Dynamic Finite Element Analysis Research Articles

One-Way Fluid Structure Interaction of a Utility Vehicle Splitter using CFD Modelling

The Utility Vehicle, commonly known as a “ute” in New Zealand, and a “pickup” in other countries, is very popular for work, recreation and motorsport. This report investigates how the addition of a front splitter influences the handling ability on a Ford Courier Ute, for better aerodynamics during racing. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) were used to investigate the one-way fluid structure interaction of the speed of the Ute with and without the splitter modification. Three configurations of the splitter were modelled and analysed using SolidWorks 2022, CFD and FEA packages. The ground clearance between the splitter and the road was set at three heights, 200 mm, 150 mm and 50 mm. These designs were compared with the control, in terms of the amount of downforce, drag and aerodynamic efficiency. The ground clearance of 150 mm was optimal, in terms of the parameters investigated. The findings from this paper may inspire Ute enthusiasts to fit a splitter to their Ute for racing applications.

Transient Thermomechanical Stress Analysis of Hot Surface Ignition Device Using Sequentially Coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics–Finite Element Analysis Approach

Abstract Energy addition using a hot surface ignition device is required for reliable ignition of aircraft compression ignition engines running on fuel variations and at altitude conditions. Thus, durability of the hot surface ignition device is crucial for application in these engines. Thermomechanical stress is one of the key parameters that determine durability, which requires an accurate prediction of the transient temperature field based on well-defined boundary conditions representing the dynamic and complex fluid flow inside engines. To meet this requirement, the present study focuses on transient thermomechanical stress analysis using a sequentially coupled computational fluid dynamics (CFD)–finite element analysis (FEA) approach to understand transient thermomechanical responses of the hot surface ignition device. A three-dimensional transient reacting flow simulation was conducted first using converge software, the results of which were exported to map thermal and pressure boundary conditions onto a structural finite element mesh. Transient thermomechanical stress analysis was performed sequentially using abaqus software utilizing the mapped boundary conditions. The results such as transient temperature history, resultant thermomechanical stress, displacement, potential failure modes, etc., were critically reviewed, which can provide helpful information for further design improvement.

Enhancing the Reliability Assessment System for Crucial Powertrain Components through Design, Simulation, and Experiment

Article Enhancing the Reliability Assessment System for Crucial Powertrain Components through Design, Simulation, and Experiment Xiaochun Zeng 1,2,3, Gongcheng Wang 1,* , Ying Liu 2,3, Jing Liu 1,2,3, Yinglian Feng 2,3,4, Xiuyong Shi 5,6, Diming Lou 5,6, Lei Zhang 4, Tao Wei 1, and Zhong Li 1 1 Jiangling Motors Co. Ltd., Nanchang 330001, China 2 Jiangxi Province Women Science and Technology Workers Association, Nanchang 330036, China 3 Jiangxi Mechanical Engineering Society, Nanchang 330002, China 4 Magna PT Powertrain (Jiangxi), Nanchang 330200, China 5 Nanchang Automotive Institute of Intelligence & New Energy, Nanchang 330052, China 6 Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China * Correspondence: gwang7@jmc.com.cn Received: 5 September 2023 Accepted: 19 September 2023 Published: 20 September 2023 Abstract: This article conducted innovative research on heat balance, cooling and structural strength by using Computer Aided Engineering (CAE), design, and experiment. These multifaceted approaches rely on the meticulous application of dynamic analysis, combustion analysis, fluid dynamics, and finite element analysis. This research has devised a fatigue-oxidation-creep multi-fatigue life prediction technique for thermal engines, coupled with an innovative water jacket optimization method. By addressing the design challenges arising from the demanding requirements of high explosion pressure, formidable power, and significant torque in power systems, this study has made significant strides in advancing the field. And this method was used to establish the development capability of powertrain electric drive components. To enhance reliability and prediction accuracy, a simulation and test calibration method was devised for Crucial Powertrain Components. This article establishes a robust foundation by providing comprehensive data support for reliability target decomposition, facilitating the efficient derivation of component reliability metrics. Additionally, it explores potential customer scenario failures and investigates the underlying mechanisms of powertrain malfunctions. By establishing a correlation matrix between failure modes, mechanisms, and reliability experiments, the coverage of powertrain failure mode verification experiments was significantly increased by over 95%. Ultimately, this article contributes to the formation of a comprehensive technical system for evaluating the reliability of crucial powertrain components, integrating design, simulation, and experiment.

Time-domain deconvolution procedure for elastoplastic materials: Application to the Treasure Island site during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake

When dynamic soil-structure interaction (DSSI) analyses are performed, e.g. using the finite element (FE) method, the input signal is required at the base of the model. Nevertheless, acceleration records are usually available at the surface and, therefore, the desired motion must be deconvolved to the base. The latter is usually performed through the solution of one-dimensional propagation of shear waves in an elastic medium, in the frequency domain. Herein, nonlinear behavior is generally incorporated through the equivalent-linear method, by iteratively reducing the stiffness and increasing the critical damping ratio as a function of the maximum strains attained in each iteration. However, if complex material models are adopted to characterize the soil, the input motion derived with the equivalent linear method will not be compatible due to the simplified approach used to represent the nonlinear behavior. In this article, the use of a procedure to perform a time-domain deconvolution in non-linear elastoplastic materials is demonstrated. The goal is to generate input accelerograms at the base of a FE model to perform DSSI analyses. The procedure is based on the iterative modification of the motion at the base according to the relative differences between the propagated and target surface spectra. To illustrate the use of the methodology, it was applied to a FE model of the Treasure Island site (San Francisco, US), to derive the required motion at the base from a record of the Loma Prieta earthquake.•This article provides a useful guideline to optimize the use of the deconvolution procedure to derive input motions for dynamic FE analyses considering nonlinear elastoplastic materials.

Fracture mechanics analysis of multipurpose canister for spent nuclear fuels under horizontal/oblique drop accidents

In this paper, elastic-plastic fracture mechanics analysis is performed to determine the critical crack sizes of the multipurpose canister (MPC) manufactured using austenitic stainless steel under dynamic loading conditions that simulate drop accidents. Firstly, dynamic finite element (FE) analysis is performed using Abaqus v.2018 with the KORAD (Korea Radioactive Waste Agency)-21 model under two drop accident conditions. Through the FE analysis, critical locations and through-thickness stress distributions in the MPC are identified, where the maximum plastic strain occurs during impact loadings. Then, the evaluation using the failure assessment diagram (FAD) is performed by postulating an external surface crack at the critical location to determine the critical crack depth. It is found that, for the drop cases considered in this paper, the principal failure mechanism for the circumferential surface crack is found to be the plastic collapse due to dominant high bending axial stress in the thickness. For axial cracks, the plastic collapse is also the dominant failure mechanism due to high membrane hoop stress, followed by the ductile tearing analysis. When incorporating the strain rate effect on yield strength and fracture toughness, the critical crack depth increases from 10 to 20%.

Corotational Finite Element Dynamic Analysis of Space Frames with Geometrically Nonlinear Behavior Based on Tait–Bryan Angles

The aim of this study is to compose a corotational finite element formulation for space frames with geometrically nonlinear behavior under dynamic loads. Using a moving frame through three successive rotations similar to Euler angles is one of the oldest techniques; however, there are still some gaps that require attention, mainly due to singularity. Hence, alternative techniques had been developed, sometimes elusive and computationally expensive. In this paper, we went back to the old technique and filled the gaps. Three-coordinate systems are used, i.e., the fixed global coordinate system, the fixed local coordinate system that is attached individually to every element, and the corotational local frame for each element that moves and rotates with the element. The deformation is always small relative to the corotational frame. The successive rotations between different coordinate systems are expressed using Tait–Bryan angles. Lagrange’s equation is used to derive the equation of motion, and the stiffness and mass matrices are obtained using the Euler–Bernoulli beam model. A MATLAB code is developed based on the Newton–Raphson method and the Newmark direct integration implicit method. In traditional techniques, singularity is attained when any rotation angle in the fixed local frame approaches π / 2 , and if any is greater than π / 2 , the techniques could fail to specify the location of the element. In this paper, each case is treated with a proper procedure, and special handling of trigonometric formulations prevents singularity and correctly specifies the location of elements in all situations. Different examples of beams and frames are analysed. While the method is not intricate, it is timesaving, is highly effective, provides more stable and robust analysis, and gives sufficiently accurate results. Compared to the parametrization of the finite rotations technique, the method has a significant reduction in the convergence rate because it avoids the storage of joint orientation matrices.

Unstructured surface mesh smoothing method based on deep reinforcement learning

AbstractIn numerical simulations such as computational fluid dynamics simulations or finite element analyses, mesh quality affects simulation accuracy directly and significantly. Smoothing is one of the most widely adopted methods to improve unstructured mesh quality in mesh generation practices. Compared with the optimization-based smoothing method, heuristic smoothing methods are efficient but yield lower mesh quality. The balance between smoothing efficiency and mesh quality has been pursued in previous studies. In this paper, we propose a new smoothing method that combines the advantages of the heuristic Laplacian method and the optimization-based method based on the deep reinforcement learning method under the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient framework. Within the framework, the actor artificial neural network predicts the optimal position of each interior free node with its surrounding ring nodes. At the same time, a critic-network is established and takes the mesh quality as input and outputs the reward of the action taken by the actor-network. Training of the networks will maximize the cumulative long-term reward, which ends up maximizing the mesh quality. Training and validation of the proposed method are presented both on 2-dimensional triangular meshes and 3-dimensional surface meshes, which demonstrates the efficiency and mesh quality of the proposed method. Finally, numerical simulations on perturbed meshes and smoothed meshes are carried out and compared which prove the influence of mesh quality on the simulation accuracy.

In-silico modelling of multi-strike insertion and torsional resistance of tapered revision hip stems: Insight into spline design philosophy.

Despite the clinical success of tapered splined titanium stems, a knowledge gap still exists between spline design and its primary mechanical stability, which is critical to the long-term success of revision hip arthroplasty. Additionally, almost all published pre-clinical studies relied on resource-intensive benchtop and cadaveric testing. Hence, the present study developed a novel computational model to investigate effects of spline geometry and configuration on axial and torsional stability of tapered stem. Dynamic explicit Finite Element Analysis coupled with a state-of-the-art adaptive meshing technique was used to simulate the highly non-linear contacts and large bony material deformations. Hybridising primary straight splines with secondary angled splines results in 41% and 10% increases of peak insertion force and post-seating moment than the predicate device for the same seating position. The primary straight splines cut at multiple circumferential bony locations, enhancing torsional stability; while the alternatively placed secondary angled splines form wedges with the bone, providing reliable seating and additional torsional resistance. To the best knowledge of the author, this is the first in-silico investigation of its kind to simulate multi-strike seating and torsional resistance of revision hip stems, offering an effective and efficient platform for future multi-factorial parametric study and uncertainty quantification.

Resonance reduction for linked train cars moving on multiple simply supported bridges

The dynamic interaction of a moving train over a series of railway bridges with equal spans can result in a coupled vibration problem of wave transmission between two periodic structures. Dual resonance occurs when both systems vibrate in phase and the train travels at a resonant speed. The objectives of this paper are to (1) develop an active pitching resonator (APR) to attenuate resonance waves in a train; (2) study the dispersion relation for pitching motion control of periodically linked train cars; (3) investigate the key parameters that affect the dispersion band gaps of wave attenuation in a train; (4) present an active vibration cancellation method to enhance the control performance of the APR; and (5) demonstrate the effectiveness of using the optimal APRs to reduce resonance of a moving train. Through dispersion analysis, the optimum APR can not only shift the target frequency level away from resonance of a moving train, but also create a wide resonance band gap to reduce wave transmission in the train. Finally, the effectiveness of the optimum APR unit in reducing the resonance and attenuating the waves of a train travelling over multiple-span simple beams is demonstrated by dynamic finite element analysis of the train-bridge interaction.

Optimization and innovative design of dental implants under dynamic finite element analysis

ABSTRACT Dental implants’ usage life and strength are critical factors for implant patients. This paper examines the optimization of dental implant threads by modifying the C-Tech implant system model to ascertain thread design’s impact on micromotion through finite element analysis (FEA). The fundamental measurements of the redesigned C-Tech implant system are established by dynamic (FEA). Six implant parameters are chosen as the control factors to be advanced. Experimental simulations are built using a uniform design (UD) method. The dynamic FEA tool ANSYS/LS-DYNA is utilized for each experimental simulation to identify the maximal micromotion in the modified C-Tech implant system. The optimum design model is acquired by minimizing the micromotion by applying the Kriging interpolation (KGI) and genetic algorithm (GA). The improved design has a micromotion of 12.19 µm, as opposed to the original design’s micromotion of 38.11 µm. The improvement rate is 68.02%. Finally, the following innovative design is to add a secondary thread to the implant body. After conducting simulations, the micromotion is reduced to 4.72 µm. Further, it shows a 61.28% improvement compared with the optimization design version and an 87.62% improvement compared with the primary implants.

Research on the Vibration Behavior of Ring–Block Friction Pair Made of Materials of Water-Lubricated Rubber Bearing under Special Operating Conditions

A water-lubricated rubber bearing (WLRB) is prone to generate frictional vibration noise under special operating conditions, which seriously affects the acoustic stealth performance of warships and threatens their navigation safety. Meanwhile, the main factor affecting the frictional vibration behavior of a WLRB is the materials of the friction pair. Therefore, this work selects a friction pair composed of a copper ring and a rubber block as the research object and studies the frictional vibration behavior of the ring–block friction pair under low-speed and starting conditions. The real friction coefficient curve is used to establish a transient dynamic finite element analysis model for the ring–block friction pair. The effects of the load, friction coefficient, and Young’s modulus on the frictional vibration behavior under special operating conditions are studied. The analysis’s results show that the frequency of the medium-high frequency friction-induced vibration disappears under low-speed operating conditions when the friction coefficient is below 0.1. During the startup process, even if the friction coefficient is very low, the medium-high frequency friction-induced vibration still exists. The research results provide ideas for future theoretical research and guidance suggestions for engineering practice.

Effect of Flow Velocity on Laminar Flow in Microfluidic Chips.

Gel fibers prepared based on microfluidic laminar flow technology have important research value in constructing biomimetic scaffolds and tissue engineering. The key point of microfluidic laminar flow technology is to find the appropriate fluid flow rate in the micropipe. In order to explore the influence of flow rate on the laminar flow phenomenon of a microfluidic chip, a microfluidic chip composed of an intermediate main pipe and three surrounding outer pipes are designed, and the chip is prepared by photolithography and the composite molding method. Then, a syringe pump is used to inject different fluids into the microtubing, and the data of fluid motion are obtained through fluid dynamics simulation and finite element analysis. Finally, a series of optimal adjustments are made for different fluid composition and flow rate combinations to achieve the fluid's stable laminar flow state. It was determined that when the concentration of sodium alginate in the outer phase was 1 wt% and the concentration of CaCl2 in the inner phase was 0.1 wt%, the gel fiber prepared was in good shape, the flow rate was the most stable, and laminar flow was the most obvious when the flow rate of both was 1 mL/h. This study represents a preliminary achievement in exploring the laminar flow rate and fabricating gel fibers, thus offering significant reference value for investigating microfluidic laminar flow technology.

Stewart-inspired parallel spatial docking robot: design, analysis and experimental results

PurposeThis paper aims to focus on the spatial docking task of unmanned vehicles under ground conditions. The docking task of military unmanned vehicle application scenarios has strict requirements. Therefore, how to design a docking robot mechanism to achieve accurate docking between vehicles has become a challenge.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, first, the docking mechanism system is described, and the inverse kinematics model of the docking robot based on Stewart is established. Second, the genetic algorithm-based optimization method for multiobjective parameters of parallel mechanisms including workspace volume and mechanism flexibility is proposed to solve the problem of multiparameter optimization of parallel mechanism and realize the docking of unmanned vehicle space flexibility. The optimization results verify that the structural parameters meet the design requirements. Besides, the static and dynamic finite element analysis are carried out to verify the structural strength and dynamic performance of the docking robot according to the stiffness, strength, dead load and dynamic performance of the docking robot. Finally, taking the docking robot as the experimental platform, experiments are carried out under different working conditions, and the experimental results verify that the docking robot can achieve accurate docking tasks.FindingsExperiments on the docking robot that the proposed design and optimization method has a good effect on structural strength and control accuracy. The experimental results verify that the docking robot mechanism can achieve accurate docking tasks, which is expected to provide technical guidance and reference for unmanned vehicles docking technology.Originality/valueThis research can provide technical guidance and reference for spatial docking task of unmanned vehicles under the ground conditions. It can also provide ideas for space docking missions, such as space simulator docking.

Design and Analysis of a Desktop Multi-Axis Hybrid Milling-Filament Extrusion CNC Machine Tool for Non-Metallic Materials

Hybrid Manufacturing technologies enable the manufacturability and high manufacturing efficiency of innovative part designs comprising high complexity features which could not otherwise be manufactured in a single or a small number of steps. This study proposes the design of an industrial-grade low-cost fully automated multi-axis hybrid Additive and Subtractive CNC machine for non-metallic parts. It combines operations of a six-axis CNC machining center with a six-axis extrusion 3D printer with automated tool head change for processing parts made of polymer and special 3D printing materials (e.g., carbon fiber reinforced filaments). The design process includes static, dynamic and harmonic response Finite Element Analysis to optimize its structural strength and at the same time to reduce machine component costs down to a few thousand euros for all included components and subsystems, thus making it viable for industrial purposes. In investigated loading scenarios, analysis results show that at the brim of a 200 mm diameter round machine table, even at its most unfavorable angular positions, maximum deformation was no more than 0.24 mm, with a factor of safety in the magnitude of 10 to 20 while applying cutting force profiles with amplitudes up to 100 N, which exceedingly satisfies structural specifications for the proposed machine design operation.

Nonlinear dynamic instability of laminated composite stiffened plates subjected to in-plane pulsating loading

A nonlinear finite element dynamic instability analysis of laminated composite stiffened plates subjected to in-plane harmonic edge loading is presented in this article along with the linear and nonlinear dynamic response study. The eight-noded isoparametric degenerated shell element and a compatible three-noded curved beam element are used to model the stiffened plates. Bolotin method is applied to analyze the dynamic instability regions in linear case. Incremental Harmonic Balance (IHB) method is applied to solve the nonlinear frequency response equations and Newmark-β method is used to solve the linear and nonlinear time history response equations.

Dynamic evaluation of a nine-storey timber-concrete hybrid building during construction

Timber-concrete hybrid buildings are an innovative solution to increase the amount of timber materials used in modern buildings. This study presents a dynamic evaluation of a nine-storey timber-concrete hybrid residential building during construction. The building has an irregular shape and consists of three to seven storeys of cross-laminated timber (CLT) on top of two storeys of concrete. In order to study the influence of non-structural elements and a heavily increased slab load in construction, ambient vibration tests were conducted seven times during the 13-month construction period. The results show a clear decrease in the natural frequencies of the building as the building gets higher and more elements are installed. However, a slight increase in the natural frequency was observed following the installation of the non-structural walls in the final construction stage. A corresponding finite element analysis is presented for each test, providing additional insights into the parameters typically used in the structural design process. The study demonstrates the importance of properly selecting reduction factors for CLT elements in a dynamic finite element analysis. It also shows the importance of considering non-structural walls, both regarding weight and stiffness, even in buildings where the number of non-structural walls is relatively small compared to structural walls.

Biomechanics of calcaneus impacted by talus: a dynamic finite element analysis

This paper aimed to investigate the biomechanical changes during the talus impact with the calcaneus at varying velocities. Various three-dimensional reconstruction software was utilized to construct a finite element model that consisted of the talus, calcaneus, and ligaments. The explicit dynamics method was used to explore the process of the talus impacting on the calcaneus. The velocity of impact was altered from 5 m/s to 10 m/s with a 1 m/s interval. Stress readings were collected from the posterior, intermediate, and anterior subtalar articular (PSA, ISA, ASA), calcaneocubic articular (CA), Gissane Angle (GA), calcaneal base (BC), medial wall (MW), and lateral wall (LW) of the calcaneus. The changes in the amount and distribution of stress in the different regions of the calcaneus that varied with velocity were analysed. The model was validated through comparison with findings from the existing literature. During the process of impact between the talus and calcaneus, the stress in the PSA reached its peak first. Notably, stress was concentrated mainly in the PSA, ASA, MW, and LW of the calcaneus. At varying impact velocities of the talus, the mean maximum stress of the PSA, LW, CA, BA, and MW exhibited statistically significant differences (P values were 0.024, 0.004, <0.001, <0.001, and 0.001, respectively). However, the mean maximum stress of the ISA, ASA, and GA was not statistically significant (P values were 0.289, 0.213, and 0.087, respectively). In comparison with the velocity at 5 m/s, the mean maximum stress increases in each region of the calcaneus at a velocity of 10 m/s were as follows: PSA 73.81%, ISA 7.11%, ASA 63.57%, GA 89.10%, LW 140.16%, CA 140.58%, BC 137.67%, MW 135.99%. The regions of stress concentration were altered, and the magnitude and sequence of peak stress in the calcaneus also varied according to the velocity of the talus during impact. In conclusion, the velocity of the talus during impact had a significant influence on the magnitude and distribution of stress within the calcaneus, which was a crucial factor in the development of calcaneal fractures. It was possible that the magnitude and sequence of stress peaks played a vital role in determining the emergence of fracture patterns.

Numerical modeling of ice–seabed interaction in layered soil: stiff over soft clay

This study presents a numerical investigation of free field ice gouging in layered cohesive seabeds comprising stiff over soft clay. A three-dimensional, half-space, dynamic large deformation finite element analysis was conducted using the Coupled Eulerian Lagrangian approach. To simulate the seabed, a Tresca soil model with the strain rate and strain-softening effects was coded into a user subroutine. The accuracy of the model was verified by comparing its results with those of published experimental studies. Additionally, a comprehensive parametric study was conducted to examine the effect of various ice gouging scenarios and seabed soil parameters on the subgouge soil deformation and the ice keel reaction forces. Our findings revealed that an interactive response occurs between the soil layers and the ice keel that may cause the peak subgouge soil deformation and keel reaction magnitudes to differ from those observed under uniform soil condition. The developed model was found to be an efficient tool for free field ice gouging analysis in cohesive layered seabeds.

An efficient equivalent static methodology for simulating electronic packages subjected to resonant vibrations

Modeling of electronic packages under vibrations is quite an interesting and important problem. The Finite element method (FEM) is the most common tool that is used in simulating the vibration-induced deformations and stresses of electronics. Therefore, this paper aims to present an equivalent static solution, instead of the dynamic solution, to simulate this mechanical problem. Towards this goal, the mathematical derivation of the equivalent static loading is thoroughly discussed. This analytical derived solution is then validated with the results of experimentally acquired data and with dynamic finite element analysis (FEA) simulations in terms of the board transverse deflections and solder array stresses. The validation study showed great agreement with all solutions. The validity of this approach is certified through a case study. Thus, the use of the equivalent static loading method is highly recommended as, unlike dynamic analysis, it allows for the crucial inclusion of the nonlinear mechanical properties of the solder interconnects in computationally effective simulations.

Numerical Simulation of a Barge Impact on Bridges with Different Configurations of Pile Group Foundations

Three-dimensional finite element dynamic analyses were conducted to evaluate the effect of barge impact of different speeds on the lateral performance of three pile group (PG) configurations (vertical, battered, mixed) in terms of peak lateral displacement, peak shear force, lateral stiffness of PGs, and contribution of piles and pier columns to the total resisting force. The concrete material was modeled using the Concrete Damaged Plasticity model. The clay behavior was described using the Modified Cam Clay model; while the sand was modeled using the Drucker Prager model. The results showed that the vertical PG had the lowest lateral stiffness; while the battered and mixed PGs had closely larger stiffness, which allowed the development of larger impact force and pile cap displacement in vertical PG as compared to other PGs. The results of shear force showed that the foundation contributed up to 82% of the total lateral force in battered and mixed PGs. The results also showed that in vertical PG, the first row had slightly higher percentage of lateral force compared to other rows; while in battered PG, the load percentage was evenly distributed between rows. A contrast performance was observed for mixed PG. The results of bending moment (BM) showed that the piles in vertical PG had notably higher BM than the piles in other PGs due to larger pile cap displacement. In all PGs, the piles in the edge column had higher BM ratio, with the leading row (L) had the highest BM ratio (69–72%) in all PGs.