Patent Document ID: 8423327
Application ID: 12042385
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method executed in a computer system of conducting a time domain numerical simulation of an impact event using a hybrid approach of computer aided engineering analysis including finite element method (FEM) and adaptive smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), said method comprising: (a) defining a plurality of FEM models each representing a structure in an impact event involving two or more structures, each of the FEM models having a plurality of finite elements; (b) conducting a time domain numerical simulation of the impact event using the FEM for the FEM models initially; (c) detecting and determining one or more failed finite elements in the FEM models based on a set of failure criteria; (d) dividing each of said one or more failed finite elements into a plurality of partitions, each partition being replaced by a SPH particle representing debris resulted from the impact event; (e) continuing the time domain numerical simulation using the FEM for the FEM models with remaining finite elements and using the adaptive SPH for said SPH particle and other SPH particles; and (f) repeating (c)-(e) until the time domain numerical simulation ends.