Error: Time Step Bigger Than the Simulation Interval

What Happened?

Under the simulation controls, users can define the time step length per simulation time as a table assignment. This warning message points out that the time step length is bigger than the corresponding simulation interval. This error can happen in the following analysis types:

• Static (nonlinear)
• Dynamic
• Heat Transfer (Transient)
• Thermomechanical (Transient)

What Could Be the Possible Reason?

The user-defined the time step length manually, as a table assignment. The following figure shows an incorrect time step length assignment. Because the time step length is bigger than the interval between the sequential time frames:

In the example above, the time interval between time 0.2 \(s\) and time 0.5 \(s\) is 0.3 \(s\). Assignment of 0.4 \(s\) time step length will cause a simulation failure because the number of the time intervals cannot be smaller than 1.

$$Time\;interval_i=t_{i+1}-t_i$$

$$Number\;of\;time\;intervals_i=\frac{Time\;interval_{i}}{Time\;step\;length_i}$$

What Can I Do Now?

To resolve this error, you need to review your time intervals and adjust the time step length to keep the number of time intervals greater than or equal to 1.

Remember the previous example, the problem occurred because the time step length was 0.4 \(s\) while the time interval was only 0.3 \(s\). Adjusting the time step length to equal or smaller than 0.3 \(s\) (0.15 \(s\) for example) will solve this issue.