Supports: Support type data

The support type data define the geometry and physical properties of the support cylinders.

Normal stiffness

Can be either linear or nonlinear. For linear stiffness, enter a single stiffness value that is the reaction force per unit depth of penetration. For nonlinear stiffness, use variable data to define a table of reaction force against depth of penetration.

Shear stiffness

The shear stiffness is used by the friction calculation. A value of 0 disables friction. A value of ~ tells OrcaFlex to use the value for normal stiffness: if the normal stiffness is nonlinear, then the value corresponding to zero penetration is used.

In order to enable friction for this contact, you must enter values on the friction coefficients data form.

The support cylinders define the axial and normal friction directions: axial friction resists sliding motion along a support cylinder axis, while normal friction resists sliding motion that would drag a line over or around a support.

Diameter

The contact diameter of the support cylinders. Circles of this diameter will be drawn at the cylinder ends if draw ends in wire frame view is selected.

Geometry

Support cylinder geometry takes one of the following forms:

Flat, a single support cylinder along the support $y$-axis direction.
V shaped, two support cylinders in a V configuration. The angle of the "V" is twice the angle the support cylinders make with the support $y$-axis direction.
U shaped, three support cylinders in a U configuration, with a single cylinder along the support $y$-axis direction and two cylinders along the support $z$-axis direction.
User specified, with an arbitrary number of support cylinders. The support cylinder positions are defined sequentially, by the individual cylinder lengths and the angle change between consecutive cylinders.

The following figures illustrate the possible support geometry options.

Figure:

An example flat support.

Figure:

An example V-shaped support.

Figure:

An example U-shaped support.

Figure:

An example user-specified support.

Flat data

Length

The length of the support cylinder.

V-shaped data

Length

The length of the support cylinders.

Angle

The angle between the support cylinders' axes and the support $y$-axis.

U-shaped data

Horizontal length

The length of the horizontal support cylinder in the support $y$-axis direction. This defines the separation, in the support $y$-axis direction, between the $z$-axes of the two vertical cylinders.

Vertical length

The length of the vertical support cylinders in the support $z$-axis direction.

User-Specified data

Support segments

For each segment in the table, length defines the length of the cylinder and the point at which the next segment will start, and angle change the change in direction, in the support $yz$-plane, between this cylinder and the next. The first support segment in the table represents a single horizontal support cylinder in the support $y$-axis direction. Each subsequent segment represent a pair of support cylinders, placed symmetrically about the support $z$-axis.

Support segments of length zero have no support cylinders so, if you do not want a horizontal support as the base of your support shape, set the length of the first segment to zero.