Microstructure Analysis Using Virtual Curved Surface Solids

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing microstructure analysis methods using virtual spheres are insufficient in precision for evaluating pressure drop and collection performance, particularly when using porous members as filters.

Innovation Solution

A microstructure analysis method employing virtual curved surface solids formed by combining parent and child virtual spheres to simulate complex pore shapes within porous bodies, allowing for more precise analysis by correlating position and type information from 3D scans.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If virtual spheres are used to simulate pores in porous bodies, then the analysis method is simple and easy to implement, but the precision of microstructure analysis is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of implementationVSAvoidprecision of microstructure analysis
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces simple spherical models with curved surface solids that better represent the actual complex geometry of pores. By using surfaces defined by mathematical functions (such as z = f(x,y)) instead of perfect spheres, the model captures the irregular shapes of real pores while maintaining computational feasibility. This resolves the contradiction by improving geometric accuracy without abandoning the mathematical modeling approach entirely.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces additional parameters to describe the curved surface solids, including surface curvature, local radius of curvature, and deviation from spherical geometry. These parameters allow the model to adapt to varying pore shapes while maintaining a systematic analysis framework. By changing the descriptive parameters from simple radius to multiple geometric parameters, the precision improves while the method remains implementable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If virtual curved surface solids combining parent and child spheres are used to simulate complex pore shapes, then the precision of pressure drop and collection performance evaluation is improved, but the device complexity and calculation load increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of pressure drop evaluationVSAvoidcomplexity of analysis system
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides complex curved surface solids into parent spheres and child spheres, where each child sphere represents a local region of the curved surface. This segmentation allows the complex geometry to be built from simpler spherical components, improving precision for pressure drop calculations while keeping each individual component relatively simple to compute. The hierarchical structure manages complexity by breaking it into manageable parts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a nested structure where child virtual spheres are positioned within and overlap with the parent virtual sphere. The child spheres are contained within the boundary defined by the parent sphere, creating a hierarchical nesting arrangement. This nesting approach allows complex curved surface geometry to be constructed from simpler spherical elements, improving geometric accuracy while maintaining computational efficiency through the hierarchical organization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Measurement precision

If multiple child virtual spheres are placed to fill space pixels with curved surface solid pixels, then the accuracy of pore space simulation is improved, but the processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of pore space simulationVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses child virtual spheres that partially overlap with the parent virtual sphere's space pixels. Rather than requiring complete non-overlapping coverage, the method allows some redundancy in the space pixel filling process. This partial action approach achieves sufficient accuracy for pore space simulation while reducing the total number of calculations needed compared to requiring complete, non-redundant coverage of all space pixels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2669667B1Microstructure analysis method, program for same, and microstructure analysis device
Publication Date: 2017.06.28 NGK INSULATORS LTD
  • EP2669667B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2669667B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2669667B1 patent drawingFigure 4(a)~4(b)

AI summary

Porous body data 60 in which position information and type information are correlated is reference to take a curved surface solid including a parent virtual sphere and child virtual spheres as a virtual curved surface solid, and place multiple virtual curved surface solids so as to fill in space pixels with curved surface solid pixels occupied by virtual curved surface solids (steps S230 through S320). Repeating this process, by placing multiple virtual curved surface solids within space in a porous body, the microstructure of the porous body is analyzed precisely. As for analysis, deriving of in-plane uniformity index γx, spatial uniformity index γ, pressure drop P, flow-through velocity T, and equivalent diameter d for example, and acceptability determination based on derived values thereof, is performed.