Guide to Coupled Electrostatic-Structural Analyses with Arpeggio

Abstract

Many applications in micromechanical systems (MEMS) involve electrostatically actuated parts. Arpeggio is a code for facilitating loose coupling between computational mechanics modules in a parallel computing environment. This document describes how to use Arpeggio for coupled elecromechanical analyses using examples commonly encountered in MEMS applications, namely the response of structures to loads imposed by electrostatic fields. For this type of analysis, Arpeggio is used to couple Adagio, a threedimensional finite element code for nonlinear, quasistatic or implicit dynamic analysis of three-dimensional structures, with BEM, a boundary integral method code for the analysis of electrostatic fields. This guide describes the methodology used for the loose coupling and the commands the user needs in an input file to perform such an analysis. All commands related to coupled analyses are described and examples are provided. 3

Coupled thermomechanical modeling using dissimilar geometries in arpeggio.

“…In parallel, the mechanical problem would also be analyzed using prescribed displacements or velocities and appropriate material models to solve for the displacements and evaluate the mechanical response. Coupling between these two physics types was often extremely limited, as for example, has been done for electrostatic interactions with structures [5]. For example, current state-of-the-art mechanical simulations typically adjust material parameters based on temperature or including adiabatic heating, but conduction, convection and radiation can not take place as the heat diffusion equation is not solved.…”