthogonalized.

PARTM Use global mass matrix to determine part mass distribution. This mass
matrix may contain mass from other parts that share nodes. See remark 2
below.
EQ.0: true,
EQ.1: false.

SPARSE Use sparse matrix multiply subroutines for the modal stiffness and damping
matrices. See remark 3.
EQ.0: false, do full matrix multiplies (frequently faster),
EQ.1: true.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.65 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
Remarks:

1. As the default, the calculation of the relative angles between two coordinate systems is done
incrementally. This is an approximation, in contrast to the total formulation where the
angular offsets are computed exactly. The disadvantage of the latter approach is that a
singularity exists when an offset angle equals 180 degrees. For most applications, the stop
angles prevents this occurrence and LMF=1 should not cause a problem.

2. If the determination of the normal modes included the mass from both connected bodies
and discrete masses, or if there are no connected bodies, then the default is preferred.
When the mass of a given part ID is computed, the resulting mass vector includes the mass
of all rigid bodies that are merged to the given part ID, but does not included discrete
masses. See the keyword: *CONSTRAINED_RIGID_BODIES. A lumped mass matrix is
always assumed.

3. Sparse matrix multiplies save a substantial number of operations if the matrix is truly
sparse. However, the overhead will slow the multiplies for densely populated matrices.

7.66 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_SHELL

Purpose: Provide controls for computing shell response.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable WRPANG ESORT IRNXX ISTUPD THEORY BWC MITER PROJ

Type F I I I I I I I

Default 20. 0 -1 0 2 2 1 0

Optional Card

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ROTASCL INTGRD LAMSHT

Type F I I

Default 1.. 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

WRPANG Shell element warpage angle in degrees. If a warpage greater than this angle
is found, a warning message is printed. Default is 20 degrees.

ESORT Automatic sorting of triangular shell elements to treat degenerate

quadrilateral shell elements as C0 triangular shells, see option THEORY
below:
EQ.0: no sorting required (default).
EQ.1: full sorting,

IRNXX Shell normal update option. This option affects the Hughes-Liu,
Belytschko-Wong-Chiang, and the Belytschko-Tsay shell formultions. The
latter is affected if and only if the warping stiffness option is active, i.e.,
BWC=1. IRNXX must be set to 2 to invoke the top or bottom surface as
the reference surface for the Hughes-Liu shell elements.
EQ.-2: unique nodal fibers which are incrementally updated based on
the nodal rotation at the location of the fiber,
EQ.-1: recompute fiber directions each cycle,

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.67 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EQ.0: default set to -1,

EQ.1: compute on restarts,
EQ.n: compute every n cycles (Hughes-Liu shells only).

ISTUPD Shell thickness change option. This option affects all shell element
formulations:
EQ.0: no change.
EQ.1: membrane straining causes thickness change. This option is
very important in sheet metal forming or whenever membrane
stretching is important.

THEORY Default shell theory:

EQ.1: Hughes-Liu,
EQ.2: Belytschko-Tsay (default),
EQ.3: BCIZ triangular shell (not recommended),
EQ.4: C0 triangular shell,
EQ.5: Belytschko-Tsay membrane,
EQ.6: S/R Hughes Liu,
EQ.7: S/R co-rotational Hughes Liu,
EQ.8: Belytschko-Leviathan shell,
EQ.9: fully integrated Belytschko-Tsay membrane,
EQ.10: Belytschko-Wong-Chiang,
EQ.11: Fast (co-rotational) Hughes-Liu.
EQ.12: Plane stress (x-y plane),
EQ.13: Plane strain (x-y plane),
EQ.14: Axisymmetric solid (y-axis of symmetry) - area weighted,
EQ.15: Axisymmetric solid (y-axis of symmetry) - volume weighted
EQ.16: Fully integrated shell element (very fast)
EQ.17: Discrete Kirchhoff triangular shell (DKT)
EQ.18: Discrete Kirchhoff linear shell either quadrilateral or triangular
EQ.20: C0 linear shell element with drilling stiffness.

For the 2D axisymmetric solid elements, high explosive applications work

best with the area weighted approach and structural applications work best
with the volume weighted approach. The volume weighted approach can
lead to problems along the axis of symmetry under very large deformations.
Often the symmetry condition is not obeyed, and the elements will kink
along the axis. The volume weigthed approach must be used if 2D shell
elements are used in the mesh. Type 14 and 15 elements cannot be mixed in
the same calculation.

BWC Warping stiffness for Belytschko-Tsay shells:

EQ.1: Belytschko-Wong-Chiang warping stiffness added.
EQ.2: Belytschko-Tsay (default).

MITER Plane stress plasticity option (applies to materials 3, 18, 19, and 24):
EQ.1: iterative plasticity with 3 secant iterations (default),
EQ.2: full iterative plasticity,
EQ.3: radial return noniterative plasticity. May lead to false results and
has to be used with great care.

7.68 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PROJ Projection method for warping stiffness in the Belytschko-Tsay shell and
Belytschko-Wong-Chiang elements (see remarks below).
EQ.0: drill projection,
EQ.1: full projection.

ROTASCL Define a scale factor for the rotary shell mass. This option is not for general
use. The rotary inertia for shells is automatically scaled to permit a larger
time step size. A scale factor other than the default, i.e., unity, is not
recommended.

INTGRD Default shell through thickness numerical integration rule:

EQ.0: Gauss integration. If 1-10 integration points are specified, the
default rule is Gauss integration.
EQ.1: Lobatto integration. If 3-10 integration points are specified, the
default rule is Lobatto. For 2 point integration, the Lobatto rule is very
inaccurate, so Gauss integration is used instead. Lobatto integration
has an advantage in that the inner and outer integration points are on the
shell surfaces.

LAMSHT For composite shells with material types *MAT_COMPOSITE_DAMAGE

and *MAT_ENHANCED_COMPOSITE_DAMAGE. If this flag is set
laminated shell theory is used. Lamination theory is applied to correct for
the assumption of a uniform constant shear strain through the thickness of
the shell. Unless this correction is applied, the stiffness of the shell can be
grossly incorrect if there are drastic differences in the elastic constants from
ply to ply, especially for sandwich type shells. Generally, without this
correction the results are too stiff. For the discrete Kirchhoff shell
elements, which do not consider transverse shear, this option is ignored.
EQ.0: do not update shear corrections,
EQ.1: activate laminated shell theory.

Remarks:

1. The drill projection is used in the addition of warping stiffness to the Belytschko-Tsay and
the Belytschko-Wong-Chiang shell elements. This projection generally works well and is
very efficient, but to quote Belytschko and Leviathan:

"The shortcoming of the drill projection is that even elements that are
invariant to rigid body rotation will strain under rigid body rotation if the
drill projection is applied. On one hand, the excessive flexibility rendered
by the 1-point quadrature shell element is corrected by the drill projection,
but on the other hand the element becomes too stiff due to loss of the rigid
body rotation invariance under the same drill projection".

They later went on to add in the conclusions:

"The projection of only the drill rotations is very efficient and hardly
increases the computation time, so it is recommended for most cases.
However, it should be noted that the drill projection can result in a loss of
invariance to rigid body motion when the elements are highly warped. For

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.69 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
moderately warped configurations the drill projection appears quite
accurate".

In crashworthiness and impact analysis, elements that have little or no warpage in the
reference configuration can become highly warped in the deformed configuration and may
affect rigid body rotations if the drill projection is used. Of course it is difficult to define
what is meant by "moderately warped". The full projection circumvents these problems but
at a significant cost. The cost increase of the drill projection versus no projection as
reported by Belytschko and Leviathan is 12 percent and by timings in LS-DYNA, 7
percent, but for the full projection they report a 110 percent increase and in LS-DYNA an
increase closer to 50 percent is observed.

In Version 940.xx of LS-DYNA the drill projection was used exclusively, but in one
problem the lack of invariance was observed and reported; consequently, the drill
projection was replaced in the Belytschko-Leviathan shell with the full projection and the
full projection is now optional for the warping stiffness in the Belytschko-Tsay and
Belytschko-Wong-Chiang elements. Until this problem occurred, the drill projection
seemed okay. In verion 950.xx and later versions of LS-DYNA the Belytschko-Leviathan
shell is somewhat slower than previously. In general in light of these problems, the drill
projection cannot be recommended.

7.70 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_SOLID

Purpose: Provide controls for solid element response.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ESORT

Type I

Default 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ESORT Automatic sorting of tetrahedron and pentahedron elements to treat

degenerate hexahedron elements as tetrahedron and pentahedron solids,
respective. See option THEORY below:
EQ.0: no sorting required (default).
EQ.1: full sorting,

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.71 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_SOLUTION

Purpose: To specify the analysis solution procedure if thermal only or coupled thermal analysis is
performed.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SOLN

Type I

Default 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SOLN Analysis solution procedure:

0: Structural analysis only,
1: Thermal analysis only,
2: Coupled structural thermal analysis.
4: Incompressible/low-Mach CFD analysis only,
5: Coupled incompressible fluid-structure interaction. (Not currently
used.)

7.72 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_SPH

Purpose: Provide controls for computing SPH particles

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NCBS BOXID DT DIM

Type I I F I

Default 1 none 1.e20 none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NCBS Number of cycles between particle sorting

BOXID SPH approximations are computed inside a specified BOX. When a particle
has gone outside the BOX, it is deactivated. This will save computational
time by eliminating particles that no longer interact with the structure.

DT Death time. Determines when the SPH calculations are stopped.

IDIM Space dimension for SPH particles:

3 for 3D Problems

2 for 2D Problems

-2 for 2D Axisymmetric

When a value is not specified LS-DYNA determines the space dimension

automatically by checking the use of 3D, 2D or 2D asisymmetric elements.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.73 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_STRUCTURED_{OPTION}

Options include:

TERM

Purpose: Write out a LS-DYNA structured input deck for Version 960. The name of this structured
file is “dyna.str”. This input deck will not support all capabilities that are available in Version 960.
As a result some data such as load curve numbers will be output in an internal numbering system. If
the TERM option is activated termination will occur after the structured input file is written. This
option is useful in debugging especially if problems occur in reading the input file.

7.74 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_SUBCYCLE

Purpose: Control time step subcycling. This feature is described in the LS-DYNA Theoretical
Manual, Section 20.2, and its use may be detrimental in cases of vectorized computation. This
keyword activates subcycling. The use of mass scaling to preserve a reasonable time step size often
works better than subcycling. To use mass scaling set the input parameter, DT2MS, to the negative
value of the minimum acceptable time step size. See the keyword, *CONTROL_TIMESTEP.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.75 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_TERMINATION

Purpose: Stop the job.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ENDTIM ENDCYC DTMIN ENDENG ENDMAS

Type F I F F F

Default 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Remarks 1 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ENDTIM Termination time. Mandatory.

ENDCYC Termination cycle. The termination cycle is optional and will be used if the
specified cycle is reached before the termination time. Cycle number is
identical with the time step number.

DTMIN Reduction (or scale) factor for initial time step size to determine minimum
time step, TSMIN. TSMIN=DTSTART*DTMIN where DTSTART is the
initial step size determined by LS-DYNA. When TSMIN is reached,
LS-DYNA3D terminates with a restart dump.

ENDENG Percent change in energy ratio for termination of calculation. If undefined,

this option is inactive.

ENDMAS Percent change in the total mass for termination of calculation. This option
is relevant if and only if mass scaling is used to limit the minimum time step
size, see *CONTROL_TIMESTEP variable name “DT2MS”.

Remarks:

1. Termination by displacement may be defined in the *TERMINATION section.

2. If the erosion flag on *CONTROL_TIMESTEP is set (ERODE=1), then the shell elements
and solid elements with time steps falling below TSMIN will be eroded.

7.76 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_THERMAL_NONLINEAR

Purpose: Set parameters for a nonlinear thermal or coupled structural/thermal analysis. The control
card, *CONTROL_SOLUTION, is also required.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable REFMAX TOL DCP

Type I F F

Default 10 - 1.0 / 0.5

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

REFMAX Maximum number of matrix reformations per time step:

EQ.0: set to 10 reformations.

TOL Convergence tolerance for temperature:

EQ.0.0: set to 1000 * machine roundoff.

DCP Divergence control parameter:

steady state problems 0.3 ≤ DCP ≤ 1.0 default 1.0
transient problems 0.0 < DCP ≤ 1.0 default 0.5

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.77 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_THERMAL_SOLVER

Purpose: Set options for the thermal solution in a thermal only or coupled structural-thermal
analysis. The control card, *CONTROL_SOLUTION, is also required.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ATYPE PTYPE SOLVER CGTOL GPT EQHEAT FWORK SBC

Type I I I F I F F F

Default 0 0 3 1.0e-04 8 1. 1. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ATYPE Thermal analysis type:

EQ.0: Steady state analysis,
EQ.1: transient analysis.

PTYPE Thermal problem type: (see *CONTROL_THERMAL_NONLINEAR if no-

zero)
EQ.0: linear problem,
EQ.1: nonlinear problem with material properties evaluated at gauss
point temperature.
EQ.2: nonlinear problem with material properties evaluated at element
average temperature.

SOLVER Thermal analysis solver type:

EQ.1: actol : symmetric direct solver,
EQ.2: dactol : nonsymmetric direct solver,
EQ.3: dscg : diagonal scaled conjugate gradient iterative (default),
EQ.4: iccg : incomplete choleski conjugate gradient iterative.

CGTOL Convergence tolerance for solver types 3 and 4. (eq.0: default 1.e-04)

GPT Number of Gauss points to be used in the solid elements:

EQ.0: the default is set to 8,
EQ.1: one point quadrature is used.

EQHEAT Mechanical equivalent of heat (e.g., 1 J / N m). (eq.0: default set to 1.)

FWORK Fraction of mechnical work converted into heat. (eq.0: default set to 1.)

SBC Stefan Boltzmann constant. Value is used with enclosure radiation

surfaces, see *BOUNDARY_RADIATION_....

7.78 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
Remark:

1. Use of a direct solver (e.g., solver=1) is usually less efficient than an iterative solver. Solver
1 should be tried if convergence problems occur with an iterative solver.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.79 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
*CONTROL_THERMAL_TIMESTEP

Purpose: Set timestep controls for the thermal solution in a thermal only or coupled structural/
thermal analysis. Also *CONTROL_SOLUTION, *CONTROL_THERMAL_SOLVER needed.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TS TIP ITS TMIN TMAX DTEMP TSCP

Type I F F F F F F

Default 0 0.5 none - - 1.0 0.5

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TS Time step control:

EQ.0: fixed time step,
EQ.1: variable time step (may increase or decrease).

TIP Time integration parameter:

EQ.0.0: set to 0.5 - Crank-Nicholson scheme,
EQ 1.0: fully implicit.

ITS Initial thermal time step

TMIN Minimum thermal time step:

EQ.0.0: set to structural explicit timestep.

TMAX Maximum thermal time step:

EQ.0.0: set to 100 * structural explicit timestep.

DTEMP Maximum temperature change in each time step above which the thermal
timestep will be decreased:
EQ.0.0: set to a temperature change of 1.0.

TSCP Time step control parameter. The thermal time step is decreased by this
factor if convergence is not obtained. 0. < TSCP < 1.0:
EQ.0.0: set to a factor of 0.5.

7.80 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
*CONTROL_TIMESTEP

Purpose: Set structural time step size control using different options.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DTINIT TSSFAC ISDO TSLIMT DT2MS LCTM ERODE MS1ST

Type F F I F F I I I

Default - 0.9/0.67 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0

Card Format (This card is optional).

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DT2MSF

Type F

Default not used

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DTINIT Initial time step size:

EQ.0.0: LS-DYNA determines initial step size.

TSSFAC Scale factor for computed time step (old name SCFT). See Remark 1
below. (Default = .90; if high explosives are used, the default is lowered to
.67).

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.81 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ISDO Basis of time size calculation for 4-node shell elements. 3-node shells use
the shortest altitude for options 0,1 and the shortest side for option 2. This
option has no relevance to solid elements, which use a length based on the
element volume divided by the largest surface area.
EQ.0: characteristic length=area/(minimum of the longest side or the
longest diagonal).
EQ.1: characteristic length=area/(longest diagonal).
EQ.2: based on bar wave speed and MAX [shortest side,
area/(minimum of the longest side or the longest diagonal).]. THIS
LAST OPTION CAN GIVE A MUCH LARGER TIME STEP SIZE
THAT CAN LEAD TO INSTABILITIES IN SOME APPLICATIONS,
ESPECIALLY WHEN TRIANGULAR ELEMENTS ARE USED.
EQ.3: timestep size is based on the maximum eigenvalue. This option
is okay for structural applications where the material sound speed
changes slowly. The calculational cost to determine the maximum
eigenvalue is significant, but the increase in the time step size often
allows for significantly shorter run times without using mass scaling.

TSLIMT Shell element minimum time step assignment, TSLIMT. When a shell
controls the time step, element material properties (moduli not masses) will
be modified such that the time step does not fall below the assigned step
size. Applicable only to shell elements using material models
*MAT_PLASTIC_KINEMATIC, *MAT_POWER_LAW_PLASTICITY,
*MAT_STRAIN_RATE_DEPENDENT_PLASTICITY, *MAT_PIECE-
WISE_LINEAR_PLASTICITY. The DT2MS option below applies to all
materials and element classes and may be preferred.

DT2MS Time step size for mass scaled solutions, DT2MS. Positive values are for
quasi-static analyses or time history analyses where the inertial effects are
insignificant. Default = 0.0. If negative, TSSFAC*|DT2MS| is the
minimum time step size permitted and mass scaling is done if and only if it
is necessary to meet the Courant time step size criterion. This latter option
can be used in transient analyses if the mass increases remain insignificant.
See *CONTROL_TERMINATION variable name “ENDMAS”.

LCTM Load curve ID that limits the maximum time step size (optional). This load
curve defines the maximum time step size permitted versus time. If the
solution time exceeds the final time value defined by the curve the computed
step size is used. If the time step size from the load curve is exactly zero,
the computed time step size is also used.

ERODE Erosion flag for solid and solid shell elements when DTMIN (see
*CONTROL_TERMINATION)is reached. If this flag is not set the
calculation will terminate:
EQ.0: no,
EQ.1: yes.

7.82 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *CONTROL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

MS1ST Limit mass scaling to the first step and fix the mass vector according to the
time steps once. The time step will not be fixed but may drop during the
calculation from the specified minimum:
EQ.0: no,
EQ.1: yes.

DT2MSF Reduction (or scale) factor for initial time step size to determine the
minimum time step size permitted. Mass scaling is done if it is necessary to
meet the Courant time step size criterion. If this option is used DT2MS=
–DT2MSF multiplied by the initial time step size, ∆t, before ∆t is scaled by
TSSFAC. This option is active if and only if DT2MS=0 above.

Remarks:

1. During the solution we loop through the elements and determine a new time step size by taking
the minimum value over all elements.

∆t n +1 = TSSFAC ⋅ min{∆t1 , ∆t2 ,..., ∆t N }

where N is the number of elements. The time step size roughly corresponds to the transient
time of an acoustic wave through an element using the shortest characteristic distance. For
stability reasons the scale factor TSSFAC is typically set to a value of .90 (default) or some
smaller value. To decrease solution time we desire to use the largest possible stable time step
size. Values larger than .90 will often lead to instabilities. Some comments follow:

• The sound speed in steel and aluminum is approximately 5mm per microsecond;
therefore, if a steel structure is modeled with element sizes of 5mm, the computed time
step size would be 1 microsecond. Elements made from materials with lower sound
speeds, such as foams, will give larger time step sizes. Avoid excessively small
elements and be aware of the effect of rotational inertia on the time step size in the
Belytschko beam element. Sound speeds differ for each material, for example,
consider:
AIR 331 m/s
WATER 1478
STEEL 5240
TITANIUM 5220
PLEXIGLAS 2598

• Model stiff components with rigid bodies, not by scaling Young’s modulus which can
substantially reduce the time step size.

• The altitude of the triangular element should be used to compute the time step size.
Using the shortest side is okay only if the calculation is closely examined for possible
instabilities. This is controlled by parameter ISDO.

LS-DYNA Version 960 7.83 (CONTROL)

*CONTROL

7.84 (CONTROL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DAMPING

*DAMPING
The Keyword options in this section in alphabetical order are:

*DAMPING_GLOBAL

*DAMPING_PART_MASS

*DAMPING_PART_STIFFNESS

*DAMPING_RELATIVE

*DAMPING_GLOBAL

Purpose: Define mass weighted nodal damping that applies globally to the nodes of deformable
bodies and to the mass center of the rigid bodies.
Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCID VALDMP STX STY STZ SRX SRY SRZ

Type I F F F F F F F

Default 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Remarks 1 2 2 2 2 2 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCID Load curve ID which specifies node system damping:

EQ.0: a constant damping factor as defined by VALDMP is used,
EQ.n: system damping is given by load curve n. The damping force
applied to each node is f=-d(t) mv, where d(t) is defined by load curve n.

VALDMP System damping constant, d (this option is bypassed if the load curve
number defined above is non zero).

STX Scale factor on global x translational damping forces.

LS-DYNA Version 960 8.1 (DAMPING)

*DAMPING
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

STY Scale factor on global y translational damping forces.

STZ Scale factor on global z translational damping forces.

SRX Scale factor on global x rotational damping moments.

SRY Scale factor on global y rotational damping moments.

SRZ Scale factor on global z rotational damping moments.

Remarks:

1. This keyword is also used for the restart, see *RESTART.

2. If STX=STY=STZ=SRX=SRY=SRZ=0.0 in the input above, all six values are defaulted to

unity.

With mass proportional system damping the acceleration is computed as:

(
a n = M −1 P n − F n − Fdamp
n
)
where, M is the diagonal mass matrix, P n is the external load vector, F n is the internal load
n
vector, and Fdamp is the force vector due to system damping. This latter vector is defined as:

n
Fdamp = Ds mv

The best damping constant for the system is usually based on the critical damping factor for the
lowest frequency mode of interest. Therefore,

Ds = 2ω min

is recommended where the natural frequency (given in radians per unit time) is generally taken
as the fundamental frequency of the structure. Note that this damping applies to both
translational and rotational degrees of freedom.

Energy dissipated by through mass weighted damping is reported as system damping energy in
the ASCII file GLSTAT. This energy is computed whenever system damping is active.

8.2 (DAMPING) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DAMPING
*DAMPING_PART_MASS

Purpose: Define mass weighted damping by part ID. Parts may be either rigid or deformable. In
rigid bodies the damping forces and moments act at the center of mass.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID LCID SF FLAG

Type I I F I

Default 0 0 1.0 0

Card Format (This card is optional and is read if and only if FLAG=1. If this card
is not read STX, STY, STZ, SRX, SRY, and SRZ default to unity.)

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable STX STR STZ SRX SRY SRZ

Type F F F F F F

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID, see *PART.

LCID Load curve ID which specifies system damping for parts.

SF Scale factor for load curve. This allows a simple modification of the load
curve values.

FLAG Set this flag to unity if the global components of the damping forces require
separate scale factors.

STX Scale factor on global x translational damping forces.

LS-DYNA Version 960 8.3 (DAMPING)

*DAMPING
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

STY Scale factor on global y translational damping forces.

STZ Scale factor on global z translational damping forces.

SRX Scale factor on global x rotational damping moments.

SRY Scale factor on global y rotational damping moments.

SRZ Scale factor on global z rotational damping moments.

Remarks:

Mass weighted damping damps all motions including rigid body motions. For high frequency
oscillatory motion stiffness weighted damping may be preferred. With mass proportional
system damping the acceleration is computed as:

(
a n = M −1 P n − F n − Fdamp
n
)
where, M is the diagonal mass matrix, P n is the external load vector, F n is the internal load
n
vector, and Fdamp is the force vector due to system damping. This latter vector is defined as:

n
Fdamp = Ds mv

The best damping constant for the system is usually based on the critical damping factor for
the lowest frequency mode of interest. Therefore,

Ds = 2ω min

is recommended where the natural frequency (given in radians per unit time) is generally taken
as the fundamental frequency of the structure. The damping is applied to both translational and
rotational degrees of freedom. The component scale factors can be used to limit which global
components see damping forces.

Energy dissipated by through mass weighted damping is reported as system damping energy in
the ASCII file GLSTAT. This energy is computed whenever system damping is active.

8.4 (DAMPING) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DAMPING
*DAMPING_PART_STIFFNESS

Purpose: Assign Rayleigh stiffness damping coefficient by part ID.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID COEF

Type I F

Default

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID, see *PART.

COEF Rayleigh damping coefficient for stiffness weighted damping. Values

between 0.01 and 0.25 are recommended. Higher values are strongly
discouraged, and values less than 0.01 may have little effect.

Remarks:

The damping matrix in Rayleigh damping is defined as:

C = αM + βK

where C, M, and K are the damping, mass, and stiffness matrices, respectively. The
constants α. and β are the mass and stiffness proportional damping constants. The mass
proportional damping can be treated by system damping, see keywords:
*DAMPING_GLOBAL and DAMPING_PART_ MASS. Transforming C with the ith
eigenvector φi gives:

φit Cφi = φit (αM + βK )φi = α + βω i2 = 2ω iξiδ ij

where ωi is the ith frequency (radians/unit time) and ξi is the corresponding modal damping
parameter.

Generally, the stiffness proportional damping is effective for high frequencies and is
orthogonal to rigid body motion. Mass proportional damping is more effective for low
frequencies and will damp rigid body motion. If a large value of the stiffness based damping
coefficient is used, it may be necessary to lower the time step size significanly. This must be
done manually by reducing the time step scale factor on the *CONTROL_TIMESTEP control
card. Since a good value of β is not easily identified, the coefficient, COEF, is defined such
that a value of .10 roughly corresponds to 10% damping in the high frequency domain.

LS-DYNA Version 960 8.5 (DAMPING)

*DAMPING
Energy dissipated by Rayleigh damping is computed if and only if the flag, RYLEN, on the
control card, *CONTROL_ENERGY is set to 2. This energy is acummulated as element
internal energy and is included in the energy balance. In the GLSTAT file this energy will be
lumped in with the internal energy.

8.6 (DAMPING) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DAMPING
*DAMPING_RELATIVE

Purpose: Apply damping relative to the motion of a rigid body.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CDAMP FREQ PIDRB PSID

Type F F F I

Default 0 0 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

CDAMP Fraction of critical damping.

FREQ Frequency at which CDAMP is to apply (cycles per unit time, e.g. Hz if
time unit is seconds).

PIDRB Part ID of rigid body, see *PART. Motion relative to this rigid body will be
damped.

PSID Part set ID. The requested damping is applied only to the parts in the set.

Remarks:

1. This feature provides damping of vibrations for objects that are moving through space. The
vibrations are damped, but not the rigid body motion. This is achieved by calculating the
velocity of each node relative to that of a rigid body, and applying a damping force
proportional to that velocity. The forces are reacted onto the rigid body such that overall
momentum is conserved. It is intended that the rigid body is embedded within the moving
object.

2. Vibrations at frequencies below FREQ are damped by more than CDAMP, while those at
frequencies above FREQ are damped by less than CDAMP. It is recommended that FREQ be
set to the frequency of the lowest mode of vibration.

LS-DYNA Version 960 8.7 (DAMPING)

*DAMPING

8.8 (DAMPING) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DATABASE

*DATABASE
The database definitions are optional, but are necessary to obtain output files containing
results information. In this section the database keywords are defined in alphabetical order:

*DATABASE_OPTION

*DATABASE_BINARY_OPTION

*DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION_OPTION

*DATABASE_EXTENT_OPTION

*DATABASE_FORMAT

*DATABASE_HISTORY_OPTION

*DATABASE_NODAL_FORCE_GROUP

*DATABASE_SPRING_FORWARD

*DATABASE_SUPERPLASTIC_FORMING

*DATABASE_TRACER

The ordering of the database definition cards in the input file is competely arbitrary.

LS-DYNA Version 960 9.1 (DATABASE)

*DATABASE
*DATABASE_OPTION

Options for ASCII files include (if the file is not specified it will not be created):

ABSTAT Airbag statistics.

AVSFLT AVS database. See *DATABASE_EXTENT_OPTION.
BNDOUT Boundary condition forces and energy
DEFGEO Deformed geometry file. (Note that to output this file in Chrysler format
insert the following line in your .cshrc file: “setenv LSTC_DEFGEO
chrysler”) The NASBDF file (NASTRAN Bulk Data) is created whenever
the DEFGEO file is requested.
DEFORC Discrete elements.
ELOUT Element data. See *DATABASE_HISTORY_OPTION.
GCEOUT Geometric contact entities.
GLSTAT Global data. Always obtained if SSSTAT file is activated.
JNTFORC Joint force file
MATSUM Material energies. See Remarks 1 and 2 below.
MOVIE MOVIE. See *DATABASE_EXTENT_OPTION.
MPGS MPGS. See *DATABASE_EXTENT_OPTION.
NCFORC Nodal interface forces. See *CONTACT - Card 1 (SPR and MPR)
NODFOR Nodal force groups. See *DATABASE_NODAL_FORCE_GROUP.
NODOUT Nodal point data. See *DATABASE_HISTORY_OPTION.
RBDOUT Rigid body data. See Remark 2 below.
RCFORC Resultant interface forces.
RWFORC Wall forces.
SBTOUT Seat belt output file
SECFORC Cross section forces. See *DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION_OPTION.
SLEOUT Sliding interface energy. See *CONTROL_ENERGY
SPCFORC SPC reaction forces.
SPHOUT SPH data. See *DATABASE_HISTORY_OPTION.
SSSTAT Subsystem data. See *DATABASE_EXTENT_SSSTAT.
SWFORC Nodal constraint reaction forces (spotwelds and rivets).
TPRINT Thermal output from a coupled structural/thermal or thermal only analysis.
TRHIST Tracer particle history information. See *DATABASE_TRACER.

9.2 (DATABASE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DATABASE
Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DT

Type F

Default 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DT Time interval between outputs. If DT is zero, no output is printed.

The file names and corresponding unit numbers are:

I/O UNIT # FILE NAME
Airbag statistics i/o unit #43 ABSTAT
ASCII database i/o unit #44 AVSFLT
Boundary conditions i/o unit #46 BNDOUT (nodal forces and energies)
Smug animator database i/o unit#40 DEFGEO
Discrete elements i/o unit#36 DEFORC
Element data i/o unit#34 ELOUT
Contact entities i/o unit #48 GCEOUT
Global data i/o unit#35 GLSTAT
Joint forces i/o unit #53 JNTFORC
Material energies i/o unit#37 MATSUM
MOVIE file family i/o unit #50 MOVIEnnn.xxx where.nnn=001-999
MPGS file family i/o unit #50 MPGSnnn.xxx where nnn=001-999
Nastran/BDF file i/o unit#49 NASBDF (see comment below)
Nodal interface forces i/o unit#38 NCFORC
Nodal force group i/o unit #45 NODFOR
Nodal point data i/o unit#33 NODOUT
Rigid body data i/o unit #47 RBDOUT
Resultant interface forces i/o unit#39 RCFORC

LS-DYNA Version 960 9.3 (DATABASE)

*DATABASE
I/O UNIT # FILE NAME
Rigidwall forces i/o unit#32 RWFORC
Seat belts i/o unit #52 SBTOUT
Cross-section forces i/o unit#31 SECFORC
Interface energies i/o unit #51 SLEOUT
SPC reaction forces i/o unit#41 SPCFORC
SPH element data i/o unit#68 SPHOUT
Subsystems statistics i/o unit#58 SSSTAT
Nodal constraint resultants i/o unit #42 SWFORC (spotwelds/rivets)
Thermal output i/o unit #73 TPRINT
Tracer particles i/o unit #70 TRHIST

Output Components for ASCII Files

ABSTAT BNDOUT DEFORC

volume x,y,z force x,y,z force
pressure
internal energy
input mass flow rate
output mass flow rate
mass
temperature
density

ELOUT
Beam Stress Shell Brick Strain Shell
axial force resultant xx,yy,zz stress xx,yy,zz stress xx,yy,zz strain
s shear resultant xy,yz,zx stress xy,yz,zx stress xy,yz,zx strain
t shear resultant plastic strain effective stress lower surface strain
s moment resultant yield function upper surface strain
t moment resultant
torsional resultant

GCEOUT
Translational Components Rotational Components
x force x moment
y force y moment
z force z moment

9.4 (DATABASE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DATABASE

GLSTAT JNTFORC MATSUM

kinetic energy x,y,z force kinetic energy
internal energy x,y,z moment internal energy
total energy hourglass energy
ratio x,y,z momentum
stonewall-energy x,y,z rigid body velocity
spring & damper energy total kinetic energy
hourglass energy total internal energy
damping energy total hourglass energy
sliding interface energy
external work
x,y,z velocity
time step
element id controlling time
step

NCFORC NODOUT NODFOR

x force x,y,z displacement x,y,z force
y force x,y,z velocity
z force x,y,z acceleration
x,y,z rotation
x,y,z rotational velocity
x,y,z rotational acceleration

RBDOUT RCFORC RWFORC

x,y,z displacement x,y,z force normal
x,y,z velocity x,y,z force
x,y,z acceleration

SECFORC SLEOUT SPCFORC SWFORC

x,y,z force slave energy x,y,z force axial force
x,y,z moment master energy x,y,z moment shear force
x,y,z center
area
resultant force

LS-DYNA Version 960 9.5 (DATABASE)

*DATABASE
Remarks:

1. The kinetic energy quantities in the MATSUM and GLSTAT files may differ slightly in
values for several reasons. First, the rotational kinetic energy is included in the GLSTAT
calculation, but is not included in MATSUM. Secondly, the energies are computed element
by element in MATSUM for the deformable materials and, consequently, nodes which are
merged with rigid bodies will also have their kinetic energy included in the rigid body total.
Furthermore, kinetic energy is computed from nodal velocities in GLSTAT and from element
midpoint velocities in MATSUM.

2. The PRINT option in the part definition allows some control over the extent of the data that is
written into the MATSUM and RBDOUT files. If the print option is used the variable PRBF
can be defined such that the following numbers take on the meanings:
EQ.0: default is taken from the keyword *CONTROL_OUTPUT,
EQ.1: write data into RBDOUT file only
EQ.2: write data into MATSUM file only
EQ.3: do not write data into RBDOUT and MATSUM

Also see CONTROL_OUTPUT and PART_PRINT.

3. This keyword is also used in the restart phase, see *RESTART. Thus, the output interval
can be changed when restarting.

4. All information in the files except in AVSFLT, MOVIE, AND MPGS can also be plotted
using the post-processor LS-POST. Arbitrary cross plotting of results between ASCII files
is easily handled.

5. Resultant contact forces reported in RCFORC are averaged over the preceding output
interval.

9.6 (DATABASE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DATABASE
*DATABASE_BINARY_OPTION

Options for binary output files with the default names given include:

D3DRLF Dynamic relaxation database.

D3DUMP Binary output restart files. Define output frequency in cycles.
D3MEAN Averaging interval and statistics level for mean value database.
D3PART Dt for partial output states See also *DATABASE_EXTENT_BINARY.
D3PLOT Dt for complete output states. See also *DATABASE_EXTENT_BINARY.
D3THDT Dt for time history data of element subsets. See *DATABASE_HISTORY.
RUNRSF Binary output restart file. Define output frequency in cycles.
INTFOR Dt for output of contact interface data (file name must be given on the
execution line using "S="). Also see *CONTACT variables mpr and spr.
XTFILE Flag to specify output of extra time history data to XTFILE at same time as
D3THDT file. The following card is left blank for this option.
D3CRCK Dt for output of crack data file for the Winfrith concrete model (file name
must be given on the execution line using "q="). This file can be used with
the D3PLOT file to show crack formation of the deformed concrete
materials.

The D3DUMP and the RUNRSF options create complete databases which are necessary for
restarts, see *RESTART. When RUNRSF is specified, the same file is overwritten after each
interval. When D3DUMP is specified, a new restart file is created after each interval. When
D3DUMP is specified, a new restart file is created after each interval, thus a “family” of files is
created numbered sequentially D3DUMP01, D3DUMP02, etc. The default file names are RUNRSF
and D3DUMP unless other names are specified on the execution line, see the INTRODUCTION,
EXECUTION SYNTAX. Since all data held in memory is written into the restart files, these files
can be quite large and care should be taken with the D3DUMP files not to create too many. If
*DATABASE_BINARY_D3PLOT is not specified in the keyword deck then a complete output state
will be written ever timestep.

The D3PLOT, D3PART, D3DRLF, and the INTFOR files contain plotting information to
plot data over the three dimensional geometry of the model. These databases can be plotted with LS-
POST. The D3THDT file contains time history data for element subsets as well as global
information, see *DATABASE_HISTORY. This data can be plotted with LS-POST. The default
names for the D3PLOT, D3PART, D3DRLF, and the D3THDT files are D3PLOT, D3PART,
D3DRLF, and D3THDT. For INTFOR a unique name must be specified on the execution line with
S=iff, (iff=file name), see the INTRODUCTION, EXECUTION SYNTAX. The file structure is
such that each file contains the full geometry at the beginning, followed by the analysis generated
output data at the specified time intervals. The default file size of 7000000 octal words may be much
to small to hold one complete output state when models are very large, and an excessive number of
files may be created. The limit of LS-DYNA to create files is 99 family members. Therefore, it is
recommended that the file size be adjusted on the execution line with the X=scl (scl is a scale factor to
enlarge the family member size). For the contents of the D3PLOT, D3PART and D3THDT files see
also the *DATABASE_EXTENT_BINARY definition. It is possible to severely restrict the
information that is dumped and consequently reduce the size of the databases. The contents of the
D3THDT file are also specified with the *DATABASE_HISTORY definition. It should also be
noted in particular that the databases can be considerably reduced for models with rigid bodies
containing many elements.

LS-DYNA Version 960 9.7 (DATABASE)

*DATABASE
Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DT/CYCL LCDT BEAM NPLTC PSETID ISTATS TSTART IAVG

Type F I I I I I F I

Default - - - - - 0 0.0 100

Remarks 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DT Time interval between outputs.

CYCL Output interval in time steps (a time step is a cycle). For the D3DRFL file a
positive number 'n' will cause plot dumps to be written at every n'th
convergence check interval specified on the *CONTROL_
DYNAMIC_RELAXATION card.

LCDT Optional load curve ID specifying time interval between dumps. This
option is only available for the D3PLOT, D3PART, D3THDT and INTFOR
files.

BEAM Option flag for *DATABASE_BINARY_D3PLOT or D3PART.

EQ.0: Discrete spring and damper elements are added to the D3PLOT
or D3PART database where they are display as beam elements. The
element global X, global Y, global Z and resultant forces are written to
the database,
EQ.1 No discrete spring and damper elements are added to the
D3PLOT or D3PART database. This option is useful when translating
old LS-DYNA input decks to KEYWORD input. In older input decks
there is no requirement that beam and spring elements have unique
ID's, and beam elements may be created for the spring and dampers
with identical ID's to existing beam elements causing a fatal error,
EQ.2. Discrete spring and damper elements are added to the D3PLOT
or D3PART database where they are displayed as beam elements
(similar to option 0). In this option the element resultant force is
written to its first database position allowing beam axial forces and
spring resultant forces to be plotted at the same time. This can be
useful during some post-processing applications.

NPLTC DT=ENDTIME/NPLTC applies to D3PLOT and D3PART only. This

overrides the DT specified in the first field.

PSETID SET_PART ID for D3PART only.

9.8 (DATABASE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DATABASE
ISTATS Set the level of statistics to collect. This applies to D3MEAN only, and is
also restricted to the incompressible CFD solver variables.
EQ.0: don’t collect any statistics (default),
EQ.1: generate mean quantities,
EQ.2: generate second moments in addition to the mean quantities,
EQ.3: generate higher-order moments in addition to all other moments.

TSTART Set the simulation time at which collection of the time-averaged statistics
will begin (D3MEAN only). TSTART=0.0 is the default.

IAVG Set the interval to write out the time-averaged statistics (D3MEAN only).
The time-averaged statistics are re-initialized and collection of new statistics
starts after the time-averaged data is written to the database.
EQ.0: IAVG=100 (default).

Remarks:

1. When positive, this option creates the D3MEAN binary database containing the mean field
values and correlations according to the level of statistics requested. Note that the time-averaged
statistics are only available for analyses that solve the time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations.

For ISTATS=1, the time averages of the following variables are placed in the database:

X-velocity, Y-velocity, Z-velocity, Temperature, Pressure, X-vorticity, Y-vorticity, Z-

vorticity, Stream Function, Density, Species-1 Concentration, ... , Species-10
Concentration.

For ISTATS=2, the database includes the time average quantities specified with ISTATS=1, as
well as X-velocity, Y-velocity, and Z-velocity correlations with the following variables:

X-velocity, Y-velocity, Z-velocity, Temperature, Pressure, Species-1 Concentration, ... ,

Species-10 Concentration.

For ISTATS=3, the database includes the time average quantities specified with ISTATS=1 and
ISTATS=2, as well as time average of the following variables:

ux3, uy3, uz3, ux4, uy4, and uz4.

LS-POST derives the following additional quantities for each level of statistics:

For ISTATS=1, velocity magnitude, enstrophy, and helicity are added.

For ISTATS=2, turbulent kinetic energy, Reynolds Stresses, and fluctuations of other
velocity correlation quantities are added.

For ISTATS=3, velocity skewness and velocity flatness are added.

For further details on these mean statistical quantities, see Chapter 8 (Flow Statistics) in
LS-DYNA's Incompressible Flow Solver User's Manual.

LS-DYNA Version 960 9.9 (DATABASE)

*DATABASE
*DATABASE_CROSS_SECTION_OPTION

Options include:

PLANE

SET

Purpose: Define a cross section for resultant forces written to ASCII file SECFORC. For the
PLANE option, a set of two cards is required for each cross section. Then a cutting plane has to be
defined, see Figure 9.1. If the SETS option is used, just one card is needed. In this latter case the
forces in the elements belonging to the set are summed up to form the section forces.

Format (1 of 2) for the PLANE option

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PSID XCT YCT ZCT XCH YCH ZCH

Type I F F F F F F

Default 0 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

Format (2 of 2) for the PLANE option

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XHEV YHEV ZHEV LENL LENM ID ITYPE

Type F F F F F I I

Default 0. 0. 0. infinity infinity global 0

9.10 (DATABASE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DATABASE

Resultants are computed

on this plane
M

N L

b
a

Origin of cutting plane

Figure 9.1. Definition of cutting plane for automatic definition of interface for cross-sectional
forces. The automatic definition does not check for springs and dampers in the
section. For best results the cutting plane should cleanly pass through the middle of
the elements, distributing them equally on either side.

LS-DYNA Version 960 9.11 (DATABASE)

*DATABASE
The set option requires that the equivalent of the automatically generated input via the cutting plane be
identified manually and defined in sets. All nodes in the cross-section and their related elements that
contribute to the cross-sectional force resultants should be defined.

Format (1 of 1) for the SET option

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID HSID BSID SSID TSID DSID ID ITYPE

Type I I I I I I I I

Default required 0 0 0 0 0 global 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PSID Part set ID. If zero all parts are included.

XCT x-coordinate of tail of any outward drawn normal vector, N, originating on

wall (tail) and terminating in space (head), see Figure 9.1.

YCT y-coordinate of tail of normal vector, N.

ZCT z-coordinate of tail of normal vector, N.

XCH x-coordinate of head of normal vector, N.

YCH y-coordinate of head of normal vector, N.

ZCH z-coordinate of head of normal vector, N.

XHEV x-coordinate of head of edge vector, L.

YHEV y-coordinate of head of edge vector, L.

ZHEV z-coordinate of head of edge vector, L.

LENL Length of edge a, in L direction.

LENM Length of edge b, in M direction.

NSID Nodal set ID, see *SET_NODE_OPTION.

HSID Solid element set ID, see *SET_SOLID.

BSID Beam element set ID, see *SET_BEAM.

9.12 (DATABASE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DATABASE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Shell element set ID, see *SET_SHELL_OPTION.

TSID Thick shell element set ID, see *SET_TSHELL.

DSID Discrete element set ID, see *SET_DISCRETE.

ID Rigid body (see *MAT_RIGID, type 20) or accelerometer ID (see

*ELEMENT_ SEATBELT_ACCELEROMETER). The force resultants are
output in the updated local system of the rigid body or accelerometer.

ITYPE Flag for local system type:

EQ. 0: rigid body,
EQ. 1: accelerometer.

LS-DYNA Version 960 9.13 (DATABASE)

*DATABASE
*DATABASE_EXTENT_OPTION

Options include:
AVS
BINARY
MOVIE
MPGS
SSSTAT

Purpose: Specify output database to be written. Binary applies to the data written to the D3PLOT,
D3PART, and D3THDT files. See *DATABASE_BINARY_OPTION.

For the AVS, MPGS, and MOVIE options the following cards apply:

Define as many cards as necessary. The created MPGS and MOVIE databases consist of a geometry
file and one file for each output database.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable VTYPE COMP

Type I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

VTYPE Variable type:

EQ.0: node,
EQ.1: brick,
EQ.2: beam,
EQ.3: shell,
EQ.4: thick shell.

COMP Component ID. For the corresponding VTYPE, integer components from
the following tables can be chosen:
VTYPE.EQ.0: Table 9.1,
VTYPE.EQ.1: Table 9.2,
VTYPE.EQ.2: not supported,
VTYPE.EQ.3: Table 9.3,
VTYPE.EQ.4: not supported.

9.14 (DATABASE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DATABASE
Remarks:

The AVS database consists of a title card, then a control card defining the number of
nodes, brick-like elements, beam elements, shell elements, and the number of nodal vectors,
NV, written for each output interval. The next NV lines consist of character strings that
describe the nodal vectors. Nodal coordinates and element connectivities follow. For each
state the solution time is written, followed by the data requested below. The last word in the
file is the number of states. We recommend creating this file and examining its contents, since
the organization is relatively transparent. The MOVIE and MPGS database are widely used and
will be familiar with users who are currently using these databases.
Table 9.1. Nodal Quantities
Component ID Quantity
1 x, y, z-displacements
2 x, y, z-velocities
3 x, y, z-accelerations

Table 9.2. Brick Element Quantities

Component ID Quantity
1 x-stress
2 y-stress
3 z-stress
4 xy-stress
5 yz-stress
6 zx-stress
7 effective plastic strain

Table 9.3. Shell and Thick Shell Element Quantities

Component ID Quantity
1 midsurface x-stress
2 midsurface y-stress
3 midsurface z-stress
4 midsurface xy-stress
5 midsurface yz-stress
6 midsurface xz-stress
7 midsurface effective plastic strain
8 inner surface x-stress
9 inner surface y-stress
10 inner surface z-stress
11 inner surface xy-stress
12 inner surface yz-stress
13 inner surface zx-stress
14 inner surface effective plastic strain
15 outer surface x-stress
16 outer surface y-stress
17 outer surface z-stress
18 outer surface xy-stress
19 outer surface yz-stress
20 outer surface zx-stress

LS-DYNA Version 960 9.15 (DATABASE)

*DATABASE
Table 9.3. Shell and Thick Shell Element Quantities (cont.).
Component ID Quantity
21 outer surface effective plastic strain
22 bending moment-mxx (4-node shell)
23 bending moment-myy (4-node shell)
24 bending moment-mxy (4-node shell)
25 shear resultant-qxx (4-node shell)
26 shear resultant-qyy (4-node shell)
27 normal resultant-nxx (4-node shell)
28 normal resultant-nyy (4-node shell)
29 normal resultant-nxy (4-node shell)
30 thickness (4-node shell)
31 element dependent variable
32 element dependent variable
33 inner surface x-strain
34 inner surface y-strain
35 inner surface z-strain
36 inner surface xy-strain
37 inner surface yz-strain
38 inner surface zx-strain
39 outer surface x-strain
40 outer surface y-strain
41 outer surface z-strain
42 outer surface xy-strain
43 outer surface yz-strain
44 outer surface zx-strain
45 internal energy
46 midsuface effective stress
47 inner surface effective stress
48 outer surface effective stress
49 midsurface max. principal strain
50 through thickness strain
51 midsurface min. principal strain
52 lower surface effective strain
53 lower surface max. principal strain
54 through thickness strain
55 lower surface min. principal strain
56 lower surface effective strain
57 upper surface max. principal strain
58 through thickness strain
59 upper surface min. principal strain
60 upper surface effective strain

Table 9.4. Beam Element Quantities

Component ID Quantity
1 x-force resultant
2 y-force resultant
3 z-force resultant
4 x-moment resultant
5 y-moment resultant
6 z-moment resultant

9.16 (DATABASE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DATABASE
For the BINARY option the following cards apply:

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NEIPH NEIPS MAXINT STRFLG SIGFLG EPSFLG RLTFLG ENGFLG

Type I I I I I I I I

Default 0 0 3 0 1 1 1 1

Remarks 1

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CMPFLG IEVERP BEAMIP DCOMP SHGE STSSZ N3THDT

Type I I I I I I I

Default 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

Remarks 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NEIPH Number of additional integration point history variables written to the

LS-TAURUS database for solid elements. The integration point data is
written in the same order that it is stored in memory-each material model has
its own history variables that are stored. For user defined materials it is
important to store the history data that is needed for plotting before the data
which is not of interest.

NEIPS Number of additional integration point history variables written to the

LS-TAURUS database for both shell and thick shell elements for each
integration point, see NEIPH above.

LS-DYNA Version 960 9.17 (DATABASE)

*DATABASE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

MAXINT Number of shell integration points written to the LS-DYNA database, see
also *INTEGRATION_SHELL. If the default value of 3 is used then
results are output for the outrtmost (top) and innermost (bottom) integration
points together with results for the neutral axis. If MAXINT is set to 3 and
the the element has 1 integration point then all three results will be the same.
If a value other than 3 is used then results for the first MAXINT integration
points in the element will be output. Note: If the element has an even
number of integration points and MAXINT is not set to 3 then you will not
get mid-surface results. See Remarks below.

STRFLG Set to 1 to dump strain tensors for solid, shell and thick shell elements for
plotting by LS-POST and ASCII file ELOUT. For shell and thick shell
elements two tensors are written, one at the innermost and one at the
outermost integration point. For solid elements a single strain tensor is
written.

SIGFLG Flag for including stress tensor in the shell LS-DYNA database:
EQ.1: include (default),
EQ.2: exclude.

EPSFLG Flag for including the effective plastic strains in the shell LS-DYNA
database:
EQ.1: include (default),
EQ.2: exclude.

RLTFLG Flag for including stress resultants in the shell LS-DYNA database:
EQ.1: include (default),
EQ.2: exclude.

ENGFLG Flag for including internal energy and thickness in the LS-DYNA database:
EQ.1: include (default),
EQ.2: exclude.

CMPFLG Orthotropic and anisotropic material stress output in local coordinate system
for shells and thick shells. Currently, this option does not apply to solid
elements with the exception of material, MAT_COMPOSITE_DAMAGE.
EQ.0: global,
EQ.1: local.

IEVERP Every plot state for “d3plot” database is written to a separate file. This
option will limit the database to 100 states:
EQ.0: more than one state can be on each plotfile,
EQ.1: one state only on each plotfile.

BEAMIP Number of beam integration points for output. This option does not apply
to beams that use a resultant formulation.

DCOMP Data compression to eliminate rigid body data:

EQ.1: off (default), no data compression,
EQ.2: on.

9.18 (DATABASE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DATABASE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SHGE Output shell hourglass energy:

EQ.1: off (default), no hourglass energy written,
EQ.2: on.

STSSZ Output shell element time step, mass, or added mass:

EQ.1: off (default),
EQ.2: output time step size,
EQ.3: output mass, added mass, or time step size.
See remark 3 below.

N3THDT Material energy write option for D3THDT database

EQ.1: off, energy is NOT written to D3THDT database,
EQ.2: on (default), energy is written to D3THDT database.

Remarks:

1. If MAXINT is set to 3 then mid-surface, inner-surface and outer-surface stresses are output at
the center of the element to the LS-DYNA database. For an even number of integration points,
the points closest to the center are averaged to obtain the midsurface values. If multiple
integration points are used in the shell plane, the stresses at the center of the element are found
by computing the average of these points. For MAXINT equal to 3 LS-DYNA assumes that
the data for the user defined integration rules are ordered from bottom to top even if this is not
the case. If MAXINT is not equal to 3, then the stresses at the center of the element are output
in the order that they are stored for the selected integration rule. If multiple points are used in
plane the stresses are first averaged.

2. Beam stresses are output to the LS-DYNA database if and only if BEAMIP is greater than
zero. In this latter case the data that is output is written in the same order that the integration
points are defined. The data at each integration point consists of the following five values for
elastic-plastic Hughes-Liu beams: the normal stress, σrr; the transverse shear stresses, σrs and
σtr; the effective plastic strain, and the axial strain which is logarithmic. For beams that are
not elastic-plastic, the first history variable, if any, is output instead of the plastic strain. For
the beam elements of Belytschko and his co-workers, the transverse shear stress components
are not used in the formulation. No data is output for the Belytschko-Schwer resultant beam.

3. If mass scaling is active, the output of the time step size reveals little information about the
calculation. If global mass scaling is used for a constant time step, the total element mass is
output; however, if the mass is increased so that a minimum time step size is maintained, the
added mass is output. Also, see the control card *CONTROL_TIMESTEP.

LS-DYNA Version 960 9.19 (DATABASE)

*DATABASE
For the SSSTAT option the following card(s) apply:

Define as many cards as necessary.

Card Format (Define one part set ID for each subsystem. Use as many cards as
necessary.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PSID1 PSID2 PSID3 PSID4 PSID5 PSID6 PSID7 PSID8

Type I I I I I I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PSIDn Part set ID for subsystem n.:, see *SET_PART.

9.20 (DATABASE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DATABASE
*DATABASE_FORMAT

Purpose: Define the output format for binary files.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IFORM IBINARY

Type I I

Default 0 0

Remarks 1 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IFORM Output format for D3PLOT and D3THDT files

EQ.0: LS-DYNA database format (default),
EQ.1: ANSYS database format,
EQ.2: Both LS-DYNA and ANSYS database formats.

IBINARY Word size of the binary output files (D3PLOT , D3THDT, D3DRLF and
interface files for 64 bit computer such as CRAY and NEC.
EQ.0: default 64 bit format,
EQ.1: 32 bit IEEE format

Remarks:

1. This option is not available for every platform. Check LS-DYNA Banner upon execution of
the program

2. By using this option one can reduce the size of the binary output files which are created by 64
bits computer such as CRAY and NEC.

LS-DYNA Version 960 9.21 (DATABASE)

*DATABASE
*DATABASE_HISTORY_OPTION

Options include:
BEAM
BEAM_SET
NODE
NODE_LOCAL
NODE_SET
NODE_SET_LOCAL
SHELL
SHELL_SET
SOLID
SOLID_SET
SPH
SPH_SET
TSHELL
TSHELL_SET

Purpose: Control which nodes or elements are output into the binary history file, D3THDT, the
ASCII file NODOUT, the ASCII file ELOUT and the ASCII file SPHOUT. Define as many cards as
necessary. The next “*” card terminates the input. See also *DATABASE_BINARY_OPTION and
*DATABASE_OPTION.
Card Format for all options except NODE_LOCAL and NODE_SET_LOCAL

Cards 1,2,... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ID1 ID2 ID3 ID4 ID5 ID6 ID7 ID8

Type I I I I I I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IDn NODE/NODE_SET or element/element set ID n. Elements may be BEAM/

BEAM_SET, SHELL/SHELL_SET, SOLID/SOLID_SET, or TSHELL/

TSHELL_SET. The contents of the files are given in Table 9.1 for nodes,
Table 9.2 for solid elements, Table 9.3 for shells and thick shells, and Table
9.4 for beam elements. In the binary file, D3THDT, the contents may be
extended or reduced with the *DATABASE_EXTENT_BINARY
definition.

9.22 (DATABASE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DATABASE
Card Format options NODE_LOCAL and NODE_SET_LOCAL

Cards 1,2,... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ID CID REF

Type I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ID NODE/NODE_SET set ID. The contents of the files are given in Table 9.1
for nodes. See the remark below concerning accelerometer nodes.

CID Coordinate system ID for nodal output. See DEFINE_COORDINATE

options.

REF Output reference:

EQ.0: Output is in the local system fixed for all time from the beginning
of the calculation.
EQ.1: Output is in the local system which is defined by the DEFINE_
COORDINATE_NODES. The local system can change orientation
depending on the movement of the three defining nodes. The defining
nodes can belong to either deformable or rigid parts.
EQ.2: Output is relative to the local system which is defined by the
DEFINE_COORDINATE_NODES option. The local system can
change orientation depending on the movement of the three defining
nodes. If dynamic relaxation is used, the reference location is reset
when convergence is achieved.

Remarks:

1. If a node belongs to an accelerometer, see *ELEMENT_SEATBELT_ACCELEROMETER,

and if it also appears as an active node in the NODE_LOCAL or NODE_SET_LOCAL
keyword, the coordinate system, CID, transformations will be skipped and the LOCAL option
will have no effect.

LS-DYNA Version 960 9.23 (DATABASE)

*DATABASE
*DATABASE_NODAL_FORCE_GROUP

Purpose: Define a nodal force group for output into ASCII file NODFOR and the binary file
XTFILE. See also *DATABASE_OPTION and *DATABASE_BINARY_OPTION.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID CID

Type I I

Default none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID Nodal set ID, see *SET_NODE_OPTION.

CID Coordinate system ID for output of data in local system, see *DEFINE_
COORDINATE_OPTION.

Remarks:

1. The nodal reaction forces in the global or local (if CID is defined above) x, y, and z directions
are printed into the NODFOR ascii file along with the external work which is a result of these
reaction forces. The resultant force vector found by summing the reaction forces over the
nodes is also written into this file. These forces can be a result of applied boundary forces such
as nodal point forces and pressure boundary conditions, body forces, and contact interface
forces. In the absense of body forces, interior nodes would always yield a null force resultant
vector. In general this option would be used for surface nodes.

9.24 (DATABASE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DATABASE
*DATABASE_SPRING_FORWARD

Purpose: Create spring forward nodal force file. This option is to output resultant nodal force
components of sheet metal at the end of the forming simulation into an ASCII file, “SPRING-
FORWARD”, for spring forward and die corrective simulations.

Card Format

Cards 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IFLAG

Type I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IFLAG Output type:

EQ.0: off,
EQ.1: output element nodal force vector for deformable nodes,
EQ.2: output element nodal force vector for materials,
subset for NIKE3D interface file.

LS-DYNA Version 960 9.25 (DATABASE)

*DATABASE
*DATABASE_SUPERPLASTIC_FORMING

Purpose: Specify the output intervals to the superplastic forming output files. The option *LOAD_
SUPERPLASTIC_FORMING must be active.

Card Format

Cards 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DTOUT

Type F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DTOUT Output time interval for output to “pressure”, “curve1” and “curve2” files.
The “pressure” file contains general information from the analysis and the
files “curve1” and “curve2” contain pressure versus time from phases 1 and
2 of the analysis. The pressure file may be plotted in Phase 3 of
LS-TAURUS using the SUPERPL option.

9.26 (DATABASE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DATABASE
*DATABASE_TRACER

Purpose: Tracer particles will save a history of either a material point or a spatial point into an ASCII
file, TRHIST. This history includes positions, velocities, and stress components. The option
*DATABASE_TRHIST must be active.
Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TIME TRACK X Y Z

Type F I F F F

Default 0.0 Lagrangian 0 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TIME Start time for tracer particle

TRACK Tracking option:

EQ.0: particle follows material,
EQ.1: particle is fixed in space.

X Initial x-coordinate

Y Initial y-coordinate

X Initial z-coordinate

LS-DYNA Version 960 9.27 (DATABASE)

*DATABASE

9.28 (DATABASE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE

*DEFINE
The keyword *DEFINE provides a way of defining boxes, coordinate systems, load curves,
tables, and orientation vectors for various uses. The keyword cards in this section are defined in
alphabetical order:

*DEFINE_BOX

*DEFINE_BOX_ADAPTIVE

*DEFINE_BOX_COARSEN

*DEFINE_BOX_DRAWBEAD

*DEFINE_COORDINATE_NODES

*DEFINE_COORDINATE_SYSTEM

*DEFINE_COORDINATE_VECTOR

*DEFINE_CURVE

*DEFINE_CURVE_FEEDBACK

*DEFINE_CURVE_SMOOTH

*DEFINE_CURVE_TRIM

*DEFINE_SD_ORIENTATION

*DEFINE_TABLE

*DEFINE_TRANSFORMATION

*DEFINE_VECTOR

An additional option _TITLE may be appended to all the *DEFINE keywords. If this
option is used then an addition line is read for each section in 80a format which can be used to
describe the defined curve, table etc.. At present LS-DYNA does make use of the title. Inclusion of
titles gives greater clarity to input decks.

Examples for the *DEFINE keyword can be found at the end of this section.

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.1 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
*DEFINE_BOX

Purpose: Define a box-shaped volume. Two diagonally opposite corner points of a box are
specified in global coordinates. The box volume is then used for various specifications, e.g.,
velocities, contact, etc.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable BOXID XMN XMX YMN YMX ZMN ZMX

Type I F F F F F F

Default 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

BOXID Box ID. Define unique numbers.

XMN Minimum x-coordinate.

XMX Maximum x-coordinate.

YMN Minimum y-coordinate.

YMX Maximum y-coordinate.

ZMN Minimum z-coordinate.

ZMX Maximum z-coordinate.

10.2 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
*DEFINE_BOX_ADAPTIVE

Purpose: Define a box-shaped volume enclosing the elements where the adaptive level is to be
specified. If the midpoint of the element falls within the box the adaptive level is reset. Elements
falling outside of this volume use the value, MAXLVL, on the *CONTROL_ADAPTIVE control
cards.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable BOXID XMN XMX YMN YMX ZMN ZMX

Type I F F F F F F

Default none 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Variable PID LEVEL

Type I I

Default 0 none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

BOXID Box ID. Define unique numbers.

XMN Minimum x-coordinate.

XMX Maximum x-coordinate.

YMN Minimum y-coordinate.

YMX Maximum y-coordinate.

ZMN Minimum z-coordinate.

ZMX Maximum z-coordinate.

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.3 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID. If zero, all active element within box are considered.

LEVEL Maximum number of refinement levels for elements that are contained in the
box. Values of 1, 2, 3, 4,... allow a maximum of 1, 4, 16, 64, ...
elements, respectively, to be created for each original element.

10.4 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
*DEFINE_BOX_COARSEN

Purpose: Define a specific box-shaped volume indicating elements which are protected from mesh
coarsening. See also *CONTROL_COARSEN.

Card Format

1 2 3 4

Variable BOXID XMN XMX YMN YMX ZMN ZMX IFLAG

Type I F F F F F F I

Default none 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

BOXID Box ID. Define unique numbers.

XMN Minimum x-coordinate.

XMX Maximum x-coordinate.

YMN Minimum y-coordinate.

YMX Maximum y-coordinate.

ZMN Minimum z-coordinate.

ZMX Maximum z-coordinate.

IFLAG Flag for protecting elements inside or outside of box.

EQ.0: elements outside box can not be coarsened
EQ.1: elements inside box can not be coarsened

Remarks:

1. Many boxes may be defined. If an element is protected by any box then it may not be
coarsened.

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.5 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
*DEFINE_BOX_DRAWBEAD

Purpose: Define a specific box-shaped volume around a drawbead. The box will contain the
drawbead nodes and elements between the bead and the outer edge of the blank. Elements directly
under the bead are also included.

Card Format

1 2 3 4

Variable BOXID PID NSID IDIR

Type I F F F

Default 0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

BOXID Box ID. Define unique numbers.

PID Part ID of blank.

NSID Node set ID defining nodes that lie along the drawbead.

IDIR Direction of tooling movement:

EQ.1: tooling moves in x-direction,
EQ.2: tooling moves in y-direction,
EQ.3: tooling moves in z-direction.

10.6 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
*DEFINE_COORDINATE_NODES

Purpose: Define a local coordinate system with three node numbers. The local cartesian coordinate
system is defined in the following steps. The z -axis is computed from the cross product of x and
y , (see Figure 10.1), z = x × y , then the y -axis is computed via y = z × x .

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CID N1 N2 N3 FLAG

Type I I I I I

Default 0 0 0 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

CID Coordinate system ID. A unique number has to be defined.

N1 Number of node located at local origin.

N2 Number of node located along local x-axis.

N3 Number of node located in local x-y plane.

FLAG Set to unity, 1, if the local system is to be updated each time step for the
BOUNDARY_SPC nodal constraints and ELEMENT_BEAM type 6, the
discrete beam element. Generally, this option when used with nodal SPC's
is not recommended since it can cause excursions in the energy balance
because the constraint forces at the node may go through a displacement if
the node is partially constrained
Remark:

1. The nodes N1, N2, and N3 must be separated by a reasonable distance and not colinear to
avoid numerical inaccuracies.
z

N
y 3

y
x
N
2

N
1

Figure 10.1. Definition of local coordinate system using three nodes.

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.7 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
*DEFINE_COORDINATE_SYSTEM

Purpose: Define a local coordinate system with three points. The same procedure as described in
Figure 10.1, see *DEFINE_COORDINATE_NODES, is used. The coordinates of the nodes are
given instead. N1 is defined by (X0,Y0,Z0), N2 is defined by (XL,YL,ZL), and N3 by (XP,YP,ZP).

Card 1 of 2 - Required.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CID XO YO ZO XL YL ZL

Type I F F F F F F

Default 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Remarks

Card 2 of 2 - Required.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XP YP ZP

Type F F F

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0

Remarks

10.8 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

CID Coordinate system ID. A unique number has to be defined.

XO X-coordinate of origin

YO Y-coordinate of origin

ZO Z-coordinate of origin

XL X-coordinate of point on local x-axis

YL Y-coordinate of point on local x-axis

ZL Z-coordinate of point on local x-axis

XP X-coordinate of point in local x-y plane

YP Y-coordinate of point in local x-y plane

ZP Z-coordinate of point in local x-y plane

Remark:

1. The coordinates of the points must be separated by a reasonable distance and not colinear to
avoid numerical inaccuracies.

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.9 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
*DEFINE_COORDINATE_VECTOR

Purpose: Define a local coordinate system with two vectors, see Figure 10.2. The vector cross
product, xy × x = z , determines the z-axis. The y-axis is then given by y = z × x .

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CID XX YX ZX XV YV ZV

Type I F F F F F F

Default 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

CID Coordinate system ID. A unique number has to be defined.

XX X-coordinate on local x-axis. Origin lies at (0,0,0).

YX Y-coordinate on local x-axis

ZX Z-coordinate on local x-axis

XV X-coordinate of local x-y vector

YV Y-coordinate of local x-y vector

ZV Z-coordinate of local x-y vector

Remark:

1. These vectors should be separated by a reasonable included angle to avoid numerical

inaccuracies.
z

xy

y
x

Origin (0,0,0)

Figure 10.2. Definition of the coordinate system with two vectors.

10.10 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
*DEFINE_CURVE

Purpose: Define a curve [for example, load (ordinate value) versus time (abcissa value)], often
referred to as a load curve.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCID SIDR SFA SFO OFFA OFFO DATTYP

Type I I F F F F I

Default none 0 1. 1. 0. 0. 0

Card 2, 3, 4, etc. Put one pair of points per card (2E20.0) Input is terminated
when a “*” card is found. (Use only two points for applying loads if the implicit
arc-length method is active.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable A1 O1

Type F F

Default 0.0 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCID Load curve ID. Tables (see *DEFINE_TABLE) and load curves may not
share common ID's. LS-DYNA3D allows load curve ID's and table ID's to
be used interchangeably. A unique number has to be defined. Note: The
magnitude of LCID is restricted to 5 significant digits. This
limitation will be removed in a future release of LS-DYNA3D.

SIDR Stress initialization by dynamic relaxation:

EQ.0: load curve used in transient analysis only or for other
applications,
EQ.1: load curve used in stress initialization but not transient analysis,
EQ.2: load curve applies to both initialization and transient analysis.

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.11 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SFA Scale factor for abcissa value. This is useful for simple modifications.
EQ.0.0: default set to 1.0.

SFO Scale factor for ordinate value (function). This is useful for simple
modifications.
EQ.0.0: default set to 1.0.

OFFA Offset for abcissa values, see explanation below.

OFFO Offset for ordinate values (function), see explanation below.

DATTYP Data type. Usually 0, set to 1 only for general xy data. This affects how
offsets are applied. General xy data curves refer to curves whose abcissa
values do not increase monotonically. Generally, DATTYP=0 for time
dependent curves, force versus displacement curves, and stress strain
curves.

A1, A2,... Abcissa values. Only pairs have to be defined, see remarks below.

O1, O2,... Ordinate (function) values. Only pairs have to be defined, see remarks
below.
Remarks:

1. Warning: In the definition of Load Curves used in the constitutive models, reasonable
spacing of the points should always be observed, i.e., never set a single point off to a value
approaching infinity. LS-DYNA uses internally discretized curves to improve efficiency in the
constitutive models. Also, since the constitutive models extrapolate the curves, it is important
to ensure that extrapolation does not lead to physically meaningless values, such as a negative
flow stress.

2. The load curve values are scaled after the offsets are applied, i.e.:

Abcissa value = SFA ⋅ ( Defined value + OFFA)

Ordinate value = SFO ⋅ ( Defined value + OFFO)

3. Positive offsets for the load curves (DATTYP=0) are intended for time versus function curves
since two additional points are generated automatically at time zero and at time .999*OFFA
with the function values set to zero. If DATTYP=1, then the offsets do not create these
additional points. Negative offsets for the abcissa simply shifts the abcissa values without
creating additional points.

4. Load curves are not extrapolated by LS-DYNA for applied loads such as pressures,
concentrated forces, displacement boundary condtions, etc. Function values are set to zero if
the time, etc., goes off scale. Therefore, extreme care must be observed when defining load
curves. In the constitutive models, extrapolation is employed if the values on the abcissa go
off scale.

5. The load curve offsets and scale factors are ignored during restarts if the curve is redefined.
See *CHANGE_CURVE_DEFINITION in the restart section.

10.12 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
*DEFINE_CURVE_FEEDBACK

Purpose: Define information that is used as the solution evolves to scale the ordinate values of the
specified load curve ID. One application for this capability is in sheet metal stamping.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCID PID BOXID FLDID

Type I I I I

Default none none 0 none

Card 2

Variable FSL TSL SFF SFT BIAS

Type F F F F F

Default none none 1.0 1.0 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCID ID number for load curve to be scaled.

PID Active part ID for load curve control

BOXID Box ID. Elements of specified part ID contained in box are checked. If the
box ID is set to zero the all elements of the active part are checked.

FLDID Load curve ID which defines the flow limit diagram as shown in Figure
10.3. If the product of FSL and the ordinate value of the maximum
principal strain is exceeded the scale factor for flow, SF , is active.

FSL If the strain ratio, ε majorworkpiece / ε majorfld , is exceeded the scale factor for flow,
SF , is active.

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.13 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TSL Thickness strain limit. If the through thickness strain is exceeded the scale
factor for thickening, ST , is active.

SFF Scale factor for the flow limit diagram, SF (Default=1.0).

SFT Scale factor for thickening, ST (Default=1.0).

BIAS Bias for combined flow and thickening, S, −1 ≤ S ≤ 1 .

Remarks:

The scale factor for the load curve ordinate value is updated as:
n +1
curve = Sload curve ⋅ S final
n
Sload

where S final is equal to SF if the strain ratio is exceeded or to ST if the thickness strain limit is
exceeded. The bias value determines the final scale factor, S final , in the event that the thickness and
flow limit diagram criteria both satisfied. In this case the scale factor for the load curve is given by:

1 1
S final = (1 − S) ⋅ SF + (1 + S)ST
2 2

Generally, SF is slightly less than unity and ST is slightly greater than unity so that Sloadcurve changes
insignificantly from time step to time step.

10.14 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
εmnr = 0

PLANE STRAIN ε mjr

80

70

60

50
% MAJOR STRAIN

40

ε mnr εmjr
30 ε mnr

20
ε mjr
10
DRAW
STRETCH

-50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 +10 +20 +30 +40 +50
% MINOR STRAIN
Figure 10.3. Flow limit diagram.

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.15 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
*DEFINE_CURVE_SMOOTH

Purpose: Define a smoothly varying curve using few parameters. This shape is useful for velocity
control of tools in metal forming applications.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCID SIDR DIST TSTART TEND TRISE V0

Type I I F F F F F

Default none none none none none none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCID Load curve ID, must be unique.

SIDR Stress initialization by dynamic relaxation:

EQ.0: load curve used in transient analysis only or for other applications,
EQ.1: load curve used in stress initialization but not transient analysis,
EQ.2: load curve applies to both initialization and transient analysis.

DIST Total distance tool will travel (area under curve).

TSTART Time curve starts to rise

TEND Time curve returns to zero. If TEND is nonzero, VMAX will be computed
automatically to satisfy required travel distance DIST. Input either TEND or
VMAX.

TRISE Rise time

VMAX Maximum velocity (maximum value of curve). If VMAX is nonzero,

TEND will be computed automatically to satisfy required travel distance
DIST. Input either TEND or VMAX.

10.16 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
Remarks:

See Figure 10.4.

Trise Trise

Vmax
Velocity

dist = ∫v(t)dt

0.0
0.0 Tstart Tend

Simulation Time
Figure 10.4. Smooth curve created automatically using *DEFINE_CURVE_SMOOTH. This
shape is commonly used to control velocity of tools in metal forming applications as
shown in the above graph, but can be used for other applications in place of any
standard load curve.

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.17 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
*DEFINE_CURVE_TRIM

Purpose: Define a curve for trimming. Also, see *INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TCID TCTYPE TFLG TDIR TCTOL

Type I I I I F

Default none none none none 0.25

Remarks 1,2,3 figure 10.5 4

Card 2, 3, 4, etc. defined if and only if TCTYPE=1. Put one pair of points per
card (2E20.0) Input is terminated when a “*” card is found.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CX CY

Type F F

Default 0.0 0.0

Card 2 defined if and only if TCTYPE=2.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable FILENAME

Type C

10.18 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TCID ID number for trim curve.

TCTYPE Trim curve type:

EQ.1: digitized curve provided,
EQ.2: IGES trim curve.

TFLG Element removal option:

EQ. -1: remove material outside curve,
EQ. 1: remove material inside curve.

TDIR ID of vector (*DEFINE_VECTOR) giving direction of projection for trim

curve (see Figure 10.5).
EQ. 0: default vector (0,0,1) is used. Curve is defined in global XY
plane, and projected onto mesh in global Z-direction to define trim line.

TCTOL Tolerance limiting size of small elements created during trimming (see
Figure 10.6).
LT.0: "simple" trimming, producing jagged edge mesh

CX x-coordinate of trim curve Defined if and only if TCTYPE=1.

CY y-coordinate of trim curve Defined if and only if TCTYPE=1.

FILENAME Name of IGES database containing trim curve(s). Defined if and only if
TCTYPE=2.

Remarks:

1. This command in combination with *ELEMENT_TRIM trims the requested parts before the job
starts.

2 If the command *ELEMENT_TRIM does not exist the parts are trimmed after the job is
terminated.

3 Pre-trimming (*ELEMENT_TRIM + *DEFINE_CURVE_TRIM) can handle adaptive mesh

and post-trimming. The keyword *DEFINE_CURVE_TRIM by itself cannot deal with an
adaptive mesh. See the detailed proceduce outlined in the Remarks in the Section
*INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK.

4 The trimming tolerance TCTOL limits the size of the smallest element created during trimming.
A value of 0.0 places no limit on element size. A value of 0.5 restricts new elements to be at
least half of the size of the parent element. A value of 1.0 allows no new elements to be
generated, only repositioning of existing nodes to lie on the trim curve. A negative tolerance
value activates "simple" trimming, where entire elements are removed, leaving a jagged edge.

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.19 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
H
z

T trim curve
(local system)

x
y

Z
deformed
mesh
trim line

Figure 10.5. Trimming Orientation Vector. The tail (T) and head (H) points define a local
coordinate system (x,y,z). The local x-direction is constructed in the Xz plane.
Trim curve data is input in the x-y plane, and projected in the z-direction onto the
deformed mesh to obtain the trim line.

tol = 0.25 (default) tol = 0.01

Figure 10.6 Trimming Tolerance. The tolerance limits the size of the small elements
generated during trimming. The default tolerance (left) produces large elements.
Using a tolerance of 0.01 (right) allows smaller elements, and more detail in the
trim line.

10.20 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
*DEFINE_SD_ORIENTATION

Purpose: Define orientation vectors for discrete springs and dampers. These orientation vectors are
optional for this element class. Four alternative options are possible. With the first two options,
IOP= 0 or 1, the vector is defined by coordinates and is fixed permanently in space. The third and
fourth optiona orients the vector based on the motion of two nodes, so that the direction can change
as the line defined by the nodes rotates.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable VID IOP XT YT ZT NID1 NID2

Type I I F F F I I

Default 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0

Remarks none 1 IOP=0,1 IOP=0,1 IOP=0,1 IOP=2,3 IOP=2,3

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

VID Orientation vector ID. A unique ID number must be used.

IOP Option:
EQ.0: deflections/rotations are measured and forces/moments applied
along the following orientation vector.

EQ.1: deflections/rotations are measured and forces/moments applied

along the axis between the two spring/damper nodes projected onto the
plane normal to the following orientation vector.

EQ.2: deflections/rotations are measured and forces/moments applied

along a vector defined by the following two nodes.

EQ.3: deflections/rotations are measured and forces/moments applied

along the axis between the two spring/damper nodes projected onto the
plane normal to the a vector defined by the following two nodes.

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.21 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XT x-value of orientation vector. Define if IOP=0,1.

YT y-value of orientation vector. Define if IOP=0,1.

ZT z-value of orientation vector. Define if IOP=0,1.

NID1 Node 1 ID. Define if IOP=2,3.

NID2 Node 2 ID. Define if IOP=2, 3.

Remarks:

1. The orientation vectors defined by options 0 and 1 are fixed in space for the duration of the
simulation. Options 2 and 3 allow the orientation vector to change with the motion of the
nodes. Generally, the nodes should be members of rigid bodies, but this is not mandatory.
When using nodes of deformable parts to define the orientation vector, care must be taken to
ensure that these nodes will not move past each other. If this happens, the direction of the
orientation vector will immediately change with the result that initiate severe instabilities can
develop.

10.22 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
*DEFINE_TABLE

Purpose: Define a table. This input section is somewhat unique in that another keyword,
* D E F I N E _ C U R V E , is used as part of the input in this section. A table consists of a
* DEFINE_TABLE card followed by n lines of input. Each of the n additional lines define a
numerical value in ascending order corresponding to a *DEFINE_CURVE input which follows
the * DEFINE_TABLE keyword and the related input. For example, to define strain rate
dependency where it is desired to provide a stress versus strain curve for each strain rate, n strain
rates would be defined following the *DEFINE_TABLE keyword. The curves then follow which
make up the table. There are no rules for defining the n curves, i.e., each curve may have a different
origin, spacing, and number of points in their definition. (Load curve ID's defined for the table may
be referenced elsewhere in the input.) This rather awkward input is done for efficiency reasons
related to the desire to avoid indirect addressing in the inner loops used in the constitutive model
stress evaluation.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TBID

Type I

Default none

Card 2, 3, 4, etc. Put one point per card (E20.0). Input is terminated when a
“ * DEFINE_CURVE” card is found.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable VALUE

Type F

Default 0.0

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.23 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
Insert one *DEFINE_CURVE input section here for each point defined above.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TBID Table ID. Tables and Load curves may not share common ID's.
LS-DYNA3D allows load curve ID's and table ID's to be used
interchangeably.

VALUE Load curve will be defined corresponding to this value, e.g., this value
could be a strain rate, see purpose above.

Remark:

1. If for example, 10 stress-strain curves for 10 different strain rates are given, 10 cards with
the ascending values of strain rate then follow the first card. Afterwards, 10 corresponding
*DEFINE_CURVE specifications have to follow.

10.24 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
*DEFINE_TRANSFORMATION

Purpose: Define a transformation for the INCLUDE_TRANSFORM keyword option. The

*DEFINE_TRANSFORMATION command must be defined before the *INCLUDE_TRANSFORM
command can be used.

Card Format Cards 1, 2, 3, 4, ... (The next “*” card terminates the input.) This
set is a combination of a series of options listed in the table defined below.

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TRANID

Type I

Default none

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable OPTION A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7

Type A F F F F F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TRANID Transform ID.

OPTION For the available options see the table below.

A1-A7 Specified entity. Each card must have an option specified. See table below
for the three available options..

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.25 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE

FORMAT (A10,7F10.0)

OPTION ENTITIES + ATTRIBUTES FUNCTION

SCALE a1, a2, a3 Scale the x, y, and z coordinates of a point by a1,

a2, and a3, respectively. If zero, a default of unity is
set.

ROTATE a1, a2, a3, a4, a5, a6, a7 Rotate through an angle, a7, about a line with
direction cosines a1, a2, and a3 passing through the
point a4, a5, and a6.

TRANSL a1, a2, a3 Translate the x, y, and z coordinates of a point by

a1, a2, and a3, respectively.

The ordering of the SCALE, ROTATE, and TRANSL commands is important. It is

generally recommend to first scale, then rotate, and finally translate the model.

The *DEFINE_TRANSFORMATION command is used 3 times to input the same dummy

model and position it as follows:

1. Transformation id 1000 imports the dummy model (dummy.k) and rotates it 45 degrees about
z-axis at the point (0.0,0.0,0.0)

2. Transformation id 2000 imports the same dummy model (dummy.k) and translates 1000 units
in the x direction.

3. Transformation id 3000 imports the same dummy model (dummy.k) and translates 2000 units
in the x direction. For each *DEFINE_ TRANSFORMATION, the commands TRANSL,
SCALE, and ROTATE are available. The transformations are applied in the order in which they
are defined in the file, e.g., transformation id 1000 in this example would translate, scale and
then rotate the model. *INCLUDE_ TRANSFORM uses a transformation id defined by a
*DEFINE_TRANSFORMATION command to import a model and perform the associated
transformations. It also allows the user upon importing the model to apply offsets to the various
entity ids and perform unit conversion of the imported model.

10.26 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
*KEYWORD
*DEFINE_TRANSFORMATION
1000
$ option & dx& dy& dz&
TRANSL 0000.0 0.0 0.0
$ option & dx& dy& dz&
SCALE 1.00 1.0 1.0
$ option & dx& dy& dz& px& py& pz& angle&
ROTATE 0.00 0.0 1.0 0.00 0.00 0.0 45.00
*DEFINE_TRANSFORMATION
2000
$ option & dx& dy& dz&
TRANSL 1000.0 0.0 0.0
*DEFINE_TRANSFORMATION
$ tranid &
3000
$ option & dx& dy& dz&
TRANSL 2000.0 0.0 0.0
*INCLUDE_TRANSFORM
dummy.k
$idnoff & ideoff& idpoff& idmoff & idsoff & iddoff& iddoff &
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
$ idroff& ilctmf&
0 0
$ fctmas& fcttim& fctlen& fcttem & incout&
1.0000 1.0000 1.00 1.0 1
$ tranid &
1000
*INCLUDE_TRANSFORM
dummy.k
$idnoff & ideoff& idpoff& idmoff & idsoff & iddoff& iddoff &
1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000 1000000
$ idroff& ilctmf&
1000000 1000000
$ fctmas& fcttim& fctlen& fcttem & incout&
1.0000 1.0000 1.00 1.0 1

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.27 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
$ tranid &
2000
*INCLUDE_TRANSFORM
dummy.k
$idnoff & ideoff& idpoff& idmoff & idsoff & iddoff& iddoff &
2000000 2000000 2000000 2000000 2000000 2000000 2000000
$ idroff& ilctmf&
2000000 2000000
$ fctmas& fcttim& fctlen& fcttem & incout&
1.0000 1.0000 1.00 1.0 1
$ tranid &
3000
*END

10.28 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
*DEFINE_VECTOR

Purpose: Define a vector by defining the coordinates of two points.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable VID XT YT ZT XH YH ZH

Type I F F F F F F

Default 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

VID Vector ID

XT X-coordinate of tail of vector

YT Y-coordinate of tail of vector

ZT Z-coordinate of tail of vector

XH X-coordinate of head of vector

YH Y-coordinate of head of vector

ZH Z-coordinate of head of vector

Remark:
1. The coordinates should differ by a certain margin to avoid numerical inaccuracies.

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.29 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *DEFINE_BOX
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define box number eight which encloses a volume defined by two corner
$ points: (-20.0, -39.0, 0.0) and (20.0, 39.0, 51.0). As an example, this
$ box can be used as an input for the *INITIAL_VELOCITY keyword in which
$ all nodes within this box are given a specific initial velocity.
$
*DEFINE_BOX
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ boxid xmm xmx ymn ymx zmn zmx
8 -20.0 20.0 -39.0 39.0 0.0 51.0
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *DEFINE_COORDINATE_NODES
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define local coordinate system number 5 using three nodes: 10, 11 and 20.
$ Nodes 10 and 11 define the local x-direction. Nodes 10 and 20 define
$ the local x-y plane.
$
$ For example, this coordinate system (or any coordinate system defined using
$ a *DEFINE_COORDINATE_option keyword) can be used to define the local
$ coordinate system of a joint, which is required in order to define joint
$ stiffness using the *CONSTRAINED_JOINT_STIFFNESS_GENERALIZED keyword.
$
*DEFINE_COORDINATE_NODES
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ cid n1 n2 n3
5 10 11 20
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

10.30 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *DEFINE_COORDINATE_SYSTEM
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define local coordinate system number 3 using three points. The origin of
$ local coordinate system is at (35.0, 0.0, 0.0). The x-direction is defined
$ from the local origin to (35.0, 5.0, 0.0). The x-y plane is defined using
$ the vector from the local origin to (20.0, 0.0, 20.0) along with the local
$ x-direction definition.
$
*DEFINE_COORDINATE_SYSTEM
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ cid Xo Yo Zo Xl Yl Zl
3 35.0 0.0 0.0 35.0 5.0 0.0
$
$ Xp Yp Zp
20.0 0.0 20.0
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *DEFINE_COORDINATE_VECTOR
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define local coordinate system number 4 using two vectors.
$ Vector 1 is defined from (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) to (1.0, 1.0, 0.0)
$ Vector 2 is defined from (0.0, 0.0, 0.0) to (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
$ See the corresponding keyword command for a description.
$
*DEFINE_COORDINATE_VECTOR
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ cid Xx Yx Zx Xv Yv Zv
4 1.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.31 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *DEFINE_CURVE
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define curve number 517. This particular curve is used to define the
$ force-deflection properties of a spring defined by a *MAT_SPRING_INELASTIC
$ keyword. The abscissa value is offset 25.0 as a means of modeling a gap
$ at the front of the spring. This type of spring would be a compression
$ only spring.
$
*DEFINE_CURVE
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ lcid sidr scla sclo offa offo
517 25.0
$
$ abscissa ordinate
0.0 0.0
80.0 58.0
95.0 35.0
150.0 44.5
350.0 45.5
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *DEFINE_SD_ORIENTATION
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ A discrete spring is defined with two nodes in 3-D space. However, it is
$ desired to have the force of that spring to act only in the z-direction.
$ The following definition makes this happen. Additionally, vid = 7
$ must be specified in the *ELEMENT_DISCRETE keyword for this spring.
$
*DEFINE_SD_ORIENTATION
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ vid iop xt yt zt nid1 nid2
7 0 0.0 0.0 1.0
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

10.32 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFINE
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *DEFINE_VECTOR
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define vector number 5 from (0,0,0) to (0,1,1). As an example, this vector
$ can be used to define the direction of the prescribed velocity of a node
$ using the *BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_MOTION_NODE keyword.
$
*DEFINE_VECTOR
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ vid xt yt zt xh yh zh
3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 10.33 (DEFINE)

*DEFINE

10.34 (DEFINE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID

*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID
The cards in this section are defined in alphabetical order and are as follows:

*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID

*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID_AUTOMATIC

*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID_INERTIA

If one of these cards is defined, then any deformable part defined in the model may be
switched to rigid during the calculation. Parts that are defined as rigid (*MAT_RIGID) in the input
are permanently rigid and cannot be changed to deformable.

Deformable parts may be switched to rigid at the start of the calculation by specifying them on
the *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID card.

Part switching may be specified on a restart (see RESTART section of this manual) or it may
be performed automatically by use of the *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID_AUTOMATIC cards.

The *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID_INERTIA cards allow inertial properties to be defined for

deformable parts that are to be swapped to rigid at a later stage.

It is not possible to perform part material switching on a restart if it was not flagged in the
initial analysis. The reason for this is that extra memory needs to be set up internally to allow the
switching to take place. If part switching is to take place on a restart, but no parts are to be switched
at the start of the calculation, no inertia properties for switching and no automatic switching sets are
to be defined, then just define one *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID card without further input.

LS-DYNA Version 960 11.1 (DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID)

*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID
*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID

Purpose: Define materials to be switched to rigid at the start of the calculation.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID MRB

Type I I

Default none 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID of the part which is switched to a rigid material, also see *PART.

MRB Part ID of the master rigid body to which the part is merged. If zero, the
part becomes either an independent or master rigid body.

11.2 (DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID
*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID_AUTOMATIC

Purpose: Define a set of parts to be switched to rigid or to deformable at some stage in the
calculation.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Card 1

Variable SWSET CODE TIME 1 TIME 2 TIME 3 ENTNO RELSW PAIRED

Type I I F F F I I I

Default none 0 0. 1.0E20 0. 0. 0 0

Remark 1 1,2 3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Card 2

Variable NRBF NCSF RWF DTMAX D2R R2D

Type I I I F I I

Default 0 0 0 0. 0 0

Remark 4 4 4

LS-DYNA Version 960 11.3 (DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID)

*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SWSET Set number for this automatic switch set. Must be unique.

CODE Activation switch code. Defines the test to activate the automatic material
switch of the part:
EQ.0: switch takes place at time 1,
EQ.1: switch takes place between time 1 and time 2 if rigid wall force
(specified below ) is zero,
EQ.2: switch takes place between time 1 and time 2 if contact surface
force (specified below ) is zero,
EQ.3: switch takes place between time 1 and time 2 if rigid wall force
(specified below ) is non-zero,
EQ.4: switch takes place between time 1 and time 2 if contact surface
force (specified below ) is non-zero.

TIME 1 Switch will not take place before this time.

TIME 2 Switch will not take place after this time:

EQ.0 Time 2 set to 1.0e20.

TIME 3 Delay period. After this part switch has taken place, another automatic
switch will not take place for the duration of the delay period. If set to zero
a part switch may take place immediately after this switch.

ENTNO Rigid wall/contact surface number for switch codes 1, 2, 3, 4.

RELSW Related switch set. The related switch set is another automatic switch set
that must be activated before this part switch can take place:
EQ.0: no related switch set.

PAIRED Define a pair of related switches.

EQ. 0: not paired
EQ. 1: paired with switch set RELSW and is the Master switch.
EQ.-1: paired with switch set RELSW and is the Slave switch .

NRBF Flag to delete or activate nodal rigid bodies.

If nodal rigid bodies or generalized, weld definitions are active in the
deformable bodies that are switched to rigid, then the definitions should
be deleted to avoid instabilities:
EQ.0: no change,
EQ.1: delete,
EQ.2: activate.

NCSF Flag to delete or activate nodal constraint set.

If nodal constraint/spotweld definitions are active in the deformable bodies
that are switched to rigid, then the definitions should be deleted to avoid
instabilities:
EQ.0: no change,
EQ.1: delete,
EQ.2: activate.

11.4 (DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

RWF Flag to delete or activate rigid walls:

EQ.0: no change,
EQ.1: delete,
EQ.2: activate.

DTMAX Maximum permitted time step size after switch.

D2R Number of deformable parts to be switched to rigid plus number of rigid

parts for which new master/slave rigid body combinations will be defined:
EQ.0: no parts defined.

R2D Number of rigid parts to be switched to deformable:

EQ.0: no parts defined.

Remarks:

1. Only surface to surface and node to surface contacts can be used to activate an automatic part
switch.

2. Contact surface and rigid wall numbers are the order in which they are defined in the deck.
The first rigid wall and the first contact surface encountered in the input deck will have an
entity number of 1.

3. Switch sets may be paired together to allow a pair of switches to be activated more than once.
Each pair of switches should use consistant values for CODE, i.e 1&3 or 2&4. Within each
pair of switches the related switch ,RELSW, should be set to the ID of the other switch in
the pair. The Master switch (PAIRED = 1) will be activated before the Slave switch
(PAIRED = -1).

4. If the delete switch is activated, ALL corresponding constraints are deactivated regardless of
their relationshiop to a switched part. By default, constraints which are directly associated
with a switched part are deactivated/activated as necessary.

$ Define a pair or related switches that will be activated by (no)force on

$ Contact 3. To start with switch set 20 will be activated (PAIRED=1) swapping
$ the PARTS to RIGID. When the contact force is none zero switch set 10 will be
$ activated swapping the PARTS to DEFORMABLE. If the contact force returns to
$ zero switch set 20 will be activated again making the PARTS RIGID.
$
*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID_AUTOMATIC
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ swset code time 1 time 2 time 3 entno relsw paired
20 2 3 10 1
$ nrbf ncsf rwf dtmax D2R R2D
1
*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID_AUTOMATIC
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ swset code time 1 time 2 time 3 entno relsw paired
10 2 3 20 -1
$ nrbf ncsf rwf dtmax D2R R2D
1

LS-DYNA Version 960 11.5 (DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID)

*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID
Define D2R cards below:

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID MRB

Type I I

Default none 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID of the part which is switched to a rigid material.

MRB Part ID of the master rigid body to which the part is merged. If zero, the part
becomes either an independent or master rigid body.

Define R2D cards below:

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID

Type I

Default none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION
PID Part ID of the part which is switched to a deformable material.

11.6 (DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID
*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID_INERTIA

Purpose: Inertial properties can be defined for the new rigid bodies that are created when the
deformable parts are switched. These can only be defined in the initial input if they are needed in a
later restart. Unless these properties are defined, LS-DYNA will recompute the new rigid body
properties from the finite element mesh. The latter requires an accurate mesh description. When
rigid bodies are merged to a master rigid body, the inertial properties defined for
the master rigid body apply to all members of the merged set.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID

Type I

Default none

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XC YC ZC TM

Type F F F F

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IXX IXY IXZ IYY IYZ IZZ

Type F F F F F F

Default none 0.0 0.0 none 0.0 none

LS-DYNA Version 960 11.7 (DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID)

*DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID, see *PART.

XC x-coordinate of center of mass

YC y-coordinate of center of mass

ZC z-coordinate of center of mass

TM Translational mass

IXX Ixx, xx component of inertia tensor

IXY Ixy

IXZ Ixz

IYY Iyy

IYZ Iyz

IZZ Izz

11.8 (DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT

*ELEMENT
The element cards in this section are defined in alphabetical order:

*ELEMENT_BEAM_{OPTION}

*ELEMENT_DIRECT_MATRIX_INPUT

*ELEMENT_DISCRETE

*ELEMENT_INERTIA

*ELEMENT_MASS

*ELEMENT_SEATBELT

*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_ACCELEROMETER

*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_PRETENSIONER

*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_RETRACTOR

*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_SENSOR

*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_SLIPRING

*ELEMENT_SHELL_{OPTION}

*ELEMENT_SOLID_{OPTION}

*ELEMENT_SPH

*ELEMENT_TRIM

*ELEMENT_TSHELL

The ordering of the element cards in the input file is competely arbitrary. An arbitrary number of
element blocks can be defined preceeded by a keyword control card.

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.1 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_BEAM_{OPTION}

Available options include:

<BLANK>

THICKNESS

PID

Purpose: Define two node elements including 3D beams, trusses, 2D axisymmetric shells, and 2D
plane strain beam elements. The type of the element and its formulation is specified through the part
ID (see *PART) and the section ID (see *SECTION_BEAM).

Two alternative methods are available for defining the cross sectional property data. The
THICKNESS option is provided for the user to override the *SECTION_BEAM data which is taken
as the default if the THICKNESS option is not used. End release conditions are imposed used
constraint equations, and caution must be used with this option as discussed in remark 2 below.

The PID option is used by the type 9 spot weld element only and is ignored for all other beam
types. When the PID option is active an additional card is read that gives two part ID's that are tied
by the spot weld element. If the PID option is inactive for the type 9 element the nodal points of the
spot weld are located to the two nearest segments. The surface of each segment should project to the
other and in the most typical case the node defining the weld, assuming only one node is used,
should lie in the middle; however, this is not a requirement. Note that with the spotweld elements
only one node is needed to define the weld, and two nodes are optional.

Card Format (10I8)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable EID PID N1 N2 N3 RT1 RR1 RT2 RR2 LOCAL

Type I I I I I I I I I I

Default none none none none none 0 0 0 0 2

Remarks 1 2,3 2,3 2,3 2,3 2,3

12.2 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT
Optional Card (Required if THICKNESS is specified after the keyword)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable PARM1 PARM2 PARM3 PARM4 PARM5

Type F F F F F

Remarks 4 5 5 5 6

Optional Card (Required if PID is specified after the keyword)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable PID1 PID2

Type I I

Default none none

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Element ID. A unique number has to be specified.

PID Part ID, see *PART.

N1 Nodal point (end) 1.

N2 Nodal point (end) 2. This node is optional for the spot weld, beam type 9,
since if it not defined it will be created automatically and given a
nonconfliciting nodal point ID. Nodes N1 and N2 are automatically
positioned for the spot weld beam element.

N3 Nodal point 3. The third node, N3, is optional for beam types 3, 6, 7, 8,
and 9 if the latter, type 9, has a non-circular cross section. The third node is
used for the discrete beam, type 6, if and only if SCOOR is set to 2.0 in the
*SECTION_BEAM input, but even in this case it is optional.

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.3 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

RT1, RT2 Release conditions for translations at nodes N1 and N2, respectively:
EQ.0: no translational degrees-of-freedom are released
EQ.1: x-translational degree-of-freedom
EQ.2: y-translational degree-of-freedom
EQ.3: z-translational degree-of-freedom
EQ.4: x and y-translational degrees-of-freedom
EQ.5: y and z-translational degrees-of-freedom
EQ.6: z and x-translational degrees-of-freedom
EQ.7: x, y, and z-translational degrees-of-freedom (3DOF)
This option does not apply to the spot weld, beam type 9.

RR1, RR2 Release conditions for rotations at nodes N1 and N2, respectively:
EQ.0: no rotational degrees-of-freedom are released
EQ.1: x-rotational degree-of-freedom
EQ.2: y-rotational degree-of-freedom
EQ.3: z-rotational degree-of-freedom
EQ.4: x and y-rotational degrees-of-freedom
EQ.5: y and z-rotational degrees-of-freedom
EQ.6: z and x-rotational degrees-of-freedom
EQ.7: x, y, and z-rotational degrees-of-freedom (3DOF)
This option does not apply to the spot weld, beam type 9.

LOCAL Coordinate system option:

EQ.1: global coordinate system
EQ.2: local coordinate system (default)

PARM1 Based on beam type:

Type.EQ.1: beam thickness, s direction at node 1
Type.EQ.2: area
Type.EQ.3: area
Type.EQ.4: beam thickness, s direction at node 1
Type.EQ.5: beam thickness, s direction at node 1
Type.EQ.6: volume
Type.EQ.7: beam thickness, s direction at node 1
Type.EQ.8: beam thickness, s direction at node 1
Type.EQ.9: beam thickness, s direction at node 1

PARM2 Based on beam type:

Type.EQ.1: beam thickness, s direction at node 2
Type.EQ.2: Iss
Type.EQ.3: not used
Type.EQ.4: beam thickness, s direction at node 2
Type.EQ.5: beam thickness, s direction at node 2
Type.EQ.6: geometric inertia
Type.EQ.6: volume
Type.EQ.7: beam thickness, s direction at node 2
Type.EQ.8: beam thickness, s direction at node 2
Type.EQ.9: beam thickness, s direction at node 2

12.4 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PARM3 Based on beam type:

Type.EQ.1: beam thickness, t direction at node 1
Type.EQ.2: Itt
Type.EQ.3: not used
Type.EQ.4: beam thickness, t direction at node 1
Type.EQ.5: beam thickness, t direction at node 1
Type.EQ.6: local coordinate ID
Type.EQ.7: not used.
Type.EQ.8: not used.
Type.EQ.9: beam thickness, t direction at node 1

PARM4 Based on beam type:

Type.EQ.1: beam thickness, t direction at node 2
Type.EQ.2: Irr
Type.EQ.3: not used
Type.EQ.4: beam thickness, t direction at node 2
Type.EQ.5: beam thickness, t direction at node 2
Type.EQ.6: area
Type.EQ.7: not used.
Type.EQ.8: not used.
Type.EQ.9: beam thickness, t direction at node 2

PARM5 Based on beam type:

Type.EQ.1: not used
Type.EQ.2: shear area
Type.EQ.3: not used
Type.EQ.4: not used
Type.EQ.5: not used
Type.EQ.6: offset
Type.EQ.7: not used.
Type.EQ.8: not used.
Type.EQ.9: not used

PID1 Optional part ID for spot weld element type 9.

PID2 Optional part ID for spot weld element type 9.

Remarks:

1. A plane through N1, N2, and N3 defines the orientation of the principal r-s plane of the beam,
see Figure 12.1.

2. This option applies to all three-dimensional beam elements. The released degrees-of-freedom
can be either global, the default, or local relative to the local beam coordinate system, see
Figure 12.1. A local coordinate system is stored for each node of the beam element and the
orientation of the local coordinate systems rotates with the node. To properly track the
response, the nodal points with a released resultant are automatically replaced with new nodes
to accommodate the added degrees-of-freedom. Then constraint equations are used to join
the nodal points together with the proper release conditions imposed. Consequently,
nodal points which belong to beam elements which have release conditions

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.5 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
applied cannot be subjected to other constraints such as applied displacement
/velocity/acceleration boundary conditions, nodal rigid bodies, nodal
constraint sets, or any of the constraint type contact definitions. Force type
loading conditions and penalty based contact algorithms may be used with this option.

3. Please note that this option may lead to nonphysical constraints if the translational degrees-of-
freedom are released, but this should not be a problem if the displacements are infinitestimal.

4. If the second card is not defined for the resultant beam or if the area, A, is not defined the
properties are taken from the cross section cards, see *SECTION_BEAM.

5. Do not define for discrete beams (beam type 6), see *SECTION_BEAM.

6. Define for resultant beam elements only, see *SECTION_BEAM.

7. The stress resultants are output in local coordinate system for the beam. Stress information is
optional and is also output in the local system for the beam.

12.6 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT

Thethird
The third node,
node, i.e.i.e.,
thethe reference
reference node,
node,
mustbebeunique
must uniquetotoeach
eachbeam
beamelement
elementif if
thecoordinate
the coordinateupdate
updateoption
optionisisused,
used on
Control
see Card 8, columns 76-80.
*CONTROL_OUTPUT. n3

r
s

n2

n1

Figure 12.1. LS-DYNA beam elements. Node n3 determines the initial orientation of the cross
section.

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.7 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_DIRECT_MATRIX_INPUT

Purpose: Define a an element consisting of mass, damping, and stiffness matrices in a specified file
which follows the formats used in the direct matrix input, DMIG, of NASTRAN. Currently, one file
format is supported corresponding to the type 6 symmetric matrix in real double-precision. The
damping matrix is optional. The following three cards are required for each super element. Multiple
super elements can be contained in the same file, or each superelement may be contained in a separate
file. The mass matrix must contain the same number of degrees-of-freedom as the stiffness matrix,
and in the explicit integration scheme for which this element is implemented, the mass matrix must
also be positive definite. This element is assumed to have an arbitrary number of degrees-of-freedom
and the no assumptions are made about the sparse matrix structure of the matricies that comprise this
element. The degrees-of-freedom for this element may consist of generalized coordinates as well as
nodal point quantities.

Card Format (I8)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EID

Type I

Card Format (A80)

Card 2

Variable FILENAME

Type C

Card Format (3A8)

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable MASS DAMP STIF

Type C C C

12.8 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Super element ID.

FILENAME Path and name of a file which containes the input matrices for this element.

MASS Name of mass matrix in the file defined by FILENAME. This filename
should be no more than eight characters to be compatible with NASTRAN.

DAMP Name of damping matrix in the file defined by FILENAME. This filename
should be no more than eight characters to be compatible with NASTRAN.

STIF Name of stiffness matrix in the file defined by FILENAME. This filename
should be no more than eight characters to be compatible with NASTRAN.

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.9 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_DISCRETE

Purpose: Define a discrete (spring or damper) element between two nodes or a node and ground. It
is recommended that beam type 6, see *ELEMENT_BEAM and SECTION_BEAM, be used
whenever possible, especially if orientation is specified. The latter option tends to be more accurate
and cost effective. The *ELEMENT_DISCRETE option is no longer be developed and extended.

Note: These elements enter into the time step calculations. Care must be taken to ensure that the
nodal masses connected by the springs and dampers are defined and unrealistically high
stiffness and damping values must be avoided. All rotations are in radians.
Card Format (5I8,E16.0,I8,E16.0)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable EID PID N1 N2 VID S PF OFFSET

Type I I I I I F I F

Default none none none none 0 1. 0 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Element ID. A unique number has to be used.

PID Part ID, see *PART.

N1 Nodal point 1.

N2 Nodal point 2. If zero, the spring/damper connects node N1 to ground.

VID Orientation option. The orientation option should be used cautiously since
forces, which are generated as the nodal points displace, are not orthogonal
to rigid body rotation unless the nodes are coincident.. The type 6, 3D
beam element, is recommended when orientation is required with the
absolute value of the parameter SCOOR set to 2 or 3, since this option
avoids rotational constraints.
EQ.0: the spring/damper acts along the axis from node N1 to N2,
NE.0: the spring/damper acts along the axis defined by the orientation
vector, VID defined in the *DEFINE_SD_ORIENTATION section.

S Scale factor on forces.

PF Print flag:
EQ.0: forces are printed in DEFORC file, see *DATABASE_OPTION,
EQ.1: forces are not printed DEFORC file.

OFFSET Initial offset. The initial offset is a displacement or rotation at time zero.
For example, a positive offset on a translational spring will lead to a tensile
force being developed at time zero.

12.10 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_INERTIA

Purpose: Define a lumped inertia element assigned to a nodal point.

Card Format (10I8)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable EID NID CSID

Type I I I

Default none none none

Remarks 1

Card Format (8I10)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IXX IXY IXZ IYY IYZ IZZ

Type F F F F F F

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Remarks 2 2 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Element ID. A unique number must be used.

NID Node ID. Node to which the mass is assigned.

CSID Coordinate set ID

EQ.0: global inertia tensor
GE.1: principal moments of inertias with
orientation vectors defined by Coordinate set CSID. See
*DEFINE_COORDINATE_SYSTEM and
*DEFINE_COORDINATE_VECTOR.

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.11 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IXX XX component of inertia tensor.

IXY XY component of inertia tensor.

IXZ XZ component of inertia tensor.

IYY YY component of inertia tensor.

IYZ YZ component of inertia tensor.

IZZ ZZ component of inertia tensor.

Remarks:

1. The coordinate system cannot be defined using the option *DEFINE_COORDINATE_NODE

for this element.

2. If CSID is defined then IXY, IXZ and IYZ are set to zero. The nodal inertia tensor must be
positive definite, i.e., its determinant must be greater than zero, since its inverse is required.
This check is done after the nodal inertia is added to the defined inertia tensor.

12.12 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_MASS

Purpose: Define a lumped mass element assigned to a nodal point .

Card Format (2I8,E16.0)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable EID NID MASS

Type I I F

Default none none 0.

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Element ID. A unique number must be used.

NID Node ID. Node to which the mass is assigned.

MASS Mass value

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.13 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_SEATBELT

Purpose: Define a seat belt element.

Card Format (5I8,E16.0)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable EID PID N1 N2 SBRID SLEN

Type I I I I I F

Default none none none none none 0.0

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Element ID. A unique number has to be used.

PID Part ID

N1 Node 1 ID

N2 Node 2 ID

SBRID Retractor ID, see *ELEMENT_SEATBELT_RETRACTOR.

SLEN Initial slack length

Remarks:

1. The retractor ID should be defined only if the element is initially inside a retractor, see
*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_RETRACTOR.

2. Belt elements are single degree of freedom elements connecting two nodes. When the strain
in an element is positive (i.e. the current length is greater then the unstretched length), a
tension force is calculated from the material characteristics and is applied along the current
axis of the element to oppose further stretching. The unstretched length of the belt is taken as
the initial distance between the two nodes defining the position of the element plus the initial
slack length.

12.14 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_ACCELEROMETER

Purpose: Define seat belt accelerometer. The accelerometer is fixed to a rigid body containing the
three nodes defined below.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SBACID NID1 NID2 NID3 IGRAV

Type I I I I I

Default 0 0 0 0 0

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SBACID Accelerometer ID. A unique number has to be used.

NID1 Node 1 ID

NID2 Node 2 ID

NID3 Node 3 ID

IGRAV Gravitational accelerations due to body force loads.

EQ.0: included in acceleration output
EQ.1: removed from acceleration output
Remarks:

The presence of the accelerometer means that the accelerations and velocities of node 1
will be output to all output files in local instead of global coordinates.

The local coordinate system is defined by the three nodes as follows:

• local x from node 1 to node 2,

• local z perpendicular to the plane containing nodes, 1, 2, and 3 (z = x × a),

where a is from node 1 to node 3),

• local y = z × x .

The three nodes should all be part of the same rigid body. The local axis then rotates with the
body.

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.15 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_PRETENSIONER

Purpose: Define seat belt pretensioner. A combination with sensors and retractors is also possible.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SBPRID SBPRTY SBSID1 SBSID2 SBSID3 SBSID4

Type I I I I I I

Default 0 0 0 0 0 0

Remarks 1

Second Card

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SBRID TIME PTLCID

Type I F I

Default 0 0.0 0

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SBPRID Pretensioner ID. A unique number has to be used.

SBPRTY Pretensioner type:

EQ.1: pyrotechnic retractor,
EQ.2: pre-loaded spring becomes active,
EQ.3: lock spring removed.

12.16 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SBSID1 Sensor 1, see *ELEMENT_SEATBELT_SENSOR.

SBSID2 Sensor 2, see *ELEMENT_SEATBELT_SENSOR.

SBSID3 Sensor 3, see *ELEMENT_SEATBELT_SENSOR.

SBSID4 Sensor 4, see *ELEMENT_SEATBELT_SENSOR.

SBRID Retractor number (SBPRTY = 1) or spring element number (SBPRTY = 2

or 3).

TIME Time between sensor triggering and pretensioner acting.

PTLCID Load curve for pretensioner (Time after activation, Pull-in) (SBPRTY = 1).

Remarks:

1. At least one sensor should be defined.

Pretensioners allow modeling of three types of active devices which tighten the belt during the
initial stages of a crash. The first type represents a pyrotechnic device which spins the spool of
a retractor, causing the belt to be reeled in. The user defines a pull-in versus time curve which
applies once the pretensioner activates. The remaining types represent preloaded springs or
torsion bars which move the buckle when released. The pretensioner is associated with any
type of spring element including rotational. Note that the preloaded spring, locking spring and
any restraints on the motion of the associated nodes are defined in the normal way; the action of
the pretensioner is merely to cancel the force in one spring until (or after) it fires. With the
second type, the force in the spring element is canceled out until the pretensioner is activated.
In this case the spring in question is normally a stiff, linear spring which acts as a locking
mechanism, preventing motion of the seat belt buckle relative to the vehicle. A preloaded
spring is defined in parallel with the locking spring. This type avoids the problem of the buckle
being free to ‘drift’ before the pretensioner is activated.

To activate the pretensioner, the following sequence of events must occur:

1. Any one of up to four sensors must be triggered.

2. Then a user-defined time delay occurs.

3. Then the pretensioner acts.

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.17 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_RETRACTOR

Purpose: Define seat belt retractor.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SBRID SBRNID SBID SID1 SID2 SID3 SID4

Type I I I I I I I

Default 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Remarks 1 2

Second Card

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TDEL PULL LLCID ULCID LFED

Type F F I I F

Default 0.0 0.0 0 0 0.0

Remarks 3 4

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SBRID Retractor ID. A unique number has to be used.

SBRNID Retractor node ID

SBID Seat belt element ID

SID1 Sensor ID 1

12.18 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID2 Sensor ID 2

SID3 Sensor ID 3

SID4 Sensor ID 4

TDEL Time delay after sensor triggers.

PULL Amount of pull-out between time delay ending and retractor locking, a
length value.

LLCID Load curve for loading (Pull-out, Force), see Figure 12.3.

ULCID Load curve for unloading (Pull-out, Force), see Figure 12.3.

LFED Fed length, see explanation below.

Remarks:

1. The retractor node should not be on any belt elements. The element defined should have one
node coincident with the retractor node but should not be inside the retractor.

2. At least one sensor should be defined.

3. The first point of the load curve should be (0, Tmin). T min is the minimum tension. All
subsequent tension values should be greater than Tmin.

4. The unloading curve should start at zero tension and increase monotonically (i.e., no
segments of negative or zero slope).

Retractors allow belt material to be paid out into a belt element. Retractors operate in
one of two regimes: unlocked when the belt material is paid out, or reeled in under constant
tension and locked when a user defined force-pullout relationship applies.

The retractor is initially unlocked, and the following sequence of events must occur for it to
become locked:

1. Any one of up to four sensors must be triggered. (The sensors are described below.)

2. Then a user-defined time delay occurs.

3. Then a user-defined length of belt must be paid out (optional).

4. Then the retractor locks and once locked, it remains locked.

In the unlocked regime, the retractor attempts to apply a constant tension to the belt.
This feature allows an initial tightening of the belt and takes up any slack whenever it occurs.
The tension value is taken from the first point on the force-pullout load curve. The maximum
rate of pull out or pull in is given by 0.01 × fed length per time step. Because of this, the
constant tension value is not always achieved.
LS-DYNA Version 960 12.19 (ELEMENT)
*ELEMENT
In the locked regime, a user-defined curve describes the relationship between the force
in the attached element and the amount of belt material paid out. If the tension in the belt
subsequently relaxes, a different user-defined curve applies for unloading. The unloading
curve is followed until the minimum tension is reached.

The curves are defined in terms of initial length of belt. For example, if a belt is
marked at 10mm intervals and then wound onto a retractor, and the force required to make each
mark emerge from the (locked) retractor is recorded, the curves used for input would be as
follows:

0 Minimum tension (should be > zero)

10mm Force to emergence of first mark

20mm Force to emergence of second mark

. .

. .

. .

Pyrotechnic pretensions may be defined which cause the retractor to pull in the belt at a
predetermined rate. This overrides the retractor force-pullout relationship from the moment
when the pretensioner activates.

If desired, belt elements may be defined which are initially inside the retractor. These
will emerge as belt material is paid out, and may return into the retractor if sufficient material is
reeled in during unloading.

Elements e2, e3 and e4 are initially inside the retractor, which is paying out material into
element e1. When the retractor has fed Lcrit into e1, where

Lcrit = fed length - 1.1 × minimum length

(minimum length defined on belt material input)

(fed length defined on retractor input)

element e2 emerges with an unstretched length of 1.1 × minimum length; the unstretched length
of element e1 is reduced by the same amount. The force and strain in e1 are unchanged; in e2,
they are set equal to those in e1. The retractor now pays out material into e2.

If no elements are inside the retractor, e2 can continue to extend as more material is fed
into it.

As the retractor pulls in the belt (for example, during initial tightening), if the
unstretched length of the mouth element becomes less than the minimum length, the element is
taken into the retractor.

To define a retractor, the user enters the retractor node, the ‘mouth’ element (into which
belt material will be fed), e1 in Figure 11.2, up to 4 sensors which can trigger unlocking, a
time delay, a payout delay (optional), load and unload curve numbers, and the fed length. The

12.20 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT
retractor node is typically part of the vehicle structure; belt elements should not be connected to
this node directly, but any other feature can be attached including rigid bodies. The mouth
element should have a node coincident with the retractor but should not be inside the retractor.
The fed length would typically be set either to a typical element initial length, for the distance
between painted marks on a real belt for comparisons with high speed film. The fed length
should be at least three times the minimum length.

If there are elements initially inside the retractor (e2, e3 and e4 in the Figure) they
should not be referred to on the retractor input, but the retractor should be identified on the
element input for these elements. Their nodes should all be coincident with the retractor node
and should not be restrained or constrained. Initial slack will automatically be set to 1.1 ×
minimum length for these elements; this overrides any user-defined value.

Weblockers can be included within the retractor representation simply by entering a

‘locking up’ characteristic in the force pullout curve, see Figure 12.3. The final section can be
very steep (but must have a finite slope).

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.21 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT

Element 1
Before

Element 1
Element 2

Element 3
Element 2
Element 4
After

Element 3
Element 4

All nodes within this area are

coincident.

Figure 12.2. Elements in a retractor.

12.22 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT

with weblockers

without weblockers

F
O
R
C
E

PULLOUT

Figure 12.3. Retractor force pull characteristics.

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.23 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_SENSOR

Purpose: Define seat belt sensor. Four types are possible, see explanation below.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SBSID SBSTYP SBSFL

Type I I I

Default 0 0 0

Remarks

Second Card if SBSTYP=1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID DOF ACC ATIME

Type I I F F

Default 0 0 0.0 0.0

Remarks 1

12.24 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT
Second Card if SBSTYP=2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SBRID PULRAT PULTIM

Type I F F

Default 0 0.0 0.0

Remarks

Second Card if SBSTYP=3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TIME

Type F

Default 0.0

Remarks

Second Card if SBSTYP=4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID1 NID2 DMX DMN

Type I I F F

Default 0 0 0.0 0.0

Remarks 2 2

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.25 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SBSID Sensor ID. A unique number has to be used.

SBSTYP Sensor type:

EQ.1: acceleration of node,
EQ.2: retractor pull-out rate,
EQ.3: time,
EQ.4: distance between nodes.

SBSFL Sensor flag:

EQ.0: sensor active during dynamic relaxation,
EQ.1: sensor can be triggered during dynamic relaxation.

NID Node ID of sensor

DOF Degree of freedom:

EQ.1: x,
EQ.2: y,
EQ.3: z.

ACC Activating acceleration

ATIME Time over which acceleration must be exceeded

SBRID Retractor ID, see *ELEMENT_SEATBELT_RETRACTOR.

PULRAT Rate of pull-out (length/time units)

PULTIM Time over which rate of pull-out must be exceeded

TIME Time at which sensor triggers

NID1 Node 1 ID

NID2 Node 2 ID

DMX Maximum distance

DMN Minimum distance

Remarks:

1. Node should not be on rigid body, velocity boundary condition, or other ‘imposed motion’
feature.

2. Sensor triggers when the distance between the two nodes is d > dmax or d < dmin .

Sensors are used to trigger locking of retractors and activate pretensioners. Four types of
sensors are available which trigger according to the following criteria:

12.26 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT
Type 1 – When the magnitude of x-, y-, or z- acceleration of a given node has
remained above a given level continuously for a given time, the sensor triggers. This
does not work with nodes on rigid bodies.

Type 2 – When the rate of belt payout from a given retractor has remained above
a given level continuously for a given time, the sensor triggers.

Type 3 – The sensor triggers at a given time.

Type 4 – The sensor triggers when the distance between two nodes exceeds a
given maximum or becomes less than a given minimum. This type of sensor is
intended for use with an explicit mass/spring representation of the sensor mechanism.

By default, the sensors are inactive during dynamic relaxation. This allows initial tightening of
the belt and positioning of the occupant on the seat without locking the retractor or firing any
pretensioners. However, a flag can be set in the sensor input to make the sensors active during
the dynamic relaxation phase.

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.27 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_SEATBELT_SLIPRING

Purpose: Define seat belt slip ring.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SBSRID SBID1 SBID2 FC SBRNID

Type I I I F I

Default 0 0 0 0.0 0

Remarks yes yes yes yes yes

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SBSRID Slipring ID. A unique number has to be used.

SBID1 Seat belt element 1 ID

SBID2 Seat belt element 2 ID

FC Coulomb friction coefficient

SBRNID Slip ring node, NID

Remarks:

Elements 1 and 2 should share a node which is coincident with the slip ring node. The
slip ring node should not be on any belt elements.

Sliprings allow continuous sliding of a belt through a sharp change of angle. Two
elements (1 & 2 in Figure 12.4) meet at the slipring. Node B in the belt material remains
attached to the slipring node, but belt material (in the form of unstretched length) is passed from
element 1 to element 2 to achieve slip. The amount of slip at each timestep is calculated from
the ratio of forces in elements 1 and 2. The ratio of forces is determined by the relative angle
between elements 1 and 2 and the coefficient of friction, µ. The tension in the belts are taken as
T1 and T2, where T2 is on the high tension side and T1 is the force on the low tension side.
Thus, if T2 is sufficiently close to T1, no slip occurs; otherwise, slip is just sufficient to reduce
the ratio T2 ⁄T1 to eµΘ. No slip occurs if both elements are slack. The out-of-balance force at
node B is reacted on the slipring node; the motion of node B follows that of slipring node.

12.28 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT
If, due to slip through the slipring, the unstretched length of an element becomes less
than the minimum length (as entered on the belt material card), the belt is remeshed locally: the
short element passes through the slipring and reappears on the other side (see Figure 12.4).
The new unstretched length of e1 is 1.1 × minimum length. Force and strain in e2 and e3 are
unchanged; force and strain in e1 are now equal to those in e2. Subsequent slip will pass
material from e3 to e1. This process can continue with several elements passing in turn
through the slipring.

To define a slipring, the user identifies the two belt elements which meet at the slipring,
the friction coefficient, and the slipring node. The two elements must have a common node
coincident with the slipring node. No attempt should be made to restrain or constrain the
common node for its motion will automatically be constrained to follow the slipring node.
Typically, the slipring node is part of the vehicle body structure and, therefore, belt elements
should not be connected to this node directly, but any other feature can be attached, including
rigid bodies.

Slipring

B
Element 2
Element 1

Element 1 Element 3
Element 2

Element 3

Before After
Figure 12.4. Elements passing through slipring.

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.29 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_SHELL_{OPTION}

Available options include:

<BLANK>

THICKNESS

BETA

Purpose: Define three and four noded elements including 3D shells, membranes, 2D plane stress,
plane strain, and axisymmetric solids. The type of the element and its formulation is specified
through the part ID (see *PART) and the section ID (see *SECTION_SHELL). Also, the thickness
of each element can be specified when applicable on the element cards or else a default thickness
value is used from the section definition. For orthotropic and anisotropic materials a local material
angle (variable PSI) can be defined which is cumulative with the integration point angles specified in
*SECTION_SHELL.

Card Format (10I8)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable EID PID N1 N2 N3 N4

Type I I I I I I

Default none none none none none none

Remarks 3 3 3 3

12.30 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT
Optional Card (Required if THICKNESS or BETA is specified after the keyword)
(5E16.0)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable THIC1 THIC2 THIC3 THIC4 PSI

Type F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

Remarks 1 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Element ID. Chose a unique number with respect to other elements.

PID Part ID, see *PART.

N1 Nodal point 1

N2 Nodal point 2

N3 Nodal point 3

N4 Nodal point 4

THIC1 Shell thickness at node 1

THIC2 Shell thickness at node 2

THIC3 Shell thickness at node 3

THIC4 Shell thickness at node 4

PSI Orthotropic material angle offset measured from the reference (1-2 element
side) axis, see remark 6 below. The angle is given in degrees.

Remarks:

1. Default values in place of zero shell thicknesses are taken from the cross-section property
definition of the PID, see *SECTION_SHELL.

2. PSI is defined only for orthotropic and anisotropic materials.

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.31 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
3. Counterclockwise node numbering determines the top surface, see Figure 12.5.

4. Stresses and strain output in the binary databases are by default given in the global coordinate
system. Stress resultants are output in the local coordinate system for the shell element.

5. Interior angles must be less than 180 degrees.

6. To allow for an arbitrary orientation of the shell elements within the finite element mesh, each
ply in the composite has a unique material orientation angle which measures the offset from
some reference in the element. Each integration point through the shell thickness, typically
though not limited to one point per ply, requires the definition of the orientation angle at that
point. The reference is determined by the angle ψ, which can be defined for each element on
the element card, and is measured from the 1-2 element side. Figures 12.6 and 12.7 depict
these angles.

n1
n2

n1

n4
n3

n2 n3

Figure 12.5. LS-DYNA shell elements. Counterclockwise node numbering determines the top
surface.

12.32 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT

n4 n3
c
a
b β
ψ
n1 x
n2

Figure 12.6 Orientation of material directions relative to the 1-2 side.

θ = ψ+β
z
θ y

Figure 12.7. A multi-layer laminate can be defined. The angle βi is defined for the ith lamina
(integration point), see *SECTION_SHELL.

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.33 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_SOLID_{OPTION}

Available options include:

<BLANK>

ORTHO

Purpose: Define three dimensional solid elements including 4 noded tetrahedrons and 8-noded
hexahedrons. The type of solid element and its formulation is specified through the part ID (see
*PART) and the section ID (see *SECTION_SOLID_OPTION). Also, a local coordinate system for
orthotropic and anisotropic materials can be defined by using the ORTHO option.

Card Format (10I8)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable EID PID N1 N2 N3 N4 N5 N6 N7 N8

Type I I I I I I I I I I

Default none none none none none none none none none none

Remarks 1

Optional Cards (Required if ORTHO is specified after the keyword)

Optional card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable A1 A2 A3

Type F F F

Default 0. 0. 0.

Remarks 2

12.34 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT

Optional card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable D1 D2 D3

Type F F F

Default 0. 0. 0.

Remarks 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Element ID. A unique number has to be chosen.

PID Part ID, see *PART.

N1 Nodal point 1

N2 Nodal point 2

N3 Nodal point 3

. .

. .

N8 Nodal point 8

A1 x-component of local material direction a, or else rotation angle in degrees

(see remark 4).

A2 y-component of local material direction a.

A3 z-component of local material direction a.

D1 x-component of vector in the plane of the material vectors a and b.

D2 y-component of vector in the plane of the material vectors a and b.

D3 z-component of vector in the plane of the material vectors a and b.

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.35 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
Remarks:

1. Four, six, and eight node elements are depicted in Figure 12.8 where the ordering of the nodal
points is shown. This ordering must be followed or code termination with occur during the
initialization phase with a negative volume message. The input of nodes on the element cards
for the tetrahedron and pentahedron elements is given by:

4-noded tetrahedron N1, N2, N3, N4, N4, N4, N4, N4

6-noded pentahedron N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N5, N6, N6

If hexahedrons are mixed with tetrahedrons and pentahedrons in the input under the same part
ID, degenerate tetrahedrons and pentahedrons are used. One problem with degenerate elements
is related to an uneven mass distribution (node 4 of the tetrahedron has five times the mass of
nodes 1-3) which can make these elements somewhat unstable with the default time step size.
By using the control flag under the keyword, *CONTROL_SOLID, automatic sorting can be
invoked to treat the degenerate elements as type 10 and type 15 tetrahedrons and pentahedrons
elements, respectively.

2. For the orthotropic and anisotropic material models the local directions may be defined on the
second card following the element connectivity definition. The local directions are then
computed from the two vectors such that (see Figure 12.9):

c = a × d and b = c × a .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

These vectors are internally normalized within LS-DYNA.

3. Stress output for solid elements is in the global coordinate system by default.

4. If vector d is input as a zero length vector, then A1 is interpreted as a rotation angle in degrees
which is used for AOPT=3 on various orthotropic material cards such as *MAT_OPTION
TROPIC_ELASTIC.

12.36 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT

3 1
solids
7
5 6
3
8

2 6
4
3
1
4 2
5
1

4-node n1 n2 n3 n4 n4 n4 n4 n4

6-node n1 n2 n3 n4 n5 n5 n6 n6

Figure 12.8. Four, six, and eight node solid elements. Nodes 1-4 are on the bottom surface.

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.37 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT

c
d
a
b

Figure 12.9 Two vectors a and d are defined and the triad is computed and stored. Vectors b
and d lie in the same plane.

12.38 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_SPH

Purpose: Define a lumped mass element assigned to a nodal point .

Card Format (2I8,E16.0)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable NID PID MASS

Type I I F

Default none none 0.

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Node ID and Element ID are the same for the SPH option.

PID Part ID to which this node (element) belongs.

MASS Mass value

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.39 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_TRIM

Purpose: Define a part subset to be trimmed by *DEFINE_CURVE_TRIM.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable PSID

Type I

Default none

Remarks 1,2,3

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PSID Part set ID for trimming, see *SET_PART.

Remarks:

1. This command in combination with *DEFINE_CURVE_TRIM trims the requested parts before
the job starts.

2 In case this command does not exist and only *DEFINE_CURVE_TRIM is available in the
input, the related parts are trimmed after the job is terminated.

3 Pre-trimming (*ELEMENT_TRIM + *DEFINE_CURVE_TRIM) can handle adaptive mesh

and post-trimming. The keyword *DEFINE_CURVE_TRIM by itself cannot deal with an
adaptive mesh. See the detailed proceduce outlined in the Remarks in the section
*INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK.

12.40 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *ELEMENT
*ELEMENT_TSHELL

Purpose: Define an eight node thick shell element which is available with either fully reduced or
selectively reduced integration rules. This element can be used as an alternative to the 4 node shell
elements. The major use is for transition between shell and solid regions or for modelling thick
shells. The definition is completed by the *PART and *SECTION_TSHELL cards. The behavior of
this shell exhibits excessive stiffness for large radius/thickness ratios

Card Format (10I8)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable EID PID N1 N2 N3 N4 N5 N6 N7 N8

Type I I I I I I I I I I

Default none none none none none none none none none none

Remarks 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Element ID. Unique numbers have to be used.

PID Part ID, see *PART.

N1 Nodal point 1

N2 Nodal point 2

N3 Nodal point 3

. .

. .

N8 Nodal point 8

LS-DYNA Version 960 12.41 (ELEMENT)

*ELEMENT
Remarks:

1. The correct numbering of the nodes is essential for correct use. Nodes n1 to n4 define the
lower surface, and nodes n5 to n8 define the upper surface. If one point integration is used
(see *SECTION_TSHELL), the integration points then lie along the t-axis as depicted in
Figure 12.10. Two by two selective reduced integration is also available. Extreme care must
be used in defining the connectivity to insure proper orientation.

2. The stresses for this shell element are output in the global coordinate system.

3. To define a thick shell wedge element nodal pairs n3 & n4 and n7 & n8 are repeated. The
ordering is then n1, n2, n3, n3, n4, n5, n6, n6, where nodes n1, n2, n3 form the lower
triangular face and nodes n4, n5, n6 for the upper triangular face of the wedge.

t
n5 n8

n4
n1

n6 n7

n2 n3
r

Figure 12.10. Solid 8-node Shell Element.

12.42 (ELEMENT) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS

*EOS
LS-DYNA has historically referenced equations of state by type identifiers. Below these
identifiers are given with the corresponding keyword name in the order that they appear in the
manual. The equations of state can be used with a subset of the materials that are available for
solid elements.

TYPE 1: *EOS_LINEAR_POLYNOMIAL

TYPE 2: *EOS_JWL

TYPE 3: *EOS_SACK_TUESDAY

TYPE 4: *EOS_GRUNEISEN

TYPE 5: *EOS_RATIO_OF_POLYNOMIALS

TYPE 6: *EOS_LINEAR_POLYNOMIAL_WITH_ENERGY_LEAK

TYPE 7: *EOS_IGNITION_AND_GROWTH_OF_REACTION_IN_HE

TYPE 8: *EOS_TABULATED_COMPACTION

TYPE 9: *EOS_TABULATED

TYPE 10: *EOS_PROPELLANT_DEFLAGRATION

TYPE 11: *EOS_TENSOR_PORE_COLLAPSE

TYPE 14: *EOS_JWLB

An additional option _TITLE may be appended to all the *EOS keywords. If this option is used
then an addition line is read for each section in 80a format which can be used to describe the equation
of state. At present LS-DYNA does make use of the title. Inclusion of titles gives greater clarity to
input decks.

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.1 (EOS)

*EOS
*EOS_LINEAR_POLYNOMIAL

Purpose: Define coefficients for linear polynomial EOS.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EOSID C0 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6

Type I F F F F F F F

Card 2

Variable E0 V0

Type F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EOSID Equation of state label

C0

C1

C2

C3

C4

C5

C6

E0 Initial internal energy

V0 Initial relative volume

13.2 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS
Remarks:

The linear polynomial equation of state is linear in internal energy. The pressure is given by:

P = C0 + C1µ + C2 µ 2 + C3 µ 3 + (C4 + C5 µ + C6 µ 2 ) E .

ρ ρ
where terms C 2 µ 2 and C 6 µ 2 are set to zero if µ < 0 , µ = − 1 , and is the ratio of current
ρ0 ρ0
density to initial density.

The linear polynomial equation of state may be used to model gas with the gamma law
equation of state. This may be achieved by setting:

C0 = C1 = C2 = C3 = C6 = 0

and

C4 = C5 = γ − 1

where γ is the ratio of specific heats. The pressure is then given by:

ρ
p = ( γ − 1) E
ρ0

The units of E are the units of pressure.

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.3 (EOS)

*EOS
*EOS_JWL

This is Equation of state Form 2.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EOSID A B R1 R2 OMEG E0 VO

Type I F F F F F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EOSID Equation of state label

R1

R2

OMEG

E0

V0 Initial relative volume.

Remarks:

The JWL equation of state defines the pressure as

 ω  − R1 V  ω  − R 2 V ωE
p = A 1 − e + B 1 − e + ,
 R 1 V  
 R 2 V  V

and is usually used for detonation products of high explosives.

13.4 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS
*EOS_SACK_TUESDAY

This is Equation of state Form 3.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EOSID A1 A2 A3 B1 B2 E0 V0

Type I F F F F F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EOSID Equation of state label

A1

A2

A3

B1

B2

E0 Initial internal energy

V0 Initial relative volume

Remarks:

The Sack equation of state defines pressure as

A3 − A 2 V  B1  B
p= e 1 −  + 2 E
V A1
 V V

and is used for detonation products of high explosives.

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.5 (EOS)

*EOS
*EOS_GRUNEISEN

This is Equation of state Form 4.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EOSID C S1 S2 S3 GAMAO A E0

Type I F F F F F F F

Card 2

Variable V0

Type F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EOSID Equation of state ID

S1

S2

S3

GAMAO

E0 Initial internal energy

V0 Initial relative volume

13.6 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS
Remarks:

The Gruneisen equation of state with cubic shock velocity-particle velocity defines pressure
for compressed materials as

p=
[
ρ0 C 2 µ 1 + (1 − γ20 ) µ − 2a µ 2 ] + (γ 0 + a µ ) E.
[ ( ) ]
2
µ 2
µ3
1 − S1 − 1 µ − S 2 µ +1 − S3 ( µ +1)2

and for expanded materials as

p = ρ0 C 2 µ + ( γ 0 + aµ ) E.

where C is the intercept of the vs-vp curve; S1, S2, and S3 are the coefficients of the slope of the vs-
ρ
vp curve; γ0 is the Gruneisen gamma; a is the first order volume correction to γ0; and µ = − 1.
ρ0

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.7 (EOS)

*EOS
*EOS_RATIO_OF_POLYNOMIALS

This is Equation of state Form 5.

Card Format (I10) for card 1, (4E20.0) all following cards.

Card 1 1

Variable EOSID

Type I

Card 2 1 2 3 4

Variable A10 A11 A12 A13

Type F F F F

Card 3 1 2 3 4

Variable A20 A21 A22 A23

Type F F F F

Card 4 1 2 3 4

Variable A30 A31 A32 A33

Type F F F F

Card 5 1 2 3 4

Variable A40 A41 A42 A43

Type F F F F

13.8 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS

Card 6 1 2 3 4

Variable A50 A51 A52 A53

Type F F F F

Card 7 1 2 3 4

Variable A60 A61 A62 A63

Type F F F F

Card 8 1 2 3 4

Variable A70 A71 A72 A73

Type F F F F

Card 9 1 2

Variable A14 A24

Type F F

Card 10 1 2 3 4

Variable ALPH BETA E0 V0

Type F F F F

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.9 (EOS)

*EOS
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EOSID Equation of state ID

A10

A11

A12

A13

A20

A21

A22

A23

A30

A31

A32

A33

A40

A41

A42

A43

A50

A51

A52

A53

A60

A61

A62

A63

A70

A71

13.10 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

A72

A73

A14

A24

ALPHA α

BETA β

E0 Initial internal energy

V0 Initial relative volume

Remarks:

The ratio of polynomials equation of state defines the pressure as

F1 + F2 E + F3 E 2 + F4 E 3
p= (1 + αµ )
F5 + F6 E + F7 E 2

where
n
Fi = ∑ Aij µ j n = 4 if i < 3
j=0

ρ
µ= −1 n = 3 if i ≥ 3
ρ0

In expanded elements F1 is replaced by F′1 = F1 + β µ 2. By setting coefficient A10 = 1.0, the

delta-phase pressure modeling for this material will be initiated. The code will reset it to 0.0 after
setting flags.

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.11 (EOS)

*EOS
*EOS_LINEAR_POLYNOMIAL_WITH_ENERGY_LEAK

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EOSID C0 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6

Type I F F F F F F F

Card 2

Variable E0 V0 LCID

Type F F I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EOSID Equation of state label

C0

C1

C2

C3

C4

C5

C6

E0 Initial internal energy

V0 Initial relative volume

LCID Load curve ID defining the energy deposition rate

13.12 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS
Remarks:

This polynomial equation of state, linear in the internal energy per initial volume, E , is given
by

p = C0 + C1µ + C2 µ 2 + C3 µ 3 + (C4 + C5 µ + C6 µ 2 ) E

in which C0 , C1 , C2 , C3 , C4 , C5 , and C6 are user defined constants and

1
µ= −1.
V

where V is the relative volume. In expanded elements, we set the coefficients of µ 2 to zero, i.e.,

C2 = C6 = 0

Internal energy, E , is increased according to an energy deposition rate versus time curve whose ID
is defined in the input.

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.13 (EOS)

*EOS
*EOS_IGNITION_AND_GROWTH_OF_REACTION_IN_HE

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EOSID A B XP1 XP2 FRER G R1

Type F F F F F F F F

Card 2

Variable R2 R3 R5 R6 FMXIG FREQ GROW1 EM

Type F F F F F F F F

Card 3

Variable AR1 ES1 CVP CVR EETAL CCRIT ENQ TMP0

Type F F F F F F F F

Card 4

Variable GROW2 AR2 ES2 EN FMXGR FMNGR

Type F F F F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EOSID Equation of state label

B
XP1

13.14 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XP2

FRER

R1

R2

R3

R5

R6

FMXIG

FREQ

GROW1

EM

AR1

ES1

CVP Heat capacity of reaction products

CVR Heat capacity of unreacted HE

EETAL

CCRIT

ENQ Heat of reaction

TMP0 Initial temperature (°K)

GROW2

AR2

ES2

EN

FMXGR

FMNGR

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.15 (EOS)

*EOS
Remarks:

Equation of State Form 7 is used to calculate the shock initiation (or failure to initiate) and
detonation wave propagation of solid high explosives. It should be used instead of the ideal HE burn
options whenever there is a question whether the HE will react, there is a finite time required for a
shock wave to build up to detonation, and/or there is a finite thickness of the chemical reaction zone
in a detonation wave. At relatively low initial pressures (<2-3 GPa), this equation of state should be
used with material type 10 for accurate calculations of the unreacted HE behavior. At higher initial
pressures, material type 9 can be used. A JWL equation of state defines the pressure in the unreacted
explosive as

Te
Pe = r1e − r 5Ve + r2 e − r 6Ve + r3
Ve
(r3 = ω e cvr )
where Ve and Te are the relative volume and temperature, respectively, of the unreacted explosive.
Another JWL equation of state defines the pressure in the reaction products as

Pp = a e − xp1Vp + be − xp2Vp +
gTp
Vp
(
g = ω p cvp )
where Vp and Tp are the relative volume and temperature, respectively, of the reaction products. As
the chemical reaction converts unreacted explosive to reaction products, these JWL equations of state
are used to calculate the mixture of unreacted explosive and reaction products defined by the fraction
reacted F(F=O implies no reaction, F=1 implies complete reaction). The temperatures and pressures
are assumed to be equal (Te=Tp, pe=pp) and the relative volumes are additive, i.e.,

V = (1-F) Ve + Vp

The chemical reaction rate for conversion of unreacted explosive to reaction products consists of
three physically realistic terms: an ignition term in which a small amount of explosive reacts soon
after the shock wave compresses it; a slow growth of reaction as this initial reaction spreads; and a
rapid completion of reaction at high pressure and temperature. The form of the reaction rate equation
is

∂F
= freq (1 −F ) (Ve −1 − 1 − ccrit )
frer eetal
(Ignition)
∂t

+ grow1(1 − F )
esl
F arl p em (Growth)

+ grow 2(1 − F ) F ar 2 p en
es 2
(Completion)

The ignition rate is set equal to zero when F≥fmxig, the growth rate is set equal to zero when
F≥fmxgr, and the completion rate is set equal to zero when F≤fmngr.

Details of the computational methods and many examples of one and two dimensional shock
initiation and detonation wave calculation can be found in the references. Unfortunately, sufficient
experimental data has been obtained for only two solid explosives to develop very reliable shock
initiation models: PBX-9504 (and the related HMX-based explosives LX-14,LX-10,LX-04, etc.)
and LX-17 (the insensitive TATB-based explosive). Reactive flow models have been developed for
other explosives (TNT, PETN, Composition B, propellants, etc.) but are based on very limited
experimental data.

13.16 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS
History variables 85 and 89 are temperature and burn fraction, respectively. See
*DATABASE_EXTENT_BINARY if these output variables are desired in the databases for post-
processing.

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.17 (EOS)

*EOS
*EOS_TABULATED_COMPACTION

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EOSID GAMA E0 V0

Type I F F F

Card Format (5E16.0)

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5

Variable EV1 EV2 EV3 EV4 EV5

Type F F F F F

Card 3

Variable EV6 EV7 EV8 EV9 EV10

Type F F F F F

Repeat Cards 2 and 3 for Ci, Ti, and Ki . A total of 9 cards must be defined.
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EOSID Equation of state label

εV1,εV2,..εVN ln V

C1,C2,..CN

T1,T2,..TN

K1,K2,..KN

GAMA γ

E0 Initial internal energy

V0 Initial relative volume

13.18 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS
Remarks:

The tabulated compaction model is linear in internal energy. Pressure is defined by

p = C (ε V ) + γ T (ε V ) E

in the loading phase. The volumetric strain, εV is given by the natural logarithm of the relative
volume. Unloading occurs along the unloading bulk modulus to the pressure cutoff. Reloading
always follows the unloading path to the point where unloading began, and continues on the loading
path, see Figure 13.1. Up to 10 points and as few as 2 may be used when defining the tabulated
functions. LS-DYNA will extrapolate to find the pressure if necessary.

pressure

The bulk unloading

modulus is a function
of volumetic strain

Volumetric strain
tension cutoff

Figure 13.1. Pressure versus volumetric strain curve for Equation of state Form 8 with
compaction. In the compacted states the bulk unloading modulus depends on the
peak volumetric strain.

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.19 (EOS)

*EOS
*EOS_TABULATED

This is Equation of state Form 9.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EOSID GAMA E0 VO

Type I F F F

Card Format (5E16.0)

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5

Variable EV1 EV2 EV3 EV4 EV5

Type F F F F F

Card 3

Variable EV6 EV7 EV8 EV9 EV10

Type F F F F F

Repeat Cards 2 and 3 for Ci and Ti. A total of 7 cards must be defined.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EOSID Equation of state label

εV1,εV2,..εVN ln V

C1,C2,..CN

T1,T2,..TN

13.20 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

GAMA γ

E0 Initial internal energy

V0 Initial relative volume

Remarks:

The tabulated equation of state model is linear in internal energy. Pressure is defined by

P = C (εV) + γ T(εV) E

The volumetric strain, εV is given by the natural logarithm of the relative volume. Up to 10 points
and as few as 2 may be used when defining the tabulated functions. LS-DYNA will extrapolate to
find the pressure if necessary.

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.21 (EOS)

*EOS
*EOS_PROPELLANT_DEFLAGRATION

This Equation of state (10) has been added to model airbag propellants.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EOSID A B XP1 XP2 FRER

Type F F F F F F

Card 2

Variable g R1 R2 R3 R5

Type F F F F F

Card 3

Variable R6 FMXIG FREQ GROW1 EM

Type F F F F F

Card 4

Variable AR1 ES1 CVP CVR EETAL CCRIT ENQ TMP0

Type F F F F F

Card 5

Variable GROW2 AR2 ES2 EN FMXGR FMNGR

Type F F F F F F

13.22 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

A Product JWL coefficient

B Product JWL coefficient

XP1 Product JWL coefficient

XP2 Product JWL coefficient

FRER Unreacted Co-volume

G Product wCv

R1 Unreacted JWL coefficient

R2 Unreacted JWL coefficient

R3 Unreacted wCv

R5 Unreacted JWL coefficient

R6 Unreacted JWL coefficient

FMXIG Initial Fraction Reacted Fo

FREQ Initial Pressure Po

GROW1 First burn rate coefficient

EM Pressure Exponent (1st term)

AR1 Exponent on F (1st term)

ES1 Exponent on (1-F) (1st term)

CVP Heat capacity products

CVR Heat capacity unreacted

EETAL Extra, not presently used

CCRIT Product co-volume

ENQ Heat of Reaction

TMP0 Initial Temperature (298°K)

GROW2 Second burn rate coefficient

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.23 (EOS)

*EOS
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

AR2 Exponent on F (2nd term)

ES2 Exponent on (1-F) (2nd term)

EN Pressure Exponent (2nd term)

FMXGR Maximum F for 1st term

FMNGR Minimum F for 2nd term

Remarks:

A deflagration (burn rate) reactive flow model requires an unreacted solid equation of state, a
reaction product equation of state, a reaction rate law and a mixture rule for the two (or more)
species. The mixture rule for the standard ignition and growth model [Lee and Tarver 1980]
assumes that both pressures and temperatures are completely equilibrated as the reaction proceeds.
However, the mixture rule can be modified to allow no thermal conduction or partial heating of the
solid by the reaction product gases. For this relatively slow process of airbag propellant burn, the
thermal and pressure equilibrium assumptions are valid. The equations of state currently used in the
burn model are the JWL, Gruneisen, the van der Waals co-volume, and the perfect gas law, but other
equations of state can be easily implemented. In this propellant burn, the gaseous nitrogen produced
by the burning sodium azide obeys the perfect gas law as it fills the airbag but may have to be
modelled as a van der Waal’s gas at the high pressures and temperatures produced in the propellant
chamber. The chemical reaction rate law is pressure, particle geometry and surface area dependant,
as are most high pressure burn processes. When the temperature profile of the reacting system is
well known, temperature dependent Arrhenius chemical kinetics can be used.

Since the airbag propellant composition and performance data are company private
information, it is very difficult to obtain the required information for burn rate modeling. However,
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) Corporation supplied pressure exponent, particle geometry,
packing density, heat of reaction, and atmospheric pressure burn rate data which allowed us to
develop the numerical model presented here for their NaN3 + Fe2O3 driver airbag propellant. The
deflagration model, its implementation, and the results for the ICI propellant are presented in
[Hallquist, et.al., 1990].

The unreacted propellant and the reaction product equations of state are both of the form:

ω Cv T
p = Ae − R1V + Be − R2 V +
V−d
where p is pressure (in Mbars), V is the relative specific volume (inverse of relative density), ω is the
Gruneisen coefficient, Cv is heat capacity (in Mbars -cc/cc°K), T is temperature in °K, d is the co-
volume, and A, B, R1 and R2 are constants. Setting A=B=0. yields the van der Waal’s co-volume
equation of state. The JWL equation of state is generally useful at pressures above several kilobars,
while the van der Waal’s is useful at pressures below that range and above the range for which the
perfect gas law holds. Of course, setting A=B=d=0 yields the perfect gas law. If accurate values of
ω and Cv plus the correct distribution between “cold” compression and internal energies are used, the
calculated temperatures are very reasonable and thus can be used to check propellant performance.

13.24 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS
The reaction rate used for the propellant deflagration process is of the form:

∂F
= Z (1 − F ) F x p w + V (1 − F ) Frp s
y u

∂t for 0< F < F for F < F< 1

limit1 limit2

where F is the fraction reacted (F = 0 implies no reaction, F = 1 is complete reaction), t is time, and
p is pressure (in Mbars), r,s,u,w,x,y, Flimit1 and Flimit2 are constants used to describe the pressure
dependance and surface area dependence of the reaction rates. Two (or more) pressure dependant
reaction rates are included in case the propellant is a mixture or exhibited a sharp change in reaction
rate at some pressure or temperature. Burning surface area dependences can be approximated using
the (1-F)y Fx terms. Other forms of the reaction rate law, such as Arrhenius temperature dependent
e-E/RT type rates, can be used, but these require very accurate temperatures calculations. Although
the theoretical justification of pressure dependent burn rates at kilobar type pressures is not complete,
a vast amount of experimental burn rate versus pressure data does demonstrate this effect and
hydrodynamic calculations using pressure dependent burn accurately simulate such experiments.

The deflagration reactive flow model is activated by any pressure or particle velocity increase
on one or more zone boundaries in the reactive material. Such an increase creates pressure in those
zones and the decomposition begins. If the pressure is relieved, the reaction rate decreases and can
go to zero. This feature is important for short duration, partial decomposition reactions. If the
pressure is maintained, the fraction reacted eventually reaches one and the material is completely
converted to product molecules. The deflagration front rates of advance through the propellant
calculated by this model for several propellants are quite close to the experimentally observed burn
rate versus pressure curves.

To obtain good agreement with experimental deflagration data, the model requires an accurate
description of the unreacted propellant equation of state, either an analytical fit to experimental
compression data or an estimated fit based on previous experience with similar materials. This is
also true for the reaction products equation of state. The more experimental burn rate, pressure
production and energy delivery data available, the better the form and constants in the reaction rate
equation can be determined.

Therefore, the equations used in the burn subroutine for the pressure in the unreacted
propellant

R3⋅ Tu
Pu = R1⋅ e − R5⋅V u + R2⋅e − R6⋅V u +
Vu − FRER

where Vu and Tu are the relative volume and temperature respectively of the unreacted propellant.
The relative density is obviously the inverse of the relative volume. The pressure Pp in the reaction
products is given by:

− XP1⋅V p − XP2⋅V p G ⋅ Tp
Pp = A ⋅ e + B⋅e +
V p − CCRIT

As the reaction proceeds, the unreacted and product pressures and temperatures are assumed to be
equilibrated (Tu = Tp = T, p = Pu = Pp) and the relative volumes are additive:

V = (1 − F) ⋅ Vu + F ⋅ V p

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.25 (EOS)

*EOS
where V is the total relative volume. Other mixture assumptions can and have been used in different
versions of DYNA2D/3D. The reaction rate law has the form:

∂F
= GROW1(P + FREQ)EM (F + FMXIG)AR1 (1 - F + FMXIG)ES1
∂t

+ GROW2(P + FREQ)EN (F + FMXIG)AR2 (1 - F + FMXIG)ES2

If F exceeds FMXGR, the GROW1 term is set equal to zero, and, if F is less than FMNGR, the GROW2
term is zero. Thus, two separate (or overlapping) burn rates can be used to describe the rate at which
the propellant decomposes.

This equation of state subroutine is used together with a material model to describe the
propellant. In the airbag propellant case, a null material model (type #10) can be used. Material type
#10 is usually used for a solid propellant or explosive when the shear modulus and yield strength are
defined. The propellant material is defined by the material model and the unreacted equation of state
until the reaction begins. The calculated mixture states are used until the reaction is complete and
then the reaction product equation of state is used. The heat of reaction, ENQ, is assumed to be a
constant and the same at all values of F but more complex energy release laws could be implemented.

13.26 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS
*EOS_TENSOR_PORE_COLLAPSE

This is Equation of state Form 11.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EOSID NLD NCR MU1 MU2 IE0 EC0

Type I F F F F F F

Repeat Cards 2, etc. as required for ECCi and PCi.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EOSID Equation of state label

NLD Virgin loading load curve ID

NCR Completely crushed load curve ID

MU1 Excess Compression required before any pores can collapse

MU2 Excess Compression point where the Virgin Loading Curve and the
Completely Crushed Curve intersect

IE0 Initial Internal Energy

EC0 Initial Excess Compression

Remarks:

The pore collapse model described in the TENSOR manual [23] is no longer valid and has
been replaced by a much simpler method. This is due in part to the lack of experimental data required
for the more complex model. It is desired to have a close approximation of the TENSOR model in
the DYNA code to enable a quality link between them. The TENSOR model defines two curves, the
virgin loading curve and the completely crushed curve as shown in Figure 13.2. It also defines the
excess compression point required for pore collapse to begin (µ1), and the excess compression point
required to completely crush the material (µ2). From this data and the maximum excess compression
the material has attained (µmax), the pressure for any excess compression (µ) can be determined.

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.27 (EOS)

*EOS
1.0

.8

.6

Virgin
loading
curve
.4
Completely
crushed
curve

.2

9 Partially
10 crushed
curve
0
0 µ .04 .08 .12 .16 µ2 .20
1

Excess Compression
Figure 13.2. Pressure versus compaction curve.

Unloading occurs along the virgin loading curve until the excess compression surpasses µ1. After
that, the unloading follows a path between the completely crushed curve and the virgin loading
curve. Reloading will follow this curve back up to the virgin loading curve. Once the excess
compression exceeds µ2, then all unloading will follow the completely crushed curve.
For unloading between µ1 and µ2 a partially crushed curve is determined by the relationship:

 (1 + µ B ) (1 + µ ) 
p pc (µ ) = pcc  − 1 .
 1 + µ max 

where

µ B = Pcc −1 ( P max )

and the subscripts pc and cc refer to the partially crushed and completely crushed states, respectively.
This is more readily understood in terms of the relative volume (V).

1
V=
1+ µ
13.28 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960
 *EOS
 V 
Ppc (V ) = Pcc  B V 
 V min 

 1 
This representation suggests that for a fixed V min  =  the partially crushed curve will separate
 µ max + 1
linearly from the completely crushed curve as V increases to account for pore recovery in the material.

The bulk modulus K is determined to be the slope of the current curve times one plus the
excess compression:

∂P
K= (1 + µ )
∂µ

∂P
The slope for the partially crushed curve is obtained by differentiation as:
∂µ

 (1 + µ B )(1 + µ ) 
∂ Pcc  (1 + µ B )
∂P  (1µ max ) 
=
∂µ ∂µ (1 + µ max )
Simplifying,

K=
( ) (1 + µ )
∂ Pcc µ a
∂µ
a

where

µa =
(1 + µ B ) (1 + µ ) − 1.
(1 + µ ) max

The bulk sound speed is determined from the slope of the completely crushed curve at the current
pressure to avoid instabilities in the time step.

The virgin loading and completely crushed curves are modeled with monotonic cubic-splines.
An optimized vector interpolation scheme is then used to evaluate the cubic-splines. The bulk
modulus and sound speed are derived from a linear interpolation on the derivatives of the cubic-
splines.

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.29 (EOS)

*EOS
*EOS_JWLB

This is Equation of state Form 14. The JWLB (Jones-Wilkens-Lee-Baker) equation of state,
developed by Baker [1991] and further described by Baker and Orosz [1991], describes the high
pressure regime produced by overdriven detonations while retaining the low pressure expansion
behavior required for standard acceleration modeling. The derived form of the equation of state is
based on the JWL form due to its computational robustness and asymptotic approach to an ideal gas
at high expansions. Additional exponential terms and a variable Gruneisen parameter have been
added to adequately describe the high pressure region above the Chapman-Jouguet state.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EOSID A1 A2 A3 A4 A5

Type I F F F F F

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable R1 R2 R3 R4 R5

Type F F F F F

Card 3

Variable AL1 AL2 AL3 AL4 AL5

Type F F F F F

Card 4 2 3 4 5 6

Variable BL1 BL2 BL3 BL4 BL5

Type F F F F F

13.30 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS

Card 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable RL1 RL2 RL3 RL4 RL5

Type F F F F F

Card 6

Variable C OMEGA E V0

Type I F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EOSID Equation of state label

A1 Equation of state coefficient, see below.

A2 Equation of state coefficient, see below.

A3 Equation of state coefficient, see below.

A4 Equation of state coefficient, see below.

A5 Equation of state coefficient, see below.

R1 Equation of state coefficient, see below.

R2 Equation of state coefficient, see below.

R3 Equation of state coefficient, see below.

R4 Equation of state coefficient, see below.

R5 Equation of state coefficient, see below.

AL1 Aλ1, equation of state coefficient, see below.

AL2 Aλ2, equation of state coefficient, see below.

AL3 Aλ3, equation of state coefficient, see below.

AL4 Aλ4, equation of state coefficient, see below.

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.31 (EOS)

*EOS
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

AL5 Aλ5, equation of state coefficient, see below.

BL1 Bλ1, equation of state coefficient, see below.

BL2 Bλ2, equation of state coefficient, see below.

BL3 Bλ3, equation of state coefficient, see below.

BL4 Bλ4, equation of state coefficient, see below.

BL5 Bλ5, equation of state coefficient, see below.

RL1 Rλ1, equation of state coefficient, see below.

RL2 Rλ2, equation of state coefficient, see below.

RL3 Rλ3, equation of state coefficient, see below.

RL4 Rλ4, equation of state coefficient, see below.

RL5 Rλ5, equation of state coefficient, see below.

C Equation of state coefficient, see below.

OMEGA Equation of state coefficient, see below.

E Energy density per unit initial volume

V0 Initial realtive volume.

Remarks:

The JWLB equation-of-state defines the pressure as

5
 λ  − RiV λE  λ  − (ω +1)
p = ∑ Ai 1 − e + + C 1− V
i =1  Ri V  V  ω

5
λ = ∑ Ai ( AλiV + Bλi )e − RλiV + ω
i =1

where V is the relative volume, E is the energy per unit initial volume, and Ai , Ri , Aλi , Bλi , Rλi , C ,
and ω are input constants defined above.

13.32 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *EOS
JWLB input constants for some common explosives as found in Baker and Stiel [1997] are
given in the following table.

TATB LX-14 PETN TNT Octol 70/30

ρ0 (g/cc) 1.800 1.821 1.765 1.631 1.803
E0 (Mbar) .07040 .10205 .10910 .06656 .09590
DCJ (cm/µs) .76794 .86619 .83041 .67174 .82994
PCJ (Mbar) .23740 .31717 .29076 .18503 .29369
A1 (Mbar) 550.06 549.60 521.96 490.07 526.83
A2 (Mbar) 22.051 64.066 71.104 56.868 60.579
A3 (Mbar) .42788 2.0972 4.4774 .82426 .91248
A4 (Mbar) .28094 .88940 .97725 .00093 .00159
R1 16.688 34.636 44.169 40.713 52.106
R2 6.8050 8.2176 8.7877 9.6754 8.3998
R3 2.0737 20.401 25.072 2.4350 2.1339
R4 2.9754 2.0616 2.2251 .15564 .18592
C (Mbar) .00776 .01251 .01570 .00710 .00968
ω .27952 .38375 .32357 .30270 .39023
Aλ1 1423.9 18307. 12.257 .00000 .011929
Bλ1 14387. 1390.1 52.404 1098.0 18466.
Rλ1 19.780 19.309 43.932 15.614 20.029
Aλ2 5.0364 4.4882 8.6351 11.468 5.4192
Bλ2 -2.6332 -2.6181 -4.9176 -6.5011 -3.2394
Rλ2 1.7062 1.5076 2.1303 2.1593 1.5868

LS-DYNA Version 960 13.33 (EOS)

*EOS

13.34 (EOS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *HOURGLASS

*HOURGLASS
*HOURGLASS

Purpose: Define hourglass and bulk viscosity properties. Using the *PART definition this
specification is connected to the elements.

An additional option _TITLE may be appended to *HOURGLASS keywords. If this option is

used then an addition line is read for each section in 80a format which can be used to describe the
section. At present LS-DYNA does make use of the title. Inclusion of titles gives greater clarity to
input decks.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable HGID IHQ QM IBQ Q2 Q1 QB QW

Type I I F I F F F F

Default 0 1 .10 0 1.5 0.06 QM QM

Remark 1 2&4 3 3 3 4 4

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

HGID Hourglass ID. Unique numbers have to be specified.

IHQ Hourglass control type. For solid elements six options are available. For
quadrilateral shell and membrane elements the hourglass control is based on
the formulation of Belytschko and Tsay, i.e., options 1-3 are identical, and
options 4-6 are identical:
EQ.0:default=1,
EQ.1:standard LS-DYNA viscous form,
EQ.2:Flanagan-Belytschko viscous form,
EQ.3: Flanagan-Belytschko viscous form with exact volume integration
for solid elements,
EQ.4:Flanagan-Belytschko stiffness form,
EQ.5:Flanagan-Belytschko stiffness form with exact volume
integration for solid elements.
EQ:6:Belytschko-Bindeman [1993] assumed strain co-rotational
stiffness form for 2D and 3D solid elements only. This form is
available for explicit and IMPLICIT solution methods. In fact, type 6
is mandatory for the implicit options.

LS-DYNA Version 960 14.1 (HOURGLASS)

*HOURGLASS
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EQ:8:Applicable to the type 16 fully integrated shell element. IHQ=8

activates the warping stiffness for accurate solutions. A speed penalty
of 25% is common for this option.

A discussion of the viscous and stiffness hourglass control for shell

elements follows at the end of this section.

QM Hourglass coefficient. Values of QM that exceed .15 (for IHQ<6) may

cause instabilities. The recommended default applies to all options. The
stiffness forms, however, can stiffen the response especially if
deformations are large and therefore should be used with care. For the shell
and membrane elements QM is taken as the membrane hourglass coefficient,
the bending as QB, and warping as QW. These coefficients can be
specified independently, but generally, QM=QB=QW, is adequate. For
type 6 solid element hourglass control, QM=1.0 gives an accurate coarse
mesh bending stiffness that does not lock in the incompressible limit. For
type 6 values such as 0.001-0.01 will avoid an overly stiff response.

IBQ Bulk viscosity type (See remark 3. below.):

EQ.1: standard LS-DYNA.

Q2 Quadratic bulk viscosity coefficient.

Q1 Linear bulk viscosity coefficient.

QB Hourglass coefficient for shell bending. The default: QB=QM. See remark
4. below.

QW Hourglass coefficient for shell warping. The default: QB=QW.

Remarks:

1. Viscous hourglass control is recommended for problems deforming with high velocities.
Stiffness control is often preferable for lower velocities, especially if the number of time steps
are large. For solid elements the exact volume integration provides some advantage for highly
distorted elements.

2. For automotive crash the stiffness form of the hourglass control with a coefficient of 0.05 is
preferred by many users.

3. Bulk viscosity is necessary to propagate shock waves in solid materials and therefore applies
only to solid elements. Generally, the default values are okay except in problems where
pressures are very high, larger values may be desirable. In low density foams, it may be
necessary to reduce the viscosity values since the viscous stress can be significant. It is not
advisable to reduce it by more than an order of magnitude.

4. In part, the computational efficiency of the Belytschko-Lin-Tsay and the under integrated
Hughes-Liu shell elements are derived from their use of one-point quadrature in the plane of the
element. To suppress the hourglass deformation modes that accompany one-point quadrature,
hourglass viscous or stiffness based stresses are added to the physical stresses at the local

14.2 (HOURGLASS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *HOURGLASS
element level. The discussion of the hourglass control that follows pertains to all one point
quadrilateral shell and membrane elements in LS-DYNA.

The hourglass shape vector τI is defined as

τ I = hI − (hJ x̂aJ ) BaI

where, x̂aJ are the element coordinates in the local system at the Ith element node, BaI is the strain
displacement matrix, and hourglass basis vector is:

+1
−1
h= 
+1
−1
 
is the basis vector that generates the deformation mode that is neglected by one-point quadrature. In
the above equations and the reminder of this subsection, the Greek subscripts have a range of 2,
e.g., x̂aI = ( x̂1I , x̂2 I ) = ( x̂ I , ŷI ) .

The hourglass shape vector then operates on the generalized displacements to produce the
generalized hourglass strain rates

q̇αM = τ I υ̂αI

q̇αB = τ I θ̂ αI

q̇3W = τ I υ̂ zI

where the superscripts M, B, and W denote membrane, bending, and warping modes, respectively.
The corresponding hourglass stress rates are then given by

QM ⋅ EtA
Q̇αM = Bβ I Bβ I q̇αM
8

QB ⋅ Et 3 A
Q̇αB = Bβ I Bβ I q̇αB
192

QW ⋅ κ Gt 3 A
Q̇3W = Bβ I Bβ I q̇3B
12
where t is the shell thickness. The hourglass coefficients: QM, QB, and QW are generally assigned
values between 0.05 and 0.10.

Finally, the hourglass stresses which are updated using the time step, ∆t , from the stress
rates in the usual way, i.e.,

LS-DYNA Version 960 14.3 (HOURGLASS)

*HOURGLASS

Qn +1 = Qn + ∆tQ̇

and the hourglass resultant forces are then

f̂ αHI = τ I QαM

m̂αHI = τ I QαB

f̂ 3IH = τ I Q3W

where the superscript H emphasizes that these are internal force contributions from the hourglass
deformations.

14.4 (HOURGLASS) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INCLUDE

*INCLUDE
Purpose: The keyword *INCLUDE provides a means of reading independent input files containing
model data. The file contents are placed directly at the location of the *INCLUDE line.

*INCLUDE_{OPTION}

Generally, the *INCLUDE command is used without any options; however, two options are
available:

*INCLUDE_STAMPED_PART

*INCLUDE_TRANSFORM

The STAMPED_PART option allows the plastic strain and thickness distribution of the
stamping simulation to be mapped onto a part in the crash model. Between the stamped part and the
crash part, note the following points:

1. The the outer boundaries of the parts do not need to match since only the regions of the
crash part which overlap the stamped part are initialized.

2. Arbitrary mesh patterns are assumed.

3. Element formulations can change

4. Three nodes on each part are used to reorient the stamped part for the mapping of the
strain and thickness distributions. After reorientation, the three nodes on each part should
approximately coincide.

5. The number of in plane integrations points can change.

6. The number of through thickness integration points can change. Full interpolation is
used.

7. The node and element ID's between the stamped part and the crash part do not need to be
unique.

The TRANSFORM option allows for node, element, and set ID's to be offset and for
coordinates and constitutive parameters to be transformed and scaled.

Card Format. The card is required.

Card 1 1

Variable FILENAME

Type C

LS-DYNA Version 960 15.1 (INCLUDE)

*INCLUDE

If the STAMPED_PART option is active then define the following input.

Card Format for the STAMPED_PART option

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID THICK PSTRN STRAIN

Type I I I I

Default none 0 0 0

Card 3 1 2

Variable N1S N2S N3S N1C N2C N3C

Type I I I I I I

If the TRANSFORM option is active then define the following input

Card Format for the TRANSFORM option

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IDNOFF IDEOFF IDPOFF IDMOFF IDSOFF IDFOFF IDDOFF

Type I I I I I I I

Card 3 1 2

Variable IDROFF

Type I

15.2 (INCLUDE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INCLUDE

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable FCTMAS FCTTIM FCTLEN FCTTEM INCOUT

Type F F F F I

Card 5

Variable TRANID

Type I

Default 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

FILENAME File name of file to be included in this keyword file, 80 characters

maximum. If the STAMPED_PART option is active, this is the DYNAIN
file containing the results from metal stamping.

PID Part ID of crash part for remapping.

THICK Thickness remap:

EQ.0: map thickness
EQ.1: do not map thickness

PSTRN Plastic strain remap:

EQ.0: map plastic strain
EQ.1: do not plastic strain

STRAIN Strain remap:

EQ.0: map strains
EQ.1: do not map strains

N1S First of 3 nodes need to reorient the stamped part.

N2S Second of 3 nodes need to reorient the stamped part.

N3S Third of 3 nodes need to reorient the stamped part.

N1C First of 3 nodes need to reorient the crash model part.

N2C Second of 3 nodes need to reorient the crash model part.

LS-DYNA Version 960 15.3 (INCLUDE)
*INCLUDE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

N3C Third of 3 nodes need to reorient the crash model part.

IDNOFF Offset to node ID.

IDEOFF Offset to element ID.

IDPOFF Offset to part ID, nodal rigid body ID, and constrained nodal set ID.

IDMOFF Offset to material ID.

IDSOFF Offset to set ID.

IDFOFF Offset to function ID or table ID.

IDDOFF Offset to any ID defined through DEFINE except the FUNCTION option.

IDROFF Offset to section ID, hourglass ID, and any equation of state ID.

FCTMAS Mass transformation factor. For example, FCTMAS=1000. when the

original mass units are in tons and the new unit is kg.

FCTTIM Time transformation factor. For example, FCTTIM=.001 when the original
time units are in milliseconds and the new time unit is seconds.

FCTLEN Length transformation factor.

FCTTEM Temperature transformation factor: F to C (Farenheit to Centigrad), C to F,

F to K, K to F, and so on.

INCOUT Set to 1 for the creation of a file, DYNA.INC, which contains the
transformed data. The data in this file can be used in future include files and
should be checked to ensure that all the data was transformed correctly.

TRANID Transformation ID, if 0 no tranformation will be applied.

See the input DEFINE_TRANSFORM.

Remarks:

To make the input file easy to maintain, this keyword allows the input file to be split into
subfiles. Each subfile can again be split into sub-subfiles and so on. This option is beneficial when
the input data deck is very large. Consider the following example:

*TITLE
full car model
*INCLUDE
carfront.k
*INCLUDE
carback.k
*INCLUDE
occupantcompartment.k
*INCLUDE

15.4 (INCLUDE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INCLUDE
dummy.k
*INCLUDE
bag.k
*CONTACT
•••
*END

Note that the command *END terminates the include file.

The carfront.k file can again be subdivided into rightrail.k, leftrail.k, battery.k, wheel-
house.k, shotgun.k, etc.. Each *.k file can include nodes, elements, boundary conditions, initial
conditions, and so on.

*INCLUDE
rightrail.k
*INCLUDE
leftrail.k
*INCLUDE
battery.k
*INCLUDE
wheelhouse.k
*INCLUDE
shotgun.k
•••
•••
*END

The TRANSFORM option should be used cautiously, and the transformed quantities should
be checked closely for correctness.

LS-DYNA Version 960 15.5 (INCLUDE)

*INCLUDE

15.6 (INCLUDE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INITIAL

*INITIAL
The keyword *INITIAL provides a way of initializing velocities and detonation points. The
keyword control cards in this section are defined in alphabetical order:

*INITIAL_CFD

*INITIAL_DETONATION

*INITIAL_FOAM_REFERENCE_GEOMETRY

*INITIAL_MOMENTUM

*INITIAL_STRAIN_SHELL

*INITIAL_STRESS_BEAM

*INITIAL_STRESS_SHELL

*INITIAL_STRESS_SOLID

*INITIAL_TEMPERATURE_OPTION

*INITIAL_VEHICLE_KINEMATICS

Two mutually exclusive methods are available for initial velocity generation:

*INITIAL_VELOCITY

*INITIAL_VELOCITY_NODE

and:

*INITIAL_VELOCITY_GENERATION

The latter is convenient for specifying initial rotational velocities about arbitrary axes. These method
for velocity generation must not be mixed in a single input deck.

*INITIAL_VOID_OPTION

*INITIAL_VOLUME_FRACTION

LS-DYNA Version 960 16.1 (INITIAL)

*INITIAL
*INITIAL_CFD

Purpose: Specify initial conditions for all nodal variables in the incompressible CFD solver.

Card Format (1 of 3)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable U V W T H RHO Z1 Z2

Type F F F F F F F F

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Card Format (2 of 3)

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable Z3 Z4 Z5 Z6 Z7 Z8 Z9 Z10

Type F F F F F F F F

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

16.2 (INITIAL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INITIAL

Card Format (3 of 3)

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable K EPS

Type F F

Default 0.0 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

U Initial x-velocity

V Initial y-velocity

W Initial z-velocity

T Initial temperature

H Initial enthalpy

RHO Initial density

Z1 Initial Species-1 concentration

Z2 Initial Species-2 concentration

...

Z10 Initial Species-10 concentration

K Initial turbulent kinetic energy

EPS Initial turbulent dissipation rate

LS-DYNA Version 960 16.3 (INITIAL)

*INITIAL
*INITIAL_DETONATION

Purpose: Define points to initiate the location of high explosive detonations in part ID’s which use
the material (type 8) *MAT_HIGH_EXPLOSIVE_BURN. Also see *CONTROL_EXPLOSIVE_
SHADOW.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID X Y Z LT

Type I F F F F

Default all HE 0. 0. 0. 0,

Optional card required if and only if PID=-1.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PEAK DECAY XS YS ZS NID

Type F F F F F I

Remark 1 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID of high explosive material to be lit, see *PART. However, two
other options are available:
EQ.-1: an acoustic boundary,.also *BOUNDARY_USA_SURFACE,
EQ. 0: all high explosive materials are considered.

X x-coordinate of detonation point, see Figure 16.1.

Y y-coordinate of detonation point.

Z z-coordinate of detonation point.

16.4 (INITIAL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INITIAL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LT Lighting time for detonation point. This time is ignored for an acoustic
boundary.

PEAK Peak pressure, po, of incident pressure pulse, see remark below.

DECAY Decay constant, τ

XS x-coordinate of standoff point, see Figure 16.1.

YS y-coordinate of standoff point

ZS z-coordinate of standoff point

NID Reference node ID near structure

Remarks:

For solid elements (not acoustic) two options are available. If the control card option,
*CONTROL_EXPLOSIVE_SHADOW, is not used the lighting time for an explosive element is
computed using the distance from the center of the element to the nearest detonation point, Ld ; the
detonation velocity, D; and the lighting time for the detonator, td :

Ld
t L = td +
D
The detonation velocity for this default option is taken from the element whose lighting time is
computed and does not account for the possiblities that the detonation wave may travel through other
explosives with different detonation velocities or that the line of sight may pass outside of the
explosive material.

If the control card option, *CONTROL_EXPLOSIVE_SHADOW, is defined, the lighting

time is based on the shortest distance through the explosive material. If inert obstacles exist within
the explosive material, the lighting time will account for the extra time required for the detonation
wave to travel around the obstacles. The lighting times also automatically accounts for variations in
the detonation velocity if different explosives are used. No additional input is required for this option
but care must be taken when setting up the input. This option works for two and three dimensional
solid elements. It is recommended that for best results:

1. Keep the explosive mesh as uniform as possible with elements of roughly the same
dimensions.

2. Inert obstacle such as wave shapers within the explosive must be somewhat larger than
the characteristic element dimension for the automatic tracking to function properly.
Generally, a factor of two should suffice. The characteristic element dimension is found
by checking all explosive elements for the largest diagonal

3. The deonation points should be either within or on the boundary of the explosive. Offset
points may fail to initiate the explosive.

LS-DYNA Version 960 16.5 (INITIAL)

*INITIAL
4. Check the computed lighting times in the post processor LS-POST. The lighting times
may be displayed at time=0., state 1, by plotting component 7 (a component normally
reserved for plastic strain) for the explosive material. The lighting times are stored as
negative numbers. The negative lighting time is replaced by the burn fraction when the
element ignites.

Line detonations may be approximated by using a sufficient number of detonation points to

define the line. Two many detonation points may result in significant initialization cost.

The pressure versus time curve for the acoustic option is defined by:
t
−
p(t ) = poe τ .

Pressure profile at
standoff point

Standoff point

Structure

Reference node where pressure

begins at t=0. This node is typically
one element away from the
structure.

Acoustic mesh boundary

is treated as a transmitting
boundary.

Detonation point

Figure 16.1 Initialization of the initial pressures due to an explosive disturbance is performed in
the acoustic media. LS-DYNA automatically determines the acoustic mesh boundary
and applies the pressure time history to the boundary. This option is only applicable
to the acoustic element formulation, see *SECTION_SOLID.

16.6 (INITIAL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INITIAL
*INITIAL_FOAM_REFERENCE_GEOMETRY

Purpose: The reference configuration allows stresses to be initialized in the material model,
*MAT_LOW_DENSITY_FOAM To use this option, the geometry of the foam material is defined in
a deformed configuration. The stresses in the low density foam then depend only on the deformation
gradient matrix:

∂xi
Fij =
∂X j

where X j is the undeformed configuration. By using this option, dynamic relaxation can be avoided
once a deformed configuration is obtained usually on the first run of a particular problem.

Card Format (I8,3E16.0)

Card 1,... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable NID X Y Z

Type I F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0.

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Node number

X x coordinate

Y y coordinate

Z z coordinate

LS-DYNA Version 960 16.7 (INITIAL)

*INITIAL
*INITIAL_MOMENTUM

Purpose: Define initial momentum to be deposited in solid elements. This option is to crudely
simulate an impulsive type of loading.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EID MX MY MZ DEPT

Type I F F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0. 0,

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Element ID

MX Initial x-momentum

MY Initial y-momentum

MZ Initial z-momentum

DEPT Deposition time

16.8 (INITIAL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INITIAL
*INITIAL_STRAIN_SHELL

Purpose: Initialize strain tensor and inner and outer through thickness integration points at element
center. This option is primarily for multi-stage metal forming operations where the accumulated
strain is of interest.

Define as many shell elements in this section as desired. The input is assumed to terminate when a
new keyword is detected. These strain tensors are defined at the inner and outer integration points
and are used for post-processing only. There is no interpolation with this option and the strains are
defined in the global cartesian coordinate system. The *DATABASE_EXTENT_BINARY flag
STRFLG must be set to unity for this option to work.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EID

Type I

Default none

Define two cards below, one for the inner integration point and the other for
the outer integration point,respectively.

Card 2,... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EPSxx EPSyy EPSzz EPSxy EPSyz EPSzx

Type F F F F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Element ID

EPSij Define the ij strain component. The strains are defined in the GLOBAL
cartesian system.

LS-DYNA Version 960 16.9 (INITIAL)

*INITIAL
*INITIAL_STRESS_BEAM

Purpose: Initialize stresses and plastic strains in the Hughes-Liu beam elements.

Define as many beams in this section as desired. The input is assumed to terminate when a new
keyword is detected.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EID RULE NPTS

Type I I I

Default none none none

Define NTPS cards below, one per integration point.

Card 2,... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SIG11 SIG22 SIG33 SIG12 SIG23 SIG31 EPS

Type F F F F F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Element ID

RULE Integration rule type number:

EQ.1.0: truss element or discrete beam element,
EQ.2.0: 2 × 2 Gauss quadrature (default beam),
EQ.3.0: 3 × 3 Gauss quadrature,
EQ.4.0: 3 × 3 Lobatto quadrature,
EQ.5.0: 4 × 4 Gauss quadrature.

16.10 (INITIAL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INITIAL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NPTS Number of integration points output.

SIGIJ Define the IJ stress component.

EPS Effective plastic strain

LS-DYNA Version 960 16.11 (INITIAL)

*INITIAL
*INITIAL_STRESS_SHELL

Purpose: Initialize stresses and plastic strains for shell elements.

Define as many shell elements in this section as desired. The input is assumed to terminate when a
new keyword is detected. It is not necessary for the location of the through thickness integration
points to match those used in the elments which are initialized. The data will be interpolated by
LS-DYNA3D.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EID NPLANE NTHICK

Type I I I

Default none none none

Define NPLANE X NTHICK cards below, one per integration point. For each
through thickness point define NPLANE points. NPLANE should be either 1 or 4
corresponding to either 1 or 4 Gauss integration points. If four integration points
are specified, they should be ordered such that their in plane parametric coordinates
are at:
 3 3  3 3  3 3  3 3
− ,− ,  ,− ,  , , − , ,
 3 3   3 3   3 3   3 3 

respectively.

Card 2,... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable T SIGxx SIGyy SIGzz SIGxy SIGyz SIGzx EPS

Type F F F F F F F F

16.12 (INITIAL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INITIAL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Element ID

NPLANE Number of in plane integration points being output.

NTHICK Number of through thickness integration points.

T Parametric coordinate of through thickness integration point. between -1

and 1 inclusive.

SIGij Define the ij stress component. The stresses are defined in the GLOBAL
cartesian system.

EPS Effective plastic strain

LS-DYNA Version 960 16.13 (INITIAL)

*INITIAL
*INITIAL_STRESS_SOLID

Purpose: Initialize stresses and plastic strains for solid elements.

Define as many solid elements in this section as desired. The input is assumed to terminate when a
new keyword is detected. If eight points are defined for 1 point LS-DYNA solid elements, the
average value will be taken.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EID NINT

Type I I

Default none none

Define NINT cards below, one per integration point. NINT should be either 1 or
8. If eight Gauss integration points are specified, they should be ordered such that
their parametric coordinates are located at:

 3 3 3  3 3 3  3 3 3  3 3 3
− ,− ,− ,  ,− ,− ,  , ,− , − , ,− ,
 3 3 3   3 3 3   3 3 3   3 3 3 

 3 3 3  3 3 3  3 3 3  3 3 3
− ,− , ,  ,− , ,  , , , − , , ,
 3 3 3   3 3 3   3 3 3   3 3 3 
respectively.

Card 2,... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SIG11 SIG22 SIG33 SIG12 SIG23 SIG31 EPS

Type F F F F F F F

16.14 (INITIAL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INITIAL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Element ID

NINT Number of integration points either 1 or 8.

SIGIJ Define the IJ stress component.

EPS Effective plastic strain

LS-DYNA Version 960 16.15 (INITIAL)

*INITIAL
*INITIAL_TEMPERATURE_OPTION

Available options are:

NODE
SET

Purpose: Define initial nodal point temperatures using nodal set ID’s or node numbers. These initial
temperatures are used in a thermal only analysis or a coupled thermal/structural analysis. See also
*CONTROL_THERMAL_SOLVER, *CONTROL_THERMAL_TIMESTEP, and CONTROL_
THERMAL_NONLINEAR.

For thermal loading in a structural only analysis, see *LOAD_THERMAL_option.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID/NID TEMP

Type I I

Default none 0.

Remark 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID/NID Nodal set ID or nodal point ID, see also *SET_NODES:

EQ.0: all nodes are included (set option only).

TEMP Temperature at node or node set.

Remark:

1. If a nodal temperature is specified on more than one input card, then the last set input will
determine its temperature unless it is specified on a *INITIAL_TEMPERATURE_NODE
card.

16.16 (INITIAL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INITIAL
*INITIAL_VEHICLE_KINEMATICS

Purpose: Define initial kinematical information for a vehicle. In its initial orientation, the vehicle’s
yaw, pitch, and roll axes must be aligned with the global axes. Successive simple rotations are taken
about these body fixed axes.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable GRAV PSID XO YO ZO XF YF ZF

Type I I F F F F F F

Default none none 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable VX VY VZ AAXIS BAXIS CAXIS

Type F F F I I I

Default 0. 0. 0. 0 0 0

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable AANG BANG CANG WA WB WC

Type F F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

LS-DYNA Version 960 16.17 (INITIAL)

*INITIAL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

GRAV Gravity direction code.

EQ.1. Global +x direction.
EQ.-1. Global -x direction.
EQ.2. Global +y direction.
EQ.-2. Global -y direction.
EQ.3 Global +z direction.
EQ.-3 Global -z direction.
Note: this must be the same for all vehicles present in the model.

PSID Part set ID.

XO x-coordinate of initial position of mass center.

YO y-coordinate of initial position of mass center.

ZO z-coordinate of initial position of mass center.

XF x-coordinate of final position of mass center.

YF y-coordinate of final position of mass center.

ZF z-coordinate of final position of mass center.

VX x-component of mass center velocity.

VY y-component of mass center velocity.

VZ z-component of mass center velocity.

AAXIS First rotation axis code.

EQ.1. Initially aligned with global x-axis.
EQ.2. Initially aligned with global y-axis.
EQ.3. Initially aligned with global z-axis.

BAXIS Second rotation axis code.

CAXIS Third rotation axis code.

AANG Rotation angle about the first rotation axis (degrees).

BANG Rotation angle about the second rotation axis (degrees).

CANG Rotation angle about the third rotation axis (degrees).

WA Angular velocity component for the first axis (radian/second).

WB Angular velocity component for the second axis (radian/second).

WC Angular velocity component for the third axis (radian/second).

16.18 (INITIAL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INITIAL

gravity
yaw

Y
roll

pitch
X

Figure 16.1. The vehicle pictured is to be oriented with a successive rotation sequence about the
yaw, pitch, and roll axes, respectively. Accordingly, AAXIS=3, BAXIS=1, and
CAXIS=2. The direction of gravity is given by GRAV=-3.

LS-DYNA Version 960 16.19 (INITIAL)

*INITIAL
*INITIAL_VELOCITY

Purpose: Define initial nodal point translational velocities using nodal set ID’s. This may also be
used for sets in which some nodes have other velocities. See NSIDEX below.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID NSIDEX BOXID

Type I I I

Default none 0. 0.

Remark 1

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable VX VY VZ VXR VYR VZR

Type F F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

Define the following card if and only if NSIDEX>0.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable VXE VYE VZE VXRE VYRE VZRE

Type F F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID Nodal set ID, see *SET_NODES, containing nodes for initial velocity:

16.20 (INITIAL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INITIAL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSIDEX Nodal set I, see *SET_NODES, containing nodes that are exempted from
the imposed velocities and may have other initial velocities.

BOXID All nodes in box which belong to NSID are initialized. Nodes outside the
box are not initialized. Exempted nodes are initialized to velocities defined
by VXE, VYE, and VZE below regardless of their location relative to the box.

VX Initial velocity in x-direction

VY Initial velocity in y-direction

VZ Initial velocity in z-direction

VXR Initial rotational velocity about the x-axis

VYR Initial rotational velocity about the y-axis

VZR Initial rotational velocity about the z-axis

VXE Initial velocity in x-direction of exempted nodes

VYE Initial velocity in y-direction of exempted nodes

VZE Initial velocity in z-direction of exempted nodes

VXRE Initial rotational velocity in x-direction of exempted nodes

VYRE Initial rotational velocity in y-direction of exempted nodes

VZRE Initial rotational velocity in z-direction of exempted nodes

Remarks:

1. This generation input must not be used with *INITIAL_VELOCITY_GENERATION

keyword.

2. If a node is initialized on more than one input card set, then the last set input will determine its
velocity. However, if the nodal velocity is also specified on a *INITIAL_VELOCITY_
NODE card, then the velocity specification on this card will be used.

3. For rigid bodies, initial velocities given in *PART_INERTIA will overwrite generated initial
velocities.

4. Nodes which belong to rigid bodies must have motion consistent with the translational and
rotational velocity of the rigid body. During initialization the rigid body translational and
rotational rigid body momentum's are computed based on the prescribed nodal velocities.
From this rigid body motion the velocities of the nodal points are computed and reset to the
new values. These new values may or may not be the same as the values prescribed for the
node.

LS-DYNA Version 960 16.21 (INITIAL)

*INITIAL
*INITIAL_VELOCITY_NODE

Purpose: Define initial nodal point velocities for a node.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID VX VY VZ VXR VYR VZR

Type I F F F F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Node ID

VX Initial translational velocity in x-direction

VY Initial translational velocity in y-direction

VZ Initial translational velocity in z-direction

VXR Initial rotational velocity about the x-axis

VYR Initial rotational velocity about the y-axis

VZR Initial rotational velocity about the z-axis

See remark on *INITIAL_VELOCITY card.

16.22 (INITIAL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INITIAL
*INITIAL_VELOCITY_GENERATION

Purpose: Define initial velocities for rotating and translating bodies. Caution: Rigid body velocities
cannot be reinitialized after dynamic relaxation by setting PHASE=1 since rigid body velocities are
always restored to the values that existed prior to dynamic relaxation. Reinitialization of velocities
after dynamic relaxation is only for nodal points of deformable bodies.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ID STYP OMEGA VX VY VZ

Type I I F F F F

Default none none 0. 0. 0. 0.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XC YC ZC NX NY NZ PHASE

Type F F F F F F I

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ID Part ID, part set ID,or node set ID. if zero STYP is ignored and all
velocities are set.

STYP Set type:

EQ.1: part set ID, see *SET_PART,
EQ.2: part ID, see *PART,
EQ.3: node set ID, see *SET_NODE.

OMEGA Angular velocity about rotational axis.

VX Initial translational velocity in global x-direction.

VY Initial translational velocity in global y-direction.

VZ Initial translational velocity in global z-direction. .

LS-DYNA Version 960 16.23 (INITIAL)

*INITIAL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XC x-coordinate on rotational axis.

YC y-coordinate on rotational axis.

ZC z-coordinate on rotational axis.

NX x-direction cosine.

NY y-direction cosine.

NZ z-direction cosine.

PHASE Flag specifying phase of the analysis the velocities apply to:
EQ.0. Velocities applied immediately,
EQ.1. Velocities applied after dynamic relaxation.

Remarks:

1. This generation input must not be used with *INITIAL_VELOCITY or *INITIAL_

VELOCITY_NODE options.

2. The velocities are initialized in the order the *INITIAL_VELOCITY_GENERATION input is

defined. Later input via the *INITIAL_VELOCITY_GENERATION keyword may
overwrite the velocities previously set.

3. For rigid bodies, initial velocities given in *PART_INERTIA will overwrite generated initial
velocities.

4. Nodes which belong to rigid bodies must have motion consistent with the translational and
rotational velocity of the rigid body. During initialization the rigid body translational and
rotational rigid body momentum's are computed based on the prescribed nodal velocities.
From this rigid body motion the velocities of the nodal points are computed and reset to the
new values. These new values may or may not be the same as the values prescribed for the
node.

16.24 (INITIAL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INITIAL
*INITIAL_VOID_OPTION

Available options are:

PART

SET

Purpose: Define initial voided part set ID’s or part numbers. Void materials cannot be created during
the calculation. Fluid elements which are evacuated, e.g., by a projectile moving through the fluid,
during the calculation are approximated as fluid elements with very low densities. The constitutive
properties of fluid materials used as voids must be identical to those of the materials which will fill
the voided elements during the calculation. Mixing of two fluids with different properties is not
permitted with this option.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PSID/PID

Type I

Default none

Remark 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PSID/PID Part set ID or part ID, see also *SET_PART:

Remark:

This void option and multiple materials per element,.see *ALE_MULTI-MATERIAL_GROUP are
incompatible and cannot be used together in the same run.

LS-DYNA Version 960 16.25 (INITIAL)

*INITIAL
*INITIAL_VOLUME_FRACTION

Purpose: Define initial volume fraction of different materials in multi-material ALE, or in single
material and void, models.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EID VF1 VF2

Type I F F

Default none 0.0 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID Element ID.

VF1 Volume fraction of multi-material group 1

VF2 Volume fraction of multi-material group 2. Only needed in simulations with

3 material groups. Otherwise VF2=1-VF1.

16.26 (INITIAL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INTEGRATION

*INTEGRATION
*INTEGRATION_BEAM

Purpose: Define user defined through the thickness integration rules for the beam element.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IRID NIP RA ICST

Type I I F I

Default none 0 0.0 0

Define the following card if and only if ICST>0.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable W TF D TW SREF TREF

Type F F F F F F

Default none none none none 1.0 0.0

Define NIP cards below (Skip if NIP=0).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable S T WF

Type F F F

LS-DYNA Version 960 17.1 (INTEGRATION)

*INTEGRATION
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IRID Integration rule ID. IRID refers to IRID on *SECTION_BEAM card.

NIP Number of integration points, see also ICST.

RA Relative area of cross section, i.e., the actual cross-sectional area divided by
the area defined by the product of the specified thickness in the s direction
and the thickness in the t direction. See also ICST below and Figure 17.1.

ICST Standard cross section type, ICST. If this type is nonzero then NIP and the
relative area above should be input as zero. See the discussion following
the input description Figures 17.3a and 17.3b.
EQ.1: W-section,
EQ.2: C-section,
EQ.3: Angle section,
EQ.4: T-section,
EQ.5: Rectangular tubing,
EQ.6: Z-section,.
EQ.7: Trapezoidal section

W w, flange width

TF tf, flange thickness

D d, depth

TW tw, web thickness

SREF sref, location of reference surface normal to s, for the Hughes-Liu beam
only. This option is only useful if the beam is connected to a shell or
another beam on its outer surface, see also *SECTION_BEAM.

TREF tref, location of reference surface normal to t, for the Hughes-Liu beam
only. This option is only useful if the beam is connected to a shell or
another beam on its outer surface, see also *SECTION_BEAM.

S Normalized s coordinate of integration point, −1 ≤ s ≤ 1.

T Normalized t coordinate of integration point, −1 ≤ t ≤ 1.

WF Weighting factor, Ari , i.e., the area associated with the integration point
divided by actual cross sectional area Ari = Ai A , see Figure 17.2.

17.2 (INTEGRATION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INTEGRATION
t

tt
s

A
st Thicknesses defined on beam
cross-section cards

Relative Area = s A⋅ t
t t

Figure 17.1. Definition of relative area for user defined integration rule.

A1 A2 A3 A5
A4

A
6

A
7 s

A8

A 12 A 11 A 10 A9

Figure 17.2. Definition of integration points for user defined integration rule.

Remarks:

The input for standard beam section types is defined below. In Figures 17.3a and 17.3b, the
dimensions are shown on the left and the location of the integration points are shown on the right. If
a quantity is not defined in the sketch, then it should be set to zero in the input. The input quantities
include:

LS-DYNA Version 960 17.3 (INTEGRATION)

*INTEGRATION
w = flange width
tf = flange thickness
d = depth
tw = web thickness
sref = location of reference surface normal to s, Hughes-Liu beam only
tref = location of reference surface normal to t, Hughes-Liu beam only

Type 1: W-section Type 2: C-section

t

1 2 3 tf 3 2 1
4
tw 4

d s 5 d s 5
6 tw 6
tf 7 8 9 7 8 9
w w

Type 3: Angle section Type 4: T-section

t

t w
tf 1 2 3 4 5

tw s 1 6
d 2 d s 7
tf 3 4 5 8
tw 9
w

Figure 17.3a. Standard beam cross sections.

17.4 (INTEGRATION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INTEGRATION

Type 5: Rectangular tubing

t

tf 1 2 3

d s 4 5

tw 6 7 8

Type 6: Z-section
tw
1 2 3
4
d 5
6
tf 7 8 9
w

Type 7: Trapezoidal section.

t

tw

1 2 3

4 5 6
d

7 8 9
w

Figure 17.3b. Standard beam cross sections.

LS-DYNA Version 960 17.5 (INTEGRATION)

*INTEGRATION
*INTEGRATION_SHELL

Purpose: Define user defined through the thickness integration rules for the shell element. This
option applies to three dimensional shell elements with three or four nodes (ELEMENT_SHELL
types 1-11 and 16) and to the eight nodel thick shell (ELEMENT_TSHELL).

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IRID NIP ESOP

Type I I I

Define NIP cards below if ESOP = 0.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable S WF PID

Type F F I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IRID Integration rule ID (IRID refers to IRID on *SECTION_SHELL card).

NIP Number of integration points

ESOP Equal spacing of integration points option:

EQ.0: integration points are defined below,
EQ.1: integration points are equally spaced through thickness such that
the shell is subdivided into NIP layers of equal thickness.

S Coordinate of integration point in range -1 to 1.

WF Weighting factor. This is typically the thickness associated with the

integration point divided by actual shell thickness, i.e., the weighting factor
∆t
for the ith integration point = t i as seen in Figure 17.4.

17.6 (INTEGRATION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INTEGRATION
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Optional part ID if different from the PID specified on the element card.
The material type is not allowed to change, see *PART. The average mass
density for the shell element is based on a weighted average of the density
of each layer that is used through the thickness. When modifying the
constitutive constants throuigh the thickness, it is often necessary to defined
unique part IDs without elements that are referenced only by the user
integration rule. These additional part IDs only provide a density and
constitutive constants with local material axes (if used) and orientation
angles taken from the PID referenced on the element card. In defining a
PID for an integration point, it is okay to reference a solid element PID.

s= 1

∆t i

t midsurface

s =-1

Figure 17.4. In the user defined shell integration rule the ordering of the integration points is
arbitrary.

LS-DYNA Version 960 17.7 (INTEGRATION)

*INTEGRATION

17.8 (INTEGRATION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INTERFACE

*INTERFACE
*INTERFACE_COMPONENT_OPTION

Options include:

NODE

SEGMENT

Purpose: Define an interface for linking calculations. This card applies to the first analysis for
storing interfaces in the file specified by Z=isf1 on the execution command line. The output interval
used to write data to the interface file is controlled by OPIFS on *CONTROL_OUTPUT.

This capability allows the definition of interfaces that isolate critical components. A
database is created that records the motion of the interfaces. In later calculations the isolated
components can be reanalyzed with arbitrarily refined meshes with the motion of their boundaries
specified by the database created by this input. The interfaces defined here become the masters in
the tied interface options.

Each definition consists of a set of cards that define the interface. Interfaces may consists of
a set of four node segments for moving interfaces of solid elements, a line of nodes for treating
interfaces of shells, or a single node for treating beam and spring elements.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SID

Type I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID Set ID, see *SET_NODE or *SET_SEGMENT.

LS-DYNA Version 960 18.1 (INTERFACE)

*INTERFACE
*INTERFACE_LINKING_DISCRETE_NODE_OPTION

Options include:

NODE

SET

Purpose: Define an interface for linking discrete nodes to an interface file. This link applies to
spring and beam elements only.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID/NSID IFID

Type I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Node ID or Node set ID to be moved by interface file, see *NODE or

*SET_NODE.

IFID Interface ID in interface file.

18.2 (INTERFACE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INTERFACE
*INTERFACE_LINKING_SEGMENT

Purpose: Define an interface for linking segments to an interface file for the second analysis using
L=isf2 on the execution command line. This applies segments on shell and solid elements.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID IFID

Type I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Segment set to be moved by interface file.

IFID Interface ID in interface file.

LS-DYNA Version 960 18.3 (INTERFACE)

*INTERFACE
*INTERFACE_LINKING_EDGE

Purpose: Define an interface for linking a series of nodes in shell structure to an interface file for the
second analysis using L=isf2 on the execution command line. This link applies segments on shell
elements only.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID IFID

Type I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID Node set ID to be moved by interface file.

IFID Interface ID in interface file.

18.4 (INTERFACE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INTERFACE
*INTERFACE_JOY

Purpose: Define an interface for linking calculations by moving a nodal interface.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SID

Type I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID Nodal set ID, see *SET_NODE.

LS-DYNA Version 960 18.5 (INTERFACE)

*INTERFACE
*INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK_OPTION1_OPTION2

Options included for OPTION1 are:

NIKE3D

DYNA3D

NASTRAN

SEAMLESS

and for OPTION2:

THICKNESS

NOTHICKNESS

See the remarks below.

Purpose: Define a material subset for an implicit springback calculation in LS-NIKE3D and any
nodal constraints to eliminate rigid body degrees-of-freedom.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PSID

Type I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PSID Part set ID for springback, see *SET_PART.

18.6 (INTERFACE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INTERFACE
Define a list of nodal points that are constrained for the springback. This section is terminated by an
“*” indicating the next input section.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID TC RC

Type I F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Node ID, see *NODE.

TC Tranlational Constraint:
EQ.0: no constraints,
EQ.1: constrained x displacement,
EQ.2: constrained y displacement,
EQ.3: constrained z displacement,
EQ.4: constrained x and y displacements,
EQ.5: constrained y and z displacements,
EQ.6: constrained z and x displacements.
EQ.7: constrained x, y, and z displacements.

RC Rotational constraint:
EQ.0: no constraints,
EQ.1: constrained x rotation,
EQ.2: constrained y rotation,
EQ.3: constrained z rotation,
EQ.4: constrained x and y rotations,
EQ.5: constrained y and z rotations,
EQ.6: constrained z and x rotations,
EQ.7: constrained x, y, and z rotations.

LS-DYNA Version 960 18.7 (INTERFACE)

*INTERFACE
Remarks:

1. The default is NIKE3D with the THICKNESS option for each element and the
NOTHICKNESS option is not available for NIKE3D. The file name for the NIKE3D option
is “nikin”. The adaptive constraint option is not available for this option.

2. The NOTHICKNESS option is available for DYNA3D and NASTRAN in which case the
shell element thickness is not an output. The file name for LS-DYNA is “dynain” and for
NASTRAN is “nastin.” The *CONTROL_ADAPTIVITY is available for LS-DYNA.

3. Trimming is available for the adaptive mesh but it requires some steps. To trim an adaptive
mesh use the following procedure:

(1) Generate the file, “dynain” using the keyword *INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK_

DYNA3D.

(2) Prepare a new input deck including the file “dynain.”

(3) Add the keyword *ELEMENT_TRIM to this new deck.

(4) Add the keyword *DEFINE_CURVE_TRIM to this new deck.

(5) Run this new input deck with i=input_file_name. The adaptive constraints are
eliminated by remeshing and the trimming is performed.

(6) In case this new trimmed mesh is needed, run a zero termination time job and output
the file generated via the keyword, *INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK_DYNA3D.

Remarks for Seamless Springback:

Seamless springback avoids the use of LS-NIKE3D for static springback analysis. Instead, LS-
DYNA automatically and seamlessly switches from explicit dynamic to implicit static mode at the end
of a forming simulation, and continues to run the static springback analysis. Seamless springback
can be activated in the original LS-DYNA input deck, or later using a small restart input deck. In this
way, the user can decide to continue a previous forming analysis by restarting to add the implicit
springback phase. (Another alternative approach to springback simulation is to use the keyword
*INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK_DYNA3D to generate a "dynain" file after forming, and then
perform a second simulation running LS-DYNA in fully implicit mode for springback. See Appendix
M for a description of how to run an implicit analysis using LS-DYNA.

The implict springback phase begins when the forming simulation termination time ENDTIM is
reached, as specified with the keyword *CONTROL_TERMINATION. Since the springback phase
is static, its termination time can be chosen arbitrarily (unless material rate effects are included). The
default choice is 2.0*ENDTIM, and can be changed using the *CONTROL_IMPLICIT_GENERAL
keyword.

18.8 (INTERFACE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *INTERFACE
Since the springback analysis is a static simulation, a minimum number of essential boundary
conditions or Single Point Constraints (SPC's) are required to prohibit rigid body motion of the part.
These boundary conditions can be added for the springback phase using the input option on the
*INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK_SEAMLESS keyword above.

Several new *CONTROL_IMPLICIT keywords have been added to control the implicit springback
phase. These keywords can also be added to a restart input deck. Generally, default settings can be
used, so these keywords need not be included in the input deck.

To obtain accurate springback solutions, a nonlinear springback analysis must be performed. In

many simulations, this iterative equilibrium search will converge without difficulty. If the springback
simulation is particularly difficult, either due to nonlinear deformation, nonlinear material response,
or numerical precision errors, a multi-step springback simulation will be automatically invoked. In
this approach, the springback deformation is divided into several smaller, more manageable steps.

Two specialized features in LS-DYNA are used to perform multi-step springback analyses. The
addition and gradual removal of artificial springs is performed by the artificial stabilization feature.
Simultaneously, the automatic time step control is used to guide the solution to the termination
time as quickly as possible, and to persistently retry steps where the equilibrium search has failed.
By default, both of these features are active during a seamless springback simulation. However,
the default method attempts to solve the springback problem in a single step. If this is successful,
the solution will terminate normally. If the single step springback analysis fails to converge, the
step size will be reduced, and artificial stabilization will become active. Defaults for these features
can be changed using the *CONTROL_IMPLICIT_GENERAL, *CONTROL_IMPLICIT_AUTO
and *CONTROL_IMPLICIT_STABILIZATION keywords.

LS-DYNA Version 960 18.9 (INTERFACE)

*INTERFACE

18.10 (INTERFACE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD

*LOAD
The keyword *LOAD provides a way of defining applied forces. The keyword control cards
in this section are defined in alphabetical order:

*LOAD_BEAM_OPTION

*LOAD_BLAST

*LOAD_BODY_OPTION

*LOAD_BODY_GENERALIZED

*LOAD_BRODE

*LOAD_DENSITY_DEPTH

*LOAD_HEAT_GENERATION_OPTION

*LOAD_MASK

*LOAD_NODE_OPTION

*LOAD_RIGID_BODY

*LOAD_SEGMENT

*LOAD_SEGMENT_SET

*LOAD_SHELL_OPTION

*LOAD_SSA

*LOAD_SUPERPLASTIC_FORMING

*LOAD_THERMAL_OPTION

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.1 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_BEAM_OPTION

Options include:

ELEMENT

SET

urpose: Apply the distributed traction load along any local axis of beam or a set of beams. The local
axes are defined in Figure 19.1, see also *ELEMENT_BEAM.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EID/ESID DAL LCID SF

Type I I I F

Default none none none 1.

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID/ESID Beam ID (EID) or beam set ID (ESID), see *ELEMENT_BEAM or *SET_

BEAM.

DAL Direction of applied load:

EQ.1: along r-axis of beam,
EQ.2: along s-axis of beam,
EQ.3: along t-axis of beam.

LCID Load curve ID, see *DEFINE_CURVE.

SF Load curve scale factor. This is for a simple modification of the function
values of the load curve.

19.2 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD

r
s

n2

n1

Figure 19.1. Applied traction loads are given in force per unit length. The s and t directions are
defined on the *ELEMENT_BEAM keyword.

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.3 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_BLAST

Purpose: Define an airblast function for the application of pressure loads due to explosives in
conventional weapons. The implementation is based on a report by Randers-Pehrson and Bannister
[1997] where it is mentioned that this model is adequate for use in engineering studies of vehicle
responses due to the blast from land mines. This option determines the pressue values when used in
conjuntion with the keywords: *LOAD_SEGMENT, *LOAD_SEGMENT_SET, or *LOAD_
SHELL.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable WGT XBO YBO ZBO TBO IUNIT ISURF

Type F F F F F I I

Default none 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2 2

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CFM CFL CFT CFP

Type F F F F

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

WGT Equivalent mass of TNT.

XBO x-coordinate of point of explosion.

YBO y-coordinate of point of explosion.

ZBO z-coordinate of point of explosion.

TBO Time-zero of explosion.

19.4 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IUNIT Unit conversion flag.

EQ.1: feet, pounds, seconds, psi
EQ.2: meters, kilograms, seconds, Pascals (default)
EQ.3: inch, dozens of slugs, seconds, psi
EQ.4: centimeters, grams, microseconds, Megabars
EQ.5: user conversions will be supplied (see Card 2)

ISURF Type of burst.

EQ.1: surface burst - hemispherical charge situated on the surface
EQ.2: air burst - spherical charge at least one charge diameter away
from the surface (default)

CFM Conversion factor - pounds per LS-DYNA mass unit.

CFL Conversion factor - feet per LS-DYNA length units.

CFT Conversion factor - milliseconds per LS-DYNA time unit.

CFP Conversion factor - psi per LS-DYNA pressure unit.

Remarks:

1. A minimum of two load curves, even if unreferenced, must be present in the model.

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.5 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_BODY_OPTION

Options incude for base accelerations:

for angular velocities:

RX

RY

RZ

and to specifiy a part set:

PARTS

Purpose: Define body force loads due to a prescribed base acceleration or angular velocity using
global axes directions. This data applies to all nodes in the complete problem unless a part subset is
specified via the *LOAD_BODY_PARTS keyword. If a part subset is defined then all nodal points
belonging to the subset will have body forces applied. The parts specified via the *LOAD_
BODY_PARTS keyword apply to the options X, Y, Z, RX, RY, and RZ above , i.e., different part
sets may not apply to different options. Only one part set is expected. Note: This option
applies nodal forces, i.e., it cannot be used to prescribe translational or rotational
motion. Two keyword definitions are needed to apply body loads on a subset of parts:
*LOAD_BODY_X and *LOAD_BODY_PARTS.

Card Format for options: X, Y, Z, RX, RY, and RZ.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCID SF LCIDDR XC YC ZC

Type I F I F F F

Default none 1. 0 0. 0. 0.

19.6 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
Card Format for option: PARTS.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PSID

Type I

Default none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCID Load curve ID, see *DEFINE_CURVE.

SF Load curve scale factor

LCIDDR Load curve ID for dynamic relaxation phase (optional). This is only needed
if dynamic relaxation is defined and a different load curve to LCID is
required during the dynamic relaxation phase. Note if LCID is set to zero
then no body load will be applied during dynamic relaxation regardless of
the value LCIDDR is set to. See *CONTROL_DYNAMIC_RELAXATION

XC X-center of rotation, define for angular velocities.

YC Y-center of rotation, define for angular velocities.

ZC Z-center of rotation, define for angular velocities.

PSID Part set ID.

Remarks:

1. Translational base accelerations allow body forces loads to be imposed on a structure.

Conceptually, base acceleration may be thought of as accelerating the coordinate system in the
direction specified, and, thus, the inertial loads acting on the model are of opposite sign. For
example, if a cylinder were fixed to the y-z plan and extended in the positive x-direction, then a
positive x-direction base acceleration would tend to shorten the cylinder, i.e., create forces
acting in the negative x-direction.

2. Base accelerations are frequently used to impose gravitational loads during dynamic relaxation
to initialize the stresses and displacements. During the analysis, in this latter case, the body
forces loads are held constant to simulate gravitational loads. When imposing loads during
dynamic relaxation, it is recommended that the load curve slowly ramp up to avoid the
excitation of a high frequency response.

3. Body force loads due to the angular velocity about an axis are calculated with respect to the
deformed configuration and act radially outward from the axis of rotation. Torsional effects

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.7 (LOAD)

*LOAD
which arise from changes in angular velocity are neglected with this option. The angular
velocity is assumed to have the units of radians per unit time.

4. The body force density is given at a point P of the body by:

b = ρ (ω × ω × r )

where ρ is the mass density, ω is the angular velocity vector, and r is a position vector from
the origin to point P. Although the angular velocity may vary with time, the effects of angular
acceleration are not included.

5. Angular velocities are useful for studying transient deformation of spinning three-dimensional
objects. Typical applications have included stress initialization during dynamic relaxation
where the initial rotational velocities are assigned at the completion of the initialization, and this
option ceases to be active.

19.8 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *LOAD_BODY_Z
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Add gravity such that it acts in the negative Z-direction.
$ Use units of mm/ms2. Since gravity is constant, the load
$ curve is set as a constant equal to 1. If the simulation
$ is to exceed 1000 ms, then the load curve needs to be
$ extended.
$
$$$ Note: Positive body load acts in the negative direction.
$
*LOAD_BODY_Z
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ lcid sf lciddr xc yc zc
5 0.00981
$
$
*DEFINE_CURVE
$ lcid sidr scla sclo offa offo
5
$
$ abscissa ordinate
0.00 1.000
1000.00 1.000
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.9 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_BODY_GENERALIZED

Purpose: Define body force loads due to a prescribed base acceleration or a prescribed angular
velocity over a subset of the complete problem. The subset is defined by using nodes.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable N1 N2 LCID DRLCID XC YC ZC

Type I I I I F F F

Default none none none 0 0. 0. 0.

Remarks

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable AX AY AZ OMX OMY OMZ

Type F F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

Remarks 1, 2 1, 2 1, 2 3, 4, 5 3, 4, 5 3, 4, 5

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

N1 Beginning node ID for body force load.

N2 Ending node ID for body force load.

LCID Load curve ID, see *DEFINE_CURVE.

DRLCID Load curve ID for dynamic relaxation phase. Only necessary if dynamic
relaxation is defined. See *CONTROL_DYNAMIC_RELAXATION.

19.10 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XC X-center of rotation. Define only for angular velocity.

YC Y-center of rotation. Define only for angular velocity.

ZC Z-center of rotation. Define only for angular velocity.

AX Scale factor for acceleration in x-direction

AY Scale factor for acceleration in y-direction

AZ Scale factor for acceleration in z-direction

OMX Scale factor for x-angular velocity

OMY Scale factor for y-angular velocity

OMZ Scale factor for z-angular velocity

Remarks:

1. Translational base accelerations allow body forces loads to be imposed on a structure.

Conceptually, base acceleration may be thought of as accelerating the coordinate system in the
direction specified, and, thus, the inertial loads acting on the model are of opposite sign. For
example, if a cylinder were fixed to the y-z plane and extended in the positive x-direction, then
a positive x-direction base acceleration would tend to shorten the cylinder, i.e., create forces
acting in the negative x-direction.

2. Base accelerations are frequently used to impose gravitational loads during dynamic relaxation
to initialize the stresses and displacements. During the analysis, in this latter case, the body
forces loads are held constant to simulate gravitational loads. When imposing loads during
dynamic relaxation, it is recommended that the load curve slowly ramp up to avoid the
excitation of a high frequency response.

3. Body force loads due to the angular velocity about an axis are calculated with respect to the
deformed configuration and act radially outward from the axis of rotation. Torsional effects
which arise from changes in angular velocity are neglected with this option. The angular
velocity is assumed to have the units of radians per unit time.

4. The body force density is given at a point P of the body by:

b = ρ (ω × ω × r )

where ρ is the mass density, ω is the angular velocity vector, and r is a position vector from
the origin to point P. Although the angular velocity may vary with time, the effects of angular
acceleration are included.

5. Angular velocities are useful for studying transient deformation of spinning three-dimensional
objects. Typical applications have included stress initialization during dynamic relaxation
where the initial rotational velocities are assigned at the completion of the initialization, and this
option ceases to be active.

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.11 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_BRODE

Purpose: Define Brode function for application of pressure loads due to explosion, see Brode
[1970], also see *LOAD_SEGMENT, *LOAD_SEGMENT_SET, or *LOAD_SHELL.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable YLD BHT XBO YBO ZBO TBO TALC SFLC

Type F F F F F F I I

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0

Remarks 1 1

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CFL CFT CFP

Type F F F

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

YLD Yield (Kt, equivalent tons of TNT).

BHT Height of burst.

XBO x-coordinates of Brode origin.

YBO y-coordinates of Brode origin.

ZBO z-coordinates of Brode origin.

TBO Time offset of Brode origin.

19.12 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TALC Load curve number giving time of arrival versus range relative to Brode
origin (space, time), see *DEFINE_CURVE and remark below.

SFLC Load curve number giving yield scaling versus scaled time (time relative to
Brode origin divided by [yield(**1⁄3)])origin (space, time), see *DEFINE_
CURVE and remark below.

CFL Conversion factor - kft to LS-DYNA length units.

CFT Conversion factor - milliseconds to LS-DYNA time units.

CFP Conversion factor - psi to LS-DYNA pressure units.

Remark:

1. If these curves are defined a variable yield is assumed. Both load curves must be specified
for the variable yield option. If this option is used, the shock time of arrival is found from
the time of arrival curve. The yield used in the Brode formulas is computed by taking the
value from the yield scaling curve at the current time/[yield(**1⁄3)] and multiplying that value
by yield.

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.13 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_DENSITY_DEPTH

Purpose: Define density versus depth for gravity loading. This option has been occasionally used
for analyzing underground and submerged structures where the gravitational preload is important.
The purpose of this option is to initialize the hydrostatic pressure field at the integration points in the
element.

This card should be only defined once in the input deck.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PSID GC DIR LCID

Type I F I I

Default 0 0.0 1 none

Remarks 1,2 3

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PSID Part set ID, see *SET_PART. If a PSID of zero is defined then all parts are
initialized.

GC Gravitational acceleration value.

DIR Direction of loading:

EQ.1: global x,
EQ.2: global y,
EQ.3: global z.

LCID Load curve ID defining density versus depth, see *DEFINE_CURVE.

Remarks:

1. Density versus depth curves are used to initialize hydrostatic pressure due to gravity acting on
an overburden material. The hydrostatic pressure acting at a material point at depth, d, is
given by:
dsurface

p=− ∫ p(z)gdz
d

where p is pressure, dsurface , is the depth of the surface of the material to be initialized
(usually zero), ρ ( z ) is the mass density at depth z , and g is the acceleration of gravity. This
19.14 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960
 *LOAD
integral is evaluated for each integration point. Depth may be measured along any of the
global coordinate axes, and the sign convention of the global coordinate system should be
respected. The sign convention of gravity also follows that of the global coordinate system.
For example, if the positive z axis points "up", then gravitational acceleration should be input
as a negative number.

2 For this option there is a limit of 12 parts that can be defined by PSID, unless all parts are
initialized.

3. Depth is the ordinate of the curve and is input as a descending x, y, or z coordinate value.
Density is the abcissa of the curve and must vary (increase) with depth, i.e., an infinite slope
is not allowed.

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.15 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_HEAT_GENERATION_OPTION

Available options are:

SET

SOLID

Purpose: Define solid elements or solid element set with heat generation.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SID LCID CMULT

Type I I F

Default none none 1.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID Solid element set ID or solid element ID, see *SET_SOLID or

*ELEMENT_SOLID, respectively.

LCID Load curve ID for volumetric heat generation rate, q̇ ′′′ :

GT.0: function versus time,
EQ.0: use multiplier value CMULT only,
LT.0: function versus temperature.

CMULT Curve multiplier for q̇ ′′′ . Depending on the definition of LCID this value is
either used for scaling or for constant heat generation.

19.16 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
*LOAD_MASK

Purpose: Apply a distributed pressure load over a three-dimensional shell part. The pressure is
applied to a subset of elements that are within a fixed global box and lie either outside or inside of a
closed curve in space which is projected onto the surface.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID LCID VID1 OFF BOXID LCIDM VID2 INOUT

Type I I F F I I I I

Default none none 1. 0. 0 0 none 0

Remarks 1 2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ICYCLE

Type I

Default 200

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID (PID). This part must consist of 3D shell elements. To use this
option with solid element the surface of the solid elements must be covered
with null shells. See *MAT_NULL.

LCID Curve ID defining the pressure time history, see *DEFINE_CURVE.

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.17 (LOAD)

*LOAD
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

VID1 Vector ID normal to the suface on which the applied pressure acts. Positive
pressure acts in a direction that is in the opposite direction. This vector may
be used if the surface on which the pressure acts is relatively flat. If zero,
the pressure load depends on the orientation of the shell elements as shown
in Figure 19.3.

OFF Pressure loads will be discontinued if VID1⋅ nshell < OFF where nshell is the
normal vector to the shell element.

BOXID Only elements inside the box with part ID, SSID, are considered. If no ID
is given all elements of part ID, SSID, are included. When the active list of
elements are updated, elements outside the box will no longer have
pressure applied, i.e., the current configuration is always used.

LCIDM Curve ID defining the mask. This curve gives (x,y) pairs of points in a
local coordinate system defined by the vector ID, VID2. Generally, the
curve should form a closed loop, i.e., the first point is identical to the last
point, and the curve should be flagged as a DATTYP=1 curve in the
*DEFINE_CURVE section. If no curve ID is given, all elements of part
ID, PID, are included with the exception of those deleted by the box. The
mask works like the trimming option, i.e., see DEFINE_CURVE_TRIM
and Figure 10.4.

VID2 Vector ID used to project the masking curve onto the surface of part ID,
PID. The origin of this vector determines the origin of the local system that
the coordinates of the PID are transformed into prior to determining the
pressure distribution in the lcoal system. This curve must be defined if
LCIDM is nonzero.

INOUT If 0, elements whose center falls inside the projected curve are considered.
If 1, elements whose center falls outside the projected curve are considered.

ICYCLE Number of time steps between updating the list of active elements
(default=200). The list update can be quite expensive and should be done at
a reasonable interval. The default is not be appropiate for all problems.

Remarks:

1 The part ID must consist of 3D shell elements.

19.18 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
*LOAD_NODE_OPTION

Options include:

POINT

SET

Purpose: Apply a concentrated nodal force to a node or a set of nodes.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NODE/NSID DOF LCID SF CID M1 M2 M3

Type I I I F I I I I

Default none none none 1. 0 0 0 0

Remarks 1 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NODE/NSID Node ID or nodal set ID (NSID), see *SET_NODE_OPTION.

DOF Applicable degrees-of-freedom:

EQ.1: x-direction of load action,
EQ.2: y-direction of load action,
EQ.3: z-direction of load action,
EQ.4: follower force, see remark 2 on next page,
EQ.5: moment about the x-axis,
EQ.6: moment about the y-axis,
EQ.7: moment about the z-axis.
EQ.8: follower moment

LCID Load curve ID, see *DEFINE_CURVE.

SF Load curve scale factor.

CID Coordinate system ID (optional), see remark 1 on next page.

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.19 (LOAD)

*LOAD
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

M1 Node 1 ID. Only necessary if DOF.EQ.4 or 8, see remark 2 below.

M2 Node 2 ID. Only necessary if DOF.EQ.4 or 8, see remark 2 below.

M3 Node 3 ID. Only necessary if DOF.EQ.4 or 8, see remark 2 below.

Remarks:

1 The global coordinate system is the default. The local coordinate system ID’s are defined in the
*DEFINE_COORDINATE_SYSTEM section.

2. Nodes M1, M2, M3 must be defined for a follower force. A positive follower force acts normal
to the plane defined by these nodes, and a positive follower moment puts a counterclockwise
torque about the t-axis. These actions are depicted in Figure 19.2.

3. For shell formulations 14 and 15, the axisymmetric solid elements with area and volume
weighting, respectively, the specified nodal load is per unit length (type14) and per radian (type
15).

w
t
m3

m1 m2
v
Figure 19.2. Follower force and moment acting on a plane defined by nodes m1, m2, and m3. In
this case, the load is applied to node m1; i.e., m=m1. A positive force acts in the
positive t-direction, and a positive moment puts a counterclockwise torque about the
normal vector. The positive t-direction is found by the cross product t = v × w
where v and w are vectors as shown.

19.20 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *LOAD_NODE_SET
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ A cantilever beam (made from shells) is loaded on the two end nodes
$ (nodes 21 & 22). The load is applied in the y-direction (dof=2).
$ Load curve number 1 defines the load, but is scaled by sf=0.5 in the
$ *LOAD_NODE_SET definition.
$
*LOAD_NODE_SET
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ nsid dof lcid sf cid m1 m2 m3
14 2 1 0.5
$
$
*SET_NODE_LIST
$ sid
14
$
$ nid1 nid2 nid3 nid4 nid5 nid6 nid7 nid8
21 22
$
$
*DEFINE_CURVE
$ lcid sidr scla sclo offa offo
1
$
$ abscissa ordinate
0.0 0.0
10.0 100.0
20.0 0.0
$
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.21 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_RIGID_BODY

Purpose: Apply a concentrated nodal force to a rigid body. The force is applied at the center of mass
or a moment is applied around a global axis. As an option, local axes can be defined for force or
moment directions.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID DOF LCID SF CID M1 M2 M3

Type I I I F I I I I

Default none none none 1. 0 0 0 0

Remark 1 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID of the rigid body, see *PART_OPTION.

DOF Applicable degrees-of-freedom:

EQ.1: x-direction of load action,
EQ.2: y-direction of load action,
EQ.3: z-direction of load action,
EQ.4: follower force, see remark 2 on next page,
EQ.5: moment about the x-axis,
EQ.6: moment about the y-axis,
EQ.7: moment about the z-axis.
EQ.8: follower moment, see remark 2.

LCID Load curve ID, see *DEFINE_CURVE.

GT.0: force as a function of time,
LT.0: force as a function of the absolute value of the rigid body
displacement.

SF Load curve scale factor

CID Coordinate system ID

M1 Node 1 ID. Only necessary if DOF.EQ.4 or 8, see remark 2 on next page.

19.22 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

M2 Node 2 ID. Only necessary if DOF.EQ.4 or 8, see remark 2.

M3 Node 3 ID. Only necessary if DOF.EQ.4 or 8, see remark 2.

Remarks:

1 The global coordinate system is the default. The local coordinate system ID’s are defined in
the *DEFINE_COORDINATE_SYSTEM section. This local axis is fixed in inertial space,
i.e., it does not move with the rigid body.

2. Nodes M1, M2, M3 must be defined for a follower force or moment. The follower force acts
normal to the plane defined by these nodes as depicted in Figure 19.2. The positive t-
direction is found by the cross product t = v × w where v and w are vectors as shown. The
follower force is applied at the center of mass. A positive follower moment puts a
counterclockwise torque about the t-axis.

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *LOAD_RIGID_BODY
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ From a sheet metal forming example. A blank is hit by a punch, a binder is
$ used to hold the blank on its sides. The rigid holder (part 27) is held
$ against the blank using a load applied to the cg of the holder.
$
$ The direction of the load is in the y-direction (dof=2) but is scaled
$ by sf = -1 so that the load is in the correct direction. The load
$ is defined by load curve 12.
$
*LOAD_RIGID_BODY
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ pid dof lcid sf cid m1 m2 m3
27 2 12 -1.0
$
$
*DEFINE_CURVE
$ lcid sidr scla sclo offa offo
12
$
$ abscissa ordinate
0.000E+00 8.000E-05
1.000E+04 8.000E-05
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.23 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_SEGMENT

Purpose: Apply the distributed pressure load over one triangular or quadrilateral segment defined by
four nodes. The pressure convention follows Figure 19.3.
Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCID SF AT N1 N2 N3 N4

Type I F F I I I I

Default none 1. 0. none none none none

Remarks 1 2 3 4

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCID Load curve ID, see *DEFINE_CURVE.

SF Load curve scale factor

AT Arrival time for pressure or birth time of pressure.

N1 Node Number

N2 Node Number

N3 Node Number. Repeat N2 for two dimensional geometries.

N4 Node Number. Repeat N2 for two dimensional geometries.

Remarks:

1 If LCID is input as -1, then the Brode function is used to determine the pressure for the
segments, see *LOAD_BRODE.

2 If LCID is input as -2, then the ConWep function is used to determine the pressure for the
segments, see *LOAD_BLAST.

3. The load curve multipliers may be used to increase or decrease the pressure. The time value
is not scaled.

4. The activation time, AT, is the time during the solution that the pressure begins to act. Until
this time, the pressure is ignored. The function value of the load curves will be evaluated at

19.24 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
the offset time given by the difference of the solution time and AT i.e., (solution time-AT).
Relative displacements that occur prior to reaching AT are ignored. Only relative
displacements that occur after AT are prescribed.

5. Triangular segments are defined by repeating the third node.

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *LOAD_SEGMENT
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ A block of solid elements is pressed down onto a plane as it moves along
$ that plane. This pressure is defined using the *LOAD_SEGMENT keyword.
$
$ The pressure is applied to the top of the block. This top is defined
$ by the faces on top of the appropriate solid elements. The faces are
$ defined with segments. For example, nodes 97, 106, 107 & 98 define
$ a top face on one of the solids (and thus, one of the faces to apply the
$ pressure too). This "face" is referred to as a single segment.
$
$ The load is defined with load curve number 1. The curve starts at zero,
$ ramps to 100 in 0.01 time units and then remains constant. However,
$ the curve is then scaled by sclo = 2.5. Thus, raising the load to 250.
$ Note that the load is NOT scaled in the *LOAD_SEGMENT keyword, but
$ could be using the sf variable.
$
*LOAD_SEGMENT
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ lcid sf at n1 n2 n3 n4
1 1.00 0.0 97 106 107 98
1 1.00 0.0 106 115 116 107
1 1.00 0.0 98 107 108 99
1 1.00 0.0 107 116 117 108
$
$
*DEFINE_CURVE
$
$ lcid sidr scla sclo offa offo
1 0 0.0 2.5
$
$ abscissa ordinate
0.000 0.0
0.010 100.0
0.020 100.0
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.25 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_SEGMENT_SET

Purpose: Apply the distributed pressure load over each segment in a segment set. The pressure
convention follows Figure 19.3.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SSID LCID SF AT

Type I I F F

Default none none 1. 0.

Remarks 1 2 3

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SSID Segment set ID, see *SET_SEGMENT.

LCID Load curve ID, see *DEFINE_CURVE.

SF Load curve scale factor

AT Arrival time for pressure or birth time of pressure.

Remarks:

1 If LCID is input as -1, then the Brode function is used to determine pressure for the segment
set, also see *LOAD_BRODE.

2 If LCID is input as -2, then the ConWep function is used to determine the pressure for the
segments, see *LOAD_BLAST.

3. The load curve multipliers may be used to increase or decrease the pressure. The time value
is not scaled.

4. The activation time, AT, is the time during the solution that the pressure begins to act. Until
this time, the pressure is ignored. The function value of the load curves will be evaluated at
the offset time given by the difference of the solution time and AT i.e., (solution time-AT).
Relative displacements that occur prior to reaching AT are ignored. Only relative
displacements that occur after AT are prescribed.

19.26 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD

n1 n2

Mn 1
M n2

2-Dimensional Definition for axisymmetic, plane stress, and plane strain geometries

t
n3
s

n1
n2
r

n4 t s n3

n1

n2

Figure 19.3. Nodal numbering for pressure cards. Positive pressure acts in the negative
t-direction. For two dimensional problems repeat the second node for the third and
fourth nodes in the segment definitions.

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.27 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_SHELL_OPTION

Options include:

ELEMENT

SET

Purpose: Apply the distributed pressure load over one shell element or shell element set. The
numbering of the shell nodal connectivities must follow the right hand rule with positive pressure
acting in the negative t-direction. See Figure 19.3. This option applies to the three-dimensional shell
elements only.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EID/ESID LCID SF AT

Type I I F F

Default none none 1. 0.

Remarks 1 1 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID/ESID Shell ID (SID) or shell set ID (SSID), see *ELEMENT_SHELL or *SET_

SHELL.

LCID Load curve ID, see *DEFINE_CURVE.

SF Load curve scale factor

AT Arrival time for pressure or birth time of pressure.

Remarks:

1 If LCID is input as -1, then the Brode function is used to determine the pressure for the
segments, see also *LOAD_BRODE.

2 If LCID is input as -2, then the ConWep function is used to determine the pressure for the
segments, see *LOAD_BLAST.

3. The load curve multipliers may be used to increase or decrease the pressure. The time value
is not scaled.

19.28 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *LOAD_SHELL_ELEMENT
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ From a sheet metal forming example. A blank is hit by a punch, a holder is
$ used to hold the blank on its sides. All shells on the holder are given a
$ pressure boundary condition to clamp down on the blank. The pressure
$ follows load curve 3, but is scaled by -1 so that it applies the load in the
$ correct direction. The load starts at zero, but quickly rises to 5 MPa
$ after 0.001 sec. (Units of this model are in: ton, mm, s, N, MPa, N-mm)
$
*LOAD_SHELL_ELEMENT
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ eid lcid sf at
30001 3 -1.00E+00 0.0
30002 3 -1.00E+00 0.0
30003 3 -1.00E+00 0.0
30004 3 -1.00E+00 0.0
30005 3 -1.00E+00 0.0
30006 3 -1.00E+00 0.0
30007 3 -1.00E+00 0.0
$
$ Note: Just a subset of all the shell elements of the holder is shown above,
$ in practice this list contained 448 shell element id's.
$
$
*DEFINE_CURVE
$ lcid sidr scla sclo offa offo
3
$
$ abscissa ordinate
0.000 0.0
0.001 5.0
0.150 5.0
$
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.29 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_SSA

Purpose: The Sub-Sea Analysis capability allows a simple way of loading the structure to account
for the effects of the primary explosion and the subsequent bubble oscillations.

Define one card.

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable VS DS REFL ZB ZSURF FPSID PSID

Type F F F F F I I

Default none none 0. 0. 0. 0 0

Define two cards for each explosive charge. This input is terminated by the next
“*” keyword card.

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable A ALPHA GAMMA KTHETA KAPPA

Type F F F F F

Default none none none none none

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XS YS ZS W TDELY RAD CZ

Type F F F F F F F

Default none none none none none none none

19.30 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

VS Sound speed in fluid

DS Density of fluid

REFL Consider reflections from sea floor.

EQ.0: off
EQ.1: on

ZB Z coordinate of sea floor if REFL=1, otherwise, not used.

ZSURF Z coordinate of sea surface

FPSID Part set ID of parts subject to flood control. Use the *PART_SET_
COLUMN option where the parameters A1 and A2 must be defined as
follows:

Parameter A1: Flooding status:

EQ.1.0: Fluid on both sides.
EQ.2.0: Fluid outside, air inside.
EQ.3.0: Air outside, fluid inside.
EQ.4.0: Material or part is ignored.

Parameter A2: Tubular outer diameter of beam elements. For shell elements
this input must be greater than zero for loading.

PSID Part IDs of parts defining the wet surface. The elements defining these
parts must have there outward normals pointing into the fluid. See Figure
19.4.
EQ.0: all parts are included.
GT.0: define NPIDS part ID's below.

A Shock pressure parameter

ALPHA α, shock pressure parameter

GAMMA γ, time constant parameter

KTHETA Kθ , time constant parameter

KAPPA κ, ratio of specific heat capacities

XS X coordinate of charge

YS Y coordinate of charge

ZS Z coordinate of charge

W Weight of charge

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.31 (LOAD)

*LOAD
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TDELY Time delay before charge detonates

RAD Charge radius

CZ Water depth

Remarks:

The pressure history of the primary shockwave at a point in space through which a detonation
wave passes is given as:
t
−
P(t) = Pm e θ

where Pm and the time constant θ below are functions of the type and weight W of the explosive
charge and the distance Q from the charge.
α
 W 1/ 3 
Ppeak = A 
 Q 

γ
 W 1/ 3 
θ = Kθ W 1/ 3
 Q 
 

where A, α, γ, and Kθ are constants for the explosive being used.

Element covering surface must have

outward facing normal vectors

Figure 19.4. The shell elements interacting with the fluid must be numbered such that their
outward normal vector points into the fluid media.

19.32 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
*LOAD_SUPERPLASTIC_FORMING

Purpose: Perform superplastic forming (SPF) analyses. This option can be applied to both solid and
shell elements. The pressure loading controlled by the load curve ID given below is scaled to
maintain a constant maximum strain rate.

This option must be used with material model 64, *MAT_RATE_SENSITIVE_POWERLAW_

PLASTICITY, for strain rate sensitive, powerlaw plasticity. For the output of data, see *DATA-
BASE_SUPERPLASTIC_FORMING. Mass scaling is recommended in SPF applications.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCP1 CSP1 NCP1 LCP2 CSP2 NCP2

Type I I F I I F

Default none none none. none none none

Remarks 1 1 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ERATE SCMIN SCMAX NCYL

Type F F F I

Default none none none. 0

Remarks 2

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.33 (LOAD)

*LOAD
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCP1 Load curve number for Phase I pressure loading, see *DEFINE_CURVE.

CSP1 Contact surface number to determine completion of Phase 1.

NCP1 Percent of nodes in contact to terminate Phase I, see *CONTACT_

OPTION.

LCP2 Load curve number for Phase II pressure loading (reverse), see *DEFINE_
CURVE.

CSP2 Contact surface to determine completion of Phase II, see *CONTACT_

OPTION.

NCP2 Percent of nodes in contact to terminate Phase II.

ERATE Desired strain rate. This is the time derivative of the logarithmic strain.

SCMIN Minimum allowable value for load curve scale factor. To maintain a
constant strain rate the pressure curve is scaled. In the case of a snap
through buckling the pressure may be removed completely. By putting a
value here the pressure will continue to act but at a value given by this scale
factor multiplying the pressure curve.

SCMAX Maximum allowable value for load curve scale factor. Generally, it is a
good idea to put a value here to keep the pressure from going to
unreasonable values after full contact has been attained. When full contact
is achieved the strain rates will approach zero and pressure will go to
infinity unless it is limited or the calculation terminates.

NCYL Number of cycles for monotonic pressure after reversal.

Remarks:

1. Optionally, a second phase can be defined. In this second phase a unique set of pressure
segments must be defined whose pressure is controlled by load curve 2. During the first
phase, the pressure segments of load curve 2 are inactive, and, likewise, during the second
phase the pressure segments of the first phase are inactive. When shell elements are used the
complete set of pressure segments can be repeated in the input with a sign reversal used on
the load curve. When solid elements are used the pressure segments for each phase will, in
general, be unique.

2. This is an ad hoc parameter which should probably not be used.

3. The output files named: “pressure”, “curve1”, and “curve2”, may be ploted by LS-TAURUS
in PHS3 using the SUPERPL command. The file “curve2” is created only if the second
phase is active. See *DATABASE_SUPERPLASTIC_FORMING.

4. The constraint method contact, *CONTACT_CONSTRAINT_NODES_TO_SURFACE, is

recommended for superplastic forming simulations since the penalty methods are not as
reliable when mass scaling is applied. Generally, in superplastic simulations mass scaling is
used to enable the calculation to be carried out in real time.

19.34 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
*LOAD_THERMAL_OPTION

Options include:

CONSTANT

CONSTANT_NODE

LOAD_CURVE

TOPAZ

VARIABLE

VARIABLE_NODE

Purpose: To define nodal temperatures that thermally load the structure. Nodal temperatures defined
by the *LOAD_THERMAL_OPTION method are all applied in a structural only analysis. They are
ignored in a thermal only or coupled thermal/structural analysis, see *CONTROL_THERMAL_
OPTION.

All the *LOAD_THERMAL options cannot be used in conjunction with each other. Only those of
the same thermal load type, as defined below in column 2, may be used together.

*LOAD_THERMAL_CONSTANT - Thermal load type 1

*LOAD_THERMAL_CONSTANT_NODE - Thermal load type 1

*LOAD_THERMAL_LOAD_CURVE - Thermal load type 2

*LOAD_THERMAL_TOPAZ - Thermal load type 3

*LOAD_THERMAL_VARIABLE - Thermal load type 4

*LOAD_THERMAL_VARIABLE_NODE - Thermal load type 4

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.35 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_THERMAL_CONSTANT

Purpose: Define nodal sets giving the temperature that remains constant for the duration of the
calculation. The reference temperature state is assumed to be a null state with this option. A nodal
temperature state, read in above and held constant throughout the analysis, dynamically loads the
structure. Thus, the temperature defined can also be seen as a relative temperature to a surrounding
or initial temperature.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID NSIDEX BOXID

Type I I I

Default none 0. 0.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable T TE

Type F F

Default 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID Nodal set ID containing nodes for initial temperature (see *SET_NODES):
EQ.0: all nodes are included:

NSIDEX Nodal set ID containing nodes that are exempted from the imposed
temperature (optional).

BOXID All nodes in box which belong to NSID are initialized. Others are excluded
(optional).

T Temperature

TE Temperature of exempted nodes (optional)

19.36 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
*LOAD_THERMAL_CONSTANT_NODE

Purpose: Define nodal temperature that remains constant for the duration of the calculation. The
reference temperature state is assumed to be a null state with this option. A nodal temperature state,
read in above and held constant throughout the analysis, dynamically loads the structure. Thus, the
temperature defined can also be seen as a relative temperature to a surrounding or initial temperature.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID T

Type I F

Default none 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Node ID

T Temperature, see remark below.

Remark:

1. The temperature range for the constitutive constants in the thermal materials must include the
reference temperature of zero. If not termination will occur with a temperature out-of-range
error immediately after the execution phase is entered.

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.37 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_THERMAL_LOAD_CURVE

Purpose: Nodal temperatures will be uniform throughout the model and will vary according to a load
curve. The temperature at time=0 becomes the reference temperature for the thermal material. The
reference temperature is obtained from the optional curve for dynamic relaxation if this curve is used.
The load curve option for dynamic relaxation is useful for initializing preloads.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCID LCIDDR

Type I I

Default none 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCID Load curve ID, see *DEFINE_CURVE, to define temperature versus time.

LCIDDR An optional load curve ID, see *DEFINE_CURVE, to define temperature

versus time during the dynamic relaxation phase.

19.38 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
*LOAD_THERMAL_TOPAZ

Purpose: Nodal temperatures will be read in from the TOPAZ3D database. This file is defined in the
EXECUTION SYNTAX, see INTRODUCTION.

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.39 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_THERMAL_VARIABLE

Purpose: Define nodal sets giving the temperature that is variable in the duration of the calculation.
The reference temperature state is assumed to be a null state with this option. A nodal temperature
state, read in above and varied according to the load curve, dynamically loads the structure. Thus,
the defined temperatures are relative temperatures to an initial reference temperature.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID NSIDEX BOXID

Type I I I

Default none 0. 0.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TS TB LCID TSE TBE LCIDE

Type F F I F F I

Default 0. 0. none 0. 0. none

Remark 1 1 1 1 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID Nodal set ID containing nodes (see *SET_NODE_OPTION):

EQ.0: all nodes are included.

NSIDEX Nodal set ID containing nodes that are exempted (optional), see *SET_
NODE_ OPTION.

BOXID All nodes in box which belong to NSID are initialized. Others are excluded.

TS Scaled temperature.

19.40 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *LOAD
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TB Base temperature.

LCID Load curve ID that multiplies the scaled temperature, see *DEFINE_
CURVE.

TSE Scaled temperature of the exempted nodes (optional).

TBE Base temperature of the exempted nodes (optional).

LCIDE Load curve ID that multiplies the scaled temperature of the exempted nodes
(optional), see *DEFINE_CURVE.

Remark:

1. The temperature is defined as

T = Tbase + Tscale f(t)

where f(t) is the current value of the load curve, Tscale, is the scaled temperature, and,
Tbase, is the base temperature.

LS-DYNA Version 960 19.41 (LOAD)

*LOAD
*LOAD_THERMAL_VARIABLE_NODE

Purpose: Define nodal temperature that are variable during the calculation. The reference temper-
ature state is assumed to be a null state with this option. A nodal temperature state read in and varied
according to the load curve dynamically loads the structure. Thus, the defined temperatures are
relative temperatures to an initial reference temperature.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID TS TB LCID

Type I F F I

Default none 0. 0. none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Node ID

TS Scaled temperature

TB Base temperature

LCID Load curve ID that multiplies the scaled temperature, see *DEFINE_
CURVE.

Remarks:

The temperature is defined as

T = Tbase + Tscale f(t)

where

f(t) is the current value of the load curve

Tscale is the scaled temperature

Tbase is the base temperature

19.42 (LOAD) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *NODE

*NODE
Two keywords are defined in this section.

*NODE

*NODE_RIGID_SURFACE

LS-DYNA Version 960 20.1 (NODE)

*NODE
*NODE

Purpose: Define a node and its coordinates in the global coordinate system. Also, the boundary
conditions in global directions can be specified. Generally, nodes are assigned to elements; however,
exceptions are possible, see remark 2 below.

Card Format (I8,3E16.0,2F8.0)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable NID X Y Z TC RC

Type I F F F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

Remarks 1 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Node number

X x coordinate

Y y coordinate

Z z coordinate

TC Translational Constraint:
EQ.0: no constraints,
EQ.1: constrained x displacement,
EQ.2: constrained y displacement,
EQ.3: constrained z displacement,
EQ.4: constrained x and y displacements,
EQ.5: constrained y and z displacements,
EQ.6: constrained z and x displacements,
EQ.7: constrained x, y, and z displacements.

20.2 (NODE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *NODE
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

RC Rotational constraint:
EQ.0: no constraints,
EQ.1: constrained x rotation,
EQ.2: constrained y rotation,
EQ.3: constrained z rotation,
EQ.4: constrained x and y rotations,
EQ.5: constrained y and z rotations,
EQ.6: constrained z and x rotations,
EQ.7: constrained x, y, and z rotations.

Remarks:

1. Boundary conditions can also be defined on nodal points in a local (or global) system by using
the keyword *BOUNDARY_SPC. For other possibilities also see the *CONSTRAINED
keyword section of the manual.

2. A node without an element or a mass attached to it will be assigned a very small amount of
mass and rotary inertia. Generally, massless nodes should not cause any problems but in rare
cases may create stability problems if these massless nodes interact with the structure. Warning
messages are printed when massless nodes are found. Also, massless nodes are used with
rigid bodies to place joints, see *CONSTRAINED_EXTRA_NODES_OPTION and
*CONSTRAINED_ NODAL_RIGID_BODY.

LS-DYNA Version 960 20.3 (NODE)

*NODE
*NODE_RIGID_SURFACE

Purpose: Define a rigid node and its coordinates in the global coordinate system. These nodes are
used to define rigid road surfaces and they have no degrees of freedom. The nodal points are used in
the definition of the segments that define the rigid surface. See *CONTACT_RIGID_SURFACE.

Card Format (I8,3E16.0)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable NID X Y Z

Type I F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0.

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Node number

X x coordinate

Y y coordinate

Z z coordinate

20.4 (NODE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *PART

*PART
Three keywords are used in this section.

*PART_{OPTION1}_{OPTION2}_{OPTION3}_{OPTION4}

*PART_MODES

*PART_MOVE

LS-DYNA Version 960 21.1 (PART)

*PART
*PART_{OPTION1}_{OPTION2}_{OPTION3}_{OPTION4}

For OPTION1 the available choices are

<BLANK>

INERTIA

REPOSITION

For OPTION2 the available choices are

<BLANK>

CONTACT

For OPTION3 the available choices are

<BLANK>

PRINT

For OPTION4 the available choices are

<BLANK>

ATTACHMENT_NODES

Options 1, 2, 3, and 4 may be specified in any order on the *PART card.

Purpose: Define parts, i.e., combine material.information, section properties, hourglass type,
thermal properties, and a flag for part adaptivity.

The INERTIA option allows the inertial properties and initial conditions to be defined rather
than calculated from the finite element mesh. This applies to rigid bodies , see *MAT_RIGID, only.
The REPOSITION option applies to deformable materials and is used to reposition deformable
materials attached to rigid dummy components whose motion is controlled by either CAL3D or
MADYMO. At the beginning of the calculation each component controlled by CAL3D/MADYMO is
automatically repositioned to be consistent with the CAL3D/MADYMO input. However, deformable
materials attached to these component will not be repositioned unless this option is used.

The CONTACT option allows part based contact parameters to be used with the automatic
contact types a3, 4, a5, a10, 13, a13, 15 and 26, that is

*CONTACT_AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE

*CONTACT_SINGLE_SURFACE,

*CONTACT_AUTOMATIC_NODES_TO_SURFACE,

*CONTACT_AUTOMATIC_ONE_WAY_SURFACE_TO_SURFACE,

21.2 (PART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *PART
*CONTACT_AUTOMATIC_SINGLE_SURFACE,

*CONTACT_AIRBAG_SINGLE_SURFACE,

*CONTACT_ERODING_SINGLE_SURFACE,

*CONTACT_AUTOMATIC_GENERAL.

The default values to use for these contact parameters can be specified on the *CONTACT input
setction.card.

The PRINT option allows user control over whether output data is written into the ASCII
files MATSUM and RBDOUT. See *DATABASE_ASCII.

Card Format

Card 1

Variable HEADING

Type C

Default none

Remarks 1

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID SECID MID EOSID HGID GRAV ADPOPT TMID

Type I I I I I I I I

Default none none none 0 0 0 0 0

LS-DYNA Version 960 21.3 (PART)

*PART
Additional Cards are required for the INERTIA option. See remarks 3 and 4.

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XC YC ZC TM IRCS NODEID

Type F F F F I I

Card 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IXX IXY IXZ IYY IYZ IZZ

Type F F F F F F

Card 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable VTX VTY VTZ VRX VRY VRZ

Type F F F F F F

Optional card required for IRCS=1. Define two local vectors or a local coordinate
system ID.

Card 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XL YL ZL XLIP YLIP ZLIP CID

Type F F F F F F I

Remark 2 2 2 2 2 2 none

21.4 (PART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *PART

An additional Card is required for the REPOSITION option.

Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CMSN MDEP MOVOPT

Type I I I

Additional Card is required for the CONTACT option.

W A R N I N G : If FS, FD, DC, and VC are specified they will not be used unless FS
is set to a negative value (-1.0) in the *CONTACT section. These frictional
coefficients apply only to contact types: SINGLE_SURFACE, AUTOMATIC_
GENERAL, AUTOMATIC_SINGLE_SURFACE, AUTOMATIC_NODES_TO_...,
AUTOMATIC_SURFACE_..., AUTOMATIC_ONE_WAY_..., and ERODING_SIN-
GLE_SURFACE. Default values are input via *CONTROL_CONTACT input.

Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable FS FD DC VC OPTT SFT SSF

Type F F F F F F F

An additional Card is required for the PRINT option. This option applies to rigid
bodies and provides a way to turn off ASCII output in files RBDOUT and
MATSUM.

Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PRBF

Type I

LS-DYNA Version 960 21.5 (PART)

*PART
An additional Card is required for the ATTACHMENT_NODES option. All nodes
are treated as attachment nodes if this option is not used. Attachment nodes apply
to rigid bodies only. The motion of these nodes, which must belong to the rigid
body, are updated each cycle. Other nodes in the rigid body are updated only for
output purposes. Include all nodes in the attachment node set which interact with
the structure through joints, contact, merged nodes, applied nodal point loads, and
applied pressure. Include all nodes in the attachment node set if their
displacements, accelerations, and velocities are to be written into an ASCII output
file. Body force loads are applied to the c.g. of the rigid body.

Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ANSID

Type I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

HEADING Heading for the part

PID Part identification

SECID Section identification defined in the *SECTION section

MID Material identification defined in the *MAT section

EOSID Equation of state identification defined in the *EOS section. Nonzero only
for solid elements using a an equation of state to compute pressure.

HGID Hourglass/bulk viscosity identification defined in the *HOURGLASS

Section:
EQ.0: default values are used.

GRAV Part initialization for gravity loading. This option initializes hydrostatic
pressure in the part due to gravity acting on an overburden material. This
option applies to brick elements only and must be used with the *LOAD_
DENSITY_DEPTH option:
EQ.0: all parts initialized,
EQ.1: only current material initialized.

ADPOPT Indicate if this part is adapted or not. see also *CONTROL_ADAPTIVITY:

EQ.0: no adaptivity,
EQ.1: H-adaptive for 3-D shells.
EQ.2: R-adaptive remeshing for 2-D shells.

21.6 (PART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *PART
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TMID Thermal material property identification defined in the *MAT_THERMAL

Section. Thermal properties must be specified for all solid, shell, and thick
shell parts if a thermal or coupled thermal structural/analysis is being
performed. Beams and discrete elements are not considered in thermal
analyses.
EQ.0: defaults to MID

XC x-coordinate of center of mass. If nodal point, NODEID, is defined XC,

YC, and ZC are ignored and the coordinates of the nodal point, NODEID,
are taken as the center of mass.

YC y-coordinate of center of mass

ZC z-coordinate of center of mass

TM Translational mass

IRCS Flag for inertia tensor reference coordinate system:

EQ.0: global inertia tensor,
EQ.1: local inertia tensor is given in a system defined by the
orientation vectors.

NODEID Nodal point defining the CG of the rigid body. This node should be
included as an extra node for the rigid body; however, this is not a
requirement. If this node is free, its motion will not be updated to
correspond with the rigid body after the calculation begins.

IXX Ixx, xx component of inertia tensor

IXY Ixy, xy component of inertia tensor (see Remark 4)

IXZ Ixz, xz component of inertia tensor (see Remark 4)

IYY Iyy, yy component of inertia tensor

IYZ Iyz, yz component of inertia tensor (see Remark 4)

IZZ Izz, zz component of inertia tensor

VTX initial translational velocity of rigid body in x direction

VTY initial translational velocity of rigid body in y direction

VTZ initial translational velocity of rigid body in z direction

VRX initial rotational velocity of rigid body about x axis

VRY initial rotational velocity of rigid body about y axis

VRZ initial rotational velocity of rigid body about z axis

LS-DYNA Version 960 21.7 (PART)

*PART
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XL x-coordinate of local x-axis. Origin lies at (0,0,0).

YL y-coordinate of local x-axis

ZL z-coordinate of local x-axis

XLIP x-coordinate of vector in local x-y plane

YLIP y-coordinate of vector in local x-y plane

ZLIP z-coordinate of vecotr in local x-y plane

CID Local coordinate system ID, see *DEFINE_COORDINATE_.... With this

option leave fields 1-6 blank.

CMSN CAL3D segment number/MADYMO system number. See the numbering in

the corresponding program.

MDEP MADYMO ellipse/plane number:

GT.0: ellipse number,
EQ.0: default,
LT.0: absolute value is plane number.

MOVOPT Flag to deactivate moving for merged rigid bodies, see *CONSTRAINED_
RIGID_BODIES. This option allows a merged rigid body to be fixed in
space while the nodes and elements of the generated CAL3D/MADYMO
parts are repositioned:
EQ.0: merged rigid body is repositioned,
EQ.1: merged rigid body is not repositioned.

FS Static coefficient of friction. The functional coefficient is assumed to be

dependent on the relative velocity v rel of the surfaces in contact
µc = FD + ( FS − FD)e
− DC ⋅ vrel
.

FD Dynamic coefficient of friction. The functional coefficient is assumed to be

dependent on the relative velocity v rel of the surfaces in contact
µc = FD + ( FS − FD)e
− DC ⋅ vrel
.

DC Exponential decay coefficient. The functional coefficient is assumed to be

dependent on the relative velocity v rel of the surfaces in contact
µc = FD + ( FS − FD)e
− DC ⋅ vrel
.

VC Coefficient for viscous friction. This is necessary to limit the friction force
to a maximum. A limiting force is computed Flim = VC ⋅ Acont . A cont being
the area of the segment contacted by the node in contact. The suggested
σ
value for VC is to use the yield stress in shear VC = o where σ o is the
3
yield stress of the contacted material.

21.8 (PART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *PART
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

OPTT Optional contact thickness. This applies to shells only.

SFT Optional thickness scale factor for PART ID in automatic contact (scales true
thickness). This option applies only to contact with shell elements. True
thickness is the element thickness of the shell elements.

SSF Scale factor on default slave penalty stiffness for this PART ID whenever it
appears in the contact definition. If zero, SSF is taken as unity.

PRBF Print flag for RBDOUT and MATSUM files.

EQ.0: default is taken from the keyword *CONTROL_OUTPUT,
EQ.1: write data into RBDOUT file only
EQ.2: write data into MATSUM file only
EQ.3: do not write data into RBDOUT and MATSUM

ANSID Attachment node set ID. This option should be used very cautiously and
applies only to rigid bodies. The attachment point nodes are updated each
cycle whereas other nodes in the rigid body are updated only in the output
databases. All loads seen by the rigid body must be applied through this
nodal subset or directly to the center of gravity of the rigid body. If the rigid
body is in contact this set must include all interacting nodes.
EQ.0: All nodal updates are skipped for this rigid body. The null
option can be used if the rigid body is fixed in space or if the rigid body
does not interact with other parts, e.g., the rigid body is only used for
some visual purpose.

Remarks:

1. HEADING default is standard material description, e.g. Material Type 1. In case of SMUG
post processing place PSHELL (or PBAR, or PSOLID) in columns 1-8 and Property name in
columns 34-41.

2. The local cartesian coordinate system is defined as described in *DEFINE_COORDINATE_

VECTOR. The local z-axis vector is the vector cross product of the x axis and the in plane
vector. The local y-axis vector is finally computed as the vector cross product of the z-axis
vector and the x-axis vector. The local coordinate system defined by CID has the advantage
that the local system can be defined by nodes in the rigid body which makes repositioning of
the rigid body in a preprocessor much easier since the local system moves with the nodal
points.

3. When specifiying mass properties for a rigid body using the inertia option, the mass
contributions of deformable bodies to nodes which are shared by the rigid body should be
considered as part of the rigid body.

4. If the inertia option is used, all mass and inertia properties of the body must be specified for
there are no default values. Note that the off-diagonal terms of the inertia tensor are opposite in
sign from the products of inertia.

LS-DYNA Version 960 21.9 (PART)

*PART
*PART_MODES

Purpose: Define mode shapes for a flexible rigid body. Currently, flexible bodies cannot be merged
into other flexible bodies or rigid bodies; however, interconnections to other rigid/flexible bodies can
use the penalty joint option. The flexible rigid bodies are not implemented with the Lagrange
multiplier joint option. The deformations are modeled using the modes shapes obtained
experimentally or in a finite element analysis, e.g., NASTRAN.pch file or an LSTC eigout file.
These modes should include both constraint and attachment modes. For stress recovery in flexible
rigid bodies, use of linear element formulations is recommeded. A lump mass matrix is assumed in
the implementation. Also see the keyword control card: *CONTROL_RIGID.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID NMFB FORM ANSID FORMAT KMFLAG NUPDF SIGREC

Type I I I I I I I

Card 2

Variable FILENAME

Type C

Default none

Define the following cards if and only if KMFLAG=1. Use as many cards as
necessary to identify the NMFB kept modes. After NMFB modes are defined no
further input is expected.

Cards 3, ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable MODE1 MODE2 MODE3 MODE4 MODE5 MODE6 MODE7 MODE8

Type I I I I I I I I

Default none nont none nont none nont none nont

21.10 (PART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *PART

Read optional modal damping cards here. A keyword card (with a "*" in column 1)
terminates this input.

Card 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable MSTART MSTOP DAMPF

Type I I F

Default none nont none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part identification. This part must be a rigid body.

NMFB Number of kept modes in flexible body. The number of modes in the file,
FILENAME, must equal or exceed NMFB. If KMFLAG=0 the first
NMFB modes in the file are used.

FORM Flexible body formulation. See remark 5 below.

EQ.0: exact
EQ.1: fast

ANSID Attachment node set ID (optional).

FORMAT Input format of modal information:

EQ.0: NASTRAN.pch file.
EQ.1: LSTC eigout file
EQ.2: NASTRAN.pch file (LS-DYNA binary version). The binary
version of this file is automatically created if a NASTRAN.pch file is
read. The name of the binary file is the name of the NASTRAN.pch
file but with ".bin" appended. The binary file is smaller and can be
read much faster.

KMFLAG Kept mode flag. Selects method for identifying modes to keep.
EQ.0: the first NMFB modes in the file, FILENAME, are used.
EQ.1: define NMFB kept modes with additional input.

NUPDF Nodal update flag. If active, an attachment node set, ANSID, must be
defined.
EQ.0: all nodes of of the rigid part are updated each cycle.
EQ.1: only attachment nodes are fully updated. All nodes in the body
are output based on the rigid body motion without the addition of the
modal displacements. For maximum benefit an attachment node set can
also be defined with the PART_ATTACHMENT_NODES option. The
same attachment node set ID should be used here.

LS-DYNA Version 960 21.11 (PART)

*PART
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SIGREC Stress recovery flag. If active, attachment nodes should not be used.
EQ.0: no stress recovery
EQ.1: recover stresses.

FILENAME The path and name of a file which containes the modes for this rigid body.

MODEn Keep normal mode, MODEn.

MSTART First mode for damping, (1 ≤ MSTART ≤ NMFB) .

MSTOP Last mode for damping, MSTOP, (1 ≤ MSTOP ≤ NMFB) . All modes
between MSTART and MSTOP inclusive are subject to the same modal
damping coefficient, DAMPF.

DAMPF Modal damping coefficient, ζ .

Remarks:

1. The format of the file which contains the normal modes follows the file formats of NASTRAN
output for modal information.

2. The mode set typically combines both normal modes and attachment modes. The eigenvalues
for the attachment modes are computed from the stiffness and mass matrices.

3. The part ID specified must be either a single rigid body or a master rigid body (see
*CONSTRAINED_RIGID_BODIES) which can be made up of many rigid parts.

4. The modal damping is defined by the modal damping coefficient ζ ., where a value of 1.0
equals critical damping. For a one degree of freedom model system, the relationship between
the damping and the damping coefficient is c = 2ζω n m , where c is the damping, m is the mass,
and ω n is the natural frequency, k / m .

5. There are two formulation options. The first is a formulation that contains all the terms of the
flexible body equations, and its cost grows approximately as the square of the number of
modes. The second formulation ignores most of the second order terms appearing in the exact
equations and its cost grows linearly with the number of modes. Users are responsible for
determining which formulation is appropriate for their problems. In general, if the angular
velocities are small and if the deflections are small with respect to the geometry of the system it
is safe to use the second (faster) formulation.

21.12 (PART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *PART
*PART_MOVE

Purpose: Translate shell part by an increment. This option currently applies only to shell elements.

Define one card. Card Format (I8,3E16.0)

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Variable PID XMOV YMOV ZMOV

Type I F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part identification

XMOV Move shell part ID, PID, in the x-direction by the incremental distance,
XMOV.

YMOV Move shell part ID, PID, in the y-direction by the incremental distance,
YMOV.

ZMOV Move shell part ID, PID, in the z-direction by the incremental distance,
ZMOV.

LS-DYNA Version 960 21.13 (PART)

*PART

21.14 (PART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RIGIDWALL

*RIGIDWALL
Two keywords are used in this section to define rigid surfaces:

*RIGIDWALL_GEOMETRIC_OPTION_{OPTION}

*RIGIDWALL_PLANAR_{OPTION}_{OPTION}_{OPTION}

The RIGIDWALL option provides a simple way of treating contact between a rigid surface and
nodal points of a deformable body, called slave nodes. Slave nodes which belong to rigid parts are
not, in general, checked for contact with only one exception. The RIGIDWALL_PLANAR option
may be used with nodal points of rigid bodies if the planar wall defined by this option is fixed in
space and the RWPNAL parameter is set to a positive nonzero value on the control card,
*CONTROL_CONTACT.

When the rigid wall defined in this section moves with a prescribed motion, the equations of
rigid body mechanics are not involved. For a general rigid body treatment with arbitrary surfaces and
motion, refer to the *CONTACT_ENTITY definition. The *CONTACT_ENTITY option is for
treating contact between rigid and deformable surfaces only.

LS-DYNA Version 960 22.1 (RIGIDWALL)

*RIGIDWALL
*RIGIDWALL_GEOMETRIC_OPTION_{OPTION}

Available forms include (one is mandatory):

RIGIDWALL_GEOMETRIC_FLAT

RIGIDWALL_GEOMETRIC_PRISM

RIGIDWALL_GEOMETRIC_CYLINDER

RIGIDWALL_GEOMETRIC_SPHERE

If prescribed motion is desired an additional option is available:

MOTION

One of the shape types [FLAT, PRISM, CYLINDER, SPHERE] must be specified, followed
by the optional definition of M O T I O N , both on the same line with * R I G I D W A L L _
GEOMETRIC

Purpose: Define a rigid wall with an analytically described form. Four forms are possible. A
prescribed motion is optional. For general rigid bodies with arbitrary surfaces and motion, refer to
the *CONTACT_ENTITY definition. This option is for treating contact between rigid and
deformable surfaces only.

Card Format:

• Cards 1 and 2 are required for all geometric shapes.

• Card 3 is required, but is dependent upon which shape is specified.

• Optional Card A is required if MOTION is specified.

22.2 (RIGIDWALL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RIGIDWALL
Card 1 - Required for all shape types

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID NSIDEX BOXID

Type I I I

Default none 0 0

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID Nodal set ID containing slave nodes, see *SET_NODE_OPTION:

EQ.0: all nodes are slave to rigid wall.

NSIDEX Nodal set ID containing nodes that exempted as slave nodes, see *SET_
NODE_OPTION.

BOXID If defined, only nodes in box are included as slave nodes to rigid wall.

LS-DYNA Version 960 22.3 (RIGIDWALL)

*RIGIDWALL
Card 2 - Required for all shape types.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XT YT ZT XH YH ZH FRIC

Type F F F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

Remarks

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XT x-coordinate of tail of any outward drawn normal vector, n, originating on

wall (tail) and terminating in space (head), see Figure 22.1.

YT y-coordinate of tail of normal vector n

ZT z-coordinate of tail of normal vector n

XH x-coordinate of head of normal vector n

YH y-coordinate of head of normal vector n

ZH z-coordinate of head of normal vector n

FRIC Interface friction:

EQ.0.0: frictionless sliding after contact,
EQ.1.0: stick condition after contact,
0.<FRIC<1.: Coulomb friction coefficient.

22.4 (RIGIDWALL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RIGIDWALL
Card 3 - Required if FLAT is specified after the keyword.

A plane with a finite size or with an infinite size can be defined, see Figure 22.1. The vector m is
computed as the vector cross product n X l. The origin, which is the tail of the normal vector, is the
corner point of the finite size plane.

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XHEV YHEV ZHEV LENL LENM

Type F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. infinity infinity

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XHEV x-coordinate of head of edge vector l, see Figure 22.1.

YHEV y-coordinate of head of edge vector l

ZHEV z-coordinate of head of edge vector l

LENL Length of l edge. A zero value defines an infinite size plane.

LENM Length of m edge. A zero value defines an infinite size plane.

LS-DYNA Version 960 22.5 (RIGIDWALL)

*RIGIDWALL
Card 3 - Required if PRISM is specified after the keyword.

The description of the definition of a plane with finite size is enhanced by an additional length in the
direction negative to n, see Figure 22.1.

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XHEV YHEV ZHEV LENL LENM LENP

Type F F F F F F

Default none 0. 0. infinity infinity infinity

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XHEV x-coordinate of head of edge vector l, see Figure 22.1.

YHEV y-coordinate of head of edge vector l

ZHEV z-coordinate of head of edge vector l

LENL Length of l edge. A zero valure defines an infinite size plane.

LENM Length of m edge. A zero valure defines an infinite size plane.

LENP Length of prism in the direction negative to n, see Figure 22.1.

22.6 (RIGIDWALL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RIGIDWALL
Card 3 - Required if CYLINDER is specified after the keyword.

The tail of n specifies the top plane of the cylinder. The length is defined in the direction negative to
n, see Figure 22.1.

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable RADCYL LENCYL

Type F F

Default none infinity

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

RADCYL Radius of cylinder

LENCYL Length of cylinder, see Figure 22.1. Only if a valure larger than zero is
specified is a finite length assumed.

LS-DYNA Version 960 22.7 (RIGIDWALL)

*RIGIDWALL
Card 3 - Required if SPHERE is specified after the keyword.

The center of the sphere is identical to the tail of n, see Figure 22.1.

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable RADSPH

Type F

Default 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

RADSPH Radius of sphere

22.8 (RIGIDWALL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RIGIDWALL
Optional Card A - Required if MOTION is specified after the keyword.

Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Card A

Variable LCID OPT VX VY VZ

Type I I F F F

Default none none none none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCID Stonewall motion curve number, see *DEFINE_CURVE.

OPT Type of motion:

EQ.0: velocity specified,
EQ.1: displacement specified.

VX x-direction cosine of velocity/displacement vector

VY y-direction cosine of velocity/displacement vector

VZ z-direction cosine of velocity/displacement vector

LS-DYNA Version 960 22.9 (RIGIDWALL)

*RIGIDWALL

n v n
m
v
l

L
L

rectangular prism

v cylinder
m

n
n

l
flat surface
R

sphere

Figure 22.1. Vector n determines the orientation of the generalized stonewalls. For the prescribed
motion options the wall can be moved in the direction V as shown.

22.10 (RIGIDWALL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RIGIDWALL
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *RIGIDWALL_GEOMETRIC_SPHERE_MOTION
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define a rigid sphere:
$ - with a radius of 8
$ - centered at (x,y,z) = (20,20,9)
$ - that moves in the negative z-direction with a specified displacement
$ given by a load curve (load curve: lcid = 5)
$ - which prevents all nodes within a specified box from penetrating the
$ sphere (box number: boxid = 3), these nodes can slide on the sphere
$ without friction
$
*RIGIDWALL_GEOMETRIC_SPHERE_MOTION
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ nsid nsidex boxid
3
$
$ xt yt zt xh yh zh fric
20.0 20.0 9.0 20.0 20.0 0.0 0.0
$
$ radsph
8.0
$
$ lcid opt vx vy vz
5 1 0.0 0.0 -1.0
$
$
*DEFINE_BOX
$ boxid xmn xmx ymn ymx zmn zmx
3 0.0 40.0 0.0 40.0 -1.0 1.0
$
$
*DEFINE_CURVE
$ lcid sidr scla sclo offa offo
5
$ abscissa ordinate
0.0 0.0
0.0005 15.0
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 22.11 (RIGIDWALL)

*RIGIDWALL
*RIGIDWALL_PLANAR_ {OPTION}_{OPTION}_{OPTION}

Available options include:

<BLANK>

ORTHO

FINITE

MOVING

FORCES

The ordering of the options in the input below must be observed but the ordering of the
options on the command line is unimportant, i.e.; the ORTHO card is first, the FINITE definition
card below must preceed the MOVING definition card, and the FORCES definition card should be
last. The ORTHO option does not apply if the MOVING option is used.

Purpose: Define planar rigid walls with either finite or infinte size (FINITE). Orthotropic friction
can be defined (ORTHO). Also, the plane can possess a mass and an initial velocity (MOVING);
otherwise, the wall is assumed to be stationary. The FORCES option allows the specification of
segments on the rigid walls on which the contact forces are computed. In order to achieve a more
physical reaction related to the force versus time curve, the SOFT value on the FORCES card can be
specified.

Card Format:

• Cards 1 and 2 are required.

• Optional Cards A and B are required if ORTHO is specified.

• Optional Card C is required if FINITE is specified.

• Optional Card D is required if MOVING is specified.

• Optional Card E is required if FORCES is specified.

22.12 (RIGIDWALL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RIGIDWALL
Card 1 - Required.

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID NSIDEX BOXID OFFSET

Type I I I F

Default none 0 0 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID Nodal set ID containing slave nodes, see *SET_NODE_OPTION:

EQ.0: all nodes are slave to rigid wall.

NSIDEX Nodal set ID containing nodes that exempted as slave nodes, see *SET_
NODE_OPTION.

BOXID All nodes in box are included as slave nodes to rigid wall, see *DEFINE_
BOX. If options NSID or NSIDEX are active then only the subset of nodes
activated by these options are checked to see if they are within the box.

OFFSET All nodes within a normal offset distance, OFFSET, to the rigid wall are
included as slave nodes for the rigid wall. If options NSID, NSIDEX, or
BOXID are active then only the subset of nodes activated by these options
are checked to see if they are within the offset distance.

LS-DYNA Version 960 22.13 (RIGIDWALL)

*RIGIDWALL
Card 2 - Required.

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable XT YT ZT XH YH ZH FRIC WVEL

Type F F F F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XT x-coordinate of tail of any outward drawn normal vector, n, originating on

wall (tail) and terminating in space (head), see Figure 22.3.

YT y-coordinate of tail of normal vector n

ZT z-coordinate of tail of normal vector n

XH x-coordinate of head of normal vector n

YH y-coordinate of head of normal vector n

ZH z-coordinate of head of normal vector n

FRIC Interface friction:

EQ.0.0: frictionless sliding after contact,
EQ.1.0: no sliding after contact,
0.<FRIC<1.: Coulomb friction coefficient.
EQ.2.0: node is welded after contact with frictionless sliding.
Welding occurs if and only if the normal value of the impact velocity
exceeds the critical value specified by WVEL.
EQ.3.0: node is welded after contact with no sliding. Welding occurs
if and only if the normal value of the impact velocity exceeds the
critical value specified by WVEL.

WVEL Critical normal velocity at which nodes weld to wall (FRIC = 2 or 3).

22.14 (RIGIDWALL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RIGIDWALL
Optional Cards A and B - Required if ORTHO is specified after the keyword.

See Figure 23.2 for the definition of orthotropic friction.

Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Card A

Variable SFRICA SFRICB DFRICA DFRICB DECAYA DECAYB

Type F F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0 0 0. 0.

Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Card B

Variable NODE1 NODE2 D1 D2 D3

Type I I F F F

Default 0. 0. 0 0 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SFRICA Static friction coefficient in local a-direction, µsa, see Figure 22.2

SFRICB Static friction coefficient in local b-direction, µsb

DFRICA Dynamic friction coefficient in local a-direction, µka

DFRICB Dynamic friction coefficient in local b-direction, µkb

DECAYA Decay constant in local a-direction, dva

DECAYB Decay constant in local b-direction, dvb

NODE1 Node 1, alternative to definition with vector d below, see Figure 22.2. With
the node definition the direction changes if the nodal pair rotates.

NODE2 Node 2

LS-DYNA Version 960 22.15 (RIGIDWALL)

*RIGIDWALL
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

D1 d1, x-component of vector, alternative to definition with nodes above, see

Figure 23.2. This vector is fixed as a funtion of time.

D2 d2, y-component of vector

D3 d3, z-component of vector

node 2

n
a d
d
b
b
a
defintion by nodes definition by vector
components
node 1

Figure 22.2. Definition of orthotropic friction vectors. The two methods of defining the vector,
d are shown. If vector d is defined by nodes 1 and 2, the local coordinate system
may rotate with the body which contains the nodes; otherwise, d is fixed in space,
thus on the rigid wall, and the local system is stationary.

Remarks:

1. The coefficients of friction are defined in terms of the static, dynamic and decay coefficients and
the relative velocities in the local a and b directions as

µ a = µ ka + ( µ sa µ ka )e
dvaVrelative ,a

µb = µ kb + ( µ sb µ kb )e
dvbVrelative ,b

2. Orthotropic rigid walls can be used to model rolling objects on rigid walls where the frictional
forces are substantially higher in a direction transverse to the rolling direction. To use this
option define a vector d to determine the local frictional directions via:

b = n× d and that a = b × n
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

where n is the normal vector to the rigid wall. If d is in the plane of the rigid wall, then a is
identical to d.

22.16 (RIGIDWALL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RIGIDWALL
Optional Card C - Required if FINITE is specified after the keyword.

See Figure 23.3. The m vector is computed as the vector cross product m=n X l. The origin, the
tail of the normal vector, is taken as the corner point of the finite size plane.
Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Card C

Variable XHEV YHEV ZHEV LENL LENM

Type F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. infinity infinity

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

XHEV x-coordinate of head of edge vector l, see Figure 22.3.

YHEV y-coordinate of head of edge vector l

ZHEV z-coordinate of head of edge vector l

LENL Length of l edge

LENM Length of m edge

LS-DYNA Version 960 22.17 (RIGIDWALL)

*RIGIDWALL
Optional Card D - Required if MOVING is specified after keyword.

Note: The MOVING option is not compatible with the ORTHO option.
Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Card D

Variable MASS V0

Type F F

Default none 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

MASS Total mass of stonewall

V0 Initial velocity of stonewall in direction of defining vector, n

22.18 (RIGIDWALL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RIGIDWALL
Optional Card E - Required if FORCES is specified after the keyword.

This option allows the force distribution to be monitored on the plane. Also four points can be
defined for visualization of the rigid wall. A shell or membrane element must be defined with these
four points as the connectivity for viewing in LS-POST.
Optional 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Card E

Variable SOFT SSID N1 N2 N3 N4

Type I I I I I I

Default 0 0 0 0 0 0

Remarks 1 2

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SOFT Number of cycles to zero relative velocity to reduce force spike

SSID Segment set identification number for defining areas for force output, see
*SET_SEGMENT and remark 1 below.

N1 Optional nodal point for visualization in LS-DYNA database, see remark 2

below.

N2-N4 Optional nodal points for visualization

Remarks:

1 The segment set defines areas for computing resultant forces. These segments
translate with the moving stonewall and allow the forced distribution to be
determined. The resultant forces are written in file “RWFORC.”

2. These four nodes are for visualizing the movement of the wall, i.e., they move with the
wall. To view the wall in LS-POST it is necessary to define a single shell element with
these four nodes as its connectivity. The single element must be deformable (non rigid) or
else the segment will be treated as a rigid body and the nodes will have their motion
modified independently of the stonewall.

LS-DYNA Version 960 22.19 (RIGIDWALL)

*RIGIDWALL

n
l

Tail of normal vector is the origin and

corner point if extent of stonewall is finite.

Figure 22.3. Vector n is normal to the stonewall. An optional vector l can be defined such that
m=n× × l. The extent of the stonewall is limited by defining L ( LENL ) and M
(LENM ). A zero value for either of these lengths indicates that the stonewall is
infinite in that direction.

22.20 (RIGIDWALL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RIGIDWALL
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *RIGIDWALL_PLANAR_MOVING_FORCES
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define a moving planar rigid wall:
$ - that is parallel to the y-z plane starting at x = 250 mm
$ - with an initial velocity of 8.94 mm/ms in the negative z-direction
$ - that has a mass of 800 kg
$ - which prevents all nodes in the model from penetrating the wall
$ - with a friction coefficint for nodes sliding along the wall of 0.1
$ - track the motion of the wall by creating a node (numbered 99999)
$ at the tail of the wall and assigning the node to move with the wall
$
*RIGIDWALL_PLANAR_MOVING_FORCES
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ nsid nsidex boxid
0 0 0
$
$ xt yt zt xh yh zh fric
250.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1
$
$ SW mass SW vel
800.00 8.94
$
$ soft ssid node1 node2 node3 node4
0 0 99999
$
$
*NODE
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ nid x y z tc rc
99999 250.0 0.0 0.0 0 0
$
$
*DATABASE_HISTORY_NODE
$ Define nodes that output into nodout
$ id1 id2 id3
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
99999
$
*DATABASE_NODOUT
$ dt
0.1
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 22.21 (RIGIDWALL)

*RIGIDWALL

22.22 (RIGIDWALL) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SECTION

*SECTION
In this section, the element formulation, integration rule, nodal thicknesses, and cross
sectional properties are defined. All section identifiers (SECID’s) defined in this section must be
unique, i.e., if a number is used as a section ID for a beam element then this number cannot be used
again as a section ID for a solid element. The keyword cards in this section are defined in
alphabetical order:

*SECTION_BEAM

*SECTION_DISCRETE

*SECTION_SEATBELT

*SECTION_SHELL_{OPTION}

*SECTION_SOLID_{OPTION}

*SECTION_SPH

*SECTION_TSHELL

The location and order of these cards in the input file are arbitrary.

An additional option _TITLE may be appended to all the *SECTION keywords. If this option is
used then an addition line is read for each section in 80a format which can be used to describe the
section. At present LS-DYNA does make use of the title. Inclusion of titles gives greater clarity to
input decks.

LS-DYNA Version 960 23.1 (SECTION)

*SECTION
*SECTION_BEAM

Purpose: Define cross sectional properties for beam, truss, discrete beam, and cable elements.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SECID ELFORM SHRF QR/IRID CST SCOOR

Type I I F F F F

Default none 1 1.0 2.0 0.0 0.0

Define the appropriate card format depending on the value of ELFORM (1-9) above.

Card 2

Integrated
spotweld TS1 TS2 TT1 TT2 NSLOC NTLOC
1,4,5,7,8,9
Resultant
2,3 A ISS ITT IRR SA

Discrete
6 VOL INER CID CA OFFSET RRCON SRCON TRCON

Type F F F F F F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SECID Section ID. SECID is referenced on the *PART card and must be unique.

ELFORM Element formulation options:

EQ.1: Hughes-Liu with cross section integration (default),
EQ.2: Belytschko-Schwer resultant beam (resultant),
EQ.3: truss (resultant), see remark 2.
EQ.4: Belytschko-Schwer full cross-section integration,
EQ.5: Belytschko-Schwer tubular beam with cross-section integration,
EQ.6: discrete beam/cable,
EQ.7: 2D plane strain shell element (xy plane),
EQ.8: 2D axisymmetric volume weighted shell element (xy plane),
EQ.9: spotweld beam, see *MAT_SPOTWELD.

23.2 (SECTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SECTION
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

Note that the 2D and 3D element types must not be mixed, and different
types of 2D elements must not be used together. For example, the plane
strain element type must not be used with the axisymmetric element type. In
3D the different beam elements types, i.e., 1-6 and 9 can be freely mixed
together.

SHRF Shear factor. This factor is not needed for truss, resultant beam, discrete
beam, and cable elements. The recommended value for rectangular sections
is 5/6, the default is 1.0.

QR/IRID Quadrature rule or rule number for user defined rule for integrated beams:
EQ.1.0: one integration point,
EQ.2.0: 2×2 Gauss quadrature (default beam),
EQ.3.0: 3×3 Gauss quadrature,
EQ.4.0: 3×3 Lobatto quadrature,
EQ.5.0: 4×4 Gauss quadrature
EQ.-n: where |n| is the number of the user defined rule. IRID
integration rule n is defined using *INTEGRATION_BEAM card.

CST Cross section type, not needed for truss, resultant beam, discrete beam, and
cable elements:
EQ.0.0: rectangular,
EQ.1.0: tubular,
EQ.2.0: arbitrary (user defined integration rule).

SCOOR Location of triad for tracking the rotation of the discrete beam element, see
the parameter CID below. The force and moment resultants in the output
databases are referenced to this triad. The flags -3.0, -1.0, 0.0, 1.0, and
3.0 are inactive if the option to update the local system is active in the CID
definition.
EQ.-3.0: beam node 1, the angular velocity of node 1 rotates triad,
EQ.-2.0: beam node 1, the angular velocity of node 1 rotates triad but
the r-axis is adjusted to lie along the line between the two beam nodal
points. This option is not recommended for zero length discrete
beams.,
EQ.-1.0: beam node 1, the angular velocity of node 1 rotates triad,
EQ. 0.0: centered between beam nodes 1 and 2, the average angular
velocity of nodes 1 and 2 is used to rotate the triad,
EQ.+1.0: beam node 2, the angular velocity of node 2 rotates triad.
EQ.+2.0: beam node 2, the angular velocity of node 2 rotates triad.
but the r-axis is adjusted to lie along the line between the two beam
nodal points. This option is not recommended for zero length discrete
beams.
EQ.+3.0: beam node 2, the angular velocity of node 2 rotates triad.
If the magnitude of SC00R is less than or equal to unity then zero length
discrete beams are assumed with infinitestimal separation between the
nodes in the deformed state. For large separations or nonzero length
beams set |SCOOR| to 2 or 3.

LS-DYNA Version 960 23.3 (SECTION)

*SECTION
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TS1 Beam thickness (CST=0.0, 2.0) or outer diameter (CST = 1.0) in s

direction at node n1. Note that the thickness defined on the *ELEMENT_
BEAM_THICKNESS card overrides the definition give here.

TS2 Beam thickness (CST=0.0, 2.0) or outer diameter (CST = 1.0) in s

direction at node n2.

TT1 Beam thickness (CST=0.0, 2.0) or inner diameter (CST = 1.0) in t direction
at node n1.

TT2 Beam thickness (CST=0.0, 2.0) or inner diameter (CST = 1.0) in t direction
at node n2.

NSLOC Location of reference surface normal to s axis for Hughes-Liu beam

elements only:
EQ.1.0: side at s=1.0,
EQ.0.0: center,
EQ.-1.0: side at s = -1.0.

NTLOC Location of reference surface normal to t axis for Hughes-Liu beam

elements only:
EQ.1.0: side at t =1.0,
EQ.0.0: center,
EQ.-1.0: side at t = -1.0.

A Cross-sectional area. The definition on *ELEMENT_BEAM_THICKNESS

overrides the value defined here, see Figure 23.1.

ISS Iss. The definition on *ELEMENT_BEAM_THICKNESS overrides the

value defined here, see Figure 23.1.

ITT Itt. The definition on *ELEMENT_BEAM_THICKNESS overrides the

value defined here, see Figure 23.1.

IRR Irr (J) polar inertia. The definition on *ELEMENT_BEAM_THICKNESS

overrides the value defined here, see Figure 23.1. If IRR is zero, then IRR
is reset to the sum of ISS+ITT as an approximation.

SA Shear area. The definition on *ELEMENT_BEAM_THICKNESS

overrides the value defined here, see Figure 23.1.

VOL Volume of discrete beam. If the mass density of the material model for the
discrete beam is set to unity, the magnitude of the lumped mass can be
defined here instead. This lumped mass is partitioned to the two nodes of
the beam element. The translational time step size for the type 6 beam is
dependent on the volume, mass density, and the translational stiffness
values, so it is important to define this parameter. Defining the volume is
also essential for mass scaling if the type 6 beam controls the time step size.

23.4 (SECTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SECTION
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

INER Mass moment of inertia for the six degree of freedom discrete beam. This
lumped inertia is partitioned to the two nodes of the beam element. The
rotational time step size for the type 6 beam is dependent on the lumped
inertia and the rotational stiffness values, so it is important to define this
parameter if the rotational springs are active. Defining the rotational inertia
is also essential for mass scaling if the type 6 beam rotational stiffness
controls the time step size.

CID Coordinate system ID for orientation, materials type ID (66-69, 93 and 95),
see *DEFINE_COORDINATE_SYSTEM. If CID=0, a default coordinate
system is defined in the global system or on the third node of the beam,
which is used for orientation. This option is not defined for material types
than act between two nodal points, such as cable elements. The coordinate
system rotates with the discrete beam, see SCOOR above.
CA Cable area, materials type ID 71, *MAT_CABLE.
OFFSET Offset for cable. For a definition see materials type ID 71, *MAT_CABLE.

RRCON r-rotational constraint for local coordinate system

EQ.0.0: Coordinate ID rotates about r axis with nodes.
EQ.1.0: Rotation is constrained about the r-axis

SRCON s-rotational constraint for local coordinate system

EQ.0.0: Coordinate ID rotates about s axis with nodes.
EQ.1.0: Rotation is constrained about the s-axis

TRCON t-rotational constraint for local coordinate system

EQ.0.0: Coordinate ID rotates about t axis with nodes.
EQ.1.0: Rotation is constrained about the t-axis

Remarks:

1. For implicit calculations all of the beam element choices are implemented:

2. For the truss element, define the cross-sectional area, A, only.

3. The local coordinate system rotates as the nodal points that define the beam rotate. In some
cases this may lead to unexpected results if the nodes undergo significant rotational motions. In
the definition of the local coordinate system using *DEFINE_COORDINATE_SYSTEM_
NODES, if the option to update the system each cycle is active then this updated system is
used. This latter technique seems to be more stable in some applications.

LS-DYNA Version 960 23.5 (SECTION)

*SECTION

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *SECTION_BEAM
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define a Belytschko-Schwer resultant beam (elform = 2) with the following
$ properties. This beam models the connection/stiffening beams of a medium
$ size roadside sign.
$
$ cross sectional area: a = 515.6 mm2
$ 2nd moment of area about s-axis: iss = 99,660.0 mm4
$ 2nd moment of area about t-axis: iss = 70,500.0 mm4
$ 2nd polar moment of area about beam axis: irr = 170,000.0 mm4
$
*SECTION_BEAM
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ sid elform shrf qr/irid cst
111 2
$
$ a iss itt irr sa
515.6 99660.0 70500.0 170000.0
$
*SECTION_BEAM_TITLE
Main beam member
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ sid elform shrf qr/irid cst
111 2
$
$ a iss itt irr sa
515.6 99660.0 70500.0 170000.0
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

23.6 (SECTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SECTION
s

π r4
r I tt = I ss =
4
π r4 s
J =
2
10
t f tt = f ss =
9 b
A = πr 2

h
s t w
t

h I = I =~ π r 3 h
r tt ss
J =~ 2 π r 3 h tf
t f = f = 2
ss
~  h 
tt 2
A
~
= 2π r h I tt =  6  ( ht w + 3 bt )
f
 2 
~ b
I =   ( bt + 3 ht w)
ss 6 f
s 2 2(
2b h tw t )
~ f
J =
bt
( w+ f ) ht
A
3 f tt =
I = bh +
[ 2( b tw) t f]
tt 12
A
b3 h f =
= ss [ 2 h + t t
f ) w]
I 12 (
ss
  4 A = 2 ( bt + ht w )
h t
~ 1 b b  3 f
J =  3 −. 21 ( )  1 − 
4 hb
 h  12 h  
6
f tt = f ss =
5
A = bh
b

Shear Area = A = µA
f

Figure 23.1. Properties of beam cross section for several common cross sections.

LS-DYNA Version 960 23.7 (SECTION)

*SECTION
*SECTION_DISCRETE

Purpose: Defined spring and damper elements for translation and rotation. These definitions must
correspond with the material type selection for the elements, i.e., *MAT_SPRING_... and
*MAT_DAMPER_...

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SECID DRO KD V0 CL FD

Type I I F F F F

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CDL TDL

Type F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SECID Section ID. SECID is referenced on the *PART card and must be unique.

DRO Displacement/Rotation Option:

EQ.0: the material describes a translational spring/damper,
EQ.1: the material describes a torsional spring/damper.

KD Dynamic magnification factor. See remarks 1 and 2 below.

V0 Test velocity

CL Clearance. See remark 3 below.

FD Failure deflection (twist for DRO=1).

CDL Deflection (twist for DRO=1) limit in compression. See remark 4 below.

TDL Deflection (twist for DRO=1) limit in tension. See remark 4 below.

23.8 (SECTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SECTION
Remarks:

1. The constants from KD to TDL are optional and do not need to be defined.

2. If kd is nonzero, the forces computed from the spring elements are assumed to be the static
values and are scaled by an amplification factor to obtain the dynamic value:

 V
Fdynamic = 1.+kd  Fstatic
 V0 

where

V = absolute value of the relative velocity between the nodes.

V0 = dynamic test velocity.

For example, if it is known that a component shows a dynamic crush force at 15m/s equal to
2.5 times the static crush force, use kd =1.5 and V0=15.

3. Here, “clearance” defines a compressive displacement which the spring sustains before
beginning the force-displacement relation given by the load curve defined in the material
selection. If a non-zero clearance is defined, the spring is compressive only.

4. The deflection limit in compression and tension is restricted in its application to no more than
one spring per node subject to this limit, and to deformable bodies only. For example in the
former case, if three springs are in series, either the center spring or the two end springs may be
subject to a limit, but not all three. When the limiting deflection is reached, momentum
conservation calculations are performed and a common acceleration is computed in the
appropriate direction. An error termination will occur if a rigid body node is used in a spring
definition where deflection is limited.

Constrained boundary conditions on the *NODE cards and the BOUNDARY_SPC cards must
not be used for nodes of springs with deflection limits.

5. Discrete elements can be included in implicit applications.

LS-DYNA Version 960 23.9 (SECTION)

*SECTION
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *SECTION_DISCRETE
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Note: These examples are in kg, mm, ms, kN units.
$
$ A translational spring (dro = 0) is defined to have a failure deflection
$ of 25.4 mm (fd = 25.4). The spring has no dynamic effects or
$ deflection limits, thus, those parameters are not set.
$
*SECTION_DISCRETE
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ sid dro kd v0 cl fd
104 0 25.4
$
$ cdl tdl

$
$
$ Define a translational spring that is known to have a dynamic crush force
$ equal to 2.5 times the static force at a 15 mm/ms deflection rate.
$ Additionally, the spring is known to be physically constrained to deflect
$ a maximum of 12.5 mm in both tension and compression.
$
*SECTION_DISCRETE
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ sid dro kd v0 cl fd
107 0 1.5 15.0
$
$ cdl tdl
12.5 12.5
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

23.10 (SECTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SECTION
*SECTION_SEATBELT

Purpose: Define section properties for the seat belt elements. This card is required for the *PART
Section. Currently, only the ID is required.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SECID

Type I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SECID Section ID

Remarks:

1. Seatbelt elements are not implicit for implicit calculations.

$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *SECTION_SEATBELT
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define a seat belt section that is referenced by part 10. Nothing
$ more than the sid is required.
$
*SECTION_SEATBELT
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ sid
111
$
$
*PART
Seatbelt material
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ pid sid mid eosid hgid adpopt
10 111 220
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 23.11 (SECTION)

*SECTION
*SECTION_SHELL_{OPTION}

Options include:

<BLANK>

ALE

such that the keyword cards appear:

*SECTION_SHELL

*SECTION_SHELL_ALE

Purpose: Define section properties for shell elements.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SECID ELFORM SHRF NIP PROPT QR/IRID ICOMP SETYP

Type I I F F F F I I

Default none 0 1.0 2 0.0 0.0 0 1

Remarks 1

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable T1 T2 T3 T4 NLOC MAREA

Type F F F F F F

Default 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

23.12 (SECTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SECTION
Optional Section Cards if ICOMP=1. Define NIP angles putting 8 on each card.

Cards 3,4,.. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8

Type F F F F F F F F

Optional Section Card for ALE option.

Also see *CONTROL_ALE and *ALE_SMOOTHING.

Card 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable AFAC BFAC CFAC DFAC EFAC START END AAFAC

Type F F F F F F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SECID Section ID. SECID is referenced on the *PART card and must be unique.

ELFORM Element formulation options, see Remarks 1 and 2 below:

EQ.1: Hughes-Liu,
EQ.2: Belytschko-Tsay,
EQ.3: BCIZ triangular shell,
EQ.4: C0 triangular shell,
EQ.5: Belytschko-Tsay membrane,
EQ.6: S/R Hughes-Liu ,
EQ.7: S/R co-rotational Hughes-Liu,
EQ.8: Belytschko-Leviathan shell ,
EQ.9: Fully integrated Belytschko-Tsay membrane,
EQ.10: Belytschko-Wong-Chiang,
EQ.11: Fast (co-rotational) Hughes-Liu,
EQ.12: Plane stress (x-y plane) ,
EQ.13: Plane strain (x-y plane)
EQ.14: Axisymmetric solid (y-axis of symmetry) - area weighted,
EQ.15: Axisymmetric solid (y-axis of symmetry) - volume weighted,
EQ.16: Fully integrated shell element (very fast),
EQ.17: Fully integrated DKT, triangular shell element ,
EQ.18: Fully integrated linear DK quadrilateral/triangular shell
EQ.20: Fully integrated linear assumed strain C0 shell (See remarks).
EQ.31: 1 point Eulerian Navier-Stokes
EQ.32: 8 point Eulerian Navier-Stokes

LS-DYNA Version 960 23.13 (SECTION)

*SECTION
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

The type 18 element is only for linear static and normal modes. It can also
be used for linear springback in sheet metal stamping.

Note that the 2D and 3D element types must not be mixed, and different
types of 2D elements must not be used together. For example, 2D
axisymmetric calculations can use either element types 14 or 15 but these
element types must not be mixed together. Likewise, the plane strain
element type must not be used with either the plane stress element or the
axisymmetric element types. In 3D, the different shell elements types, i.e.,
1-11 and 16, can be freely mixed together.

SHRF Shear corection factor which scales the transverse shear stress. The shell
formulations in LS-DYNA, with the exception of the BCIZ and DK
elements, are based on a first order shear deformation theory that yields
constant transverse shear strains which violates the condition of zero traction
on the top and bottom surfaces of the shell. The shear correction factor is
attempt to compensate for this error. A suggested value is 5/6 for isotropic
materials. This value is incorrect for sandwich or laminated shells;
consequently, laminated/sandwich shell theory is now used in some of the
constitutive model.

NIP Number of through thickness integration points. Either Gauss (default)

or Lobatto integration can be used. The flag for Lobatto integration can
be set on the control card, *CONTROL_SHELL. The location of the
Gauss and Lobatto integration points are tabulated below.
EQ.0.0: set to 2 integration points for shell elements.
EQ.1.0: 1 point (no bending)
EQ.2.0: 2 point
EQ.3.0: 3 point
EQ.4.0: 4 point
EQ.5.0: 5 point
EQ.6.0: 6 point
EQ.7.0: 7 point
EQ.8.0: 8 point
EQ.9.0: 9 point
EQ.10.: 10 point
GT.10.: trapezoidal or user defined rule
Through thickness integration for the two-dimensional elements (options
11-15 above) is not meaningful; consequently, the default is equal to 1
integration point. Fully integrated two-dimensional elements are available
for options 13 and 15 by setting NIP equal to a value of 4 corresponding to
a 2 by 2 Gaussian quadrature. If NIP is 0 or 1 and the *MAT_
SIMPLIFIED_JOHNSON_COOK model is used, then a resultant plasticity
formulation is activated. NIP is always set to 1 if a constitutive model based
on resultants is used.

PROPT Printout option:

EQ.1.0: average resultants and fiber lengths,
EQ.2.0: resultants at plan points and fiber lengths,
EQ.3.0: resultants, stresses at all points, fiber lengths.

23.14 (SECTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SECTION
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

QR/IRID Quadrature rule or Integration rule ID, see *INTEGRATION_SHELL:

LT.0.0: absolute value is specified rule number,
EQ.0.0: Gauss/Lobatto (up to 10 points are permitted),
EQ.1.0: trapezoidal, not recommend for accuracy reasons.

ICOMP Flag for orthotropic/anisotropic layered composite material model. This

option applies to material types 22, 23, 33, 34, 36, 40, 41-50, 54-56, 58,
59, 103, 116, and 194.
EQ.1: a material angle in degrees is defined for each through thickness
integration point. Thus, each layer has one integration point.

SETYP 2D solid element type: Defined for ELFORM 13, 14, and 15.
EQ.1: Lagrangian
EQ.2: Eulerian (single material with voids)
EQ.3: ALE

T1 Shell thickness at node n1 , unless the thickness is defined on the

*ELEMENT_SHELL_OPTION card.

T2 Shell thickness at node n2, see comment for T1 above.

T3 Shell thickness at node n3, see comment for T1 above.

T4 Shell thickness at node n4, see comment for T1 above.

NLOC Location of reference surface (Hughes-Liu shell only):

EQ. 1.0: top surface,
EQ. 0.0: mid surface (default ),
EQ.-1.0: bottom surface.

MAREA Non-structural mass per unit area. This is additional mass which comes
from materials such as carpeting. This mass is not directly included in the
time step calculation.

B1 β1, material angle at first integration point

B2 β2, material angle at second integration point

B3 β3, material angle at third integration point

. .
. .
. .

B8 β8, material angle at eigth integration point

. .

Bnip βnip, material angle at nipth integration point

LS-DYNA Version 960 23.15 (SECTION)

*SECTION
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

AFAC Smoothing weight factor - Simple average:

EQ.-1: turn smoothing off.

BFAC Smoothing weight factor - Volume weighting

CFAC Smoothing weight factor - Isoparametric

DFAC Smoothing weight factor - Equipotential

EFAC Smoothing weight factor - Equilibrium

START Start time for smoothing

END End time for smoothing

AAFAC ALE advection factor

GAUSS INTEGRATION RULE

NUMBER OF GAUSS POINT 1 POINT 2 POINT 3 POINT 4 POINT 5 POINT

#1 .0 -.5773503 .0 -.8611363 .0
#2 +.5773503 -.7745967 -.3399810 -.9061798
#3 +.7745967 +.3399810 -.5384693
#4 +.8622363 +.5384693
#5 +.9061798

NUMBER OF GAUSS POINT 6 POINT 7 POINT 8 POINT 9 POINT 10 POINT

#1 -.9324695 -.9491080 -.9602896 -.9681602 -.9739066

#2 -.6612094 -.7415312 -.7966665 -.8360311 -.8650634
#3 -.2386192 -.4058452 -.5255324 -.6133714 -.6794096
#4 +.2386192 .0 -.1834346 -.3242534 -.4333954
#5 +.6612094 +.4058452 +.1834346 0.0 -.1488743
#6 +.9324695 +.7415312 +.5255324 +.3242534 +.1488743
#7 +.9491080 +.7966665 +.6133714 +.4333954
#8 +.9602896 +.8360311 +.6794096
#9 +.9681602 +.8650634
#10 +.9739066

Location of through thickness Gauss integration points. The coordinate is referenced to the
shell midsurface at location 0. The inner surface of the shell is at -1 and the outer surface is
at +1.

23.16 (SECTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SECTION

LOBATTO INTEGRATION RULE

NUMBER OF INTEG. POINT - - 3 POINT 4 POINT 5 POINT

#1 .0 -1.0 .0
#2 -1.0 -.4472136 -1.0
#3 +1.0 +.4472136 -.6546537
#4 +1.0 +.6546537
#5 +1.0

NUMBER OF INTEG. POINT 6 POINT 7 POINT 8 POINT 9 POINT 10 POINT

#1 -1.0 -1.0 -1.0 -1.0 -1.0

#2 -.7650553 -.8302239 -.8717401 -.8997580 -.9195339
#3 -.2852315 -.4688488 -.5917002 -.6771863 -.7387739
#4 +.2852315 .0 -.2092992 -.3631175 -.4779249
#5 +.7650553 +.4688488 +.2092992 .0 -.1652790
#6 +1.0 +.8302239 +.5917002 +.3631175 +.1652790
#7 +1.0 +.8717401 +.6771863 +.4779249
#8 +1.0 +.8997580 +.7387739
#9 +1.0 +.9195339
#10 +1.0

Location of through thickness Lobatto integration points. The coordinate is referenced to

the shell midsurface at location 0. The inner surface of the shell is at -1 and the outer
surface is at +1.

Remarks:

1. Element formulations 31 and 32 are used exclusively with the CFD option which requires
ISOLTYP=4 on the *CONTROL_SOLUTION card. In this case, ELFORM=31 is used with
INSOL=1 and ELFORM=32 is used with INSOL=3 on the *CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL
card. Note that selection of the element formulation is automatic based on the value of INSOL
for the CFD solver.

2. For implicit calculations the following element choices are implemented:

EQ.1: Hughes-Liu,
EQ.2: Belytschko-Tsay (default),
EQ.6: S/R Hughes-Liu ,
EQ.12: Plane stress (x-y plane) ,
EQ.13: Plane strain (x-y plane)
EQ.15: Axisymmetric solid (y-axis of symmetry) - volume weighted,
EQ.16: Fully integrated shell element ,
EQ.17: Fully integrated DKT, triangular shell element ,
EQ.18: Taylor 4-node quadrilateral and 3-node triangle (linear only)
EQ.20: Wilson 3 & 4-node DSE quadrilateral (linear only)

LS-DYNA Version 960 23.17 (SECTION)

*SECTION
EQ.31: 1 point Eulerian Navier-Stokes
EQ.32: 8 point Eulerian Navier-Stokes

If another element formulation is requested, LS-DYNA will substitute one of the above in
place of the one chosen.

3. The linear elements consist of an assembly of membrane and plate elements. The elements
have six d.o.f. per node and can therefore be connected to beams, or used in complex shell
surface intersections. All elements possess the required zero energy rigid body modes and
have exact constant strain and curvature representation, i.e. they pass all the first order patch
tests. In addition, the elements have behavior approaching linear bending (cubic
displacement) in the plate-bending configuration.

a. The membrane component of all elements is based on an 8-node/6-node isoparametric

mother element which incorporates nodal in-plane rotations through cubic displacement
constraints of the sides [Taylor, 1987; Wilson, 2000].
b. The plate component of element 18 is based on the Discrete Kirchhoff Quadrilateral
(DKQ) [Batoz, 1982]. Because the Kirchhoff assumption is enforced, the DKQ is
transverse shear rigid and can only be used for thin shells. No transverse shear stress
information is available. The triangle is based on a degeneration of the DKQ. This
element sometimes gives slightly lower eigenvalues when compared with element type
20.
c. The plate component of element 20 is based on the 8-node serendipity element. At the
mid-side, the parallel rotations and transverse displacements are constrained and the
normal rotations are condensed to yield a 4-node element. The element is based on thick
plate theory and is recommended for thick and thin plates.
d. The quadrilateral elements contain a warpage correction using rigid links.
e. The membrane component of element 18 has a zero energy mode associated with the in-
plane rotations. This is automatically suppressed in a non-flat shell by the plate stiffness
of the adjacent elements. Element 20 has no spurious zero energy modes.

23.18 (SECTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SECTION
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *SECTION_SHELL
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ Define a shell section that specifies the following:
$ elform = 10 Belytschko-Wong-Chiang shell element formulation.
$ nip = 3 Three through the shell thickness integration points.
$ t1 - t4 = 2.0 A shell thickness of 2 mm at all nodes.
$
*SECTION_SHELL
$
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ sid elform shrf nip propt qr/irid icomp
1 10 3.0000
$
$ t1 t2 t3 t4 nloc
2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 23.19 (SECTION)

*SECTION
*SECTION_SOLID_{OPTION}

Options include:

<BLANK>

ALE

such that the keyword cards appear:

*SECTION_SOLID

*SECTION_SOLID_ALE

Purpose: Define section properties for solid continuum and fluid elements.

Card 1 define for all options

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SECID ELFORM AET

Type I I I

Remark 1, 2

Card 2 define only for the ALE option.

Also see *ALE_SMOOTHING for the smoothing definition.

Cards 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable AFAC BFAC CFAC DFAC START END AAFAC

Type F F F F F F F

23.20 (SECTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SECTION
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SECID Section ID. SECID is referenced on the *PART card and must be unique.

ELFORM Element formulation options, (see remark 3 below):

EQ.0: 1 point corotational for *MAT_MODIFIED_HONEYCOMB.
See remark 4 below.
EQ.1: constant stress solid element (default),
EQ.2: fully integrated S/R solid. See remark 5 below,
EQ.3: fully integrated quadratic 8 node element with nodal rotations,
EQ.4: S/R quadratic tetrahedron element with nodal rotations,
EQ.5: 1 point ALE,
EQ.6: 1 point Eulerian,
EQ.7: 1 point Eulerian ambient,
EQ.8: acoustic,
EQ.9: 1 point corotational for *MAT_MODIFIED_HONEYCOMB.
See remark 4 below.
EQ.10: 1 point tetrahedron.
EQ.11: 1 point ALE multi-material element
EQ.12: 1 point integration with single material and void.
EQ.13: 1 point nodal pressure tetrahedron for bulk forming.
EQ.14: 8 point acoustic
EQ.15: 2 point pentahedron element.
EQ.18: 8 point enhanced strain solid element for linear statics only,
EQ.31: 1 point Eulerian Navier-Stokes
EQ.32: 8 point Eulerian Navier-Stokes

AET Ambient Element type: Can be defined for ELFORM 7, 11 and 12.
EQ.1: temperature (not currently available),
EQ.2: pressure and temperature (not currently available),
EQ.3: pressure outflow,
EQ.4: pressure inflow.(Default for ELFORM 7)

AFAC Smoothing weight factor - Simple average:

EQ.-1: turn smoothing off.

BFAC Smoothing weight factor - Volume weighting

CFAC Smoothing weight factor - Isoparametric

DFAC Smoothing weight factor - Equipotential

START Start time for smoothing

END End time for smoothing

AAFAC ALE advection factor

LS-DYNA Version 960 23.21 (SECTION)

*SECTION
Remarks:

1. Element formulations 31 and 32 are used exclusively with the CFD option which requires
ISOLTYP=4 on the *CONTROL_SOLUTION card. In this case, ELFORM=31 is used with
INSOL=1 and ELFORM=32 is used with INSOL=3 on the *CONTROL_CFD_GENERAL
card. Note that selection of the element formulation is automatic based on the value of INSOL
for the CFD solver.

2. The keyword *CONTROL_SOLID activates automatic sorting of tetrahedron and pentahedron

elements into type 10 and 15 element formulation, respectively. These latter elements are far
more stable than the degenerate solid element. The sorting in performed internally and is
transparent to the user.

3. For implicit calculations the following element choices are implemented:

EQ.1: constant stress solid element,

EQ.2: fully integrated S/R solid. See remark 5 below,
EQ.10: 1 point tetrahedron.
EQ.15: 2 point pentahedron element.
EQ.18: 8 point enhanced strain solid element for linear statics only,
EQ.31: 1 point Eulerian Navier-Stokes
EQ.32: 8 point Eulerian Navier-Stokes

If another element formulation is requested, LS-DYNA will substitute, when possible, one of
the above in place of the one chosen.

4. Element formulations 0 and 9, applicable only to *MAT_MODIFIED_HONEYCOMB, behave

essentially as nonlinear springs so as to permit severe distortions sometimes seen in honeycomb
materials. In formulation 0, the local coordinate system follows the element rotation whereas in
formulation 9, the local coordinate system is based on axes passing through the centroids of the
element faces. Formulation 0 is preferred for severe shear deformation where the barrier is
fixed in space. If the barrier is attached to a moving body, which can rotate, then formulation 9
is usually preferred.

5. The selective reduced integrated solid element, element type 2, assumes that pressure is
constant throughout the element to avoid pressure locking during nearly incompressible flow.
However, if the element aspect ratios are poor, shear locking will lead to an excessively stiff
response. A better choice, given poor aspect ratios, is the one point solid element which work
well for implicit and explicit calculations. For linear statics, the type 18 enhanced strain element
works well with poor aspect ratios. Please note that highly distorted elements should always
be avoided since excessive stiffness will still be observed even in the enhanced strain strain
formulations.

23.22 (SECTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SECTION
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$$$$ *SECTION_SOLID
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$
$ A bolt modeled with solids was found to have excessive hourglassing.
$ Thus, the section (sid = 116) associated with the bolt part was used
$ to specify that a fully integrated Selectively-Reduced solid element
$ formulation be used to totally eliminate the hourglassing (elform = 2).
$
*SECTION_SOLID
$...>....1....>....2....>....3....>....4....>....5....>....6....>....7....>....8
$ sid elform
116 2
$
*PART
bolts
$ pid sid mid eosid hgid adpopt
17 116 5
$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$

LS-DYNA Version 960 23.23 (SECTION)

*SECTION
*SECTION_SPH

Purpose: Define section properties for SPH particles.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SECID CSLH HMIN HMAX

Type I F F F

Default none 1.2 0.2 2.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SECID Section ID. SECID is referenced on the *PART card and must be unique.

CSLH Constant applied to the smoothing length of the particles. The default value
applies for most problems. Values between 1.05 and 1.3 are acceptable.
Taking a value less than 1 is inadmissible. Values larger than 1.3 will
increase the computational time. The default value is recommended.

HMIN Scale factor for the minimum smoothing length (See Remark 1)

HMAX Scale factor for the maximum smoothing length (See Remark 1)

Remarks:

1. The SPH processor in LS-DYNA uses a variable smoothing length. LS-DYNA computes the
initial smoothing length, h0 , for each SPH part by taking the maximum of the minimum
distance between every particle. Every particle has its own smoothing length which varies in
time according to the following equation:
d
(h(t )) = h(t )div(v)
dt
h(t) is the smoothing length, div(v) is the divergence of the flow. The smoothing length
increases when particles separate from each other and reduces when the concentration of
particles is important. It varies to keep the same number of particles in the neighborhood. The
smoothing length varies between the minimum and maximum values

HMIN ∗ h0 < h(t ) < HMAX ∗ h0

Defining a value of 1 for HMIN and 1 for HMAX will result in a constant smoothing length
in time and space.
2. SPH is implemented for explicit applications.

23.24 (SECTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SECTION
*SECTION_TSHELL

Purpose: Define section properties for thick shell elements.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SECID ELFORM SHRF NIP PROPT QR ICOMP

Type I I F F F F I

Default none 1 1.0 2 1 0 0

Optional Section Cards if ICOMP=1 define NIP angles putting 8 on each card.

Cards 2,3,.. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8

Type F F F F F F F F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SECID Section ID. SECID is referenced on the *PART card and must be unique.

ELFORM Element formulation:

EQ.1: one point reduced integration (default),
EQ.2: selective reduced 2 × 2 in plane integration.
EQ.3: assumed strain 2 × 2 in plane integration, see remark below.

SHRF Shear factor. A value of 5/6 is recommended.

NIP Number of through shell thickness integration points:

EQ.0: set to 2 integration points.

PROPT Printout option:

EQ.1.0: average resultants and fiber lengths,
EQ.2.0: resultants at plan points and fiber lengths,
EQ.3.0: resultants, stresses at all points, fiber lengths.

LS-DYNA Version 960 23.25 (SECTION)

*SECTION
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

QR Quadrature rule:
LT.0.0: absolute value is specified rule number,
EQ.0.0: Gauss (up to five points are permitted),
EQ.1.0: trapezoidal, not recommended for accuracy reasons.

ICOMP Flag for layered composite material mode:

EQ.1: a material angle is defined for each through thickness integration
point . For each layer one integration point is used.

B1 β 1 , material angle at first integration point. The same procedure for

determining material directions is use for thick shells that is used for the 4
node quadrilateral shell.

B2 β2, material angle at second integration point

B3 β3, material angle at third integration point

. .

. .

. .

B8 β8, material angle at eigth integration point

. .

Bnip βnip, material angle at nipth integration point

Define as many cards as necessary until NIP points are defined.

Remarks:

1. Thick shell formulation type 3 uses a full three-dimensional stress update rather than the two-
dimensional plane stress update of types 1 and 2. The type 3 element is distortion sensitive
and should not be used in situations where the elements are badly shaped. With element
types 1 and 2 a single element through the thickness will capture bending response, but with
element type 3 two are recommended to avoid excessive softness.

2. These elements are available for implicit applications.

23.26 (SECTION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SET

*SET
The keyword *SET provides a convenient way of defining groups of nodes, parts, elements,
and segments. The sets can be used in the definitions of contact interfaces, loading conditions,
boundary condtions, and other inputs. Each set type must have a unique numeric identification. The
keyword control cards in this section are defined in alphabetical order:

*SET_BEAM_OPTION

*SET_DISCRETE_{OPTION}

*SET_NODE_OPTION

*SET_PART_OPTION

*SET_SEGMENT_{OPTION}

*SET_SHELL_OPTION

*SET_SOLID_{OPTION}

*SET_TSHELL_{OPTION}

An additional option _TITLE may be appended to all the *SET keywords. If this option is
used then an addition line is read for each section in 80a format which can be used to describe the set.
At present LS-DYNA does make use of the title. Inclusion of titles gives greater clarity to input
decks.

The GENERAL option is available for set definitions. In this option, the commands are
executed in the order defined. For example, the delete option cannot delete a node or element unless
the node or element was previously added via a command such as BOX or ALL.

LS-DYNA Version 960 24.1 (SET)

*SET
*SET_BEAM_OPTION

Available options include:

GENERATE

GENERAL

The last option, GENERATE, will generate a block of beam element ID’s between a starting ID and
an ending ID. An arbitrary number of blocks can be specified to define the set.

Purpose: Define a set of beam elements.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SID

Type I

Default none

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=none) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8

Type I I I I I I I I

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=GENERATE) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable B1BEG B1END B2BEG B2END B3BEG B3END B4BEG B4END

Type I I I I I I I I

24.2 (SET) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SET

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=GENERAL) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)
This set is a combination of a series of options: ALL, ELEM, DELEM, PART,
DPART, BOX, and DBOX.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable OPTION E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7

Type A I I I I I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID Set ID

K1 First beam element

K2 Second beam element

. . .

. . .

KNUM Last beam element

BNBEG First beam element ID in block N.

BNEND Last beam element ID in block N. All defined ID’s between and including
BNBEG to BNEND are added to the set. These sets are generated after all input
is read so that gaps in the element numbering are not a problem. BNBEG and
BNEND may simply be limits on the ID’s and not element ID’s.

OPTION Option for GENERAL. See table below.

E1,...,E7 Specified entity. Each card must have the option specified. See table
below.

LS-DYNA Version 960 24.3 (SET)

*SET

OPTION ENTITY (define up to 7) FUNCTION

ALL All beam elements will be included in the set.

ELEM e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, e7 Elements e1, e2, e3, ... will be included.

DELEM e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, e7 Elements e1, e2, e3, ... previously added will be
excluded.

PART p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7 Elements of parts p1, p2, p3, ... will be included.

DPART p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7 Elements of parts p1, p2, p3, ... previously added
will be excluded.

BOX b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Elements inside boxes b1, b2, ... will be included.

DBOX b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Elements inside boxes b1, b2, ... previously added
will be excluded.

24.4 (SET) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SET
*SET_DISCRETE_{OPTION}

Available options include:

<BLANK>

GENERATE

GENERAL

The last option, GENERATE, will generate a block of discrete element ID’s between a starting ID
and an ending ID. An arbitrary number of blocks can be specified to define the set.

Purpose: Define a set of discrete elements.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SID

Type I

Default none

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=none) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8

Type I I I I I I I I

LS-DYNA Version 960 24.5 (SET)

*SET
Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=GENERATE) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable B1BEG B1END B2BEG B2END B3BEG B3END B4BEG B4END

Type I I I I I I I I

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=GENERAL) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)
This set is a combination of a series of options: ALL, ELEM, DELEM, PART,
DPART, BOX, and DBOX.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable OPTION E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7

Type A I I I I I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID Set ID

K1 First discrete element

K2 Second discrete element

. . .

. . .

KNUM Last discrete element

BNBEG First discrete element ID in block N.

BNEND Last discrete element ID in block N. All defined ID’s between and including
BNBEG to BNEND are added to the set. These sets are generated after all input
is read so that gaps in the element numbering are not a problem. BNBEG and
BNEND may simply be limits on the ID’s and not element ID’s.

OPTION Option for GENERAL. See table below.

E1,...,E7 Specified entity. Each card must have the option specified. See table
below.

24.6 (SET) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SET

OPTION ENTITY (define up to 7) FUNCTION

ALL All discrete elements will be included in the set.

ELEM e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, e7 Elements e1, e2, e3, ... will be included.

DELEM e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, e7 Elements e1, e2, e3, ... previously added will be
excluded.

PART p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7 Elements of parts p1, p2, p3, ... will be included.

DPART p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7 Elements of parts p1, p2, p3, ... previously added
will be excluded.

BOX b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Elements inside boxes b1, b2, ... will be included.

DBOX b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Elements inside boxes b1, b2, ... previously added
will be excluded.

LS-DYNA Version 960 24.7 (SET)

*SET
*SET_NODE_OPTION

Available options include:

LIST

COLUMN

LIST_GENERATE

GENERAL

The option, LIST_GENERATE, will generate a block of node ID’s between a starting nodal ID
number and an ending nodal ID number. An arbitrary number of blocks can be specified to define
the set.

Purpose: Define a nodal set with some identical or unique attributes.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SID DA1 DA2 DA3 DA4

Type I F F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0. 0.

Remark 1 1 1 1

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=LIST) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID1 NID2 NID3 NID4 NID5 NID6 NID7 NID8

Type I I I I I I I I

24.8 (SET) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SET
Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=COLUMN) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID A1 A2 A3 A4

Type I F F F F

Remark 2 2 2 2

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=LIST_GENERATE) (The next “*” card terminates the

input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable B1BEG B1END B2BEG B2END B3BEG B3END B4BEG B4END

Type I I I I I I I I

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=GENERAL) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)
This set is a combination of a series of options: ALL, NODE, DNODE, PART,
DPART, BOX, and DBOX.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable OPTION E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7

Type A I I I I I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID Set identification. All node sets should have a unique set ID.

DA1 First nodal attribute default value, see remark 1 below.

DA2 Second nodal attribute default value

DA3 Third nodal attribute default value

LS-DYNA Version 960 24.9 (SET)

*SET
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DA4 Fourth nodal attribute default value

NIDN Node ID n

NID Nodal ID

A1 First nodal attribute, see remark 2 below.

A2 Second nodal attribute

A3 Third nodal attribute

A4 Fourth nodal attribute

BNBEG First node ID in block N.

BNEND Last node ID in block N. All defined ID’s between and including BNBEG to
BNEND are added to the set. These sets are generated after all input is read
so that gaps in the node numbering are not a problem. BNBEG and BNEND
may simply be limits on the ID’s and not nodal ID’s.

OPTION Option for GENERAL. See table below.

E1,...,E7 Specified entity. Each card must have the option specified. See table
below.

OPTION ENTITY (define up to 7) FUNCTION

ALL All nodes will be included in the set.

NODE n1, n2, n3, n4, n5, n6, n7 Nodes n1, n2, n3, ... will be included.

DNODE n1, n2, n3, n4, n5, n6, n7 Nodes n1, n2, n3, ... previously added will be
excluded.

PART p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7 Nodes of parts p1, p2, p3, ... will be included.

DPART p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7 Nodes of parts p1, p2, p3, ... previously added will
be excluded.

BOX b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Nodes inside boxes b1, b2, b3, ... will be included.

DBOX b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Nodes inside boxes b1, b2, b3, ... previously added
will be excluded.

24.10 (SET) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SET
Remarks:

1. Nodal attributes can be assigned for some input types. For example, for contact option,
*CONTACT_TIEBREAK_NODES_TO_SURFACE the attributes are:

DA1=NFLF Normal failure force,

DA2=NSFLF Shear failure force,

DA3=NNEN Exponent for normal force,

DA4=NMES Exponent for shear force.

2. The default nodal attributes can be overridden on these cards; otherwise, A1=DA1, etc.

LS-DYNA Version 960 24.11 (SET)

*SET
*SET_PART_OPTION

Available options include:

LIST

COLUMN

LIST_GENERATE

The last option will generate a block of part ID’s between a starting part ID number and an ending
part ID number. An arbitrary number of blocks can be specified to define the part set.

Purpose: Define a set of parts with optional attributes. For the column option, see *AIRBAG or
*CONSTRAINED _RIGID_BODY_STOPPERS.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SID DA1 DA2 DA3 DA4

Type I F F F F

Default none 0.

Remark 1 1 1 1

Card 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=LIST) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID1 PID2 PID3 PID4 PID5 PID6 PID7 PID8

Type I I I I I I I I

24.12 (SET) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SET
Card 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=COLUMN) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID A1 A2 A3 A4

Type I F F F F

Remark 1 1 1 1

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=LIST_GENERATE) (The next “*” card terminates the

input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable B1BEG B1END B2BEG B2END B3BEG B3END B4BEG B4END

Type I I I I I I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID Set ID. All part sets should have a unique set ID.

DA1 First attribute default value, see remark 1 below.

DA2 Second attribute default value

DA3 Third attribute default value

DA4 Fourth attribute default value

PID Part ID

PID1 First part ID

PID2 Second part ID

. . .

A1 First part attribute, see remark 2 below.

A2 Second part attribute

A3 Third part attribute

LS-DYNA Version 960 24.13 (SET)

*SET
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

A4 Fourth part attribute

BNBEG First part ID in block N.

BNEND Last part ID in block N. All defined ID’s between and including BNBEG to
BNEND are added to the set. These sets are generated after all input is read
so that gaps in the part numbering are not a problem. BNBEG and BNEND
may simply be limits on the ID’s and not part ID’s.

Remarks:

1. Part attributes can be assigned for some input types. For example, for airbags a time delay,
DA1=T1, can be defined before pressure begins to act along with a time delay, DA2=T2,
before full pressure is applied, (default T2=T1), and for the constraint option,
*CONSTRAINED_RIGID_ BODY_STOPPERS one attribute can be defined: DA1, the closure
distance which activates the stopper constraint.

2. The default part attributes can be overridden on the part cards; otherwise, A1=DA1, etc.

24.14 (SET) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SET
*SET_SEGMENT_{OPTION}

Available options include:

<BLANK>

GENERAL

Purpose: Define a set of quadrilateral and triangular segments with optional identical or unique
attributes.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SID DA1 DA2 DA3 DA4

Type I F F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0. 0.

Remarks 1 1 1 1

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (No option is specified) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable N1 N2 N3 N4 A1 A2 A3 A4

Type I I I I F F F F

Remarks 2 3 3 3 3

LS-DYNA Version 960 24.15 (SET)

*SET
Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=GENERAL) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)
This set is a combination of a series of options listed in the table defined below.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable OPTION E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7

Type A I I I I or F I or F I or F I or F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID Set ID. All segment sets should have a unique set ID.

DA1 First segment attribute default value, see remark 1 below.

DA2 Second segment attribute default value

DA3 Third segment attribute default value

DA4 Fourth segment attribute default value

N1 Nodal point n1

N2 Nodal point n2

N3 Nodal point n3

N4 Nodal point n4, see remark 2 below.

A1 First segment attribute, see remark 3 below.

A2 Second segment attribute

A3 Third segment attribute

A4 Fourth segment attribute

NFLS Normal failure stress

SFLS Shear failure stress. Failure criterion:

OPTION Option for GENERAL. See table below.

E 1,...,E7 Specified entity. Each card must have an option specified. See table below.

24.16 (SET) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SET

FORMAT (A10,3I10, 4F10.0)

OPTION ENTITIES + ATTRIBUTES FUNCTION

BOX b1, b2, b3, a1, a2, a3, a4 Generate segments inside box ID bi, i=1,,2,3. For
shell elements one segment per shell is generated.
For solid elements only those segments wrapping the
solid part and pointing outward from the part will be
generated.

BOX_SHELL b1, b2, b3, a1, a2, a3, a4 Generate segments inside box ID bi, i=1,,2,3. The
segments are only generated for shell elements. One
segment per shell is generated.

BOX_SLDIO b1, b2, b3, a1, a2, a3, a4 Generate segments inside box ID bi, i=1,,2,3. Both
exterior segments and inter-element segments are
generated.

BOX_SOLID b1, b2, b3, a1, a2, a3, a4 Generate segments inside box ID bi, i=1,,2,3. The
segments are only generated for exterior solid
elements

PART p1, p2, p3, a1, a2, a3, a4 Generate segments of parts p1, p2, p3 with attributes
a1-a4. For shell elements one segment per shell is
generated. For solid elements only those segments
wrapping the solid part and pointing outward from
the part will be generated.

PART_IO p1, p2, p3, a1, a2, a3, a4 Generate segments of parts p1, p2, p3 with attributes
a1-a4. Same as the PART option above except that
inter-element segments inside parts will be generated
as well. This option is sometimes useful for single
surface contact of solid elements to prevent negative
volumes caused be inversion.

LS-DYNA Version 960 24.17 (SET)

*SET

FORMAT (A10,7I10)

DBOX b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Segments inside boxes b1, b2, ... previously added
will be excluded.

DBOX_SHELL b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Shell related segments inside boxes b1, b2, ...
previously added will be excluded.

DBOX_SOLID b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Solid related segments inside boxes b1, b2, ...
previously added will be excluded.

DPART p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7 Segments of parts p1, p2, p3, ... previously added
will be excluded.

DSEG n1, n2, n3, n4 Segments with node ID's n1,n2, n3, and n4
previously added will be deleted. The numbering
sequence is irrelevant.

SEG n1, n2, n3, n4 Create segment with node ID's n1,n2, n3, and n4.t.

Remarks:

1. Segment attributes can be assigned for some input types. For example, for the contact
options, the attributes for the SLAVE surface are:

DA1=NFLS Normal failure stress, *CONTACT_TIEBREAK_SURFACE_contact only,

DA2=SFLS Shear failure stress, *CONTACT_TIEBREAK_SURFACE_contact only,

DA3=FSF Coulomb friction scale factor,

DA4=VSF Viscous friction scale factor,

and the attributes for the MASTER surface are:

DA1=FSF Coulomb friction scale factor,

DA2=VSF Viscous friction scale factor.

For airbags, see *AIRBAG, a time delay, DA1=T1, can be defined before pressure begins to
act on a segment along with a time delay, DA2=T2, before full pressure is applied to the
segment, (default T2=T1), and for the constraint option,

2. To define a triangular segment make n4 equal to n3.

3. The default segment attributes can be overridden on these cards, otherwise, A1=DA1, etc.

24.18 (SET) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SET
*SET_SHELL_OPTION

Available options include:

LIST

COLUMN

LIST_GENERATE

GENERAL

The last option will generate a block of shell ID’s between a starting shell ID number and an ending
ID number. An arbitrary number of blocks can be specified to define the shell set.

Purpose: Define a set of shell elements with optional identical or unique attributes.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SID DA1 DA2 DA3 DA4

Type I F F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0. 0.

Remarks 1 1 1 1

Card 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=LIST) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EID1 EID2 EID3 EID4 EID5 EID6 EID7 EID8

Type I I I I I I I I

Remarks 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

LS-DYNA Version 960 24.19 (SET)

*SET
Card 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=COLUMN) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable EID A1 A2 A3 A4

Type I F F F F

Remarks 3 3 3 3

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=LIST_GENERATE) (The next “*” card terminates the

input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable B1BEG B1END B2BEG B2END B3BEG B3END B4BEG B4END

Type I I I I I I I I

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=GENERAL) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)
This set is a combination of a series of options: ALL, ELEM, DELEM, PART,
DPART, BOX, and DBOX.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable OPTION E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7

Type A I I I I I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID Set ID. All shell sets should have a unique set ID.

DA1 First attribute default value, see remark 1.

DA2 Second attribute default value

DA3 Third attribute default value

DA4 Fourth attribute default value

24.20 (SET) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SET
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

EID1 First shell element ID, see remark 2.

EID2 Second shell element ID

. . .

. . .

EID Element ID

A1 First attribute

A2 Second attribute

A3 Third attribute

A4 Fourth attribute

BNBEG First shell ID in shell block N.

BNEND Last shell ID in block N. All defined ID’s between and including BNBEG to
BNEND are added to the set. These sets are generated after all input is read
so that gaps in the element numbering are not a problem. BNBEG and BNEND
may simply be limits on the ID’s and not element ID’s.

OPTION Option for GENERAL. See table below.

E1,...,E7 Specified entity. Each card must have the option specified. See table
below.

OPTION ENTITY (define up to 7) FUNCTION

ALL All shell elements will be included in the set.

ELEM e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, e7 Elements e1, e2, e3, ... will be included.

DELEM e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, e7 Elements e1, e2, e3, ... previously added will be
excluded.

PART p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7 Elements of parts p1, p2, p3, ... will be included.

DPART p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7 Elements of parts p1, p2, p3, ... previously added
will be excluded.

BOX b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Elements inside boxes b1, b2, ... will be included.

DBOX b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Elements inside boxes b1, b2, ... previously added
will be excluded.

LS-DYNA Version 960 24.21 (SET)

*SET
Remarks:

1. Shell attributes can be assigned for some input types. For example, for the contact options,
the attributes for the SLAVE surface are:

DA1=NFLS Normal failure stress, *CONTACT_TIEBREAK_SURFACE_contact only,

DA2=SFLS Shear failure stress, *CONTACT_TIEBREAK_SURFACE_contact only,

DA3=FSF Coulomb friction scale factor,

DA4=VSF Viscous friction scale factor,

and the attributes for the MASTER surface are:

DA1=FSF Coulomb friction scale factor,

DA2=VSF Viscous friction scale factor.

2. The default attributes are taken.

3. The default shell attributes can be overridden on these cards; otherwise, A1=DA1, etc.

24.22 (SET) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SET
*SET_SOLID_{OPTION}

Available options include:

<BLANK>

GENERATE

GENERAL

The last option, GENERATE, will generate a block of solid element ID’s between a starting ID and
an ending ID. An arbitrary number of blocks can be specified to define the set.

Purpose: Define a set of solid elements.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SID

Type I

Default none

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=none) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8

Type I I I I I I I I

LS-DYNA Version 960 24.23 (SET)

*SET

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=GENERATE) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable B1BEG B1END B2BEG B2END B3BEG B3END B4BEG B4END

Type I I I I I I I I

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=GENERAL) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)
This set is a combination of a series of options: ALL, ELEM, DELEM, PART,
DPART, BOX, and DBOX.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable OPTION E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7

Type A I I I I I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID Set ID. All solid sets should have a unique set ID.

K1 First element ID

K2 Second element ID

. . .

. . .

K8 Eighth element ID

. . .

. . .

BNBEG First solid element ID in block N.

BNEND Last solid element ID in block N. All defined ID’s between and including
BNBEG to BNEND are added to the set. These sets are generated after all input
is read so that gaps in the element numbering are not a problem. BNBEG and
BNEND may simply be limits on the ID’s and not element ID’s.

OPTION Option for GENERAL. See table below.

24.24 (SET) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SET
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

E1,...,E7 Specified entity. Each card must have the option specified. See table
below.

OPTION ENTITY (define up to 7) FUNCTION

ALL All solid elements will be included in the set.

ELEM e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, e7 Elements e1, e2, e3, ... will be included.

DELEM e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, e7 Elements e1, e2, e3, ... previously added will be
excluded.

PART p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7 Elements of parts p1, p2, p3, ... will be included.

DPART p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7 Elements of parts p1, p2, p3, ...previously added
will be excluded.

BOX b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Elements inside boxes b1, b2, ... will be included.

DBOX b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Elements inside boxes b1, b2, ... previously added
will be excluded.

LS-DYNA Version 960 24.25 (SET)

*SET
*SET_TSHELL_{OPTION}

Available options include:

<BLANK>

GENERATE

GENERAL

The last option, GENERATE, will generate a block of thick shell element ID’s between a starting ID
and an ending ID. An arbitrary number of blocks can be specified to define the set.

Purpose: Define a set of thick shell elements.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable SID

Type I

Default none

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=none) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8

Type I I I I I I I I

24.26 (SET) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *SET
Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=GENERATE) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable B1BEG B1END B2BEG B2END B3BEG B3END B4BEG B4END

Type I I I I I I I I

Cards 2, 3, 4, ... (OPTION=GENERAL) (The next “*” card terminates the input.)
This set is a combination of a series of options: ALL, ELEM, DELEM, PART,
DPART, BOX, and DBOX.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable OPTION E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7

Type A I I I I I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

SID Set ID. All tshell sets should have a unique set ID.

K1 First thick shell element ID

K2 Second thick shell element ID

. . .
. . .

K8 Eighth thick shell element ID

. . .
. . .

BNBEG First thick shell element ID in block N.

BNEND Last thick shell element ID in block N . All defined ID’s between and
including BNBEG to BNEND are added to the set. These sets are generated
after all input is read so that gaps in the element numbering are not a
problem. B N BEG and B N END may simply be limits on the ID’s and not
element ID’s.

OPTION Option for GENERAL. See table below.

LS-DYNA Version 960 24.27 (SET)

*SET
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

E1,...,E7 Specified entity. Each card must have the option specified. See table
below.

OPTION ENTITY (define up to 7) FUNCTION

ALL All thick shell elements will be included in the set.

ELEM e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, e7 Elements e1, e2, e3, ... will be included.

DELEM e1, e2, e3, e4, e5, e6, e7 Elements e1, e2, e3, ... previously added will be
excluded.

PART p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7 Elements of parts p1, p2, p3, ... will be included.

DPART p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7 Elements of parts p1, p2, p3, ... previously added
will be excluded.

BOX b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Elements inside boxes b1, b2, ... will be included.

DBOX b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7 Elements inside boxes b1, b2, ... previously added
will be excluded.

24.28 (SET) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *TERMINATION

*TERMINATION
The keyword *TERMINATION provides an alternative way of stopping the calculation
before the termination time is reached. The termination time is specified on the *CONTROL_
TERMINATION input and will terminate the calculation whether or not the options available in this
section are active. Different types of termination may be defined:

*TERMINATION_NODE

*TERMINATION_BODY

*TERMINATION_CONTACT

LS-DYNA Version 960 25.1 (TERMINATION)

*TERMINATION
*TERMINATION_NODE

Purpose: Terminate calculation based on nodal point coordinates. The analysis terminates for
*TERMINATION_NODE when the current position of the node specified reaches either the
maximum or minimum value (stops 1, 2 or 3), or picks up force from any contact surface (stop 4).
Termination by other means than *TERMINATION is controlled by the *CONTROL_
TERMINATION control card. Note that this type of termination is not active during dynamic
relaxation.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID STOP MAXC MINC

Type I I F F

Default none none - -

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Node ID, see *NODE_OPTION.

STOP Stop criterion:

EQ.1: global x direction,
EQ.2: global y direction,
EQ.3: global z direction,
EQ.4: stop if node touches contact surface.

MAXC Maximum (most positive) coordinate (options 1, 2 and 3) above only.

MINC Minimum (most negative) coordinate (options 1, 2 and 3) above only.

25.2 (TERMINATION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *TERMINATION
*TERMINATION_BODY

Purpose: Terminate calculation based on rigid body displacements. For *TERMINATION_BODY

the analysis terminates when the centre of mass displacement of the rigid body specified reaches
either the maximum or minimum value (stops 1, 2 or 3) or the displacement magnitude of the centre
of mass is exceeded (stop 4). If more than one condition is input, the analysis stops when any of the
conditions is satisfied. Termination by other means than *TERMINATION input is controlled by the
*CONTROL_ TERMINATION control card. Note that this type of termination is not active during
dynamic relaxation.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID STOP MAXC MINC

Type I I F F

Default none none - -

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID of rigid body, see *PART_OPTION.

STOP Stop criterion:

EQ.1: global x direction,
EQ.2: global y direction,
EQ.3: global z direction,
EQ.4: stop if displacement magnitude is exceeded.

MAXC Maximum (most positive) displacement, options 1, 2, 3 and 4:

EQ:0.0. MAXC set to 1.0e21.

MINC Minimum (most negative) displacement, options 1, 2 and 3 above only:

EQ:0.0. MINC set to -1.0e21.

LS-DYNA Version 960 25.3 (TERMINATION)

*TERMINATION
*TERMINATION_CONTACT

Purpose: The analysis terminates when the magnitude of the contact interface resultant force is zero.
If more than one contact condition is input, the analysis stops when any of the conditions is satisfied.
Termination by other means than *TERMINATION input is controlled by the *CONTROL_
TERMINATION control card. Note that this type of termination is not active during dynamic
relaxation.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable CID ACTIM DUR

Type I I F

Default none none - -

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

CID Contact ID. The contact ID is defined by the ordering of the contact input
unless the TITLE option which allows the CID to be defined is used in the
*CONTACT section.

ACTIM Activation time.

DUR Time duration of null resultant force prior to termination. This time is
tracked only after the activation time is reached and the contact resultant
forces are zero.
EQ.0.0: Immediate termination after null force is detected.

25.4 (TERMINATION) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *TITLE

*TITLE
*TITLE

Purpose: Define job title.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TITLE

Type C

Default LS-DYNA USER INPUT

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TITLE Heading to appear on output and in output files.

LS-DYNA Version 960 26.1 (TITLE)

*TITLE

26.2 (TITLE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *TRANSLATE

*TRANSLATE
*TRANSLATE_ANSYS_OPTION

Available options include:

corresponding to ANSYS version numbers 4 and 5.

Purpose: Provide a convenient route to read in ANSYS input decks as part of the LS-DYNA
keyword input. This keyword can appear more than once anywhere in the input. It is a direct
interface to ANSYS file28 keyword files.
Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable FILE

Type A

Default none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

FILE Filename of file created by ANSYS, see remarks below.

The supported options include:

Version ANSYS Keyword LS-DYNA Keyword

All N,Type,NODE,Val1,Val2,Val3 *NODE

All EN,Type,I1,I2,I3,I4,I5,I6,I7,I8 *ELEMENT
All MPDATA, R5.0, LENGTH, Lab, MAT,
STLOC, VAL1, VAL2, VAL3 *MAT_ELASTIC

LS-DYNA Version 960 27.1 (TRANSLATE)

*TRANSLATE
Version ANSYS Keyword LS-DYNA Keyword
All ET, Type *PART&*SECTION
All R,R5.0,NSET,Type,STLOC,VAL1,VAL2,VAL3 *PART&*SECTION
5 DFLAB,NODF,LabD,LabF
5 NDOF.eq.Ui,ROTi; LabD.eq.0 *BOUNDARY_SPC_OPTION
5 NODF.eq.Vi; LabD.eq.0 *INITIAL_VELOCITY_NODE
5 NODF.eq.Ui,ROTi,Ai,Vi,;LabD.eq.lcid;
LabF.eq.val *BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_
MOTION_NODE
5 NDOF.eq.Fi; LabF.eq.lcid *LOAD_NODE_POINT
5 SFE,ELEM,LKEY,Lab,KEY,R5.0
5 LKEY.eq.lcid; Lab.eq.pressure *LOAD_SEGMENT

Remarks:

1. Supported keywords as described in the SASI ANSYS Manual chapter on “Exporting a Finite
Element Model.”

2. Solid elements and shell elements cannot have the same R value in reference to the ET and R
ANSYS keywords.

3. Supported element types include: 63.eq.shells, 45.eq.solids, 73.eq.solids, 4.eq.beams,

16.eq.pipes, and 21.eq.lumped masses.

27.2 (TRANSLATE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *TRANSLATE
*TRANSLATE_IDEAS_{OPTION}

Available options include:

<BLANK>

MASTER

Purpose: Provide a convenient route to read in files created by IDEAS/SUPERTAB as part of the
LS-DYNA keyword input. This keyword can appear more than once in the input. It is a direct interface
to IDEAS universal files.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable FILE

Type A

Default none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

FILE Filename of the IDEAS universal file.

The following table lists supported IDEAS keywords:

Version SDRC IDEAS Universal File LS-DYNA Keyword

All N,Type,NODE,Val1,Val2,Val3 *NODE

All EN,Type,I1,I2,I3,I4,I5,I6,I7,I8 *ELEMENT
5 781 *NODE
MASTER 2411 *NODE
5 780 *ELEMENT
MASTER 2412 *ELEMENT
5 773 *MAT_ELASTIC
5 772 *PART&*SECTION
6 788 *PART&*SECTION

LS-DYNA Version 960 27.3 (TRANSLATE)

*TRANSLATE
Version SDRC IDEAS Universal File LS-DYNA Keyword
MASTER 2430 *PART&*SECTION
5 755 *BOUNDARY_SPC_NODE
MASTER 791
time variation set.le.0.0 *BOUNDARY_SPC_NODE
time variation set.gt.0.0 *BOUNDARY_PRESCRIBED_
MOTION_NODE
MASTER 790
load type.eq.1 *LOAD_NODE

27.4 (TRANSLATE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *TRANSLATE
*TRANSLATE_NASTRAN

Purpose: Provide a convenient route to read in NASTRAN input deck as part of the LSDYNA
keyword input. This keyword can appear more than once anywhere in the input. Also, see remarks
below.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable FILE

Type C

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

FILE Filename of the NASTRAN input deck.

The following table lists supported NASTRAN keywords:

Version NASTRAN INPUT FILE LS-DYNA Keyword

All N,Type,NODE,Val1,Val2,Val3 *NODE

All EN,Type,I1,I2,I3,I4,I5,I6,I7,I8 *ELEMENT
All BEGIN BULK
All GRID *NODE
All CORD2R *DEFINE_COORDINATE_SYSTEM
All CHEXA, CPENTA, CTETRA *ELEMENT_SOLID
All PSOLID *PART and *SECTION_SOLID
All CQUAD4, CTRIA3 *ELEMENT_SHELL
All PSHELL *PART and *SECTION_SHELL
All CBAR, CBEAM *ELEMENT_BEAM
All CELAS1, CVISC, CDAMP1 *ELEMENT_DISCRETE
All CONM2 *ELEMENT_MASS
All MAT1 *MAT_ELASTIC
All SPC, SPC1 *BOUNDARY_SPC_OPTION

LS-DYNA Version 960 27.5 (TRANSLATE)

*TRANSLATE
Version NASTRAN INPUT FILE LS-DYNA Keyword
All RBE2 *CONSTRAINED_NODE_SET or
*CONSTRAINED_NODAL_RIGID_BODY_
All ENDDATA *END

Remarks:

1. Both small and large field fixed NASTRAN formats are supported.

2. The same keywords in LS-DYNA usually contain more options than the NASTRAN input.
Therefore, to make it complete, we add some extra parameters to the NASTRAN keywords.
For those extras we use the italics to distinguish from the standard ones. These additional
parameters have to be added to the NASTRAN deck by the user to make the translation
complete.

Card Format
For further explanation see *ELEMENT_DISCRETE.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

CELAS1 EID PID N1 DFG N2 VID S PF

Type I I I F I F F F

For further explanation see *PART and *SECTION_SHELL.

PSHELL PID MID T FORM SHEAR NIP QR HGID

Type I I F I F I F I

3. Current NASTRAN only supports shell element with constant thickness T.

27.6 (TRANSLATE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *TRANSLATE
For further explanation see *PART and *SECTION_SOLID.

PSOLID PID MID SCID EOSID HGID

Type I I I I I

4. The THRU command for SPC, SPC1 is not supported in the current translation.

5. For RBE2 keyword, if any of the rotational DOF (4,5,6) appears in the constraint, LS-DYNA
will treat it as nodal rigid body constraint. Otherwise, LS-DYNA will use nodal constraints to
treat this RBE2.

LS-DYNA Version 960 27.7 (TRANSLATE)

*TRANSLATE

27.8 (TRANSLATE) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *USER

*USER
*USER_INTERFACE_OPTION

Available options include:

CONTROL

FRICTION

Purpose: Define user defined input and allocate storage for user defined subroutines for the contact
algorithms. See also *CONTROL_CONTACT. The CONTROL option above allows the user to
take information from the contact interface for further action, e.g., stopping the analysis. A sample
user subroutine is provided in Appendix D.

The FRICTION option may be used to modify the Coulomb friction coefficients according
to contact information or to use a friction coefficient database. A sample subroutine for treating the
friction in contact is provided in Appendix E.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IFID NOC NOCI

Type I I I

Default none none none

LS-DYNA Version 960 28.1 (USER)

*USER
Card Format (Use as many cards as necessary to define NOCI variables)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable UC1 UC2 UC3 UC4 UC5 UC6 UC7 UC8

Type F F F F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IFID Interface number

NOC Number of history variables for interface. The number should not exceed
the length of the array defined on *CONTROL_CONTACT.

NOCI Initialize the first NOCI history variables in the input. NOCI must be
smaller or equal to NOC.

UC1 First user defined input parameter

UC2 Second user defined input parameter

. . .
. . .
. . .

UCNOCI Last user defined input parameter

. . .
. . .
. . .

28.2 (USER) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *USER
*USER_LOADING

Purpose: Provide a means of applying pressure and force boundary conditions. The keyword
*USER_LOADING activates this option. Input here is optional with the input being read until the
next “*” keyword appears. The data read here is to be stored in a common block provided in the user
subroutine, LOADUD. This data is stored and retrieved from the restart files.

Card Format (Insert as many cards as needed. The next * card terminates input.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PARM1 PARM2 PARM3 PARM4 PARM5 PARM6 PARM7 PARM8

Type F F F F F F F F

Default none none none none none none none none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PARMn This is the nth user input parmeter.

LS-DYNA Version 960 28.3 (USER)

*USER

28.4 (USER) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART

RESTART INPUT DATA

In general three categories of restart actions are possible with LS-DYNA and are outlined in
the following discussion:

a) A simple restart occurs when LS-DYNA was interactively stopped before reaching the
termination time. Then simply defining the R=rtf file on the execution line for LS-
DYNA restarts the calculation from the termnination point and the calculation will
continue to the specified termination time-see INTRODUCTION, Execution Syntax.
No additional input deck is required.

b) If minor modifications are desired as, e.g.,

• reset termination time,

• reset output printing interval,

• reset output plotting interval,

• delete contact surfaces,

• delete elements and parts,

• switch deformable bodies to rigid,

• switch rigid bodies to deformable,

• change damping options.

This type of restart is called a small restart and the corresponding input deck a “small
restart input deck.” All modifications to the problem made with the restart input deck
will be reflected in subsequent restart dumps. All the members of the file families are
consecutively numbered beginning from the last member. The small input deck
replaces the standard input deck on the execution line which has at least the following
contents:

LS-DYNA I=restartinput R=D3DUMPnn

where D3DUMPnn (or whatever name is chosen for the family member) is the n th
restart file from the last run where the data is taken. LS-DYNA automatically detects
that a small input deck is used since the I=restartinput file may contain the
keywords:

*CHANGE_OPTION

*CONTROL_DYNAMIC_RELAXATION

*CONTROL_TERMINATION

*CONTROL_TIMESTEP

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.1 (RESTART)

*RESTART
*DAMPING_GLOBAL

*DATABASE_OPTION

*DATABASE_BINARY_OPTION

*DELETE_OPTION
*INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK

*RIGID_DEFORMABLE_OPTION

*STRESS_INITIALIZATION_{OPTION}

*TERMINATION_OPTION

*TITLE

*KEYWORD (see INTRODUCTION, Execution Syntax)

*CONTROL_CPU

*DEFINE_OPTION

*SET_OPTION

i.e., the keyword *STRESS_INITIALIZATION may not be used in the small restart.
The user has to take care that nonphysical modifications to the input deck are avoided;
otherwise, complete nonsense may be the result.

c) If many modifications are desired a so called full restart may be the appropriate
choice. Then the keyword *STRESS_INITIALIZATION has to be provided in the
input. As also outlined in the INTRODUCTION, Restart Analysis, either all parts can
be initialized with the restart data or some selection of parts can be made for the stress
initialization. See *STRESS_INITIALIZATION. In a full deck restart, deleted
elements in this section will be deleted in the full deck automatically even though they
are defined. Likewise, if it is necessary to change the velocity field, that must also be
performed in this section using the CHANGE_VELOCITY_.... options. The velocity
field in the full deck part of the input is ignored.

29.2 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
*CHANGE_OPTION

Available options are:

BOUNDARY_CONDITION

CONTACT_SMALL_PENETRATION

CURVE_DEFINITION

RIGID_BODY_CONSTRAINT

RIGID_BODY_STOPPER

STATUS_REPORT_FREQUENCY

THERMAL_PARAMETERS

VELOCITY

VELOCITY_NODE

VELOCITY_RIGID_BODY

VELOCITY_ZERO

Purpose: Change some solution options.

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.3 (RESTART)

*RESTART
For BOUNDARY_CONDITION option define an arbitrary number of cards giving the nodal ID
and the additional translational displacement boundary condition code. Previous boundary condition
codes will continue to be imposed, i.e., a fixed node cannot be freed with this option. This input
terminates when the next “*” card is encountered.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID BCC

Type I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Nodal point ID, see also *NODE.

BCC New translational boundary condition code:

EQ.1: constrained x displacement,
EQ.2: constrained y displacement,
EQ.3: constrained z displacement,
EQ.4: constrained x and y displacements,
EQ.5: constrained y and z displacements,
EQ.6: constrained z and x displacements,
EQ.7: constrained x, y, and z displacements.

29.4 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
For CONTACT_SMALL_PENETRATION option define an arbitrary number of cards giving a
list of contact surface ID numbers where the small penetration check is to be turned on. This input
terminates when the next “*” card is encountered. See the PENCHK variable on the *CONTACT
definition.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ID1 ID2 ID3 ID4 ID5 ID6 ID7 ID8

Type I I I I I I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IDn Contact ID for surface number n.

The CURVE_DEFINITION option allows a load curve to be redefined. The new load curve
must contain the same number of points as the curve it replaces. The curve should be defined in
the DEFINE_CURVE section of this manual. This input terminates when the next “*” card is
encountered. Any offsets and scale factors are ignored.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCID

Type I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCID Load curve ID

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.5 (RESTART)

*RESTART
The RIGID_BODY_CONSTRAINT option allows translational and rotational boundary
conditions on a rigid body to be changed. This input terminates when the next “*” card is
encountered. Also, see *CONSTRAINED_RIGID_BODIES.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID TC RT

Type I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID, see *PART.

TC Translational constraint:
EQ.0: no constraints,
EQ.1: constrained x displacement,
EQ.2: constrained y displacement,
EQ.3: constrained z displacement,
EQ.4: constrained x and y displacements,
EQ.5: constrained y and z displacements,
EQ.6: constrained z and x displacements,
EQ.7: constrained x, y, and z displacements.

RC Rotational constraint:
EQ.0: no constraints,
EQ.1: constrained x rotation,
EQ.2: constrained y rotation,
EQ.3: constrained z rotation,
EQ.4: constrained x and y rotations,
EQ.5: constrained y and z rotations,
EQ.6: constrained z and x rotations,
EQ.7: constrained x, y, and z rotations.

29.6 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
The RIGID_BODY_STOPPER option allows existing stoppers to be redefined. This input
terminates when the next “*” card is encountered. See *CONSTRAINED_RIGID_BODY_
STOPPERS.

New stopper definitions cannot be introduced in this section. Existing stoppers can be modified.

Card Formats

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID LCMAX LCMIN PSIDMX PSIDMN LCVMNX DIR VID

Type I I I I I I I I

Default required 0 0 0 0 0 required 0

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable BIRTH DEATH

Type F F

Default 0 1028

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID of master rigid body, see *PART.

LCMAX Load curve ID defining the maximum coordinate as a function of time:

EQ.0: no limitation of the maximum displacement. New curves can
be defined by the *DEFINE_CURVE within the present restart deck.

LCMIN Load curve ID defining the minimum coordinate as a function of time:

EQ.0: no limitation of the minimum displacement. New curves can
be defined by the *DEFINE_CURVE within the present restart deck.

PSIDMX Optional part set ID of rigid bodies that are slaved in the maximum
coordinate direction to the master rigid body. This option requires
additional input by the *SET_PART definition.

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.7 (RESTART)

*RESTART
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PSIDMN Optional part set ID of rigid bodies that are slaved in the minimum
coordinate direction to the master rigid body. This option requires
additional input by the *SET_PART definition.

LCVMNX Load curve ID which defines the maximum absolute value of the velocity
that is allowed within the stopper:
EQ.0: no limitation of the minimum displacement.

DIR Direction stopper acts in:

EQ.1: x-translation,
EQ.2: y-translation,
EQ.3: z-translation,
EQ.4: arbitrary, defined by vector VID,
EQ.5: x-axis rotation,
EQ.6: y-axis rotation,
EQ.7: z-axis rotation,
EQ.8: arbitrary, defined by vector VID.

VID Vector for arbitrary orientation of stopper. The vector must be defined by a
*DEFINE_VECTOR within the present restart deck.

BIRTH Time at which stopper is activated.

DEATH Time at which stopper is deactivated.

Remarks:

The optional definition of part sets in minimum or maximum coordinate directions allows the
motion to be controlled in an arbitrary direction.

29.8 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
The STATUS_REPORT_FREQUENCY option allows the output status interval to be changed.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable IKEDIT

Type I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IKEDIT Problem status report interval steps in the D3HSP output file:
EQ.0: interval remains unchanged.

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.9 (RESTART)

*RESTART
The THERMAL_PARAMETERS option allows parameters used by a thermal or coupled
structural/thermal analysis to be changed. These parameters were initially defined on the
*CONTROL_THERMAL cards. Two cards are defined for this option.

Card Format (Card 1 of 2)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TS DT TMIN TMAX DTEMP TSCP

Type I F F F F F

Card Format (Card 2 of 2)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable REFMAX TOL

Type I F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TS Thermal time step code:

EQ.0: No change,
EQ.1: Fixed timestep,
EQ.2: variable timestep.

DT Thermal time step on restart:

EQ.0: No change.

TMIN Minimum thermal timestep:

EQ.0: No change.
TMAX Maximum thermal timestep:
EQ.0: No change.
DTEMP Maximum temperature change in a thermal timestep:
EQ.0: No change.
TSCP Time step control parameter (0.0 < TSCP < 1.0 ):
EQ.0: No change.
REFMAX Maximum number of reformations per thermal time step:
EQ.0: No change.

29.10 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TOL Non-linear convergence tolerance:

EQ.0: No change.

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.11 (RESTART)

*RESTART
The VELOCITY_NODE option allows the velocity of nodal points to be changed at restart.
Termination of this input is when the next “*” card is read.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID VX VY VZ VXR VYR VZR

Type I F F F F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Node ID

VX Translational velocity in x-direction.

VY Translational velocity in y-direction.

VZ Translational velocity in z-direction.

VXR Rotational velocity about the x-axis.

VYR Rotational velocity about the y-axis.

VZR Rotational velocity about the z-axis.

Remarks:

1. If a node is initialized on more than one input card set, then the last set input will determine its
velocity, unless it is specified on a *CHANGE_VELOCITY_NODE card.

2. Undefined nodes will have their nodal velocities set to zero if a *CHANGE_VELOCITY
definition is encountered in the restart deck.

3. If both *CHANGE_VELOCITY and *CHANGE_VELOCITY_ZERO cards are defined then all

velocities will be reset to zero.

29.12 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
The VELOCITY option allows a new velocity field to be imposed at restart. Termination of this
input is when the next “*” card is read.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NSID

Type I

Default none

Remark 1

Card 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable VX VY VZ VXR VYR VZR

Type F F F F F F

Default 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NSID Nodal set ID containing nodes for initial velocity.

VX Velocity in x-direction.

VY Velocity in y-direction.

VZ Velocity in z-direction.

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.13 (RESTART)

*RESTART
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

VXR Rotational velocity about the x-axis.

VYR Rotational velocity about the y-axis.

VZR Rotational velocity about the z-axis.

Remarks:

1. If a node is initialized on more than one input card set, then the last set input will determine its
velocity, unless it is specified on a *CHANGE_VELOCITY_NODE card.

2. Undefined nodes will have their nodal velocities set to zero if a *CHANGE_VELOCITY
definition is encountered in the restart deck.

3. If both *CHANGE_VELOCITY and *CHANGE_VELOCITY_ZERO cards are defined then all

velocities will be reset to zero.

29.14 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
The VELOCITY_RIGID_BODY option allows the velocity components of a rigid body to be
changed at restart. Termination of this input is when the next “*” card is read.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID VX VY VZ VXR VYR VZR

Type I F F F F F F

Default none 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID of rigid body.

VX Translational velocity in x-direction.

VY Translational velocity in y-direction.

VZ Translational velocity in z-direction.

VXR Rotational velocity about the x-axis.

VYR Rotational velocity about the y-axis.

VZR Rotational velocity about the z-axis.

Remarks:

1. Rotational velocities are defined about the center of mass of the rigid body.

2. Rigid bodies not defined in this section will not have their velocities modified.

The VELOCITY_ZERO option resets the velocities to zero at the start of the restart. Only the
*CHANGE_VELOCITY_ZERO card is required for this option without any further input.

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.15 (RESTART)

*RESTART
*CONTROL_DYNAMIC_RELAXATION

Purpose: Define controls for dynamic relaxation.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NRCYCK DRTOL DRFCTR DRTERM TSSFDR IRELAL EDTTL IDRFLG

Type I F F F F I F I

Default 250 0.001 0.995 infinity TSSFAC 0 0.0 0

Remarks 1 1 1 1 1 1

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NRCYCK Number of iterations between convergence checks, for dynamic relaxation

option (default = 250).

DRTOL Convergence tolerance for dynamic relaxation option (default = 0.001).

DRFCTR Dynamic relaxation factor (default = .995).

DRTERM Optional termination time for dynamic relaxation. Termination occurs at this
time or when convergence is attained (default = infinity).

TSSFDR Scale factor for computed time step during dynamic relaxation. If zero, the
value is set to TSSFAC defined on *CONTROL_TERMINATION. After
converging, the scale factor is reset to TSSFAC.

IRELAL Automatic control for dynamic relaxation option based on algorithm of

Papadrakakis [Papadrakakis 1981].

EDTTL Convergence tolerance on automatic control of dynamic relaxation.

IDRFLG Dynamic relaxation flag for stress initialization:

EQ.0: not active,
EQ.1: dynamic relaxation is activated.

29.16 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
Remarks:

1. If a dynamic relaxation relaxation analysis is being restarted at a point before convergence was
obtained, then NRCYCK, DRTOL, DRFCTR, DRTERM and TSSFDR will default to their
previous values, and IDRFLG will be set to 1.

2. If dynamic relaxation is activated after a restart from a normal transient analysis LS-DYNA
continues the output of data as it would without the dynamic relaxation being active. This is
unlike the dynamic relaxation phase at the beginning of the calculation when a separate database
is not used. Only load curves that are flagged for dynamic relaxation are applied after
restarting.

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.17 (RESTART)

*RESTART
*CONTROL_TERMINATION

Purpose: Stop the job.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ENDTIM ENDCYC

Type F I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ENDTIM Termination time:

EQ:0.0 Termination time remains unchanged.

ENDCYC Termination cycle. The termination cycle is optional and will be used if the
specified cycle is reached before the termination time.
EQ:0.0 Termination cycle remains unchanged.

This is a reduced version of the *CONTROL_TERMINATION card used in the initial input deck.

29.18 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
*CONTROL_TIMESTEP

Purpose: Set time step size control using different options.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DUMMY TSSFAC ISDO DUMMY DT2MS LCTM

Type F F I F F I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DUMMY Dummy field, see remark 1 below.

TSSFAC Scale factor for computed time step.

EQ:0.0. TSSFAC remains unchanged.

ISDO Basis of time size calculation for 4-node shell elements, ISDO 3-node shells
use the shortest altitude for options 0,1 and the shortest side for option 2.
This option has no relevance to solid elements, which use a length based on
the element volume divided by the largest surface area:
EQ.0: characteristic length=area/(longest side),
EQ.1: characteristic length=area/(longest diagonal),
EQ.2: based on bar wave speed and MAX [shortest side, area/longest
side]. THIS LAST OPTION CAN GIVE A MUCH LARGER TIME
STEP SIZE THAT CAN LEAD TO INSTABILITIES IN SOME
APPLICATIONS, ESPECIALLY WHEN TRIANGULAR
ELEMENTS ARE USED.

DUMMY Dummy field, see remark 1 below.

DT2MS New time step for mass scaled calculations. Mass scaling must be active in
the time zero analysis.
EQ:0.0. DT2MS remains unchanged.

LCTM Load curve ID that limits maximum time step size:

EQ:0. LCTM remains unchanged.

Remark:

1. This a reduced version of the *CONTROL_TIMESTEP used in the initial analysis. The
dummy fields are included to maintain compatability. If using free format input then a 0.0
should be entered for the dummy values.

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.19 (RESTART)

*RESTART
*DAMPING_GLOBAL

Purpose: Define mass weigthed nodal damping that applies globally to the deformable nodes.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable LCID VALDMP

Type I F

Default 0 0.0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

LCID Load curve ID which specifies node system damping:

EQ.n: system damping is given by load curve n. The damping force
applied to each node is f=-d(t) mv, where d(t) is defined by load curve n.

VALDMP System damping constant, d (this option is bypassed if the load curve
number defined above is nonzero).

29.20 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
*DATABASE_OPTION

Options for ASCII files include. If a file is not specified in the restart deck then the output interval
for the file will remain unchanged.

SECFORC Cross section forces.

RWFORC Wall forces.

NODOUT Nodal point data.

ELOUT Element data.

GLSTAT Global data.

DEFORC Discrete elements.

MATSUM Material energies.

NCFORC Nodal interface forces.

RCFORC Resultant interface forces.

DEFGEO Deformed geometry file

SPCFORC Set dt for spc reaction forces.

SWFORC Nodal constraint reaction forces (spotwelds and rivets).

ABSTAT Set dt for airbag statistics.

NODFOR Set dt for nodal force groups.

BNDOUT Boundary condition forces and energy

RBDOUT Set dt for rigid body data.

GCEOUT Set dt for geometric contact entities.

SLEOUT Set dt for sliding interface energy.

JNTFORC Set dt for joint force file.

SBTOUT Set dt for seat belt output file.

AVSFLT Set dt for AVS database.

MOVIE Set dt for MOVIE.

MPGS Set dt for MPGS.

TPRINT Set dt for thermal file.

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.21 (RESTART)

*RESTART
Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DT

Type F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DT Time interval between outputs:

EQ:0.0 output interval is unchanged.

To terminate output to a particular file set DT to a high value.

29.22 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
*DATABASE_BINARY_OPTION

Options for binary output files with the default names given include:

D3PLOT Dt for complete output states.

D3THDT Dt for time history data for element subsets.

D3DUMP Binary output restart files. Define output frequency in cycles

RUNRSF Binary output restart file. Define output frequency in cycles.

INTFOR Dt for contact surface Interface database.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable DT/CYCL

Type F

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

DT Time interval between outputs.

EQ:0.0. Time interval remains unchanged.

CYCL Output interval in time steps.

EQ:0.0. output interval remains unchanged.

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.23 (RESTART)

*RESTART
*DELETE_OPTION

Available options are:

CONTACT

CONTACT_2DAUTO

ENTITY

PART

ELEMENT_BEAM

ELEMENT_SHELL

ELEMENT_SOLID

ELEMENT_TSHELL

pose: Delete contact surfaces, parts, or elements by a list of IDs. There are two contact algorithms
for two dimensional problems: the line-to-line contact and the automatic contact defined by part ID's.
Each use their own numbering.

For CONTACT, CONTACT_2DAUTO, ENTITY, or PART option.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ID1 ID2 ID3 ID4 ID5 ID6 ID7 ID8

Type I I I I I I I I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

IDI Contact ID/Part ID

For *DELETE_CONTACT a negative ID implies that the absoulute value gives the contact surface
which is to be activated

29.24 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
For the four ELEMENT options. Termination of input is when the next “*” card is read.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable ESID

Type I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

ESID Element set ID, see *SET_SOLID, *SET_BEAM, *SET_SHELL,

*SET_TSHELL.

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.25 (RESTART)

*RESTART
*INTERFACE_SPRINGBACK

Purpose: Define a material subset for an implicit springback calculation in LS-NIKE3D and any
nodal constraints to eliminate rigid body degrees-of-freedom. Generally, only the materials that make
up the original blank are included in the springback calculation. After termination of the
LS-DYNA3D computation, an input deck for LS-NIKE3D and a stress initialization file for
LS-NIKE3D are written.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PSID

Type I

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PSID Part set ID for springback, see *SET_PART.

Define a list of nodal points that are constrained for the springback. This section is terminated by an
“*” indicating the next input section.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID TC RC

Type I F F

Default none 0. 0.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Node ID

29.26 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TC Tranlational constraint:
EQ.0: no constraints,
EQ.1: constrained x displacement,
EQ.2: constrained y displacement,
EQ.3: constrained z displacement,
EQ.4: constrained x and y displacements,
EQ.5: constrained y and z displacements,
EQ.6: constrained z and x displacements,
EQ.7: constrained x, y, and z displacements.

RC Rotational constraint:
EQ.0: no constraints,
EQ.1: constrained x rotation,
EQ.2: constrained y rotation,
EQ.3: constrained z rotation,
EQ.4: constrained x and y rotations,
EQ.5: constrained y and z rotations,
EQ.6: constrained z and x rotations,
EQ.7: constrained x, y, and z rotations.

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.27 (RESTART)

*RESTART
*RIGID_DEFORMABLE_OPTION

The OPTIONS available are:

CONTROL

D2R (Deformable to rigid part switch)

R2D (Rigid to deformable part switch)

Purpose: Define parts to be switched from rigid to deformable and deformable to rigid in a restart. It
is only possible to switch parts on a restart if part switching was activated in the time zero analysis.
See *DEFORMABLE_TO_RIGID for details of part switching.

29.28 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
For the CONTROL option define the following card:

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NRBF NCSF RWF DTMAX

Type I I I F

Default 0 0 0 none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NRBF Flag to delete or activate nodal rigid bodies.

If nodal rigid bodies or generalized, weld definitions are active in the
deformable bodies that are switched to rigid, then the definitions should be
deleted to avoid instabilities:
EQ.0: no change,
EQ.1: delete,
EQ.2: activate.

NCSF Flag to delete or activate nodal constraint set.

If nodal constraint/spotweld definitions are active in the deformable bodies
that are switched to rigid, then the definitions should be deleted to avoid
instabilities:
EQ.0: no change,
EQ.1: delete,
EQ.2: activate.

RWF Flag to delete or activate rigid walls:

EQ.0: no change,
EQ.1: delete,
EQ.2: activate.

DTMAX Maximum permitted time step size after restart.

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.29 (RESTART)

*RESTART
For the D2R option define the following card. Termination of this input is when the next “*” card is
read.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID MRB

Type I I

Default none 0

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID of the part which is switched to a rigid material.

MRB Part ID of the master rigid body to which the part is merged. If zero, the part
becomes either an independent or master rigid body.

For the R2D option define the following card. Termination of this input is when the next “*” card is
read.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PID

Type I

Default none

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID of the part which is switched to a deformable material.

29.30 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
*STRESS_INITIALIZATION_{OPTION}

This keyword allows a full deck restart to be performed in LS-DYNA. For a full deck restart a
complete input deck has to be included in the restart deck. The stress initialization feature allows all
or a number of parts to be initialized on restart.

The options that are available with this kewyord are:

<BLANK>

DISCRETE

SEATBELT

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.31 (RESTART)

*RESTART
*STRESS_INITIALIZATION

If this card is specified without further input then all parts in the new analysis are initialized from the
corresponding part of the old analysis. Further all seatbelt and discrete parts are initialized.

If only a subset of parts are to be initialized in the new analysis then define as many of the following
cards as necessary. Termination of this input is when the next “*” card is read.

Card Format

Card 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable PIDO PIDN

Type I I

Default none PIDO

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PIDO Old part ID, see *PART.

PIDN New part ID, see *PART:

EQ:0. New part ID is the same as the old part ID.

Remarks:

If one or more of the above cards are defined then discrete and and seatbelt elements will not be
initialized unless the additional option cards *STRESS_INITIALIZATION_DISCRETE and
*STRESS_INITIALIZATION_SEATBELT are defined.

29.32 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
*STRESS_INITIALIZATION_DISCRETE

Initialize all discrete parts from the old parts. No further input is required with this card. This card is
not required if *STRESS_INITIALIZATION is specified without further input.

*STRESS_INITIALIZATION_SEATBELT

Initialize all seatbelt parts from the old parts. No further input is required with this card. This card is
not required if *STRESS_INITIALIZATION is specified without further input.

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.33 (RESTART)

*RESTART
*TERMINATION_OPTION

Purpose: Stop the job depending on some displacement conditions.

Available options include:

NODE

BODY

Caution: The inputs are different for the nodal and rigid body stop conditions. The nodal stop
condition works on the global coordinate position, while the body stop condition works on the
relative global translation. The number of termination conditions cannot exceed the maximum of 10
or the number specified in the original analysis.

The analysis terminates for *TERMINATION_NODE when the current position of the node
specified reaches either the maximum or minimum value (stops 1, 2 or 3), or picks up force from any
contact surface (stop 4). For *TERMINATION_BODY the analysis terminates when the center of
mass displacement of the rigid body specified reaches either the maximum or minimum value (stops
1, 2 or 3) or the displacement magnitude of the center of mass is exceeded (stop 4). If more than one
condition is input, the analysis stops when any of the conditions is satisfied. This input
completely overides the existing termination conditions defined in the time zero
run.

Termination by other means is controlled by the *CONTROL_TERMINATION control card.

For both options, the input is identical:

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable NID/PID STOP MAXC MINC

Type I I F F

Default none none - -

29.34 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960

 *RESTART
For the NODE option:

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

NID Node ID

STOP Stop criterion:

EQ.1: global x direction,
EQ.2: global y direction,
EQ.3: global z direction,
EQ.4: stop if node touches contact surface.

MAXC Maximum (most positive) coordinate, options 1, 2 and 3 above only.

MINC Minimum (most negative) coordinate, options 1, 2 and 3 above only.

For the BODY option:

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

PID Part ID of rigid body

STOP Stop criterion:

EQ.1: global x direction,
EQ.2: global y direction,
EQ.3: global z direction,
EQ.4: stop if displacement magnitude is exceeded.

MAXC Maximum (most positive) displacement, options 1, 2, 3 and 4:

EQ:0.0. MAXC set to 1.0e21

MINC Minimum (most negative) displacement, options 1, 2 and 3 above only:

EQ:0.0. MINC set to -1.0e21

LS-DYNA Version 960 29.35 (RESTART)

*RESTART
*TITLE

Purpose: Define job title.

Card Format

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Variable TITLE

Type C

Default LS-DYNA USER INPUT

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION

TITLE Heading to appear on output.

29.36 (RESTART) LS-DYNA Version 960