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How to assign material properties to different elements after meshing?

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Hi, I'm a new-to-comsol. Now, I'm working on modeling, and here is the problem. example from a paper

The above figure shows a FEM model built by other researchers using a structured mesh. The different colors mean that the elastic modulus vary with the element location. The values of elastic moduli follow certain distribution, for example, weibull distribution. I want to setup the same model in comsol multiphysics. Now, I have built a 3D structured mesh. But I'm not sure how to assign material properties after meshing and how to make material properties of elements follow weibull distribution. Livelink for matlab, I guess, may fulfil my thoughts. Need some matrix to be extracted and re-edited? Are there some similar cases available? Please, give me some ideas about it. Thanks a lot!


7 Replies Last Post 6 mar 2022, 03:04 GMT-5
Acculution ApS Certified Consultant

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Posted: 2 years ago 11 feb 2022, 04:01 GMT-5

If it is not necessarily tied to the elements but more to the geometry, it is worth considering that you can define material properites that vary with coordinates, a la density(x)=10*(x-2).

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René Christensen, PhD
Acculution ApS
www.acculution.com
info@acculution.com
If it is not necessarily tied to the elements but more to the geometry, it is worth considering that you can define material properites that vary with coordinates, a la density(x)=10*(x-2).

Henrik Sönnerlind COMSOL Employee

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Posted: 2 years ago 14 feb 2022, 02:53 GMT-5

I think this blog post may help you:

https://www.comsol.com/blogs/how-to-generate-randomized-inhomogeneous-material-data

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Henrik Sönnerlind
COMSOL
I think this blog post may help you:

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Posted: 2 years ago 18 feb 2022, 02:24 GMT-5

If it is not necessarily tied to the elements but more to the geometry, it is worth considering that you can define material properites that vary with coordinates, a la density(x)=10*(x-2).

Thanks for your reply. I still wonder that is there any chance that define element material properties by its location (e.g. the coordinate of the element centre)? Would you please give some ideas or methodologies? Thanks!

>If it is not necessarily tied to the elements but more to the geometry, it is worth considering that you can define material properites that vary with coordinates, a la density(x)=10*(x-2). Thanks for your reply. I still wonder that is there any chance that define element material properties by its location (e.g. the coordinate of the element centre)? Would you please give some ideas or methodologies? Thanks!

Edgar J. Kaiser Certified Consultant

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Posted: 2 years ago 18 feb 2022, 04:37 GMT-5

I would think that applying material properties that are a function of the spatial coordinates such as rho(x,y,z) are the better alternative to assigning the property to the elements. Well, may be a matter of taste ...

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Edgar J. Kaiser
emPhys Physical Technology
www.emphys.com
I would think that applying material properties that are a function of the spatial coordinates such as rho(x,y,z) are the better alternative to assigning the property to the elements. Well, may be a matter of taste ...

Acculution ApS Certified Consultant

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Posted: 2 years ago 21 feb 2022, 06:41 GMT-5

If it is not necessarily tied to the elements but more to the geometry, it is worth considering that you can define material properites that vary with coordinates, a la density(x)=10*(x-2).

Thanks for your reply. I still wonder that is there any chance that define element material properties by its location (e.g. the coordinate of the element centre)? Would you please give some ideas or methodologies? Thanks!

I don't really know to be honest. I would submit as a support case.

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René Christensen, PhD
Acculution ApS
www.acculution.com
info@acculution.com
>>If it is not necessarily tied to the elements but more to the geometry, it is worth considering that you can define material properites that vary with coordinates, a la density(x)=10*(x-2). > >Thanks for your reply. I still wonder that is there any chance that define element material properties by its location (e.g. the coordinate of the element centre)? >Would you please give some ideas or methodologies? >Thanks! I don't really know to be honest. I would submit as a support case.

Henrik Sönnerlind COMSOL Employee

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Posted: 2 years ago 21 feb 2022, 09:00 GMT-5

The operator centroid() returns values at element centroid. Thus, centroid(X) should be useful here.

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Henrik Sönnerlind
COMSOL
The operator centroid() returns values at element centroid. Thus, centroid(X) should be useful here.

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Posted: 2 years ago 6 mar 2022, 03:04 GMT-5

I think this blog post may help you:

Thanks for replying. In the blog you mentioned, material properties are defined as functions varied with location. It is a good idea, but less suitable for me. Maybe extract some matrice related to material properties, element numbering and element coordinates, and then re-edit them in matlab is an acceptable way? Any suggestions are welcomed. Thanks!

>I think this blog post may help you: Thanks for replying. In the blog you mentioned, material properties are defined as functions varied with location. It is a good idea, but less suitable for me. Maybe extract some matrice related to material properties, element numbering and element coordinates, and then re-edit them in matlab is an acceptable way? Any suggestions are welcomed. Thanks!

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