ITR: High Fidelity Simulation for Heterogeneous Civil and Mechanical Systems

University Of Colorado At Boulder, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract High Fidelity Simulation for Heterogeneous Civil and Mechanical Systems This award funds a three-year research program to develop and evaluate methods for high fidelity modeling and simulation of strongly heterogeneous coupled systems of importance in Civil and Mechanical Engineering. These systems are characterized by interacting components of widely different mechanical characteristics. The approach relies on multilevel decomposition, into subsystems, interface localization and regularization. The proposed research is based on two innovative concepts: (1) An interface localization method designed to link heterogeneous models of system components while maintaining consistency and energy conservation between nonmatching discretizations. (2) A regularization approach that preserves the full accuracy of the interactions transmitted across the interfaces for a wide spectrum of coupled problems. The research will be driven by and evaluated on two application examples that exhibit widely different physical scales: (1) A dam under seismic excitation, accounting for fluid-structure interaction with bulk cavitation as well as interaction with highly heterogeneous soil strata. (2) A wide-band MEMS frequency-sensor device consisting of a resonator mounted on a layered silicon substrate. Techniques for model-based simulation of physically homogeneous components have experienced great advances over the past three decades. Difficulties occur when interfacing such models. These difficulties can be traced to physical, modeling or computational method mismatches. For example, a degrading interface or a protective foam layer can produce highly inaccurate results in the prediction of inter-component fluxes and forces. The approach taken in this research aims to take maximum advantage of existing models and methods for the isolated subsystems, while developing interaction techniques that address those difficulties. Outcomes of this research will have application to other fields of science and technology that deal with the interaction of strongly heterogeneous models. These include aircraft and marine engineering, electronic packaging and the design of advanced materials. Computational multiphysics is expected to be a key component of ongoing US industry efforts to boost productivity through information technology by faster exploration of designs and concepts, and eventually optimization integrated with CADM. However, the complexity inherent in multiphysics simulations necessarily requires the collaboration of experts in the underlying disciplines. This can lead to difficulties and costly retrofits when models originally develop to address the individual problems are interfaced. The research aims at facilitating, through modularity and reuse, the timely incorporation of advances in modeling and interfacing techniques in simulation.