Element Reference

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FLUID30

3-D Acoustic Fluid

MP ME <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> PP EME MFS
Product Restrictions

FLUID30 Element Description

FLUID30 is used for modeling the fluid medium and the interface in fluid/structure
interaction problems. Typical applications include sound wave propagation and
submerged structure dynamics. The governing equation for acoustics, namely the
3-D wave equation, has been discretized taking into account the coupling of
acoustic pressure and structural motion at the interface. The element has eight
corner nodes with four degrees of freedom per node: translations in the nodal x, y
and z directions and pressure. The translations, however, are applicable only at
nodes that are on the interface. Acceleration effects, such as in sloshing problems,
may be included. Refer to Acoustics for more information on the fundamentals of
acoustics.
The element has the capability to include damping of sound absorbing material at
the interface as well as damping within the fluid. The element can be used with
other 3-D structural elements to perform unsymmetric or damped modal, full
harmonic and full transient method analyses (see the description of the TRNOPT
command). When there is no structural motion, the element is also applicable to
modal analyses. See FLUID30 in the Mechanical APDL Theory Reference for more
details about this element. See FLUID220 for a higher order hexahedral option
and FLUID221 for a higher order tetrahedral option

Figure 30.1: FLUID30 Geometry

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FLUID30 Input Data

The geometry, node locations, and the coordinate system for this element are
shown in Figure 30.1: FLUID30 Geometry. The element is defined by eight nodes,
a reference pressure, and the isotropic material properties. The reference pressure
(PREF) is used to calculate the element sound pressure level (defaults to 20x10

-6

N/m ). The speed of sound (

) in the fluid is input by SONC where k is the
bulk modulus of the fluid (Force/Area) and o is the mean fluid density
(Mass/Volume) (input as DENS). The dissipative effect due to fluid viscosity can be
included (input as MP,VISC). DENS, SONC, and VISC are evaluated at the average
of the nodal temperatures.

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The TB,PERF command is used to define the equivalent fluid of the perforated
material using the Johnson-Champoux-Allard model. The material properties,
thermal conductivity (MP,KXX), heat coefficient at constant volume per unit of
mass (MP,CVH), the dynamic viscosity (MP,VISC) (defaults to 1.84x10

-5

Ns/m ), and specific heat (MP,C) may be defined for the calculation of the
Prandtl number (defaults to 0.713) and the specific heat ratio (defaults to 1.4) if
-5

necessary. Please note that viscosity defaults to 1.84x10 s for elements with TB,
PERF defined. For all other elements, the viscosity is assumed to be zero when
undefined.
Element loads are described in Nodal Loading. Fluid-structure interfaces (FSI)
may be flagged by surface loads at the element faces as shown by the circled
numbers on Figure 30.1: FLUID30 Geometry. Specifying the FSI label (without a
value) [SF, SFA, SFE] will couple the structural motion and fluid pressure at the
interface. Deleting the FSI specification [SFDELE, SFADELE, SFEDELE]
removes the flag. The flag specification should be on the fluid elements at the
interface. See Acoustics in the Coupled-Field Analysis Guide for more information
on the use of the fluid-structure interaction flag.
The FSI interface may be automatically flagged if acoustic elements are adjacent to
solid structural elements (except for shell elements) and FSI interfaces have not
been flagged manually. The surface load label IMPD with a given complex
impedance value can be used to include damping that may be present at a
structural boundary with a sound absorption lining. These impedance boundary
conditions may also be applied to a flagged FSI interface. A zero value of IMPD
removes the damping calculation. The displacement degrees of freedom (UX, UY
and UZ) at the element nodes not on the interface should be set to zero to avoid
zero-pivot warning messages. The surface load label SHLD with a given amplitude
and initial phase angle is used to define a normal sound speed in a harmonic
analysis or a normal sound acceleration in a transient analysis on the exterior
surface. The sloshing surface can be flagged by the surface load label FREE. The
sloshing surface must be parallel to the coordinate plane of the global Cartesian
system. When near or far field parameters are required, the surface load label
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MXWF should be applied to the equivalent source surface. The label MXWF may be
automatically applied to a PML-acoustic medium interface or exterior surface with
the label INF, if MXWF surfaces have not been flagged manually. The surface load
label CONV with the attenuation coefficient is used to define an absorbing surface
in modal and harmonic response analyses.
Temperatures may be input as element body loads at the nodes. The node I
temperature T(I) defaults to TUNIF. If all other temperatures are unspecified, they
default to T(I). For any other input pattern, unspecified temperatures default to
TUNIF.
3

Mass source (in units of mass/length /time) can be defined in a harmonic analysis
and mass source rate (partial time derivative of mass source in units of
3

mass/length /time ) can be defined in a transient analysis using the BF, BFL,
BFA or BFV command with the label JS. For harmonic response analyses, both
the amplitude and initial phase may be applied so that the inhomogeneous
Helmholtz equation is solved. The impedance sheet inside a fluid may be defined
using the BF or BFA command with the label IMPD in a harmonic analysis. For a
non-uniform acoustic medium, the reference temperature T 0 (TREF command)
and the reference static pressure (real constant PSREF) should be defined. PSREF
2

defaults to 101325, which is standard atmospheric pressure in units of N/m .

Nodal temperatures may be input by body load commands. The nodal static
pressure can also be input by the BF command with Lab = CHRGD. The BF or
BFA command can be used with Lab = EF to define non-uniform velocity in a
harmonic analysis or non-uniform acceleration in a transient analysis.
KEYOPT(2)=1 is used to specify the absence of a structure at the interface and the
absence of coupling between the fluid and structure. Since the absence of
coupling produces symmetric element matrices, a symmetric eigensolver
(MODOPT) may be used within the modal analysis. KEYOPT(2)=0 (the default)
specifies a coupled (unsymmetric) problem, which requires a corresponding
unsymmetric eigensolver (MODOPT).. If KEYOPT(2)=2 or 3, specifying
symmetric algorithms in the presence of FSI coupling, a symmetric eigensolver
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may also be used for modal analysis (MODOPT) and a symmetric linear equation
solver may be used for full harmonic analysis.
KEYOPT(4) is used to specify the existence of perfectly matched layers (PML) to
absorb the outgoing sound waves. The pressure on the exterior enclosure of PML
must be constrained to zero, unless the pressure is on the symmetric planes. Refer
to Acoustics or Perfectly Matched Layers (PML) in the Mechanical APDL HighFrequency Electromagnetic Analysis Guide for more information about using PML.
Vertical acceleration (ACELZ on the ACEL command) is needed to specify gravity,
even for a modal analysis, if free surface effects are present (SF command with
the FREE flag).
For acoustic scattering analysis, acoustic incident waves may be specified outside
of the model by using the AWAVE command. These incident waves can be
combined with a PML or Robin boundary surface (SF command with the INF
flag). Either the total field or pure scattered field formulation may be used
(HFSCAT command). The acoustic near- and far-field parameters may be
calculated by PRNEAR, PLNEAR, PRFAR, or PLFAR. When the pure scattered
formulation is used (HFSCAT), acoustic incident waves may also be specified
inside of the model by using the AWAVE command.
A summary of the element input is given in "FLUID30 Input Summary" . A general
description of element input is given in Element Input.

FLUID30 Input Summary

Nodes
I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P
Degrees of Freedom
UX, UY, UZ, PRES if KEYOPT (2) = 0, 2, or 3
PRES if KEYOPT (2) = 1
Real Constants
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PREF - Reference pressure

PSREF - Reference static pressure
Material Properties
DENS, SONC, VISC, KXX, C, CVH (MP command)
PERF (TB command)
Surface Loads
Fluid-structure interface flag (FSI), impedance (IMPD), normal speed or
normal acceleration (SHLD), sloshing surface (FREE), equivalent source
surface (MXWF), Robin boundary surface (INF), and attenuation coefficient
(CONV):
face 1 (J-I-L-K), face 2 (I-J-N-M), face 3 (J-K-O-N),
face 4 (K-L-P-O), face 5 (L-I-M-P), face 6 (M-N-O-P)
Body Loads
Mass source or mass rate (JS), static pressure (CHRGD), impedance (IMPD),
temperature (TEMP), velocity or acceleration (EF)
Special Features
None
KEYOPT(2)
Structure at element interface:
0 -FSI interfaces present (unsymmetric element matrix)
1 -Acoustic analysis without FSI interface (symmetric element matrix)
2 -FSI interfaces present for modal analysis (symmetric element matrix)
3 -FSI interfaces present for full harmonic analysis (symmetric element
matrix)
KEYOPT(4)
PML absorbing condition:
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Do not include PML absorbing condition

1 -Include PML absorbing condition

FLUID30 Output Data

The solution output associated with the element consists of the following:
Nodal displacements and pressures included in the overall nodal solution
Nodal velocity for modal and full harmonic or nodal pressure gradient for
transient analysis is included in the element nodal solution via standard
results output commands with Item = PG (for example, PRNSOL,
PLVECT, PRESOL, and PLESOL).
Nodal sound pressure level (SPL) for modal and harmonic analyses
Additional element output as shown in Table 30.1: FLUID30 Element
Output Definitions.
A general description of solution output is given in Solution Output. See the Basic
Analysis Guide for ways to view results.
The Element Output Definitions table uses the following notation:
A colon (:) in the Name column indicates that the item can be accessed by the
Component Name method (ETABLE, ESOL). The O column indicates the
availability of the items in the file Jobname.OUT. The R column indicates the
availability of the items in the results file.
In either the O or R columns, Y indicates that the item is always available, a
number refers to a table footnote that describes when the item is conditionally
available, and - indicates that the item is not available.

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Table 30.1: FLUID30 Element Output Definitions

Name

Definition

O R

EL

Element Number

Y Y

NODES

Nodes - I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P

Y Y

MAT

Material number

Y Y

VOLU:

Volume

Y Y

XC, YC, ZC

Location where results are reported

Y 2

TEMP

T(I), T(J), T(K), T(L), T(M), T(N), T(O), T(P)

Y Y

PRESSURE

Average pressure

Y Y

PG(X,Y,Z,
SUM)

Velocity components and vector sum for modal and

harmonic analysis or pressure gradient components
and vector sum for transient analysis

Y Y

PL2

Square of the L2 norm of pressure over element

volume

1 1

1. Output only if ANTYPE,HARMIC or MODAL

2. Available only at centroid as a *GET item.

Table 30.2: FLUID30 Item and Sequence Numbers lists output available through
the ETABLE command using the Sequence Number method. See The General
Postprocessor (POST1) in the Basic Analysis Guide and The Item and Sequence
Number Table of this manual for more information. The following notation is used
in Table 30.2: FLUID30 Item and Sequence Numbers :
Name
output quantity as defined in the Table 30.1: FLUID30 Element Output

Definitions
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Definitions
Item
predetermined Item label for ETABLE command
E
sequence number for single-valued or constant element data

Table 30.2: FLUID30 Item and Sequence Numbers

Output Quantity Name

ETABLE and ESOL Command Input

Item

PGX

SMISC

PGY

SMISC

PGZ

SMISC

PL2

SMICS

PRESSURE

NMISC

PGSUM

NMISC

FLUID30 Assumptions and Restrictions

The element must not have a zero volume.
Element nodes may be numbered either as shown in
Figure 30.1: FLUID30 Geometry or may have planes IJKL and MNOP
interchanged.
The element may not be twisted such that it has two separate volumes.
This occurs usually when the element nodes are not in the correct
sequence.
All elements must have 8 nodes. A prism-shaped element may be formed
by defining duplicate
K and L and duplicate O and P nodes (see
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by defining duplicate K and L and duplicate O and P nodes (see

Degenerated Shape Elements). A tetrahedron or pyramid shape is also
available.
The acoustic pressure in the fluid medium is determined by the wave
equation with the following assumptions:
The fluid is compressible (density changes due to pressure
variations).
There is no mean flow of the fluid.
Note that the acoustic pressure is the excess pressure from the mean
pressure.
Analyses are limited to relatively small acoustic pressures so that the
changes in density are small compared with the mean density.
The lumped mass matrix formulation [LUMPM,ON] is not allowed for this
element.
The symmetric matrix formulation (KEYOPT(2) = 2) is not allowed for
coupled modal analysis with viscous material.

FLUID30 Product Restrictions

There are no product-specific restrictions for this element.
Release 14.5 - SAS IP, Inc. All rights reserved.

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