Overview

Use the Tables feature to create multi-variable tables of numeric data. Tables can be used to specify pressure, temperature, convection, and thermal condition loads in analyses that use the Mechanical APDL solver.

The variables in tables represent physical quantities (such as pressure or temperature) whose values depend on measurable quantities such as spatial coordinates, temperature, or time. Variables are represented by columns of data in a table. Their values are entered in the rows of the table. During an analysis, the solver loads the table that is assigned to a boundary condition and uses its values to compute a solution. Table assignments can also be parameterized to explore different design options.

Table data can be created in third-party software such as logging packages, spreadsheets, or mathematical analysis packages, then imported into the Mechanical application. You can also manually enter table data. Once a table is defined, the application presents your data in table-array format and plots it in a graph. You can optionally refresh a table from its source file before generating a solution.

Mechanical APDL Notes

Tables are a special type of numeric array that enables the Mechanical APDL solver to calculate (through linear interpolation) the values between the entries in your table The solver applies these interpolated values across the selected geometry when it computes the solution. See the discussion in Array Parameters.