Patent Document ID: 20130185030
Application ID: 13351945
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method of numerically simulating structural behaviors of a product using explicit finite element analysis (FEA) with a combined technique of subcycling and mass scaling, said method comprising: receiving a FEA model and a minimum time step size (Δt min ) in a computer system having an explicit FEA application module installed thereon, said FEA model representing a product defined by a plurality of nodes and a plurality of finite elements with associated material properties and said minimum time step size being used for a time-marching simulation of the product; establishing N element groups with a first element group associated with said minimum time step size, remaining of the N element groups being associated with integer multiples of said minimum time step size, where N is a whole number greater than one; sorting the finite elements into the N element groups based on respective critical time step sizes of the finite elements; applying proper amount of mass scaling to those finite elements too small to maintain a stable solution in the first element group; and obtaining simulated structural behaviors at a number of major solution cycles and at one or more sub solution cycles of each major solution cycle by conducting the time-marching simulation using the FEA model with the explicit FEA application module executed in the computer system, said explicit FEA application module applying a combined technique of subcycling and mass scaling by periodic resorting of the finite elements based on their new respective element critical time step sizes and applying proper amount of mass scaling to those finite elements that have become too small to maintain a stable solution in the first element group.