Finite Element Mesh Customization via Displacement Shapes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Finite element analysis (FEA) models often fail to accurately represent actual components due to shape variations from nominal designs, leading to inaccurate predictions and labor-intensive re-meshing processes, which complicates comparisons between analyses.
Innovation Solution
A method to generate a customized finite element mesh by applying a combination of displacement shapes to a generic mesh, using scanned data points to align and adjust the mesh to match the actual component's shape, ensuring consistent mesh quality and density across similar components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a simple distortion is applied to the generic mesh to match the actual component shape, then the shape accuracy is improved, but the mesh quality deteriorates (increased element skewness and aspect ratios, disturbed smooth size transitions)
Solution Approach 1:
The mesh customization process is segmented into distinct stages: (1) generating a generic mesh with appropriate quality, (2) creating a library of displacement shapes, and (3) superposing selected displacement shapes to match actual component geometry. This segmentation allows each stage to optimize for its specific purpose without compromising overall mesh quality.
Solution Approach 2:
A library of displacement shapes is generated in advance through preliminary FEA analyses of the generic mesh. These pre-computed displacement modes are stored and can be rapidly superposed during customization, eliminating the need for real-time mesh regeneration while preserving mesh quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If re-meshing is performed for each actual component to achieve accurate shape representation, then the shape accuracy is improved, but the time and labor consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The generic mesh and library of displacement shapes are created in advance through preliminary action. This pre-computation allows rapid customization of individual components by simply superposing appropriate displacement shapes, eliminating the need for time-consuming re-meshing operations for each component variant.
Solution Approach 2:
The generic mesh serves as a reusable template or copy base for multiple component variants. Instead of creating new meshes from scratch for each component, the system copies the generic mesh structure and applies specific displacement shape combinations to match actual component geometries, dramatically reducing mesh generation time.
3Manufacturing precision
If each actual component is modeled with a freshly re-meshed geometry, then the shape accuracy is improved, but the ability to make valid comparisons between analyses deteriorates due to fundamental mesh differences
Solution Approach 1:
The generic mesh serves multiple functions: it provides a consistent base geometry for all component variants, enables accurate shape representation through displacement shape superposition, and ensures comparability of analyses by maintaining fundamental mesh consistency across all customizations. This universal base mesh supports all customization needs while preserving analytical comparability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of changing the fundamental mesh structure for each component, the system changes geometric parameters by superposing displacement shapes. This parameter-based customization approach maintains the underlying mesh topology and element distribution, ensuring that analyses remain comparable while accurately representing different component geometries.
4Measurement precision
If the density of elements is increased at critical locations to model essential features, then the analysis accuracy is improved, but the computer processor workload increases
Solution Approach 1:
The generic mesh incorporates locally refined elements at critical locations where high analysis accuracy is needed. The displacement shape library is constructed to preserve these local refinements while accommodating global geometric variations. This ensures that critical regions maintain high element density for accurate stress and strain analysis, while non-critical regions use coarser meshes to reduce overall computational cost.
Data Source
AI summary
Method of providing the generic finite element mesh; providing a library of displacement shapes of generic mesh, each displacement shape being applicable to the generic mesh to generate altered mesh; providing a set of scanned data points which map the surface of the actual component, each scanned data point defining the spatial position of a respective location on the surface of the actual component; superposing the scanned data points on the surface of generic mesh; projecting scanned data points onto respective proximal surface locations of generic mesh to form a set of near data points, each near data point defining the spatial position of respective location on the surface of the generic mesh; determining a combination of the displacement shapes; and applying the combination of displacement shapes to the generic mesh to generate a customized finite element mesh for the actual component.