Collaborative Finite Element Analysis Concurrent Editing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current finite analysis systems are inefficient due to their serial nature, which leads to slow optimization cycles and significant delays in complex projects like automobiles and aircraft, resulting in increased development costs and lost opportunities, as they typically require single-user control to prevent uncoordinated pre-processing changes.
Innovation Solution
A collaborative finite analysis method that allows multiple users to concurrently edit and analyze geometries by assigning specific workspaces and tasks, enabling simultaneous pre-analysis editing, meshing, and defining loads and boundary conditions while ensuring users only modify their assigned regions and adhering to engineering constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If single-user control is assigned to prevent uncoordinated pre-processing changes, then reliability of analysis results is improved, but productivity is worsened due to slow and cumbersome optimization cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the design space model into multiple independent regions or domains, each assigned to a specific user for pre-processing. This segmentation allows multiple users to work concurrently on different portions of the model without interfering with each other, thereby maintaining reliability while improving productivity through parallel processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that coordinates and manages pre-processing operations across multiple users. The server facilitates concurrent access, manages region assignments, and ensures that changes made by different users are integrated without conflicts, thus enabling both reliability and high productivity.
2Productivity
If multiple users are allowed to work concurrently on the same model, then productivity is improved through parallel processing, but reliability is worsened due to potential uncoordinated changes
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the model into distinct regions assigned to different users, the system enables concurrent work while preventing uncoordinated changes to the same areas. Each user operates independently within their assigned region, maintaining model integrity while achieving parallel processing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different users to have different levels of access and editing permissions in different regions of the model. This ensures that each user can perform necessary pre-processing operations in their assigned area while the overall model maintains consistency and reliability through the coordinated structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for collaborative finite analysis may include obtaining an electronic model of an engineering object, assigning users one or more geometries for pre-analysis editing to provide assigned geometries for each user, and enabling each user to conduct pre-analysis editing of their assigned geometries concurrent with other users. The method may also include conducting finite analysis on the assigned geometries of a first user concurrent with conducting finite analysis on the assigned geometries of a second user. Examples of pre-analysis editing include removing features that are secondary to analysis, applying a material definition to a geometry, pre-meshing a geometry, initiating automated meshing of a geometry, validating automated meshing of a geometry, editing a mesh for a geometry, manually meshing a geometry, defining one or more loads associated with a geometry, and defining one or more boundary conditions for a geometry. A corresponding system and apparatus are also disclosed herein.