<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Navigation:  Flexcom > Data Inputs > $DATABASE POSTPROCESSING >
*Timetrace

Purpose

To request the creation of timetrace plots.

Theory

Refer to Database Postprocessing for further information on this feature.

Keyword Overview

Blocks of lines repeated as often as necessary. Each block begins with a line defining the type of timetrace plot. This is followed by lines requesting the actual timetraces.

Timetrace – kinematic

Purpose

To request plots of the time history of the motion of nodes throughout the analysis.

Keyword Format

Block requesting kinematic timetraces. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=KINEMATIC

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Node (Number or Label), DOF, [Scale] [, PARA=Parameter] [, AXIS=Axis Name]  [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. If you specify a node label rather than a node number, it must be enclosed in {} brackets. Scale defaults to 1. Parameter can be M (for motion), D (for displacement), V (for velocity) or A (for acceleration). The latter two are appropriate only if the motion database contains these parameters. Any Axis Name you reference must be defined using *AXIS/VECTOR. The Unit entry is described in Note (c). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)In order to produce timetraces of velocity and acceleration you must have requested extended output to the analysis database. Refer to the *DATABASE CONTENT keyword for more details.

(b)Use the Start facility to exclude initial transients if required. The Start and End facilities can be used together to break up a longer timetrace in several smaller ones, to enable the finer detail of the response to be examined.

(c)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – force

Purpose

To request time histories of the variation of restoring forces in particular elements throughout the analysis.

Keyword Format

Block requesting force timetraces. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=FORCE

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Element (Number or Label), Local Node, Variable, [Scale] [, LOCATION=Location] [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Refer to Force Variable Input for further information on acceptable Variable values. Refer to Location Parameter Input for further information on the significance of the Location input. The significance of the Local Node Input used during postprocessing depends on whether element based outputs are stored on a node or integration point basis.

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. Scale defaults to 1. If you specify an element label rather than an element number, it must be enclosed in {} brackets.

Table Input

Notes

(a)Refer to Force Variable Input for further information on acceptable Variable values.

(b)Use the Start facility to exclude initial transients if required. The Start and End facilities can be used together to break up a longer timetrace into several smaller ones, to enable the finer details of the response to be examined.

(c)Refer to Location Parameter Input for further information on the significance of the Location input.

(d)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – reaction

Purpose

To request time history plots of reaction forces at nodes restrained by boundary conditions.

Keyword Format

Block requesting reaction timetraces. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=REACTION

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Node (Number or Label), DOF, [Scale] [, AXIS=Axis Name] [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. If you specify a node label rather than a node number, it must be enclosed in {} brackets. Scale defaults to 1. Any Axis Name you reference must be defined using *AXIS/VECTOR. The Unit entry is described in Note (b). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)Use the Start facility to exclude initial transients if required. The Start and End facilities can be used together to break up a longer timetrace into several smaller ones, to enable the fine detail of the response to be examined.

(b)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – Seabed reaction

Purpose

To request time history plots of reaction forces at nodes which contact the seabed.

Keyword Format

Block requesting seabed reaction timetraces. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=SEABED_REACTION

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Node (Number or Label), DOF, [Scale] [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. If you specify a node label rather than a node number, it must be enclosed in {} brackets. Scale defaults to 1. The Unit entry is described in Note (b). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)Use the Start facility to exclude initial transients if required. The Start and End facilities can be used together to break up a longer timetrace into several smaller ones, to enable the fine detail of the response to be examined.

(b)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – wave elevation

Purpose

To request a plot of the time history of wave elevation (at Y = Z = 0).

Keyword Format

Block requesting a timetrace of water surface elevation. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=ELEVATION

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Scale [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. The Unit entry is described in Note (a). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – time step

Purpose

To request a plot of the time history of time step size in a variable step analysis.

Keyword Format

Block requesting a timetrace of analysis time-step. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=TIME-STEP

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Scale [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. The Unit entry is described in Note (a). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – Element-Element Angles

Purpose

To request a plot of the time history of the angle between two elements.

Keyword Format

Block requesting timetraces of the angle between two elements. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=ELEMENT_ELEMENT_ANGLE

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Element 1 (Number or Label), Element 2 (Number or Label), [Scale] [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. Scale defaults to 1. The Unit entry is described in Note (c). Figure Title defaults to blank. If you specify an element label rather than an element number, it must be enclosed in {} brackets. Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)Refer to Angle between Two Elements for a detailed discussion of this facility and of the significance of the inputs.

(b)One (or indeed both) of the elements you specify can be an auxiliary element.

(c)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – Element-Vector Angles

Purpose

To request a plot of the time history of the angle between an element and a vector in their respective instantaneous locations.

Keyword Format

Block requesting timetraces of the angle between an element and a vector. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=ELEMENT_VECTOR_ANGLE

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Element (Number or Label), [Scale], VECTOR=Vector Name [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. Any Vector Name you reference must be defined using *AXIS/VECTOR. Scale defaults to 1. The Unit entry is described in Note (d). Figure Title defaults to blank. If you specify an element label rather than an element number, it must be enclosed in {} brackets. Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)Refer to Angle between an Element and a Vector for a detailed discussion of this facility and of the significance of the inputs.

(b)You must specify the location and initial orientation of each vector referenced using the Vectors table.

(c)The element you specify can be an auxiliary element.

(d)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – Element-Axis Angles

Purpose

To request a plot of the time history of the angle between an element and an axis system in their respective instantaneous locations.

Keyword Format

Block requesting timetraces of the angle between an element and an axis system. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=ELEMENT_AXIS_ANGLE

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Element (Number or Label), [Scale] [, AXIS=Axis Name] [, ANG=Angle Type] [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. If you specify an element label rather than an element number, it must be enclosed in {} brackets. Any Axis Name you reference must be defined using *AXIS/VECTOR. Angle Type may be AC (actual), XY (projected-XY), YZ (projected-YZ) or XZ (projected-XZ). Scale defaults to 1. The Unit entry is described in Note (c). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)Refer to Angle between an Element and an Axis System for a detailed discussion of this facility and of the significance of the inputs.

(b)If you request a timetrace of angle relative to a local axis system, then you must specify the location and initial orientation of the local axes using the Axis Systems table.

(c)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – Vector-Vector Angles

Purpose

To request a plot of the time history of the angle between two vectors in their respective instantaneous locations.

Keyword Format

Block requesting timetraces of the angle between two vectors. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=VECTOR_VECTOR_ANGLE

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

VECTOR1=Vector Name 1, VECTOR2=Vector Name 2, [Scale] [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. Any Vector Name you reference must be defined using *AXIS/VECTOR. Scale defaults to 1. The Unit entry is described in Note (c). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)Refer to Angle between a Vector and a Vector for a detailed discussion of this facility and of the significance of the inputs.

(b)You must specify the location and initial orientation of each vector referenced using the Vectors table.

(c)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – Guide Surface Reaction

Purpose

To request plots of the time history of the contact reaction at a flat guide surface throughout the analysis.

Keyword Format

Block requesting timetraces of the reaction at a flat guide surface. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=CONTACT

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Flat Guide Name, Contact DOF, [Scale] [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. Scale defaults to 1. Figure Title defaults to blank. Contact DOF can be 1, 2 or 3, for reactions in the global X, Y and Z directions, or 4, for the reaction magnitude. The Unit entry is described in Note (a). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – Zero-Gap Guide Reaction

Purpose

To request plots of the time history of the contact reaction at a zero-gap guide throughout the analysis.

Keyword Format

Block requesting timetraces of the reaction at a zero-gap guide. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=GUIDE

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Zero-Gap Guide No., Contact DOF, [Scale] [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. Scale defaults to 1. Contact DOF can be 1, 2 or 3, for reactions in the global X, Y and Z directions, or 4, for the reaction magnitude. The Unit entry is described in Note (a). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – Pipe-In-Pipe Reaction

Purpose

To request plots of the time history of the contact reaction at a pipe-in-pipe connection throughout the analysis.

Keyword Format

Block requesting timetraces of the reaction at a pipe-in-pipe connection. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=PIP

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Pipe-In-Pipe Connection No., PIP DOF, [Scale] [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. Scale defaults to 1. Figure Title defaults to blank. PIP DOF can be 2 or 3, for reactions in the normal or transverse directions, or 4, for the reaction magnitude. The Unit entry is described in Note (c). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)Pipe-in-pipe connections may be defined in several ways. Connections may be created directly between individual nodes, or generated between groups of nodes, and there are both “standard” and “sliding” connection types. In order to identify the pipe-in-pipe connection for which the reaction timetrace is required, you can check the connection number by examining the ‘Pipe-in-Pipe Connections Data’ section of the output (.out) file.

(b)As described in Standard Connections, a pipe-in-pipe connection can be considered to act like a spring between the connected nodes, with the direction of the spring acting normal to the outer pipe. In actual fact, an equivalent “spring” is also introduced at 90° to the normal direction, mainly to aid solution robustness. Another good reason for the inclusion of a second spring is that for concentric pipe sections, it is difficult to distinguish between the normal and transverse directions initially, until some relative motion occurs. A DOF input of 2 or 3 corresponds to these normal and transverse directions, respectively.

(c)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – Kinetic Energy

Purpose

To request a plot of the time history of total kinetic energy.

Keyword Format

Block requesting a timetrace of kinetic energy. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=ENERGY

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Scale [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. The Unit entry is described in Note (a). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – Clashing Reaction

Purpose

To request plots of the time history of various parameters relating to clashing analyses.

Keyword Format

Block requesting timetraces of parameters related to clashing analyses. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=CLASH

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Region No., Clashing Parameter, [Scale] [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. Scale defaults to 1. Figure Title defaults to blank. Clashing Parameter can be 1, 2 or 3, for minimum clearance, reaction force or clashing impulse, respectively. The Unit entry is described in Note (b). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)There are three options for specifying the parameter for which the clearance is required as follows.

•Minimum Clearance – the minimum clearance between element sets for a clashing region. A clearance value of zero or less indicates that contact has occurred. A value of less than zero indicates that some degree of relative penetration has occurred between the lines.

•Reaction Force – the total reaction force for a clashing region. If there is more than one clashing location, the various reaction magnitudes are simply summed together. The reaction at any particular location is based on the contact stiffness times the relative penetration of the lines, plus any damping contribution (proportional to the relative velocity of approaching lines).

•Clashing Impulse – the integral of the reaction force with respect to time.

(b)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – Length

Purpose

To request a plot of the time history of total set length. This is particularly useful for monitoring the length of winch sets.

Keyword Format

Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=LENGTH [, SET=Set Name]

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

Scale [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Set Name defaults to all elements (set ALL). Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. The Unit entry is described in Note (a). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

Timetrace – DISTANCE

Purpose

To request a plot of the time history of distance between two nodes. This is particularly useful for monitoring clearance between two points.

Keyword Format

Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=DISTANCE

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

First Node (Number or Label), Second Node (Number or Label), Scale [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively. First Node and Second Node are the node numbers (or labels) of the two nodes between which a timetrace of distance is required. The Unit entry is described in Note (a). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

 

Timetrace – aerodyn

Purpose

To request plots of AeroDyn output where a Flexcom wind turbine analysis has been run in conjunction with the AeroDyn module.

Keyword Format

Block requesting timetraces of AeroDyn output channels. Lines 2-3 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=AERODYN

OUTPUT=AeroDyn Output Channel, [Scale] [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

The AeroDyn Output Channel must already be defined in the AeroDyn input file via the *OUTPUTS keyword. Scale defaults to 1. The Unit entry is described in Note (b). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

a)The output channel must already be defined in the AeroDyn input file, requested via the *OUTPUTS keyword. A full list of the AeroDyn output channels are presented in AeroDyn Output Parameters.

b)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

 

Timetrace – SerVodyn

Purpose

To request plots of ServoDyn output where a Flexcom wind turbine analysis has been run using the ServoDyn module to control the turbine.

Keyword Format

Block requesting timetraces of ServoDyn output channels. Lines 2-3 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=SERVODYN

OUTPUT=ServoDyn Output Channel, [Scale] [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

The ServoDyn Output Channel must already be defined in the ServoDyn input file referenced under *SERVODYN. Scale defaults to 1. The Unit entry is described in Note (b). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

a)The output channel must already be defined in the ServoDyn input file referenced under *SERVODYN. A full list of the ServoDyn output channels are presented in ServoDyn Output Parameters.

b)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

 

Timetrace – INFLOWWIND

Purpose

To request plots of InflowWind output where a Flexcom wind turbine analysis has been run using the InflowWind module to provide the wind loading on the turbine.

Keyword Format

Block requesting timetraces of InflowWind output channels. Lines 2-3 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=INFLOWWIND

OUTPUT=InflowWind Output Channel, [Scale] [, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

The InflowWind Output Channel must already be defined in the InflowWind data input file which is referred to via the *INFLOWWIND, INPUT FILE= specification. Scale defaults to 1. The Unit entry is described in Note (b). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

a)The output channel must already be defined in the InflowWind input file. A full list of the InflowWind output channels are presented in InflowWind Output Parameters.

b)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

 

Timetrace – VESSEL

Purpose

To request plots of the time history of vessel motions throughout the analysis.

Keyword Format

Block requesting vessel timetraces. Lines 2-4 can be repeated and mixed as often as necessary.

TYPE=VESSEL, VESSEL=Vessel Name [, AXIS=Axis Type] [, LOCATION=X,Y,Z]

[START=Start Time] [, END=End Time]

DOF, [Scale] [, PARA=Parameter][, UNITS=Unit]

[TITLE=Figure Title], [ID=Unique Plot ID]

The Vessel Name specified here must be defined using *VESSEL INTEGRATED. Axis Type is optional and can be LOCAL (the default) or GLOBAL. An optional location may be defined in the Local Vessel Axis System and relative to the vessel reference point. The location X,Y and Z all default to zero if unspecified. Optional Start Time and End Time default to the analysis start and end times, respectively - see Note (a). DOF is a number between 1 and 6 - see Note (b). Scale defaults to 1. Parameter can be M (for motion, the default), V (for velocity) or A (for acceleration). The latter two are appropriate only if the motion database contains these parameters. The Unit entry is described in Note (d). Figure Title defaults to blank. Unique Plot ID can be numbers or text to uniquely identify a plot for a later variable-variable timetrace, if necessary.

Table Input

Notes

(a)Use the Start facility to exclude initial transients if required. The Start and End facilities can be used together to break up a longer timetrace in several smaller ones, to enable the finer detail of the response to be examined.

(b)If Axis Type is Local then a degree of freedom value of 1 represents the vessel heave; 2 the surge, 3 the sway, 4 the yaw, 5 the roll and 6 the pitch relative to the Local Vessel Axis System. The convention of  successive yaw, roll and pitch is defined so that the yaw is first applied about the local vessel X-axis, next the roll is applied about the yawed y-axis, and finally the pitch is applied about the yawed and rolled z-axis. If Axis Type is Global then a value of 1 represents the global X-direction; 2 the global Y-direction; 3 the global Z-direction; and values 4, 5 and 6 represent the Euler angles that orient the vessel relative to the Global axis system applied in the same order as for the Local Axis Type.

(c)In order to produce timetraces of vessel velocity and acceleration you must have requested extended output to the analysis database. Refer to the *DATABASE CONTENT keyword for more details.

(d)The units entry explicitly specifies what units are to be assigned to the vertical axis of the plot. This entry is optional, and if omitted, Flexcom simply assigns suitable units depending on the base units for the particular output type. If you do explicitly specify a unit, then it must be consistent with the dimension of the output type. For example, force can be specified in Newtons, Kips etc. The program is quite flexible in terms of accepting unit descriptions – e.g. Newtons, Newton, N etc. are all equally valid. For a list of the units accepted by Flexcom, refer to Units Reference Guide.

 

Timetrace – Variable-Variable

Purpose

To request plots of the variation of one variable against another. The independent variable on a timetrace plot is time. The dependent variable from two previously defined timetrace plots are plotted on the horizontal and vertical axes of a new plot. The source timetrace plots must be requested elsewhere under *TIMETRACE and have unique IDs.

Keyword Format

Block requesting a variable-variable timetrace. Lines 2-4 can be repeated as often as necessary.

TYPE=VARIABLE-VARIABLE

HORIZONTAL=Plot ID

VERTICAL=Plot ID

[TITLE=Figure Title]

Plot ID must be the ID of another plot requested under *TIMETRACE, see Note (a). Figure Title defaults to blank.

Table Input

Notes

(a)A unique ID can be optionally specified for each timetrace plot requested under *TIMETRACE and these are required here to identify which variables should be on the horizontal and vertical axes of the new variable-variable plot. Each of the referenced timetrace plots must have matching start and end times or a composite plot cannot be created.