Patent ID: 8180605
Filing Date: 2012-05-15
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of creating a smooth contact interface in finite element analysis comprising: receiving a finite element analysis (FEA) model representing an engineering product in a computer system, the FEA model includes at least one master segment for simulating one or more contacts, wherein the at least one master segment comprises a plurality of nodes and a plurality of shell elements, each of the shell elements comprising a set of corner nodes; determining a list of connected elements for each of the nodes in the master segment, each of the connected elements shares at least said each of the nodes; calculating an element normal vector for said each of the shell elements; calculating a nodal normal vector of said each of the nodes using respective element normal vectors of all from the list of connected elements; when said each of the nodes is located at an outside edge of two or more adjoining elements of said connected elements having said respective element normal vectors parallel to one another, adjusting the nodal normal vector to be parallel to said element normal vector; creating a set of edge control points from respective pair of adjacent corner nodes at each edge of said each of the shell elements using the nodal normal vector; creating a mid-element control point when said each of the shell element is a quadrilateral; creating a smooth contact interface using a curve-fitted surface being formed through all of the nodes and the control points of the master segment; and conducting a finite element analysis using the FEA model including the smooth contact interface for the one or more contacts, the finite element analysis is used for a time-marching engineering simulation for assisting a user to make decision in improvement of an engineering product design.