Structural Mechanics: The Rigid Connector Feature

When modeling structural mechanics in COMSOL, there are often geometric entities that are not significantly affected during a structural analysis. This occurs when rigid bodies exist as part of an elastic structure, since the flexible bodies will account for almost all the deformation. The Rigid Connector feature in COMSOL provides an alternative to modeling these rigid bodies, saving computational time and memory. In this video, we study the stress in a bracket connected to a pin, where a load is applied. The pin is simulated as a rigid connector.

The model shown in the video is an extension of the introductory bracket model, outlined in the Structural Mechanics: Static Linear Analysis video tutorial, which includes background information, and discusses the bracket_basic.mph model shown here.