Commercial Finite Element Solver Research Articles

Anatomically and mechanically conforming patient-specific spinal fusion cages designed by full-scale topology optimization

Cage subsidence after instrumented lumbar spinal fusion surgery remains a significant cause of treatment failure, specifically for posterior or transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. Recent advancements in computational techniques and additive manufacturing, have enabled the development of patient-specific implants and implant optimization to specific functional targets. This study aimed to introduce a novel full-scale topology optimization formulation that takes the structural response of the adjacent bone structures into account in the optimization process. The formulation includes maximum and minimum principal strain constraints that lower strain concentrations in the adjacent vertebrae. This optimization approach resulted in anatomically and mechanically conforming spinal fusion cages. Subsidence risk was quantified in a commercial finite element solver for off-the-shelf, anatomically conforming and the optimized cages, in two representative patients. We demonstrated that the anatomically and mechanically conforming cages reduced subsidence risk by 91% compared to an off-the-shelf implant with the same footprint for a patient with normal bone quality and 54% for a patient with osteopenia. Prototypes of the optimized cage were additively manufactured and mechanically tested to evaluate the manufacturability and integrity of the design and to validate the finite element model.

Automated design and optimization of distributed filter circuits using reinforcement learning

Abstract Designing distributed filter circuits (DFCs) is complex and time-consuming, involving setting and optimizing multiple hyperparameters. Traditional optimization methods, such as using the commercial finite element solver HFSS (High-Frequency Structure Simulator) to enumerate all parameter combinations with fixed steps and then simulate each combination, are not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also rely heavily on the expertise and experience of electronics engineers, making it difficult to adapt to rapidly changing design requirements. Additionally, these commercial tools struggle with precise adjustments when parameters are sensitive to numerical changes, resulting in limited optimization effectiveness. This study proposes a novel end-to-end automated method for DFC design. The proposed method harnesses reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms, eliminating the dependence on the design experience of engineers. Thus, it significantly reduces the subjectivity and constraints associated with circuit design. The experimental findings demonstrate clear improvements in design efficiency and quality when comparing the proposed method with traditional engineer-driven methods. Furthermore, the proposed method achieves superior performance when designing complex or rapidly evolving DFCs, highlighting the substantial potential of RL in circuit design automation. In particular, compared to the existing DFC automation design method CircuitGNN, our method achieves an average performance improvement of 8.72%. Additionally, the execution efficiency of our method is 2000 times higher than CircuitGNN on the CPU and 241 times higher on the GPU.

Performance optimization and testing of a novel energy coupled actuated high-speed valve based on peak-and-hold driving strategy

High-speed on/off valve acts as critical enabling component of digital hydraulics, which has been challenging the traditional hydraulic system by providing efficient and effective hydraulic control solutions. The high-speed on/off valve that ideally fits the digital hydraulic system is expected to achieve fast response and long stroke with affordable energy consumption. This not only requires developing advanced actuation mechanism but also demands extensive study on the driving strategy. This study focuses on investigating the Peak-and-hold driving strategy applied to a novel high speed on/off valve-energy coupling actuated valve (ECAV), in order to achieve target performance with optimized energy consumptions. This work has developed an electro-mechanical coupled physics model based on commercial finite element solver COMSOL. This model helps to investigate the performance of ECAV under different peak-and-hold driving parameters and thereby recommend the optimal peak-and-hold driving strategy. Then, the experimental testing on the prototype ECAV has been conducted to validate the simulated performances. The measurement results showed that the prototype ECA using the optimal peak & hold solution demonstrated significant advantage in energy saving targeting at response of 10 ms for 1.5 mm stroke, especially compared to a typical step input signal.

Assessment of phenomenological models for Indentation Size Effect (ISE) through physically based dislocation density evolution

The depth dependent hardness, referred to as indentation size effect (ISE) has gained considerable attention. ISE is attributed to the strain gradient caused by the inhomogeneous strain distribution beneath the indenter tip. The depth dependence of hardness is phenomenologically accounted using an appropriate length scale parameter. The Unified model is one such model that is built on Nix–Gao’s model and focuses on integrating various length scale parameters resulting from both microstructural and geometrical effects. One aspect of the current work is to assess the applicability of the Unified model to a material like bulk Nickel with a history of cold work. Also, the physics of ISE in metals can be related to the dislocation mean free path influenced by strengthening mechanisms. Past attempts are scarce to quantify the ISE through the microstructure variables. In the present work, an attempt has been made to simulate the nanoindentation test using a dislocation density based constitutive model. The objective of this study is to establish a correlation between the equivalent plastic strain resulting from deep depth indentation (which does not exhibit a size effect) and an equivalent dislocation density. The dislocation density here serves as a state variable that describes the microstructure-dependent mechanical behaviour. The modified KME, a dislocation density-based model, is incorporated as a user subroutine in a commercial finite element solver. It has been proven to accurately predict the indentation behaviour at substantially large depths, which aligns well with the predictions of the Unified model or experimental observations. The good correlation between the value of effective dislocation density and equivalent plastic strain in the plastic zone underneath the indenter assures to extend the use of dislocation density as a state variable to predict ISE.

Method of exact solutions code verification of a superelastic constitutive model in a commercial finite element solver

The superelastic constitutive model implemented in the commercial finite element code ABAQUS is verified using the method of exact solutions (MES). An analytical solution for uniaxial strain is first developed under monotonic loading. Numerical simulations are then performed, and simulation predictions are compared to the exact analytical solutions. Results reveal the superelasticity model agrees with the analytical solution to within one ten-thousandth of a percent (0.0001%) or less for stress and strain quantities of interest when using displacement-driven boundary conditions. Full derivation of the analytical solution is provided in an Appendix, and simulation input files and post-processing scripts are provided as supplemental material.

Fabrication and characterization of delay lines with spoof surface plasmon polariton waveguide coupled with C-shaped metamaterials for microwave integrated circuits

Abstract Here, we proposed two delay lines consisting of spoof Surface Plasmon Polariton (sSPP) waveguides and C-shaped metamaterials (C-MMs). The delay lines, namely OFF and ON devices, were designed and fabricated. On the OFF device, an sSPP waveguide is capacitively coupled to the C-MMs via an air gap on a high-resistivity silicon substrate. On the ON device, a connection is established between the C-MMs and the sSPP waveguide by metal connectors. The difference in the electrical properties in the coupling between the C-MMs and the sSPP waveguide creates a large phase contrast between the ON and OFF delay lines. The structural design was performed using a numerical calculation based on a commercial finite element solver. We successfully fabricated and characterized delay lines with phase differences equal to tens of degrees between the ON and OFF devices in the target frequency range of 2-6 GHz, while maintaining the original transmittance properties. The promising applications of the delay lines are a phase shifter or modulator when integrating with suitable switches.

Modeling brittle crack propagation for varying critical load levels: a dynamic phase-field approach

AbstractBrittle materials are known for their violent and unpredictable cracking behavior. A behavior which is dictated by a combination of microscopical material defects and the competition between the potential energy of the system and the surface energy of the material. In this study, we present the implementation of a dynamic fracture phase-field model with a new crack driving force into a commercial finite element (FE) solver and examine its behavior using three different tension-compression splits. After validating the implementation, we use the model to investigate its predictive capacity on quasi-statically loaded L-shaped soda-lime glass specimens with varying critical load levels. The dynamic fracture phase-field model predicted similar crack propagation to what was found in the literature for quasi-static and dynamic validation cases. By varying the critical load level for the L-shaped soda-lime glass specimens using the new crack driving force, the model predicted a positive correlation between the initial crack propagation speed and the critical load level, similar to what was seen in the experiments. However, the predicted crack propagation speed decreased quicker than the experimental crack propagation speed. The tension-compression splits had an impact on the predicted crack propagation paths. Overall, the proposed crack driving force used in the dynamic fracture phase-field model seems to capture the relation between critical load and initial crack propagation speed and thus enables crack predictions for specimens of varying strength.

Numerical and experimental fatigue strength evaluation of thin-walled aluminum components for aerospace application manufactured by roll forming

The design of structural components for use in commercial aircraft places high demands on the safety under static and cyclic loading conditions during the total operating time. With immerging innovative developments in the production of thin-walled sheet metal components, savings in energy consumption and material are achievable by switching from metal-cutting production to forming operations. As the forming process has an impact the local material properties due to resulting residual stress state, cold working and surface finish, the fatigue life estimation requires the consideration of the forming history.The structural component under consideration from aluminum alloy EN AW-7475 T761 is manufactured by automated, robot-assisted roll forming. Potentially existing residual stresses are determined via process simulation of the angled profile utilizing commercial finite element solver LS-Dyna®. The fatigue life assessment is carried out using the Local Strain Approach for different loading conditions.

Development and Validation of a Segregated Conjugate Heat Transfer Procedure on a sCO2 Dry Gas Seal Test Bench

Abstract Carbondioxide at supercritical state shows particularly favorable thermodynamic properties for closed-loop Brayton and Rankine cycles. High density, close to a liquid, and low viscosity, close to a gas, drive to achieve higher energy conversion efficiency with smaller size turbines and components. Since minimizing the sCO2 leakage flows drives to a further increasing of overall efficiency, dry gas seals (DGS) are considered as a key enabling technology for achieving this purpose and for achieving a carbon footprint in line with the increasingly stringent targets. DGSs are gas-lubricated, mechanical, noncontacting, end-face seals, consisting of a mating (rotating) ring and a primary (stationary) ring. The operating equilibrium clearance of the seal is determined by the balance of opening dynamic forces, mainly depending on angular velocity and grooves shape, and closing forces caused by pressure gradients and spring force. Due to high rotational speeds, typical small size sealing gaps (order of magnitude of Micron), high fluid pressure and density, the heat generated by friction through the seal has a large impact on the temperature distribution, therefore a thermal design is needed to stay below the seal allowable temperature; this requirement has been even amplified in the last years with the DGS application to hot turbomachinery. Nowadays, numerical conjugate heat transfer (CHT) analysis is a good industrial practice to quantify the thermal distribution in turbomachinery components. On the other hand, due to different order of magnitude of secondary flows cavity sizes and DGS seal gaps, simulating the whole fluid domain with three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamic (CFD) calculation could drive to prohibitive computational costs. In this regard, this paper presents a fast numerical iterative procedure based on a commercial one-dimensional flow network modeler (altair flow simulator), with real gas effects included, coupled with a commercial finite element solver (ansys mechanical). Additional 3D CFD simulations are carried out to enhance the predictability of the fluid solver in specific critical areas. The proposed procedure is applied and validated in a DGS specific test bench designed, owned and operated by Flowserve. The validation dataset has been generated operating the DGS in the test bench at 15 different conditions in terms of angular velocity and housing temperature with sCO2 as working fluid aligned with those expected on the unit. Test rig consists of a rotor and housing where the turbomachine operating condition (pressure, speed, temperature and sealing fluid) are mirrored to verify the seal performance. The rig is equipped with test seal and a plug seal mounted in a back-to-back configuration. Data set used for this comparison is composed by thermocouples on the statoric rings, retainers and housing of each seal, operating at five different angular speeds and three minimum levels of housing temperature (100 °C, 210 °C, and 250 °C). These temperatures are designed to mirror turbomachinery conditions around the seal, and, if friction heat is not enough to guarantee them, a series of 18x1 kW heating elements circumferentially distributed in the test bench housing, are activated. The nominal operating condition has been considered as the starting point of the model predictions and, there, several sensitivity analyses have been carried out to align the model to test bench measurements; then, the selected configuration has been frozen and used to assess the model performance on other operating conditions. The numerical results have shown a good agreement with experimental data at each operating condition in terms of punctual temperatures previously described and with extremely low computational times.

Modal analysis of a lattice type metamaterial by modeling cell structures using Euler–Bernoulli beams

Metamaterials have superior properties compared to materials found in nature and allow the tailoring of static and dynamic characteristics of the cell structures. In this study, the vibration characteristics of the sandwich plate systems composed of lattice beam structures are investigated and their behavior under various loading conditions is determined. In this context, a matrix-based solution method is developed to calculate the natural frequencies of the structure by assuming lattice elements as individual Euler–Bernoulli beams. The same structures are also analyzed with a commercial finite-element solver (ANSYS) to compare the results. In order to verify the results and determine the applicability of the proposed approach, an experimental study is conducted. Unit cell structures are additively manufactured with Stereolithography (SLA) and experimental modal analysis is performed using impact testing. Also, the amount of deflections on the structures under various loading conditions is determined experimentally by performing three-point bending tests on the plates. It has been concluded that approximate vibration characteristics of lattice-type metamaterial structures with various unit cell geometries can be determined in a short time by utilizing the matrix-based method without the need for any commercial software or performing complex experiments.

Experimental characterization of artificial turf infill mixtures and implementation in smoothed particle hydrodynamics numerical model

Quantifying the response of infill used to construct contemporary artificial turf is critical to the development of computational models and providing insights to reduce sports injury associated with artificial turf. In the current study, confined compression and direct shear tests were performed on typical infill materials (sand, SBR and two mixtures (33%: 67%) by-weight). The experimental tests exhibited a progression from high strength and stiffness (sand) to low strength and stiffness (SBR) with the mixtures having intermediate values. Increasing particle size, particularly sand, tended to increase the resistance of the infill to deformation. The experimental results were implemented into a soil constitutive material model and the experimental tests were simulated using a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method to verify the implementation in a commercial explicit finite element solver. The SPH method successfully captured the initial loading up to yield, material flow and post-yield behavior, enabling large-scale particle flow that will be necessary to simulate artificial turf. The simulation results predicted the test force-displacement response well for SBR and mixture infills. The proposed methodology demonstrated the ability to measure properties of contemporary artificial turf infills in both compression and shear for pure sand, pure SBR and mixtures of the two, and use these properties to accurately represent the infill in a computational environment. The resulting model can be extended to large-scale turf models, to investigate athlete performance and injury risk when interacting with artificial turf.

A High-Order-Accurate 3D Surface Integral Equation Solver for Uniaxial Anisotropic Media

This paper introduces a high-order accurate surface integral equation method for solving 3D electromagnetic scattering for dielectric objects with uniaxially anisotropic permittivity tensors. The N-Müller formulation is leveraged resulting in a second-kind integral formulation, and a finite-difference-based approach is used to deal with the strongly singular terms resulting from the dyadic Green’s functions for uniaxially anisotropic media while maintaining the high-order accuracy of the discretization strategy. The integral operators are discretized via a Nyström-collocation approach, which represents the unknown surface densities in terms of Chebyshev polynomials on curvilinear quadrilateral surface patches. The convergence is investigated for various geometries, including a sphere, cube, a complicated NURBS geometry imported from a 3D CAD modeler software, and a nanophotonic silicon waveguide, and results are compared against a commercial finite element solver. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of high-order accuracy for objects with uniaxially anisotropic materials using surface integral equations.

A Kernel-Free Boundary Integral Method for 2-D Magnetostatics Analysis

Performing magnetostatic analysis accurately and efficiently is very important for multi-objective optimization of electromagnetic device designs. In this research, a kernel-free boundary integral method (KFBIM) has been introduced for solving magnetic computations in a toroidal core geometry in 2-D. This study is very relevant in the design and optimization of toroidal inductors or transformers used in electrical systems, where lighter weight, higher inductance, higher efficiency, and lower leakage flux are required. The governing partial differential equations (PDEs) have been formulated as a system of the Fredholm integral equations of the second kind. Unlike traditional boundary integral methods or boundary element methods, KFBIM does not require an analytical form of Green’s function for evaluating integrals via numerical quadrature. Instead, KFBIM computes integrals by solving an equivalent interface problem on a Cartesian mesh. Compared with traditional finite difference methods for solving the governing PDEs directly, KFBIM produces a well-conditioned linear system. Therefore, the KFBIM requires only a fixed number of iterations when an iterative method [e.g., generalized minimal residual method (GMRES)] is applied for solving the linear system, and the numerical solution is not sensitive to computer round-off errors. The obtained results are then compared with a commercial finite element solver (ANSYS), which shows excellent agreement. It should be noted that, compared with FEM, the KFBIM does not require a body-fit mesh and can achieve high accuracy with a coarse mesh. In particular, the calculations of the magnetic potential and the tangential field intensity on the boundaries are more stable and exhibit almost no oscillations.

Pore network modeling of advection-diffusion-reaction in porous media: The effects of channels

In the context of catalysis, the optimal catalyst support structures should possess both high surface area and low mass transport resistance, and porous structures composed of micropores with additionally processed channels happen to meet both features. An open-source pore network modeling package, OpenPNM, was used to investigate the advection diffusion reaction process in such hierarchy porous media. Validation was performed via comparisons to the results obtained from the commercial finite element solver, COMSOL. It is shown that pore network modeling can satisfactorily simulate the reactive transport in pores media with a first order reaction kinetics. Under a wide range of local Peclet numbers (from close to 0 to about 10), the maximal relative error of local concentration concerning the finite element results is about 15.7%. Compared with the scenario where there are no additional channels, these channels can dramatically enhance the mass transport. A multi-channel featured porous system can be the desirable structure for catalyst application, and the optimized structural parameters were given.

An Approach to the Impact Simulation on Foamed Injection Molded Polypropylene Parts: An Example of Application in the Automotive Industry.

An approach to the simulation of foamed injection molded Polypropylene parts subjected to impact loading is presented in this paper. The proposed method, which considers strain-rate-dependent material properties and the possible occurrence of fracture, is, in particular, suitable for parts manufactured with core-back technology. The method was developed to be used within the functionality of a commercial Finite Element solver using a shell-type element mesh. The material model is based on a three-layer structure, with two compact skin layers and a foamed core layer made of expanded material. The properties of the foamed material are assumed as those of the compact grade scaled by a suitable factor, which is identified via inverse engineering on a set of bending tests executed on specimens having different foam densities. The fracture of the material is then predicted using a damage model which considers the effects of triaxiality. The approach is then validated on industrial parts from the automotive sector, subjected to impact in a component test. Despite the simplicity of the presented approach, which makes this method suitable for industrial applications and especially for early-stage design, the validation shows a sufficiently accurate simulation of part behavior under the impact, with a reasonable prediction of damage and fracture.

Development of Numerical Modelling Techniques for Composite Cylindrical Structures under External Pressure

Submarine hulls are pressure vessels for which excellent structural integrity under underwater pressure loads is essential. The use of light-weight materials contributes to reduced fuel consumption, improved speed, and increased payload while strength properties are retained. The focus of this paper is on the collapse behavior of a filament-wound cylindrical structure that serves as the main hull of a submarine subject to hydrostatic pressure loads. This paper presents a computational modelling approach for the prediction of the collapse behavior mechanism using a commercial finite element (FE) solver. The collapse strength obtained from the numerical model corresponded closely to available experimental data. The composite and aluminum material models were compared and the effects of stacking angle and thickness portion in the ply sequence on collapse strength were investigated. The advantages and disadvantages of available design codes (i.e., American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) BPVC-X and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) SP-8007) were reviewed by direct comparison with numerical results. It is concluded that the application of effective engineering constants for the prediction of the collapse pressure of submarine hulls may be feasible.

Poroelastic modeling of pore pressure development in granular pavement layers

ABSTRACT Moisture excess in granular pavement layers can decrease pavement performance leading to moisture-related distresses. The combination of trapped water and heavy traffic loads may substantially increase pore pressure and lead to shear failure if layer hydraulic conductivity is insufficient. Currently, most pavement analysis models are unable to predict pore pressure development, so the design and evaluation methods ignore this dynamic effect which may significantly underestimate the moisture damaging effect on pavements. This paper proposes the use of Biot’s poroelasticity theory for modelling fully saturated unbound materials. The proposed methodology – Poroelastodynamic Finite Integration Technique (PEFIT) – was used to analyze axisymmetric multilayered pavement structures consisting of elastic and poroelastic layers. The model was verified and validated using a well-known commercial finite element solver and field pore pressure data, respectively. A sensitivity analysis was conducted by varying critical pavement design parameters. The PEFIT analysis of a three-layer pavement system with a poroelastic base layer has shown that a decrease in base hydraulic conductivity significantly increases the maximum pore pressure, especially for high-speed loads. Results also indicate substantial pore pressure and water movement in the base layer, which may induce a potential shear failure mechanism for unbound materials.

Optical Coherence Tomography Based Biomechanical Fluid-Structure Interaction Analysis of Coronary Atherosclerosis Progression.

In this paper, we present a complete workflow for the biomechanical analysis of atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary vasculature. With atherosclerosis as one of the leading causes of global death, morbidity and economic burden, novel ways of analyzing and predicting its progression are needed. One such computational method is the use of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) to analyze the interaction between the blood flow and artery/plaque domains. Coupled with in vivo imaging, this approach could be tailored to each patient, assisting in differentiating between stable and unstable plaques. We outline the three-dimensional reconstruction process, making use of intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and invasive coronary angiography (ICA). The extraction of boundary conditions for the simulation, including replicating the three-dimensional motion of the artery, is discussed before the setup and analysis is conducted in a commercial finite element solver. The procedure for describing the highly nonlinear hyperelastic properties of the artery wall and the pulsatile blood velocity/pressure is outlined along with setting up the system coupling between the two domains. We demonstrate the procedure by analyzing a non-culprit, mildly stenotic, lipid-rich plaque in a patient following myocardial infarction. Established and emerging markers related to atherosclerotic plaque progression, such as wall shear stress and local normalized helicity, respectively, are discussed and related to the structural response in the artery wall and plaque. Finally, we translate the results to potential clinical relevance, discuss limitations, and outline areas for further development. The method described in this paper shows promise for aiding in the determination of sites at risk of atherosclerotic progression and, hence, could assist in managing the significant death, morbidity, and economic burden of atherosclerosis.

Effect of process parameters on the ductile failure behavior of flow forming process

Flow forming is a metal forming technique used to manufacture hollow cylindrical tubes with favorable mechanical properties and high surface finish quality. The current work is concerned with the effect of process parameters on ductile failure during the forming process. The process is simulated using commercial finite element solver Abaqus/Explicit, and a user defined field subroutine is developed for the implementation of damage into the finite element framework. Johnson-Cook plasticity model is used to define the constitutive behavior of 4340 steel alloy. Modified Mohr-Coulomb damage model is utilized, and it is extended to include temperature and strain rate effects. The model parameters are adopted from the literature. The effect of temperature on damage evolution is studied through three different modelling approaches. Incorporation of temperature related parameters into the constitutive framework changes both the maximum damage values and distribution of damage through the thickness. Furthermore, the effect of roller feed rate and revolution speed on damage is examined. It is concluded that the feed rate has a stronger influence on damage evolution than roller revolution speed. Increasing feed rate or revolution speed results in higher damage levels. However, under a constant ratio of feed rate to revolution speed, the damage is found to be insusceptible to increase in feed rate.

Numerical Study on the Dynamic Fracture Energy of Concrete Based on a Rate-Dependent Cohesive Model.

As an important parameter for concrete, fracture energy is difficult to accurately measure in high loading rate tests due to the limitations of experimental devices and methods. Therefore, the utilization of numerical methods to study the dynamic fracture energy of concrete is a simple and promising choice. This paper presents a numerical investigation on the influence of loading rate on concrete fracture energy and cracking behaviors. A novel rate-dependent cohesive model, which was programmed as a user subroutine in the commercial explicit finite element solver LS-DYNA, is first proposed. After conducting mesh sensitivity analysis, the proposed model is calibrated against representative experimental data. Then, the underlying mechanisms of the increase in fracture energy due to a high strain rate are determined. The results illustrate that the higher fracture energy during dynamic tension loading is caused by the wider region of the damage zone and the increase in real fracture energy. As the loading rate increases, the wider region of the damage zone plays a leading role in increasing fracture energy. In addition, as the strain rate increases, the number of microcracks whose fracture mode is mixed mode increases, which has an obvious effect on the change in real fracture energy.