Centrifugal, Coriolis, and rotary acceleration forces

Many of the elements in Abaqus allow centrifugal, Coriolis, and rotary acceleration forces to be included. This section defines these load types.

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It is assumed that the model (or that part of it to which these forces are applied) is described in a coordinate system that is rotating with an angular velocity, ω, and/or an angular (rotary) acceleration, dω/dt. Let A=[a1,a2,a3] be a right-handed set of unit, orthogonal vectors that form a basis for this system. Then, dA/dt=ω×A and d2A/dt2=dω/dt×A+ω×dA/dt.

If the angular velocity is cast as

ω=ωn,

where ω is the magnitude of ω and n is the unit axis of rotation, the rotary acceleration is

dωdt=dωdtn+ωdndt=αnROTA,

where the term ωdn/dt represents the effect of the motion of the axis of rotation (precessional motion);

α=dω/dtnROTA is the magnitude of the rotary acceleration; and nROTA is the axis of rotary acceleration. If dn/dt=0, then α=dω/dt and nROTA=n. In component form

ωk=ωnk

and

dωkdt=dωdtnk+ωdnkdt.

Let x0 be a point on the axis of rotation. The position of a material particle, x, can be written

x=x0+yiai,

where yi, i=1,2,3, are the coordinates of the point in the rotating basis system. Taking time derivatives,

dxdt=dx0dt+dyidtai+yiω×ai

and

d2xdt2=d2x0dt2+d2yidt2ai+2dyidtω×ai+yiω×(ω×ai)+yidωdt×ai.

We assume that the origin of the rotating system, x0, is fixed, so that

dx0dt=d2x0dt2=0.

With this simplification

dxdt=dyidtai+yiω×ai

and

(1)d2xdt2=d2yidt2ai+2dyidtω×ai+yiω×(ω×ai)+yidωdt×ai.

The virtual work contribution from the d'Alembert forces is

δWA=-V0ρ0d2xdt2δxdV0,

where ρ0 is the mass density of the body in its reference configuration, where its volume is V0 and δx is a virtual variational field. For the part of the body described in the rotating system, the acceleration, d2x/dt2, is given by Equation 1, while δx=δyiai only since ω and dω/dt are prescribed and x0 is fixed. Thus,

δWA=-V0ρ0[d2yidt2δyi+{2dyidtω×ai+yiω×(ω×ai)+yidωdt×ai}δyjaj]dV0.

Simplifying,

δWA=-V0ρ0[d2yidt2δyi+2dyidtδyjω(ai×aj)+yiδyj(ωaiωaj-(ωω)δij)+yiδyjdωdt×aiaj]dV0.

The terms in δWA can be identified as follows. The first term,

-V0ρ0d2yidt2δyidV0,

is the usual “consistent mass matrix” term associated with acceleration of the material particles with respect to the rotating system.

Writing the angular velocity of the rotating basis system as its components in that system, ω=ωiai, gives the second term as

-V02ρ0ϵijkdyidtδyjωkdV0,

where ϵijk is the alternator tensor. This term is the Coriolis force term and arises whenever there is velocity in the rotating system, which can happen in dynamic analysis or in quasi-static cases in which a constant velocity has been introduced (for example, by defining an initial velocity).

The third term is, likewise, rewritten as

-V0ρ0yiδyj(ωiωj-ωkωkδij)dV0.

This term is the centrifugal load term.

Similarly, the fourth term is rewritten as

-V0ρ0ϵijkyiδyjdωkdtdV0.

This term is the rotary acceleration load term.

In Abaqus/Standard the centrifugal load, Coriolis, and rotary acceleration terms contribute to the “load stiffness matrix.” The centrifugal load term has a symmetric load stiffness matrix,

-V0ρ0dyiδyj(ωiωj-ωkωkδij)dV0;

the Coriolis term has an antisymmetric “load damping matrix,”

-V02ρ0ϵijkyl(dyidt)dylδyjωkdV0;

and the rotary acceleration term has an antisymmetric load stiffness matrix,

-V0ρ0ϵijkdyiδyjdωkdtdV0.