This section describes changes to elements at Release 2026 R1:
Some elements are not available from within the GUI. For a list of those elements, see GUI-Inaccessible Elements.
The following elements have been enhanced:
PLANE222, PLANE223, SOLID225, SOLID226, SOLID227 - these elements now support user-programmable features (KEYOPT(12) = 1) with structural-thermal, thermal-electric, structural-thermoelectric, and piezoelectric analyses.
INTER194 and INTER195 – In combination with a user-defined thickness (KEYOPT(7) = 1) and the thin-solid option (KEYOPT(2) = 2 or 3), a new algorithm is used for updating the user-defined thickness in geometric nonlinear analyses (NLGEOM ,ON). The new algorithm improves the non-linear solution robustness and the accuracy of element results.
SHELL229 – This current-technology shell element with coupled-field capabilities now supports structural-thermal and structural-thermoelectric analyses.
SOLID272 and SOLID273 (KEYOPT(2) = 1 and MODE) – The mono harmonic option is now supported in linear perturbation modal analyses.
Subsequent modal analyses now support the MODE command, enabling the analysis of higher-frequency modes within a linear perturbation modal analysis.
Multiple load steps with MODE number changes are now supported in subsequent modal analyses.
Expanded 3D plots of mode shapes are now supported using KEYOPT(3) = 1 and /ESHAPE,1.
SOLID272 and SOLID273 (KEYOPT(2) = 1) – The out-of-plane contact behavior is now supported using a 3D contact pair: CONTA175 and TARGE170.
SURF159 – This general axisymmetric surface element now supports the mono harmonic option of SOLID272 and SOLID273 (KEYOPT(2) = 1) using the MODE command.
SURF251 and SURF252 – These radiosity surface elements now output the view factor sum via NMISC,11. You can use the view factor sum for each surface facet to identify the dominant radiation surfaces and evaluate how they affect others.
PLANE292, PLANE293, SOLID278, SOLID279, SOLID291, SHELL294 – New element quantities (NMISC) useful for performing an energy balance at each substep are available. They provide the element quantity of each term in the energy balance equation. For each converged substep in /POST1, you can read these element quantities using the ETABLE command and sum them via the SSUM command to give the overall contributions for all elements in the model.
PLANE183, PLANE223 – These elements now support the use of generalized fatigue damage (implicit gradient regularization), which better captures the distributed nature of damage in real materials. This leads to the following key benefits: objective and reliable results, mesh insensitivity (especially when material softening or strain localization occurs), and improved convergence stability.
SOLID186, SOLID187, SOLID226, SOLID227 – These elements now support the use of generalized fatigue damage (implicit gradient regularization) when using the mixed u-P formulation (KEYOPT(11) = 1). The use of generalized damage can better capture the distributed nature of damage in real materials.
SOLID186 – This element type now supports single-value results. For more information, see Solution Output in the Element Reference.
No elements have been undocumented this release.
For information about elements that have been undocumented in prior releases, see the archived release notes for Mechanical APDL.