Viscous Dampers > Stiffness Parameters

Definition or modification of the damping parameters of viscous damper elements. These elements describe the damping behavior for a linear or exponential constitutive law. The element has 6 damping constants describing the damping depending on the 3 displacement velocities and the 3 rotation velocities in and around the respective axis directions. The element has no stiffness in static analysis.

Setting	Description
From/To/Step	Element series, for which the section properties are input/modified.
Element type	Viscous Damper (VDamp): Type name of the element
Select from Catalog	This allows selection of manufactured viscous dampers from catalog. Description button opens a more detailed specification of selected damper.	By selecting the desired damper, Specific value for Cx and Alpha will be filled.	Description button opens a more detailed specification of selected damper.
Aero class / EccType	Irrelevant in this context
Cx	Damping constant for displacement difference velocity in (local) x-direction
Cy	Damping constant for displacement difference velocity in y-direction
Cz	Damping constant for displacement difference velocity in z-direction
CMx	Damping constant for the rotation difference velocity around the x-direction
CMy	Damping constant for the rotation difference velocity around the y-direction
CMz	Damping constant for the rotation difference velocity around the z-direction
Alpha	(in the element table U) Exponent for describing an exponential damping law: F = sign(v)C[abs(v)]**Alpha v = displacement or rotation velocity respectively F = force or moment in the damper C = respective damping constant Default: Alpha = 1 (linear damping law)