Virtual Prototyping Research Articles

Virtual prototyping of liquid metal blanket performance in fusion pilot plant

Liquid metal blanket is a dominant design option for the next step fusion devices responsible for harvesting energy from fusion reaction, and simultaneously producing fuel for the same reaction through tritium breeding. Liquid metal blankets introduce additional complexity to the design due to fluid motion, fluid structure interaction, and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects arising from the motion of the conducting fluid through the magnetic field. They are also directly affected by the plasma heat flux and neutronic fluence. PPPL is currently developing a virtual prototyping system for numerical analysis of the liquid metal blankets for future fusion devices. The system has a customized 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code in its core, allowing MHD flow and conjugate heat transfer analysis in blankets fluids and solids. The code was successfully used before for dual coolant blanket analysis [A. Khodak et al., Fusion Eng. and Des. 137 (2018)]. Recently the same code was modified to allow verified simulation of MHD flows at high Hartmann numbers of several thousand typical for blanket applications. CFD code receives volumetric heat source distribution from the neutronic analysis based on MCNP code. In addition, direct tritium breeding simulation will be performed allowing optimization of the blanket performance. 2D axisymmetric version of neutronics code will be used for rapid optimization, with 3D version employed for detailed analysis. The surface heat distribution on the plasma facing wall will be defined by the software HEAT allowing 3D modeling of the heat flux based on the magnetic field distribution including gyro-orbit effects. Results of thermal analysis are imported into structural analysis code also included in the system. Direct import of CAD geometry will be used for analyzing all components and as a result design option can be efficiently optimized.

Retractable roof module with photovoltaic panel as small solar power plant

The use of building-integrated photovoltaic (PV) systems in the form of retractable roofs is an alternative option to existing installations without tracking systems (NT) or horizontal single-axis tracking systems (HSAT). This paper presents a retractable roofing module intended for the installation of PV panels. The main objective of this study is to identify modern solutions for these systems in terms of geometry and kinematics, which would allow the displacement of the roof slopes to follow the trajectory of the Sun during the day. This study is based on the parametric modelling and virtual prototyping of engineering objects. A moveable roof module is obtained, which, in addition to its function of shading and protection from rainfall, serves as a small movable solar power plant. The structure of the roof module is based on the construction of a mechanism comprising three revolute kinematic pairs and one prismatic kinematic pair, whose movement is strictly defined. The roof comprised three moving slopes of the same length. One of the slopes is designed for the installation of a PV panel; it moves according to the Sun to obtain maximum energy gains. For an adopted PV panel length of 1.0a, the maximum roof covering space is 2.69a. An analysis of the natural lighting for the panel following the Sun was performed, and the angle of inclination with respect to the horizontal plane was determined. The inclination of the panel ranges from +80º to –75º. In the case analysed, the HSAT delivers approximately 16% more energy than the NT system. The adaptation of retractable roofs with PV panels enables the optimal use of space around buildings, which are occupied by fixed or moveable installations with PV panels.

Embedding Digital Twin Technology in Robotics

The relevance of introducing digital twin technology in robotics is substantiated, which allows testing and modelling the capabilities of robots, such as manipulation, grasping, etc., using virtual robot prototypes that are identical copies of physical robot prototypes. An overview of the key components of the digital twin framework for robotics, including the physical element, virtual element, middleware, service and transport components, is provided. A technology for designing a robot using digital twins is proposed, including the design of a computer model of a robot using a computer-aided design system or three-dimensional graphics packages, the use of robot simulation systems, data management, data analysis and human-machine interaction. The further development of the research is the implementation of digital twin technology for a rescue robot according to the proposed stages: building a computer model, programming robot behaviour in a simulation system, developing a mathematical and digital model of the robot, implementing human-machine interaction between a physical robot and its digital replica, which will allow testing the interaction of the main components of the digital twin, performing data exchange between the physical and digital replica, and building a digital data model to verify the main operations.

Modelling and Simulation of a Redundant Agricultural Manipulator with Virtual Prototyping

The development of autonomous robots for agricultural applications includes motion planning, fruit picking, and collision avoidance with surrounding environments, and these become challenging tasks. For harvesting applications, robust control of the manipulator is needed for the effective motion of the robot. Several combinations of Proportional(P)- Integrative(I)- Derivative(D) controllers are modelled and a simulation study was performed for trajectory tracking of a redundant manipulator in virtual agricultural environments. The article presents a comprehensive study on kinematic modelling and dynamic control of redundant manipulator for fruit-picking applications in virtual environments. The collisions with surrounding environment were eliminated using ‘bounding box technique’. The joint variables are obtained by constructing Inverse Kinematics (IK) problem and are determined using a classical optimization technique. Different controllers are modelled in the ‘Simulink’ environment and are tuned to generate error-free trajectory tracking during harvesting. The task space locations (TSLs) are considered as via-points, and joint variables at each TSLs are obtained by Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) technique. Joint-level trajectories are generated using Quintic and B-spline polynomials. For effective trajectory tracking, torque variations are controlled using the PID and Feedforward (FF) controller. The dynamic simulations of the robot manipulator are performed in Simscape Multibody software. Results show that the during the trajectory tracking of the manipulator, the Feed-forward controller performs best with Quintic polynomial trajectory.

Simulation of suspended cable-driven parallel robot on SimulationX

Currently, research is being carried out on a new type of parallel robots, such as cable-driven parallel robot. The cable-driven parallel robot are parallel robots with flexible (cables), with a large workspace, with high speeds and accelerations of the end effector. In the cable-driven parallel robot, cables can only work in tension, and cable-driven parallel robot lose their performance when they are compressed. This feature severely limits the development and application of cable-driven parallel robots and requires further development of cable-driven parallel robot modeling on various software systems. Currently, Adams multibody dynamics software is widely used to create and test virtual prototypes of mechanical systems. But for cable-driven parallel robot modeling, the Adams program is quite complex and expensive to use. In this article, the simulation of the cable-driven parallel robot is carried out on the SimulationX software. Unlike other software packages, SimulationX is more accessible and cheaper and is well suited for cable-driven parallel robot simulation. Cable-driven parallel robot modeling on SimulationX allows you to identify the main design flaws even before its prototype is made. A model on the SimulationX software of a suspended cable-driven parallel robot with a point mass end effector, taking into account the elastic-dissipative properties of cables, was developed. The prototype of suspended cable-driven parallel robot with a point mass end effector was manufactured. Experimental researches of the prototype of the suspended cable-driven parallel robot with a point mass end effector confirmed the correctness of the application of the model on SimulationX for practical calculations.

Learning to Adapt Across Dual Discrepancy for Cross-Domain Person Re-Identification.

Thanks to the advent of deep neural networks, recent years have witnessed rapid progress in person re-identification (re-ID). Deep-learning-based methods dominate the leadership of large-scale benchmarks, some of which even surpass the human-level performance. Despite their impressive performance under the single-domain setup, current fully-supervised re-ID models degrade significantly when transplanted to an unseen domain. According to the characteristics of the re-ID task, such degradation is mainly attributed to the dramatic variation within the target domain and the severe shift between the source and target domain, which we call dual discrepancy in this paper. To achieve a model that generalizes well to the target domain, it is desirable to take such dual discrepancy into account. In terms of the former issue, a prevailing solution is to enforce consistency between nearest-neighbors in the embedding space. However, we find that the search of neighbors is highly biased in our case due to the discrepancy across cameras. For this reason, we equip the vanilla neighborhood invariance approach with a camera-aware learning scheme. As for the latter issue, we propose a novel cross-domain mixup scheme. It works in conjunction with virtual prototypes which are employed to handle the disjoint label space between the two domains. In this way, we can realize the smooth transfer by introducing the interpolation between the two domains as a transition state. Extensive experiments on four public benchmarks demonstrate the superiority of our method. Without any auxiliary models and offline clustering procedure, it achieves competitive performance against existing state-of-the-art methods. The code is available at https://github.com/LuckyDC/generalizing-reid-improved.

Effectiveness of Immersive Virtual Reality for Mechanical Engineering Capstone Courses

Abstract: This paper, a continuation paper to the work presented at a previous ASEE conference as a "Pilot" planned research [1], discusses the research results of integrating virtual reality (VR) in a Mechanical Engineering Senior Capstone Course. The paper discusses the layout of the VR lab, its CAD software and hardware integration components that facilitated the immersive experience of virtual prototyping, and the effectiveness of utilizing virtual prototyping as a substitute for rapid prototyping during early stages of engineering design. The paper also provides benefits and challenges of using VR technology and recommendations for its successful implementation in a capstone engineering design class.

Benchmark test for mode I fatigue-driven delamination in GFRP composite laminates: Experimental results and simulation with the inter-laminar damage model implemented in SAMCEF

Adopting effective and accurate numerical tools capable of predicting damage effects on the structure reduces design, certification, and maintenance costs. However, the tools to assess progressive delamination under high-cycle fatigue are rarely validated against realistic benchmark tests different from simple tests on coupon specimens that can be simplified to a 2D geometry. This work presents a benchmark test on a demonstrator specimen made of a non-crimp fabric laminated Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) used in the wind energy industry. The case shows varying crack growth rates and crack front shape over the fatigue life, making it more representative of structures in service than coupon specimens. Moreover, the test is simulated with the first commercially available tool to assess progressive delamination under high-cycle fatigue loading based on a cohesive zone model approach. The method is implemented in the Simcenter Samcef 2021.2 software package dedicated to mechanical virtual prototyping. A characterization testing campaign on coupon specimens is carried out to obtain the material properties for the method. The numerical method can reproduce the experimental results on the demonstrator specimen regarding crack front shape evolution and crack front location versus the number of fatigue cycles.

AWARENESS OF 3D BODY-SCANNING AND PROSPECTIVE UPDATE OF INDONESIAN ANTHROPOMETRY FOR VIRTUAL FASHION DESIGN

It is a challenge for the designer and user in compromising a perfect fit of fashion. This study addresses the awareness of users and development of two different methods for the fitting of a fashion product. The first one, it is an individual anthropometric measurement, whereas the second one is assisted anthropometric measurement. Based on the Focused Group Discussion (FGD), it showed that the virtual fashion technology was perceived as something new and prospective in the future fashion industry. Through the virtual prototyping using CLO3D, it was found that the result had relatively the same as the manual measurement. The virtual one has reduced measurement and lead time significantly. In other words, the virtual measurement is deemed to be a time-saving process, promoting “fitting the product to the user” principle. This study supports a good communication bridge between users and designers through the 3D virtual clothing process, and also contributes to Indonesian anthropometry updates.

AWARENESS OF 3D BODY-SCANNING AND PROSPECTIVE UPDATE OF INDONESIAN ANTHROPOMETRY FOR VIRTUAL FASHION DESIGN

It is a challenge for the designer and user in compromising a perfect fit of fashion. This study addresses the awareness of users and development of two different methods for the fitting of a fashion product. The first one, it is an individual anthropometric measurement, whereas the second one is assisted anthropometric measurement. Based on the Focused Group Discussion (FGD), it showed that the virtual fashion technology was perceived as something new and prospective in the future fashion industry. Through the virtual prototyping using CLO3D, it was found that the result had relatively the same as the manual measurement. The virtual one has reduced measurement and lead time significantly. In other words, the virtual measurement is deemed to be a time-saving process, promoting “fitting the product to the user” principle. This study supports a good communication bridge between users and designers through the 3D virtual clothing process, and also contributes to Indonesian anthropometry updates.

Vibration alleviation for wind turbine gearbox with flexible suspensions based on modal interaction

Wind turbine drivetrains play a fundamental role in converting wind power into electrical energy. The gearbox is one of the most important and expensive components in a wind turbine drivetrain. Since flexible suspensions mounted on the gearbox are mainly designed for isolating vibration transfer to other turbine components, the gearbox itself still suffers from complicated whole-body vibration. In view of this, a vibration absorption method based on modal interaction is put forward to alleviate the whole-body vibration of the wind turbine gearbox with flexible suspensions. A vibration absorber with adjustable control parameters is utilized to establish modal coupling with the wind turbine gearbox. Internal resonance is analyzed and used to construct a modal interaction mechanism between the vibration absorber mode and the controlled gearbox mode. With the help of modal interaction, the vibration energy of the controlled gearbox mode is successfully absorbed by the vibration absorber mode and effectively dissipated by the damping of the vibration absorber mode. Through numerical simulations and virtual prototyping simulations, its vibration alleviation performance is verified. Since the proposed method is designed in terms of the controlled mode of the wind turbine gearbox rather than external excitations, it is suitable for applications in a complicated working environment. Besides, the proposed method aims to transfer and dissipate vibration energy through nonlinear modal interaction rather than suppress vibration via external energy, and thus can effectively deal with strong vibration problems. More importantly, it can easily work together with the existing vibration isolation method and further alleviate the whole-body vibration of the gearbox. This research will contribute to improving the reliability and service life of wind turbine gearboxes.

Virtual prototyping and characterization of a point-of-entry UV-LED water disinfection reactor with the synergic effect of radiation, hydrodynamics, and inactivation kinetics

We developed and studied one of the first high-flow UV-LED water disinfection reactors applicable to point-of-entry (POE) water disinfection. A multiphysics computational model was created to predict the performance of UV reactor design concepts by modeling the synergic effect of radiation, hydrodynamics, and the inactivation kinetics of microorganisms. The geometrical optics that describe light propagation in terms of rays were employed to model the radiation profile of multiple UV-LEDs with optical components in complex reactor geometries, the first account of such an approach. The computational solution of the mass, momentum, and species equations was applied to model the hydrodynamics and kinetics. We designed a reactor through a detailed computational study of the optical and hydrodynamic performance of various design strategies. Highly efficient UV fluence distribution in the reactor was achieved by creating nearly collimated UV radiation beams across the reactor and managing the hydrodynamics using a flow distributor. We fabricated a prototype of the optimized reactor design for experimental studies. Biodosimetry tests were conducted for various flow rates and UV transmittances (UVTs), and the experimental results were compared with the model predictions. The design, which employed 14 UV-LEDs assembled over custom-made optical modules, resulted in a reduction equivalent dose (RED) of 65 mJ/cm2 at a flow rate of 20 liters per minute (LPM) while consuming about 50 W energy. This reactor design required only 0.05 W radiant power per LPM flow rate to achieve an NSF Class A UV dose equivalent of 40 mJ/cm2. The findings of this study provide insights into UV-LED reactor development strategies as well as the creation and application of reactor virtual prototyping tools for designing and optimizing highly efficient UV-LED reactors.

Design of a 3 kW PMSM with Super Premium Efficiency

Extended use of permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) has brought the need to design motors that can comply with the latest requirements in terms of efficiency. This paper presents different configurations in the case of a 3 kW PMSM with two pole pairs, focusing on finding the optimal constructive solutions to ensure that it falls within the IE4 efficiency class. Six virtual prototypes were developed and simulated using the Altair FluxMotor software. A detailed comparison between the simulated versions was carried out in terms of overall efficiency, torque ripple, weight and flux density, with the focus on the nominal operating point. The results show that the virtual prototype with a relatively simple rotor design but higher stator slots number had the best results in terms of efficiency and torque ripple at the nominal operating point.

Digital Dimensions: Unveiling the Potential of E-Design and Virtual Prototyping

The design and prototyping processes have undergone significant transformation due to the emergence of E-Design and Virtual Prototyping in a time marked by remarkable technological progress. This study examines the significant influence of digital aspects on several industries, providing a comprehensive analysis of their potential for transformation. E-Design comprises a wide range of digital tools and processes that aid in the inception, development, and refining of design ideas. Through the utilisation of computer-aided design (CAD), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), E-Design has emerged as a platform that facilitates novel opportunities for creative expression and collaborative endeavours. This technology empowers designers and engineers to surpass the limitations imposed by geographical distances, thereby promoting international collaboration and facilitating the emergence of interdisciplinary creativity. In contrast, Virtual Prototyping provides a dynamic platform that enables the iterative enhancement of prototypes, free from the restrictions imposed by physical constraints. By employing intricate simulations and digital twinning techniques, this approach expedites the cycle of product development, diminishes expenses, and mitigates the adverse effects on the environment. The rise of Virtual Prototyping has facilitated equal access to prototyping, hence enabling startups and small enterprises to engage in the process. This study examines case studies in several industries, including automotive, aerospace, architecture, and healthcare, to demonstrate the transformative impact of E-Design and Virtual Prototyping on product development and project lifecycles. This study investigates the obstacles and ethical implications linked to E-Design and Virtual Prototyping, encompassing concerns regarding data security, intellectual property rights, and the digital divide. This highlights the necessity of practising responsible innovation and implementing ethical principles in order to effectively navigate this revolutionary environment.

Digital Transformation, Applications, and Vulnerabilities in Maritime and Shipbuilding Ecosystems

The evolution of maritime and shipbuilding supply chains toward digital ecosystems increases operational complexity and needs reliable communication and coordination. As labor and suppliers shift to digital platforms, interconnection, information transparency, and decentralized choices become ubiquitous. In this sense, Industry 4.0 enables "smart digitalization" in these environments. Many applications exist in two distinct but interrelated areas related to shipbuilding design and shipyard operational performance. New digital tools, such as virtual prototypes and augmented reality, begin to be used in the design phases, during the commissioning/quality control activities, and for training workers and crews. An application relates to using Virtual Prototypes and Augmented Reality during all the design and construction phases. Another application relates to the cybersecurity protection of operational networks that support shipbuilding supply chains that ensures the flow of material and labor to the shipyards. This protection requires a holistic approach to evaluate their vulnerability and understand ripple effects. This paper presents the applications of Industry 4.0 for the areas mentioned above. The first case in shipbuilding design is an example of how the virtual prototype of a ship, together with wearable devices enabling augmented reality, can be used for the quality control of the construction of ship systems. For the second case, we propose developing an artificial intelligence-based cybersecurity supply network framework that characterizes and monitors shipbuilding supply networks and determines ripple effects from disruptions caused by cyberattacks. This framework extends a novel risk management framework developed by Diaz and Smith and Smith and Diaz that considers complex tiered networks.

A methodological framework for the integration of 3D virtual prototyping into the design development of laser-cut garments

3D virtual prototyping for garment development, although not much exploited and appreciated by the clothing industry in the early days of its appearance two decades ago, has now been explored (research-wise) extensively especially in the pandemic period and its impact on the whole supply chain of garments and fashion products. This virtual prototype which allows the company to visualize the status and condition of a clothing product that may be thousands of kilometers away, providing insights into how products can be better designed, manufactured, operated and serviced before companies invest in physical prototypes and assets, is often called digital twin. At the same time, laser-cut as a creative design technique on clothing materials have emerged in recent times, as fashion moguls are seeing the benefits that the technology presents. Laser cut technology with its benefits of accuracy, speed, precision, applicability in various materials, flexibility in geometry, interoperability with other systems like CAD/CAM and CIM, sustainability in resources and source of inspiration for several upcoming designers, provides an excellent approach for creating bridges between the past, the present and the future in history of fashion design. The aim of this paper was to provide a decision-making framework for the selection of an effective digital twinning process with the use of two different 3D virtual prototyping tools. For this purpose, a methodological framework is proposed which guides the creator according to the final use of the digital garment twin: evaluation of actual fit and actual representation of the produced physical, or as a shared digital asset for an exclusive digital environment.

Supporting Efficient Electrified Vehicle Development by Virtual Component and System Integration

Efficiently mastering the complexity of electrified powertrains by simultaneously meeting all functional and performance targets requires a highly integrated development approach. The present paper provides an overview of the simulation framework elaborated in the project VISION-xEV for supporting digital development to enable faster deployment of electrified/hybrid vehicles on the market. The research and innovation activities of VISION-xEV comprised the development of fast high-fidelity e-component models including the related parameterization workflows and consistent methodologies for virtual component and system integration. The methods resulting from VISION-xEV facilitate the increased utilization of virtual prototyping on component, sub-system and powertrain/vehicle level for supporting the efficient and effective development of all kinds of future electrified/hybrid vehicles.

Virtual Prototyping for Modern Internet-of-Things Applications: A Survey

Modern technological industries fused with the Internet-of-Things (IoT) have been advancing rapidly. The joint usage of several technologies has led to the reshaping of the modeling and simulation techniques into the virtualization of physical systems. Thus, the concept of virtual prototyping has emerged as a significant development in distributed IoT applications that includes early exploration, optimization, and security assessments. Several industries have been employing various types of prototyping e.g., virtual platforms, digital twins, and application-specific virtualization techniques, to achieve individual needs for development. In this survey, we clarify some of these concepts and the distinctions between them, provide a comprehensive overview of various prototyping technologies, and discuss how several virtualization technologies play a transformative role in the design and operation of intelligent cyber-physical systems.

Preliminary Investigation of Convergent Evolution-Inspired Serrated Structure for Optimization of Mini Rotavator Blade’s Cutting-Edge

Highlights An alternative bioinspired perspective that focuses on analogous geometrical features of soil animals was proposed. Reverse-engineering technique was adopted to build the virtual prototype of mini-rotavator’s blades. EDEM investigation along with soil bin experiment were conducted to evaluate blades’ performance and reveal the soil-blades interaction mechanism. The tillage tools designed by convergent evolution-inspired approach could increase their availability in underdeveloped hilly and mountainous areas. Abstract. High resistance torque and energy consumption severely limit the applications of mini rotavators in underdeveloped hilly and mountainous areas. From the perspective of convergent evolution, this study proposes an alternative optimization approach that takes a broader perspective and focuses on analogous structures of soil animal claws that serve the functions of efficient soil burrowing. Experimental investigations were carried out to test the hypothesis that serrated structures with certain geometrical parameters could have the potential of reducing penetrating resistance and improving energy efficiency of rotary soil-engaging component. By taking mini rotavator’s blade as the research object, the convergent evolution inspired serrated structures were utilized for the design of the blade’s front, side and transition cutting edge. In this investigation, five types bioinspired mini rotavator’s blades were designed and prepared, then their performances were compared with the conventional blade. By taking the length of serrated unit, rotational speed and tilling depth as experimental factors, and the resistance torque as experimental index, quadratic regression rotation orthogonal combination test was conducted. Then, the optimal parameters for the design of bionic blade were determined. Further, the performance of mini rotavator assembled with bionic and conventional blades were evaluated by EDEM. The mechanism of bionic blades for reducing resistance and improving tillage efficiency was investigated. Soil bin experiments indicated that the optimal parameters combination was length of serrated unit of 30 mm, the speed of 165 r/min, and tilling depth of 90 mm. At this condition, the average torque for bionic and conventional blade was 2.97 and 3.82 N·m, respectively. The bioinspired serrated structure reduced resistance torque by 22.25%. To further investigate the interaction behavior between soil and different types of blades, the reverse-engineering technique was used to extract the geometric characteristics and build virtual prototypes of the bionic and conventional blades. Then, the virtual prototypes of blades was meshed with tetrahedral elements. Simulation model was established based on EDEM. The variation behavior of resistance torque and three-dimensional forces of the two types of blades were analyzed. As expected, the simulation results showed that the average torque of the bionic and conventional blade was 2.84 and 3.42 N·m, respectively. EDEM evaluation derived that bioinspired blade reduced resistance torque by 17.0%. The relative error between simulation and measurement ranged between 4.58% and 11.70%, respectively. Thereby, the validity of discrete element model was verified and tillage performance were further analyzed. It was found the soil disturbance resulted from bionic blades was higher than that of conventional blades, which indicated improved tillage quality. Moreover, the breaking bonding Bonds for bionic blade was 72.8%, which was slightly inferior than conventional blades of 75.4%. But both types of blades could meet the tillage reequipment. These results validated that convergent evolution inspired bionic optimization approach has advantageous for the design of rotary soil-engaging implements for improving working quality and reducing resistance. Keywords: Agricultural machinery, Bioinspired serrated structure, Bionics, Convergent evolution, Discrete element, Mini rotavator, Reverse engineering, Soil-engaging component.

Design Optimization by Virtual Prototyping Using Numerical Simulation to Ensure Thermomechanical Reliability in the Assembly and Interconnection of Electronic Assemblies

Abstract A methodology is presented that allows the evaluation of the thermomechanical reliability of electronic packages using “virtual prototyping.” Here, a virtual flip chip ball grid array (FC-BGA) is examined in comparison to a reference chip scale package (CSP). The comparison is performed using finite element simulation. A combined measurement-simulation technique is used to calibrate the finite element simulations on a reference object. The adjustment is based on the in-plane deformation field obtained by both simulation and optical measurement. For the latter, an optical sensor is used for in-plane deformation and strain field analysis based on the gray-scale correlation method. The findings obtained can be extrapolated to alternative package types with different but similar design to evaluate their suitability for the desired application before physical fabrication.