Use this list of elements sorted by application to select the best elements for your analysis. Primary applications are as follows:
Within each element category, the elements appear in order of shape function (topology). Current-technology elements take precedence.
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
Structural Solid | 3D | SOLID185 8-Node Structural Solid | |
SOLID186 20-Node Structural Solid | |||
SOLID187 10-Node Tetrahedral Structural Solid | |||
SOLID285 4-Node Tetrahedral Structural Solid with Nodal Pressures | |||
2D | PLANE182 4-Node Structural Solid | ||
PLANE183 8-Node Structural Solid | |||
PLANE25 4-Node Axisymmetric-Harmonic Structural Solid | |||
PLANE83 8-Node Axisymmetric-Harmonic Structural Solid | |||
General Axisymmetric | SOLID272 4- to 48-Node General Axisymmetric Solid | ||
SOLID273 8- to 96-Node General Axisymmetric Solid | |||
Structural Solid Shell | 3D | SOLSH190 8-Node Structural Solid Shell | |
Structural Shell | 3D | SHELL181 4-Node Structural Shell | |
SHELL281 8-Node Structural Shell | |||
2D | SHELL208 2-Node Axisymmetric Shell | ||
SHELL209 3-Node Axisymmetric Shell | |||
SHELL61 2-Node Axisymmetric-Harmonic Structural Shell | |||
Structural Layered Composite | 3D | SOLID185 8-Node Layered Solid | |
SOLID186 20-Node Layered Structural Solid | |||
SOLSH190 8-Node Solid Shell | |||
The following elements can also be used for layered applications: SHELL181, SHELL208, SHELL209, SHELL281, ELBOW290 | |||
Structural Beam | 3D | BEAM188 2-Node Structural Beam | |
BEAM189 3-Node Structural Beam | |||
Structural Pipe | 3D | PIPE288 2-Node Pipe | |
PIPE289 3-Node Pipe | |||
ELBOW290 3-Node Elbow | |||
Structural Line | 3D | LINK180 2-Node Structural Spar (or Truss) | |
LINK11 2-Node Structural Linear Actuator | |||
CABLE280 3-Node Structural Cable | |||
Structural Point | 3D | MASS21 1-Node Structural Mass | |
Structural Interface | 3D | INTER194 Interface 16-Node Gasket | |
INTER195 Interface 8-Node Gasket | |||
INTER204 Interface 16-Node Cohesive | |||
INTER205 Interface 8-Node Cohesive | |||
2D | INTER192 Interface 4-Node Gasket | ||
INTER193 Interface 6-Node Gasket | |||
INTER202 Interface 4-Node Cohesive | |||
INTER203 Interface 6-Node Cohesive | |||
Structural Multipoint Constraint | 3D | MPC184 | |
MPC184-Link/Beam | |||
MPC184-Slider | |||
MPC184-Revolute | |||
MPC184-Universal | |||
MPC184-Slot | |||
MPC184-Point | |||
MPC184Translational | |||
MPC184Cylindrical | |||
MPC184-Planar | |||
MPC184-Weld | |||
MPC184-Orient | |||
MPC184-Spherical | |||
MPC184-General | |||
MPC184-Screw | |||
MPC184-Spotweld | |||
MPC184-Genb | |||
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
Thermal Solid | 3D | SOLID278 8-Node Thermal Solid | |
SOLID279 20-Node Thermal Solid | |||
SOLID291 10-Node Tetrahedral Thermal Solid | |||
SOLID70 8-Node Thermal Solid | |||
SOLID87 10-Node Tetrahedral Thermal Solid | |||
SOLID90 20-Node Thermal Solid | |||
2D | PLANE35 6-Node Triangular Thermal Solid | ||
PLANE55 4-Node Thermal Solid | |||
PLANE75 4-Node Axisymmetric-Harmonic Thermal Solid | |||
PLANE77 8-Node Thermal Solid | |||
PLANE78 4-Node Axisymmetric-Harmonic Thermal Solid | |||
PLANE292 4-Node Thermal Solid | |||
PLANE293 8-Node Thermal Solid | |||
Thermal Layered Solid | 3D | SOLID278 8-Node Thermal Solid | |
SOLID279 20-Node Thermal Solid | |||
Thermal Shell | 3D | SHELL131 4-Node Thermal Shell | |
SHELL294 4-Node Thermal Shell | |||
SHELL132 8-Node Thermal Shell | |||
Thermal Line | 3D | LINK31 2-Node Radiation Link | |
LINK33 2-Node Thermal Conduction Bar | |||
LINK34 2-Node Convection Link | |||
Thermal Point | 3D | MASS71 1-Node Thermal Mass | |
Thermal Electric | 3D | LINK68 2-Node Coupled Thermal-Electric Line | |
SHELL157 4-Node Thermal-Electric Shell | |||
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
Acoustic Volume | 3D | FLUID30 8-Node Acoustic Fluid | |
FLUID220 20-Node Acoustic Fluid | |||
FLUID221 10-Node Acoustic Fluid | |||
2D | FLUID29 4-Node Acoustic Fluid | ||
FLUID243 4-Node Acoustic Fluid | |||
FLUID244 8-Node Acoustic Fluid | |||
Acoustic Planar | 3D | FLUID130 4- or 8-Node Infinite Acoustic | |
Acoustic Line | 2D | FLUID129 2- or 3-Node Infinite Acoustic | |
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
Diffusion Solid | 2D | PLANE238 8-Node Diffusion Solid | |
3D | SOLID239 20-Node Diffusion Solid | ||
SOLID240
10-Node Tetrahedral Diffusion Solid | |||
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
Fluid Volume | 3D | HSFLD242 9-Node Hydrostatic Fluid | |
2D | HSFLD241 4-Node Hydrostatic Fluid | ||
Fluid - Gap | 3D | FLUID38 2-Node Dynamic Fluid Coupling | |
FLUID136 4- or 8-Node Squeeze Film Fluid | |||
FLUID138 2-Node Viscous Fluid Link | |||
FLUID139 2- or 32-Node Slide Film Fluid | |||
Fluid Pipe | 3D | FLUID116 2-Node Coupled Thermal-Fluid Pipe | |
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
--- | 3D | SOLID96 8-Node Magnetic Scalar Solid | |
SOLID122 20-Node Electrostatic Solid | |||
SOLID123 10-Node Tetrahedral Electrostatic Solid | |||
SOLID231 20-Node Electric Solid | |||
SOLID232 10-Node Tetrahedral Electric Solid | |||
SOLID236 20-Node Electromagnetic Solid | |||
SOLID237 10-Node Electromagnetic Solid | |||
2D | PLANE121 8-Node Electrostatic Solid | ||
PLANE230 8-Node Electric Solid | |||
PLANE233 8-Node Electromagnetic Solid | |||
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
--- | 3D | SOURC36 3-Node Magnetic Electric Current Source | |
CIRCU124 2- to 6-Node Electric Circuit | |||
CIRCU125 2-Node Magnetic Electric Diode | |||
2D | CIRCU94 2- or 3-Node Coupled-Field Piezoelectric Circuit | ||
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
--- | 3D | SOLID225 8-Node Coupled-Field Solid | |
SOLID226 20-Node Coupled-Field Solid | |||
SOLID227 10-Node Coupled-Field Solid | |||
SOLID5 8-Node Coupled-Field Solid | |||
LINK68 2-Node-Coupled Thermal-Electric Line | |||
LINK228 2 (or 3)-Node Coupled-Field Link | |||
SOLID98 10-Node Tetrahedral Coupled-Field Solid | |||
SHELL157 4-Node Thermal-Electric Shell | |||
TRANS126 2-Node Electromechanical Transducer | |||
CPT215 8-Node Coupled Pore-Pressure-Thermal Mechanical Solid | |||
CPT216 20-Node Coupled Pore-Pressure-Thermal Mechanical Solid | |||
CPT217 10-Node Coupled Pore-Pressure-Thermal Mechanical Solid | |||
2D | PLANE222 4-Node Coupled-Field Solid | ||
PLANE223 8-Node Coupled-Field Solid | |||
PLANE13 4-Node Coupled-Field Solid | |||
CPT212 4-Node Coupled Pore-Pressure-Thermal Mechanical Solid | |||
CPT213 8-Node Coupled Pore-Pressure-Thermal Mechanical Solid | |||
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
--- | 3D | TARGE170 8-Node Contact 3D Target Segment | |
CONTA174 8-Node Surface-to-Surface Contact | |||
CONTA177 3-Node Line-to-Surface Contact | |||
CONTA178 2-Node Node-to-Node Contact | |||
2D/3D | CONTA175 1-Node Node-to-Surface Contact | ||
2D | TARGE169 3-Node Contact 2D Target Segment | ||
CONTA172 3-Node Surface-to-Surface Contact | |||
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
--- | 3D | COMBIN14 2-Node Combination Spring-Damper | |
COMBIN37 4-Node Combination Control | |||
COMBIN39 2-Node Combination Nonlinear Spring | |||
COMBIN40 2-Node Combination | |||
2D/3D | PRETS179 3-Node Pretension Combination | ||
2D | COMBI214 2-Node Combination Spring-Damper Bearing | ||
3D | COMBI250 Bushing | ||
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
--- | 3D | MATRIX27 2-Node Stiffness, Damping, or Mass Matrix | |
2D/3D | MATRIX50 Superelement (or Substructure) | ||
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
--- | 3D | INFIN47 4-Node Infinite Boundary | |
INFIN111 8- or 20-Node Infinite Solid | |||
2D | INFIN110 4- or 8-Node Infinite Solid | ||
2D / 3D | INFIN257 4- or 8-node (2D) or 8- or 20-node (3D) Structural Infinite Solid | (2D) or (3D) | |
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
--- | 3D | SURF152 4- to 10-Node Thermal Surface Effect | |
SURF154 4- to 8-Node Structural Surface Effect | |||
SURF155 2- to 4-Node Thermal Surface Effect | |||
SURF156 3- or 4-Node Structural Surface Line Load | |||
SURF159 2- to 36-Node General Axisymmetric Surface | |||
FOLLW201 1-Node Follower Load | |||
SURF252 3- or 4-Node Thermal Radiosity Surface | |||
2D | SURF151 2- or 4-Node Thermal Surface Effect | ||
SURF153 2- or 3-Node Structural Surface Effect | |||
SURF251 2-Node Radiosity Surface | |||
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
--- | 2D/3D | MESH200 2- to 20-Node Meshing Facet | |
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
--- | 3D | REINF264 2- to 20-Node Discrete Reinforcing | |
REINF265 2- to 20-Node Smeared Reinforcing | |||
2D | REINF263 2- to 8-Node Smeared Reinforcing | ||
Type | Dimension | Element | Pictorial |
--- | --- | USER300 | --- |