PRIMER 22.1

Actually Creating the Finite Element Mesh

Once you have defined all the necessary information use GENERATE to go ahead and generate the finite elements themselves.

If you are modifying an existing seatbelt definition you will be asked first whether you want to delete the existing nodes, elements, etc. You have the choice of deleting them or leaving them - it doesn't matter which - as the new definition will supersede any previous one.

However if you have chosen start labels for the new mesh that you know will overlap with the existing ones then you must delete them!

PRIMER will generate a confirmation message listing what has been created.

Here a typical mixed seatbelt and shell belt, with nodal rigid bodies connected the two element types.

And that's it: you've created a seatbelt!

Parameter to contain the total seatbelt length.

As part of the post-meshing report the length of each belt segment and also the total length are reported.

There is an option to define the name of a *PARAMETER that will have its value updated with the total belt length whenever the belt is remeshed. This works as follows:

The name of a parameter is defined in the belt fitting dimensions panel. No leading "&" should be used.
If it does not already exist this parameter will be created. If it does already exist it should be a floating point parameter, type "real".
Whenever the belt is remeshed the value of this parameter will be updated with the new total belt length. The model will then be checked for anything that uses this parameter, and if anything is found you will be shown the standard PRIMER panel that controls the update of the model following a parameter change. The effect is identical to editing the parameter manually and inserting the new length value by hand.
When the model is written out to a keyword file a *BELT_PARAMETER card will be written that contains this parameter name.

The purpose of this is to permit items that might rely on the total belt length to be updated automatically as it changes. For example a *ELEMENT_SEATBELT_SENSOR card might use the length of the belt to control trigger parameters.

Further parameters to contain the length of each belt segment.

If the option to "add _Sn parameter" for each belt segment was selected in the in the belt fitting dimensions panel then each section of the belt will have a parameter generated which contains that segment's length. This will have the name of the total length parameter above with "_S1" appended for segment 1, "_2" for segment 2, and so on.

As with the overall length parameter the intention is that these can be used to control behaviour of individual belt segments.

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