3D visual environment for aeronautical structures design and analysis.

Popescu, Diana ; Baran, Daniela ; Pupaza, Cristina 等

1. INTRODUCTION

The modern trend in the design process of complex products (such as aeronautical and transportation fields) is to gather the experience of different specialists/partners in a collaborative environment, each partner adding its own knowledge and expertise, and contributing to design, analysis, evaluation, manufacturing or testing processes (Sriram, 2002), (Qin & Sun, 2006), (Stevenson & Hartong, 2002).

Nowadays, this approach is somehow mandatory in aeronautics, considering the large undertaking in designing airplanes (and other such complex structures), but also due to the specificity of globalization and to the need to decrease the time-to-market, to cut the costs and this way to ensure an advantage over the competition.

A review of the state of art in the field (Li, 2007), (Sriram, 2002) showed the strengths and weaknesses of collaborative design software solutions in general, but also for particular commercial and in-house software solutions, developed by universities and companies. Moreover, the current focus is also on using Virtual Reality environments (CAVE, DIVE, COVISE, ViSiCADE, etc.) for enhancing the analysis and visualization capabilities (Callahan & Tyler, 1998), (Jezernik & Hren, 2003), (Klocke & Straube, 2003). Our project named INPROV (Design & Analysis Tools and Techniques for Aerospace Structures in 3D Visual Environment) has as main objectives to develop a set of tools and techniques, and to integrate them in a software package built for structure analysis applications. This project is based on Romanian engineers experience in the design and analysis of aerospace structures, consolidated with modern methods and techniques. The proposed solution is intended to be cost effective (comparing to commercial solutions)--without using expensive commercial codes--, user friendly and is it estimated to reduce the design time at least by 12%.

Although the collaborative environment, through the created infrastructure, ensures the communication between partners, sometimes there are difficulties in accessing various tools, in transferring technical information, setting the user roles/privileges, etc. The problems appear mainly because the procedures, technologies and software systems are usually differently implemented from partner to partner. In such cases, in order to provide a full understanding of the information between partners, converters or other applications, notes and even remake of some activities, are used.

In the project, the tools and techniques (grouped in a system) will not be limited only to make the design and analysis activities of the aeronautic structures more efficient, but will also support all kind of activities that are taking place during the lifecycle of a specific structure (redesign, harness, maintenance, investigation after specific events, etc).

The research presented in this paper represents a natural extension of the researchers experience from aviation centers in Romania, involved in designing and building the Romanian IAR93 and IAR99 aircrafts, and more recently in the conceptual design of the new generation of regional transportation aircrafts, in collaboration with University Politehnica of Bucharest and company INAS--specialized in FEM analysis using different commercial software.

2. DEVELOPMENT OF INPROV SOLUTION

The project presented in this paper is an on-going research for developing a software solution for the design and analysis of aeronautical structures, having the following objectives:

* To develop and vary the design solutions in order to optimize the conceptual design solutions

* To automate the design and analysis processes of different aeronautical structures

* To facilitate the exchange of technical information between partners, using a specific user interface and specific visualization tools.

The proposed system is designed to extract from a database a 3D CAD object, together with some or all the associated information. The object is placed in a visual environment with which the user may interact (Fig.1), in order to ensure a 3D visual examination which contributes to a better understanding and correlation with related information.

The components of the integrated system are: database, analysis and visualization applications, and user interface.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]

2.1 Database module

The database should contain various entities like: text documents, images, 3D CAD objects, Office documents, etc. The database attribute of being heterogeneous is given especially by the above diversity and therefore a classical system for administration cannot be used.

A linked-indexed hybrid system will be built in a programming language (C++ or Visual Basic) to include dialog controls and browser launchers for database management.

2.2 Visualization and FEM analyzing application module

The applications are launched through the system interface. In INPROV project new programs will be developed for joints FEM analysis (rivets, etc.), for both static and fatigue analyses. The system launches structural analysis processes using different scenarios, based on the entry data, and writes the results in the database.

3D visualization tools will allow the following actions: rotate, zoom in/out, assembly explode, shading, individual view for each component of the assembly.

2.3 Interface module

At this stage of the project, the research team of INPROV set the general structure of the interface, by analyzing different types of graphical interfaces and the general rules for GUI's design (usability, autonomy, design for clarity, design for consistency, visual and audio feedback, standard icons, etc.) (Mandel, 1997).

The system interface contains the following menus:

* File, for loading and unloading documents in the database, adding directories and files for classifying the information, advanced searching functions

* CAD, for product (assembly) structure visualization (activating/deactivating the explorer window)

* CAE, for visualization of the analyzing data and accessing the FEA application

* Visualization, for functions such as rotate, zoom in/out, sectioning, measure, etc.

* Administration, for assigning roles for different types of documents.

Also, the interface will include two graphical zones, one for CAD viewer and the other for CAE viewer/system.

3. CONCLUSION AND FURTHER WORK

INPROV project is intended to develop a software package which supports the collaborative work for aeronautical structures design and analysis, by integrating different types of information in a 3D visual environment.

[FIGURE 3 OMITTED]

As mentioned before, the research is in progress at the moment, only the system architecture definition and the general view of the interface and its functions are being set.

In the next part of the project the following major steps will be taken:

* Hierarchical structuring of the database. Creation of the hierarchies databases type "3D relational object" (DBMS) with entities resulted from previous designing processes;

* System Tools creation. Define the software environment in order to build the system components and set the relational models between 3D objects and corresponding objects structure analysis results

* Setting the OS, the resources and software (technologies, programming languages, libraries)

* Integration of the applications into the system;

* System implementation.

4. REFERENCES

Callahan, J.D., Tyler, J.M. (1998), The cost effective use of VRML for visualization in finite element method, University of Southern Mississippi, December 4-5

Impelluso, T.J. (1998), Physically-Based Virtual Reality: Integrating FEM and Visualization, Proc. of the 12th ASCE Engineering Mechanics Conference, La Jolla, California, May 17-20, pp. 178-181, ISSN 1943-5568

Jezernik, A., Hren, G. (2003), A solution to integrate computer-aided design (CAD) and virtual reality (VR) databases in design and manufacturing processes, International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 22, pp. 68-774, ISSN 0268-3768

Klocke, F., Straube, A.M. (2004), Virtual Process Engineering: Approach to integrate VR, FEM, and simulation tools in the manufacturing chain, Mecanique & Industries, ISSN 12962139, 2004, vol. 5, no2, pp. 199-205, ISSN 1296-2139

Li, W.D., et al. (2007). Collaborative Product Design and Manufacturing Methodologies and Applications, Springer Series in Advanced Manufacturing, ISBN-10: 1846288010

Mandel, T., (1997), The Elements of User Interface Design, Chapter 5: The Golden Rules of User Interface Design, John Wiley & Sons, pp. 5-1-5-28, ISBN-10: 0471162671, ISBN-13: 978-0471162674

Sriram, R.D., (2002), Distributed and Integrated Collaborative Engineering Design, Sarven Pub, ISBN-10: 0972506403

Stevenson, M.D., Hartong, A.R., (2002), Collaborative Design Environment for Space Launch Vehicle Design and Optimization, RTO AVT Symposium on "Reduction of Military Vehicle Acquisition Time and Cost through Advanced Modelling and Virtual Simulation ", Paris, France, pp.50-1-50-12,

Qin, S.F., Sun, G., (2006), Analysis and control of complex collaborative design systems, International Journal of General Systems, Vol 35 (3), pp. 377-386, ISSN 0308-1079