Technologies to deliver real-time interactivity for virtual reality in stress analysis of solids

该提案提出了一个工作方案，如果成功，将导致改变使用计算工具提供工程模拟的方式。该方法将在过程中带来更多的交互性，因此工程师/设计师可以持续与分析进行交互，并接收解决方案的即时反馈，他/她可以评估正在设计的部件的耐久性，寿命和抗疲劳性。读者被要求想象一台计算机显示固体表面上的应力轮廓，然后想象工程师对设计进行一些几何更改，例如增加圆角半径。这样的操作通常可以通过点击并拖动鼠标操作来执行。接下来，想象当鼠标被拖动并且几何形状被变形时，应力等值线在屏幕上以真实的时间更新。使用不同动态操作的进一步几何变化也会导致应力真实的实时更新。因此，应力分析沿着几何图形发展，并指导设计，而不是在设计完成后对其进行验证。这是所提出的工作输出的愿景。这种交互性水平不再是一个愿景，而是一个现实，对于2D模拟。以前在达勒姆的工作已经导致了一个系统概念分析师的发展，读者被邀请查看网站http://www.conceptanalyst.com查看典型的交互式设计分析会议的屏幕截图。这是拟议的工作的目的，使相同水平的互动3D模拟。这将提出几个技术挑战，但承诺有相当大的影响。我们请求EPSRC资助，以支持博士后研究助理和研究生，提供适当的计算设施，并通过会议和学术出版物资助合作和传播。拟议项目的期限为三年。

This proposal sets out a programme of work that, if successful, will lead to a change in the way that computational tools are used to provide engineering simulations. The approach will bring considerably more interactivity into the process, so that the engineer/designer is continuously interacting with the analysis and receiving immediate feedback of solutions from which he/she can assess the durability, life and fatigue resistance of the component being designed. The reader is asked to imagine a computer showing contours of stresses on the surface of a solid body, and next imagine the engineer making some geometric change to the design, e.g. increasing a fillet radius. Such an operation might normally be performed by a click-and-drag mouse operation. Next, imagine the stress contours updating on the screen in real time as the mouse is dragged and the geometry is being deformed. Further geometric changes using different dynamic operations also cause stresses to update in real time. Thus the stress analysis evolves along with the geometry, and guides the design rather than validates it after its completion. This is the vision for the output of the proposed work.This level of interactivity is no longer a vision, but instead a reality, for 2D simulations. Previous work at Durham has led to the development of a system Concept Analyst, and readers are invited to view the web site http://www.conceptanalyst.com to view screen captures of typical interactive design analysis sessions. It is the aim of the proposed work to bring the same level of interactivity to 3D simulations. This will present several technical challenges, but promises to have considerable impact.We request funding from EPSRC to support a post-doctoral research associate and a postgraduate student, to provide for appropriate computational facilities, and to fund collaboration and dissemination through conferences and academic publications. The duration of the proposed project is three years.