NX Software Research Articles

Numerical Simulation of Tunnel Face Support Pressure in Layered Soft Ground

In shield construction, the limit support pressure of the tunnel face has an important influence on ground settlement and construction safety. In this study, MIDAS GTS NX software was used to conduct a series of three-dimensional finite element simulations to investigate variations in excavation face support pressure under different layered ground conditions. By changing the shear strength parameters of the top or bottom layers, the influence of composite layers with different formation boundaries on the support pressure of the excavation face was studied. It was observed that when the formation boundary is placed above the axis, the support pressure of the excavation face is more sensitive to a change in the parameters in the lower part of the formation than in the upper part. Conversely, when the formation boundary lies below the axis, this sensitivity becomes reversed. Additionally, we derived a robust and accurate equation to estimate the limiting face support pressure in layered soft ground based on numerical modeling.

Design and construction of the army unmanned aerial vehicle with a new generation launch system «RPSKD-2»

The scientific article presents the design and construction of a two-case army unmanned aerial vehicle with a launch system of a new generation «RPSKD-2», which can be used for combat purposes. The study lists the main design units of the launch system, army unmanned aerial vehicle and cases. The combat equipment of the RPSKD-2 UAV provides for suspended armed cases that will be attached to the lower part. When designing and constructing an army UAV, foreign and domestic experience in machine-building production in this field of knowledge was studied. When modeling the UAV, the Compass and Siemens NX software product was used. The following general scientific methods for studying research materials were used in the article: analysis, deduction and modeling. The purpose of the study is to develop a two-case UAV with a launch system. This article is the first part of the study, in a number of author's scientific articles. Further publications of the authors will be devoted to the UAV structural and functional control system, which includes: telemetry, gyroscopes, automatic control system, sensors, controllers, engine, etc.

Optimised design of downhole turbodrills with bending-torsional tilting blade

Deep dry hot rock mining drilling operations confronts several challenges including the high-temperature conditions in the downhole environment, the unreliable performance of surface drives, and the difficult drillability of geothermal reservoir rocks. As a result, the use of downhole motors in drilling operations becomes an imperative selection. The all-metal turbodrill presently stands as the sole downhole motor capable of effectively drilling in deep wells with temperatures exceeding 180°. Although it can withstand high temperature, the output torque is small. In this study, we focus on the optimised design of the turbodrill blades with the objective of enhancing the output torque, addressing the prevailing issue of limited output torque. First, the structural parameters and parametric design are determined based on turbine blade design theory. Utilizing the quintic polynomial method, a two-dimensional blade profile is generated. Subsequently, an output torque model applicable to unsteady flow conditions is derived using the moment of momentum theorem in its integral form; Utilizing the designed blade profile, the Unigraphics NX (UG) software is used to illustrate the combination of spatial twisting, bending and tilting of the blade for the combination of the modelling method, and a three-dimensional bending-torsional tilting blade was achieved. Subsequently, numerical analysis, employing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation software, was conducted to examine the impact of intricate spatial modelling on the blade's flow field parameters. The optimal parameters for blade spatial modelling were ascertained to be a twist lofting radius of 63 mm, a bending angle of 30°, and an inclination angle of 3°. The blade in the hydraulic efficiency is reduced by only 2.7% of the case, the output torque increased by 18.87%, improving the performance of the turbodrill, so that the turbodrill in the geothermal development drilling has a good application prospect.

Design of a material sorting digital twin system based on NX MCD

Current methods of manually checking whether materials meet the required standards are inefficient and harmful to workers' health. To address the complexity and variability of real-world systems, it is imperative to establish highly consistent digital models for subsequent operations. However, there is a challenge in unifying various modules and components into a single system and optimizing them for functionality. A mechatronic solution is proposed for material sorting within the production manufacturing process, leveraging Siemens TIA Portal and NX 2007. The solution involves constructing a physical platform and realizing a digital twin system to enable real-virtual interaction via communication protocols. Initially, a virtual material sorting simulation and debugging platform is established using NX software, while operations are conducted in the TIA Portal. Subsequently, the control program is designed within the TIA Portal, and Virtual PLCs are created using PLCSIM Advanced for virtual debugging and analysis, confirming the solution's feasibility. Following this, the physical material sorting platform is developed, utilizing Siemens S7-1500 PLC to manage inverter and servo motor operations. Ultimately, the OPC UA communication protocol facilitates information exchange between the physical PLC and the virtual platform, establishing effective linkage between the virtual system and the physical model to ensure coordination and consistency. Results demonstrate real-time synchronization and virtual sorting operations during joint real-virtual debugging. This digital twin design solution is poised to significantly enhance manufacturing efficiency, reduce initial hardware costs in factory design, and augment automation and intelligence in production.

Sediments of an underwater tunnel constructed by the immersed sections method

In St. Petersburg there is a necessity to build a large number of underwater tunnels for various purposes. The construction of tunnels using the method of immersed sections is the most complex and high-tech, but at the same time competitive construction method, requiring the solution of a non-standard engineering task at each stage. The aim of the study is to analyze the sediment of the immersed tunnel section depending on the deformation characteristics of the underlying sand covering and the different depth of the bedrock of the Proterozoic clays. The calculations were completed using mathematical 3D models in the MIDAS GTS NX software package based on the finite element method. The reliability of the mathematical modeling results was confirmed by high convergence with the results of field observations of section precipitation during the construction of the Kanonersky Tunnel. The obtained results were statistically processed by methods of correlation and regression analysis with the construction of functional dependence. The greatest contribution to the change in the sediment of the tunnel section was made by the thickness of the Quaternary soils at the base of the section – the depth of the Proterozoic clays, with significantly less influence of the stiffness of the underlying sand covering. The obtained functional dependence makes it possible to predict the precipitation of the section with a high degree of probability in the geological conditions of St. Petersburg. It is established that with any combination of the considered parameters, the amount of precipitation of the section of the underwater tunnel with these characteristics does not exceed the values requiring expensive additional fixing of the foundation soils.

Cavity behind Special Segment Structures in Upward Shield Tunneling: A Numerical Approach

Proper design of special segments under cavity conditions is essential for successfully implementing the upward shield tunneling method. When constructing upward tunnels, the segment structure in the corresponding construction area of the horizontal tunnel is special. To study the internal force distribution on the structure under the worst possible conditions given by the upward shield tunneling method, MIDAS GTS NX software is used to numerically simulate the structure based on the condition of the cavity behind it to determine the most unfavorable radius of the cavity. Moreover, an analysis of the cavity location is conducted. The results demonstrate that when the cavity is located at the bottom of the arch with a radius of 1 m and near the top of the arch with a radius of 0.5 m, the special segment structure is under the most unfavorable combination of stresses. The most dangerous working condition occurs when there is a 0.5 m radius cavity on one side of the arch in the cross‐section of the special segment.

Numerical Analysis of Low-Cost Recognition of Tunnel Cracks with Compressive Sensing along the Railway

Currently, the use of microseismic detection technology for crack detection and localization in rock masses has great potential in detecting structural damage. As engineering safety has always been a very important issue, this study investigated the problem of multi-crack identification in rock masses within the environment of track tunnels using transient waves. A tunnel rock was modeled using MIDAS GTS NX software (2019.v1.2) and a crack transient wave model in the frequency domain was obtained through data analysis and simulation. Then, this was combined with compressive sensing techniques to locate and detect multiple cracks in tunnel rock. The performance of the proposed approach was validated through experimental simulations, which included experiments on differences in the number of cracks, as well as spatial samples. The experimental results indicate that the technique performs well for single-crack localization in tunnel rock mass, where the average localization error is 4 m. Meanwhile, the localization error is larger in multi-crack localization, and the number of spatial sample points set using compressive sensing also has a large impact on the experimental results.

Numerical simulation of the thermal response of seabed sediments to geothermal cycles in Suvilahti, Finland

Renewable thermal energy from seabed sediment is used for heating and cooling houses in Suvilahti, Vaasa, Finland. Innovative coaxial polyethylene pipes (Refla) filled with heat collection fluid are laid horizontally in the sediment layer. This study aims to evaluate the adequacy and possible overuse of this shallow geothermal energy. This entailed a numerical analysis of the heat relations of a “coaxial closed-loop geothermal system (CCGS)" to investigate the thermal behavior of the sediment. The numerical model was developed in Midas GTS NX software with a thermal analysis module. The objective was to understand temperature fluctuation in the sediment, which is influenced not only by geothermal energy exploitation, but also by seasonal weather. The numerical model, due to its design, provided information mainly about changes in sediment temperature due to the geothermal energy exploitation during the different seasons. The results show that in the first third of the total length of the Refla pipes, the sediment environment is significantly affected by energy exploitation's temperature loading. It is advisable to exclude the first third from an analysis of total geothermal energy reserves. The remaining two-thirds of the length shows potential to provide sustainable, long-term geothermal energy (GE) exploitation at the current rate.

The Stability of Dams with Different Stoping Elevations in the Tongling Valley-Type Tailings Impoundment: A Case Study in Yunnan China

Significant interest has been focused on recovery rates, recovery options, and recovery utilization when tailings impoundments are re-mined. However, the stability of the tailings dams during the recovery process is also a severe issue. Based on engineering geological surveys and laboratory tests, the evolution of the Tongling tailings impoundment’s instability characteristics under different recovery heights and diverse working conditions was analyzed by numerical simulation. Firstly, with the help of 2D software, the position of the tailings dam infiltration line and the alteration of the dam safety factor during the stoping process were calculated. Secondly, 3Dmine (2017) software was used to create the 3D surface structure of the tailings impoundment, and then a 3D numerical analysis model was established by means of Midas GTS NX software. The numerical simulation of seepage and stress analyses were conducted based on the model. Consequently, the evolution of the stability characteristics of tailings dam under different operating conditions was calculated. The research demonstrates that the dry beach length of the tailings pond gradually reduces with a decrease in the extraction height, resulting in a lower infiltration line. Under flood conditions, the saturation line has partial overflow due to the poor seepage discharge capacity of the dam. The total displacement of the dam body is inversely proportional to the retrieval height. The more extreme the analyzed working conditions, the more the safety factor will be reduced. Additionally, the plastic variation area of the dam body will be more comprehensive, which will increase the risk of a dam collapse.

Significance of construction sequence and the initial behaviour in concrete-faced rockfill dams

ABSTRACT Finite Element Model simulations are widely used to validate experimental and field observations. Out of these, modelling and comparing the stability of dams under various loading conditions presents significant challenges for researchers and practitioners, none more than the concrete-faced rockfill dams that are present in Australia (e.g. Cethana dam) and around the globe. A review shows that the construction sequence of such dams has not been incorporated in the initial configuration of concrete-faced rockfill dams. In this research, static analysis has been conducted for 2D and 3D finite element models of the Kotmale concrete-faced rockfill dam (CFRD) with and without the construction stage. Both 2D and 3D analysis of the case study dam using MIDAS FEA NX software and static analysis have been conducted. A linear elastic material model and a nonlinear material model (Duncan and Chang EB Model) were used to model the rockfill material. The resulting deformations were compared with the in-situ measurements to identify the accuracy of the developed cases. Results show that construction stage inclusion and the nonlinear material model agree well with the in-situ measurements, warranting the need for such advancements in Finite Element Analysis. Such an inclusion can model future settlement behaviour reasonably well, which can lead to the development of appropriate management measures.

Remodeling of the Drone Chassis Designed for Additive Manufacturing Method According to Topology Optimization

In the last few years, additive manufacturing methods have made remarkable advancements, and with the emergence of next-generation additive manufacturing techniques, the variety of raw materials has increased, and part design criteria have been improved. Particularly, the development of metal additive methods has made revolutionary contributions to the manufacturing field and offered a new and unique perspective on design. While traditional manufacturing methods require adherence to specific and standardized design criteria, there are no rules or standards that must be followed in additive manufacturing, except for a few criteria. This is one of the most significant features that distinguishes additive manufacturing methods from traditional methods. The freedom of design provided by additive manufacturing enables much more successful mass reduction in the parts produced using these methods. Mass reduction is expected to be minimal in aerospace, automotive, medical, and dental applications. In this study, first, a drone chassis was designed using NX software, and static analysis was performed in Ansys program by defining specific boundary conditions for the designed drone chassis. Then, based on the conducted static analysis, topology optimization was carried out in Ansys program to achieve mass reduction. As a result of the topology optimization performed, it was observed that the obtained geometry decreased from 5.8394 kg to 1.288 kg. After the topology optimization, the obtained geometry was redesigned in the NX environment, and static analysis was applied to the redesigned geometry. Considering the results of the applied static analysis, it was observed that the part can operate safely under working conditions. It was determined that the mass was reduced by approximately 78% after topology optimization, indicating that topology optimization was highly successful in the mass reduction process.

Improved stereo perception in coronary angiography using the X-ray tube as the viewpoint and validation with 3D printed models

Coronary angiography (CAG) provides two-dimensional images, but a clinician who is experienced in percutaneous coronary interventions can use information from these images to interpret spatial depth and infer the three-dimensional (3D) locations of vessels. We hypothesized that CAG results were equivalent to the mirror image of a coronary artery perspective projection, and a stereo perception could be easily established when the viewpoint of the angiogram was the X-ray tube instead of the detector. To eliminate the influence of heartbeat and respiration, a 3D-printed a coronary artery model was constructed for analysis. The effects of gantry movements during digital subtraction angiography (DSA) on the image were used to identify factors that affected DSA image transformation. Then, based on these factors, DSA imaging was simulated using UG NX software with three methods: (i) a perspective projection with the detector as the viewpoint; (ii) a parallel projection; and (iii) a mirror image of the perspective projection with the X-ray tube as the viewpoint. Finally, the resulting 3D images were compared with the DSA image. Our mirror image of the coronary artery perspective projection that used the X-ray tube as the viewpoint fused precisely with the CAG results and provided exact simulations of all the effects of DSA gantry movements on the DSA image. CAG results were equivalent to the mirror image of coronary artery perspective projection, and the stereo perception was easily established using the X-ray tube as the viewpoint.

Precision Analysis of Chain Wheel Geometry Reconstruction Based on Contact and Optical Measurement Data

This study focuses on the detailed reconstruction of chain wheel geometry utilizing measurement data gathered from the MarSurfXC20 contact system and the iNEXIVE VMA 2520 optical system. Supplementary data were also gathered from a digital micrometer and a caliper to provide a comprehensive data set for the analyzed geometry. The geometric model of the chain wheel was then constructed using Siemens NX software. The reconstructed model was subsequently compared with the original design specifications to assess the fidelity of the reconstructed model. Results demonstrate a high degree of correlation between the model generated by reverse engineering and the original design model. Despite the satisfactory correlation, potential inaccuracies were identified, necessitating further research to mitigate these discrepancies and optimize the procedures for parameters beyond the established tolerance. The study affirms the feasibility of utilizing contact and optical measuring systems in the reverse engineering process of chain wheel geometry, although it underscores the need for additional refinement to improve the model's accuracy.

Ecological restoration of coal mine waste dumps: A case study in Ximing Mine, China

ABSTRACT This study focuses on addressing the issues of spontaneous combustion and slope instability at the coal mine waste (CMW) dump located on the north side of the Yumen River in Ximing Mine, China. We conducted slope restoration and environmental treatment of the CMW dump using shotcrete, deep hole grouting, external soil spray seeding technology with multiple soil fixation measures. The stability of the repaired CMW dump was analysed using LiZheng Slope Stability Analysis Software, and the displacement and stress of high-risk zones were assessed using MIDAS GTS NX Software. Our findings provide valuable insights for slope restoration and evaluation.

Developing digital twin design for enhanced productivity of an automated anodizing industry and process prediction using hybrid deep neural network

Automation is beneficial when implemented in challenging environments requiring less human effort or reducing human effort. Employee safety is a concern to increase productivity, delivery and achieve the required quality. The present research investigates the possibility of installing an automation procedure in an anodizing industry called GOLDEN ANODIZER, which is situated in Coimbatore, India. During the preliminary analysis at the specified industry premises, there was a reduction in productivity, quality and customer delivery due to manual operations, including some health issues were identified. And hence the present investigation analyses the possibility of installation of an automation system for the anodizing process. For such reason, the digital twin of an automation system is first designed, developed and tested using Siemens NX software. The anodizing factors such as Anodizing medium temperature (K), Acid Concentration (wt%), applied voltage (V) and Responses Surface Finish (Ra), Film Thickness (tf) and Time Duration (T) were optimized for improved productivity and quality. Prediction results and RMSE analysis show that the proposed hybrid PSO-LFA algorithm has outperformed all modern algorithms. The proposed algorithm optimized the anodizing parameters and suggested 3650.7 s as a new cycle time. Also, the improved cycle time can boost the plant outcome by 182% and reduce the manpower by 46% through the proposed Automation system.

A framework for evaluating a generic virtual commissioning data model

The interoperability of different virtual commissioning applications requires a lot of manual work, as they mainly use proprietary file formats. In this case, a generic virtual commissioning data model is highly demanded to realize interoperability among different virtual commissioning applications. Based on this model, the effort of exchanging data between different virtual commissioning applications is significantly reduced. A comprehensive generic virtual commissioning data model contains a variety of virtual commissioning-related information, such as geometry, physics, kinematics, sensors, actuators, and signal connections. For such an elaborate data model, no method is contemporarily indicated to evaluate its interoperability performance. Thus, in this paper, a case-based evaluation framework is introduced to fill in this gap. With this framework, the interoperability performance of a generic virtual commissioning data model can be evaluated by conducting data exchange of several emulation models developed in different virtual commissioning applications, and each of their specific virtual commissioning modeling functions is covered in at least one of these emulation models. As an example, a case study is presented by exchanging 10 carefully selected emulation models between Siemens NX and Visual Components software applications via AutomationML data format. Based on the case study, the applicability of this evaluation framework is analyzed and discussed. Finally, conclusion and outlook are illustrated in the end.

Designing of composite reticulated shell mounting for reflectors of satellite antennas enhanced ribs

The growth in the number of communication satellites and the increase in antenna signal frequencies places higher demands on the accuracy and mass of reflectors. The accuracy of the reflector depends not only on its structure and materials but is also influenced by its mounting. In this paper, based on the rib-reinforced reflector designed by Bauman Moscow State Technical University, the effect of the reticulated shell mountings with different numbers of interlacing ribs in a shape of a circular truncated cone working in the geosynchronous orbit on the thermal deformation of the reflective surface is investigated by simulations using Siemens NX software. It is concluded that the desired deformation can be obtained when the number of t interlacing is 30. On thermal deformation, the effects of two weight reduction methods, namely reducing the width and thickness of ribs, were also investigated simultaneously. It is shown that reducing the thickness of ribs can achieve the target of mass reduction under the condition of ensuring the accuracy of the reflective surface. It is provided the basis for engineering calculations for practice.

Research on deformation prediction of deep foundation pit excavation based on GWO-ELM model

<abstract> <p>Given the complex nonlinear problem between the control and prediction of the surrounding surface settlement deformation caused (GWO), the GWO-ELM deep foundation pit excavation deformation prediction model was proposed. Extreme learning machine and Grey Wolf optimization algorithm combining training and predicting land subsidence. Based on MIDAS GTS NX software, we established a finite element simplified model for deep foundation pit construction, conducted structural calculations, and utilized the Grey Wolf optimization algorithm to optimize the deep foundation pit excavation and its influencing factors, input weights, and hidden layer thresholds in the ELM neural network. Taking the deep foundation pit project of Baoding Automobile Science and Technology Industrial Park as an example, the actual monitoring value is compared with the simulated value, verifying the model's accuracy. The number of soil nails in the finite element model, the excavation depth, the settlement of surrounding buildings and other factors are taken as the input factors of the prediction model. The DB-2 surface settlement of the monitoring point in the finite element model is taken as the output factor of the prediction model. The predicted value of the GWO-ELM model was compared with that of the ELM model. We draw three main conclusions from the results. First, the surface settlement of a bottomless foundation pit can be predicted in advance by using finite element software and the distribution law of surface settlement and horizontal displacement is consistent with the measured values. Second, the Grey Wolf optimization algorithm optimizes the input weights and thresholds in the extreme learning machine neural network. The GWO-ELM prediction model has good generalization ability, can effectively reduce human errors and can improve the accuracy of the prediction model. Third, through practical engineering verification, the average absolute error of the GWO-ELM model is 0.26145, the mean square error is 0.31258 and the R<sup>2</sup> is 0.98725, all of which are superior to the ELM model and are an effective method for predicting deformation and settlement of deep foundation pit excavation.</p> </abstract>

Исследование распределения порового давления под подземной плотиной в горной долине при аккумулировании атмосферных осадков

Purpose: to study the distribution of pore pressure under an underground dam located in a mountain valley for the atmospheric precipitation accumulation, while analyzing the effect of water levels in headwater and tailwater. At the same time, the factors of influence varied in the range: the water level in headwater from minus 8.2 to minus 1.2; water level in tailwater from minus 7.9 to minus 6.7. Materials and methods. The study of a complex system was carried out in two stages. At the first stage, the pore pressure under the underground dam, responsible for the seepage under it, was calculated using the finite element method based on the Midas GTX NX software package, which has the ability to take into account the complex joint operation of the underground dam and the soil mass. At the second stage, the resulting array of numbers, which reflects the physical processes occuring when the response function, which is taken as the pore pressure under the underground dam, is affected by disturbances, for which the water levels in headwater and tailwater of the dam are taken, was subjected to digital analysis. Results. The range of pore pressure values at the maximum headwater levels is 31.72 % over the entire range of tailwater levels. For the average levels of the headwater, the range of pore pressure values is 32.70 %, and for the minimum levels of the headwater, the range of pore pressure values is 39.41 %, also in the entire range of changes at the tailwater levels. Thus, the lower the headwater level, the greater the impact on the pore pressure of the tailwater level. Conclusions: with a change in the studied range of water levels in headwater or tailwater of the dam, i.e. factors of influence, with a decrease in the values of the impact factors, the degree of their influence on the pore pressure under the underground dam decreases, and with growth – increases, and it occurs almost linear.

Дослідження динамічних навантажень рами фронтального навантажувача з використанням комп’ютерних 3D моделей у середовищі Siemens NX

When designing new construction and road machines, a variety of CAD and CAE computer programs are used. The designer has the ability to set certain strength properties of the future structure using finite element calculations, and after the first prototype is made, the moment comes when it needs to be tested for loads applied during technological operations to confirm the preliminary strength calculations. The goal of this work is to compare the test results of 3D models of two load-bearing systems of the T-156B loader, one of which is the original and the other a fivefold reduced copy. The result of the comparison is a reduction factor, the calculation of which will allow us to determine how and how many times the load is reduced when scaling 3D models. Previous work on this topic was done in the Ansys calculation complex, but the long process of calculating the task, importing, and complex process of configuring the model forced us to switch to a faster Siemens NX software complex. This software package has a clear and simple interface while performing calculation tasks much faster than Ansys. In this work, similarity coefficients were calculated for two more common cases of forklift operations: moving a full bucket over an uneven surface and colliding with an obstacle while filling the bucket. Thus, knowing these coefficients, it can be assumed that when modeling a new load-bearing system, by making a reduced copy of it in the appropriate scale and testing it for loading by means of computer modeling, or by conducting field tests, it is possible to calculate what loads will affect the model with natural dimensions. The article proposes a new solution for analyzing the strength of load-bearing systems at the design stage using the theory of similarity. This method makes it possible not to create a full-size model of a new load-bearing system (frame) in metal for testing. In accordance with the proposed method, it is enough to make a scaled simplified model of the future load-bearing system (frame), conduct strength tests and, in accordance with the similarity coefficient, calculate what loads will affect the full-size load-bearing system. This method can significantly reduce the cost of materials, production, and manufacturing time for new products.