Curved Surface Elements for High-Curvature CAD Flow Simulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing lattice Boltzmann methods (LBMs) using piecewise planar surface elements to represent complex geometries with high curvature and/or high curvature surfaces fail to effectively address the challenges of accurately and efficiently simulate complex geometries with high curvature and/or smooth geometries, leading to computational noise and inefficiencies in simulations, particularly in automotive applications, such as automotive underhood simulations, particularly in automotive underhood environments, such as airfoil simulations, where high local curvatures exist.

Innovation Solution

The use of curved surface elements, such as facets, to represent complex geometries and high curvature surfaces, allowing for accurate simulation by combining multiple planar elements into one curved element, thereby reducing surface noise and computational complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If piecewise planar surface elements are used to represent complex geometries with high curvature, then the geometry can be discretized and simulated, but computational noise increases and simulation accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of discretizationVSAvoidsimulation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies curved surface elements instead of planar elements to represent high curvature geometries. This principle directly addresses the contradiction by introducing curvature into the discrete surface representation, which reduces computational noise and improves simulation accuracy while maintaining the ability to discretize complex geometries.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Manufacturing precision

If multiple small planar surface elements are used to represent high curvature surfaces, then the geometry representation is detailed, but the number of surface elements increases leading to increased computational cost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegeometry representation accuracyVSAvoidnumber of surface elements
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple small planar surface elements into fewer curved surface elements that better represent high curvature geometries. This combining approach reduces the total number of surface elements while maintaining or improving geometry representation accuracy, thereby reducing computational cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

By using curved surface elements instead of multiple small planar elements, the patent achieves better geometry representation with fewer elements. The curved elements naturally capture high curvature features, reducing the need for fine discretization and lowering the total element count.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Adaptability or versatility

If piecewise planar surface elements are used for complex geometries, then the simulation can be performed with standard voxel-based methods, but surface noise is introduced in regions with high local curvature

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompatibility with voxel-based methodsVSAvoidsurface noise
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses curved surface elements to represent high curvature geometries, which eliminates the surface noise problem inherent in planar element representations. The curved elements provide a smoother, more accurate representation that is compatible with lattice Boltzmann methods while reducing spurious oscillations and noise in high curvature regions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentEP4660869A1Computer system for simulating physical processes using surface elements with curvature
Publication Date: 2025.12.10 DASSAULT SYSTEMS AMERICAS CORP
  • EP4660869A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4660869A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4660869A1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B

AI summary

Systems and methods for digitally simulating a physical process in a three-dimensional CAD model of a simulation space include receiving a digital representation of a simulation space, the digital representation including a three-dimensional CAD model of the simulation space including a lattice structure represented as a plurality of voxels including particles, the simulation space including one or more surfaces sized and oriented independently of the voxels. A plurality of planar facets are determined to represent the one or more surfaces of the simulation space in the lattice structure. One or more curved facets are determined based on the plurality of planar facets; and a physical process is simulated by performing surface interactions between the one or more curved facets and the particles in one or more voxels adjacent the one or more curved facets.