Learning Forum

[murali]

The Ansys help section on Transient structural analysis mentions that it is possible to generate damping force proportional to velocity through springs, by appropriately giving damping coefficient. Can someone please explain how that can be done? Thanks in advance.

[Matthew Middleton]

Damping is usually applied as viscous damping, which is always proprotional to velocity. Consider the general dynamics equation:

Ma + Cv + Kx = F

C is the coeffient matrix and v is the velocity matrix.

The velocity is computed internally. You just specify the damping coefficient on the spring:

[murali]

So unlike in the normal alpha and beta damping that we enter for analysis, this value will generate a force corresponding to the instantaneous velocity of the system, right?

[Matthew Middleton]

Yes, it is only based on the velocity of the spring node.

[murali]

Thanks a lot.