Abaqus-Dymola co-simulation

One of the most common aims for the Abaqus-Dymola co-simulation is to build a control system in Dymola that controls a plant simulated in Abaqus, as illustrated in the schematic below.

The controller can be developed either with a Dymola model or a user-subroutine. In many cases it is easier and faster to develop the controller using the Dymola graphical user interface rather than coding a VUAMP subroutine.

An example of this type of co-simulation is the Automotive Anti-lock Braking System (ABS):

                      Aim: maximize braking torque while maintain a rolling tire

                      Sensors: angular rotation/velocity of the tire spindle.

                      Actuators: breaking torque.

                      Controls: logic in Dymola

                      Physics: Abaqus models include tire, water and road

In Dymola it is possible to model electronics, hydraulics, pneumatic and much more.

An example is this backhoe:

                       Aim: simulate a Backhoe digging automation

                       Sensors: Arm angles.

                       Actuators: Loads.

                       Controls: logic in Dymola

                       Physiscs:
                                           - Deformable mechanical components and Soil model in Abaqus
                                           - Hydraulic circuit and Load sensing circuit in Dymola

 DEMO

In the video below I will demonstrate how to create an Abaqus-Dymola co-simulation using a very simple example: a 3D solid cantilever with one fixed end and a pressure applied on the other end.

The goal of the simulation is to determine the pressure load required to achieve a target displacement history for the center point of the free end of the beam.

The steps we are going to follow are:

         1- Define sensors and actuators in Abaqus
                     For the sensor I will use the displacement of a central node on the beam’s free end
                     The actuator is the amplitude of the pressure

         2- Create a Dymola file with the control system

         3- Match the two files
                     During this operation you select the Dymola file that will be used for the co-simulation.  If you used identical names for
                     equivalent sensors and actuators in Abaqus and Dymola, these will be automatically paired. If you used different sensors
                     and actuators names in the two programs, then you will be prompted to pair Abaqus sensor and actuator names with the
                     Dymola sensor and actuator names. 

         4- Set and run the co-simulation

Note: this video was developed to show how to use the Abaqus/CAE plug-in. I highly reccomend anybody who wants to start using the co-simulation to read the user's manuals available as SIMULIA Answers.

3617: User's and Installation Guides for Logical-Physial Modeling Using Abaqus and Dymola SOSS Knowledge Base
SOSS Knowledge Base

3618: Abaqus/CAE Plug-in for Logical-Physical Modeling with DymolaSOSS Knowledge Base
SOSS Knowledge Base

As written there, remember that to run this co-simulation it is necessary to have the libdsdll.dll file in the working directory.

The results of the simulation set up in the video are the followings:

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