SOFTWARE

Improve engineering efficiency by advanced

surface modelling and meshing
SesamTM 45 years of success

Ole Jan Nekstad, Product Director Sesam

24 March 2015

DNV GL 2013

20 March 2015

SAFER, SMARTER, GREENER

Focus of the webinar: Why are we much smarter and faster today?
Significant achievements within structure modelling, load application and meshing
Initial model and multiple model iterations

Interior part of the model

A typical
model

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Detail of the FE model

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The history in Sesam

o FE modelling in the seventies & eighties
o Geometry modelling in the nineties
o Concept modelling in the twenties

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Surface modelling
o Structure
o Loads
o Boundary conditions
o Detailed FE model in a global model

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GeniE same tool for fixed and floating structures

Fixed structures all handled from
with GeniE user interface

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Floating structures close interaction

with HydroD to compute and apply
loads

Options to create surfaces in GeniE

Do all in GeniE
Make points and curves to create surfaces in GeniE
Import curves and create surfaces in GeniE
Import cross section data from Nauticus Hull
Import DXF curves from CAD systems
Import curve data from Rhino 3D
Import surfaces
From NAPA via Sesam Hull Translator
Via the ACIS .SAT format
Import complete models (structure &
properties)
Via the Sesam FEM format (Nastran,
Ansys, Napa Steel, Aveva)
For fixed structures: Sacs, StaadPro, MicroSas

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Basic principles for creating surfaces in GeniE

All surfaces are based on points or curves
Between two points, Circular fillet, Hermite Cubic Spline, Shape Preserving
Cubic Spline, Polyline etc.
Surfaces are created by cover lines, sweeping, skinning/lofting, point net
interpolation or curve net interpolation

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Basic principles for creating surfaces in GeniE

Dynamic connection between concepts
connections are always updated
Beams, plates, equipment
Connections may be de-coupled if needed
There will always be a mesh line along the
connection lines

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Import curves and create surfaces

3D DXF curves can be imported from almost all CAD systems. The curves can be
surface boundary edges, parametric lines on surfaces, intersection lines between
planes and surfaces, offset tables or even drawing data

Surfaces made by cover, sweep, skinning

and curve-net interpolation
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Integration with Nauticus Hull for mid-ship model

Extrude data from Section Scantlings

Longitudinal
stiffener and
plate properties
are transferred

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Importing surface models

By use of the Acis SAT format (version 2.0)

Surface imported and mirrored

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Importing surface models

Importing Napa models via the Sesam Hull Translator
Import model from Napa & decide extent of model to export to GeniE

Interior structure added and

computing compartments
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Surfaces are controlled with a minimum of control points/lines

GeniE gives a FE mesh that is independent of the interior of a surface

A single surface
and the lines
used to create it

The mesh is controlled by the surface edges, and NOT by

the lines used to generate the surface

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Import complete models

Structure and properties may be imported via the Sesam FEM format
Nastran, Ansys, Napa Steel, Aveva
FE model imported from
Aveva and converted to a
GeniE concept model

FE model imported from

Nastran and converted to a
GeniE concept model

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Surface modelling
o Structure
o Loads
o Boundary conditions
o Detailed FE model in a global model

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Environmental loads on fixed and floating structures

Fixed structures
All is done from inside Sesam GeniE
Wind, current, wave, marine growth
Morison theory
Deterministic, stochastic, time domain
Non-linear pile/soil analysis

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Floaters
Integrated: Results from Sesam HydroD
(hydrodynamic frequency or time domain
analysis) imported into Sesam GeniE
No load transfer: Accelerations or RAO are
computed in Sesam HydroD and used as
basis for load-cases in Sesam GeniE

Deadweight loads
From structural mass x gravity
From point masses x gravity
Blanket loads (evenly distributed mass)
Equipment (including import of data
from weight control systems)
Specific pressure loads, point or line
loads
Temperature loads on beams
Compartment loads

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CSR and CSR-H rule load conditions from Nauticus Hull

Compartment definitions defined in
GeniE
Used when generating rule loads
in Nauticus Hull
CSR and CSR-H load combinations
for FEA automatically generated and
transferred to GeniE model

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Surface modelling
o Structure
o Loads
o Boundary conditions
o Detailed FE model in a global model

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Boundary conditions are needed to prevent singularity in analysis

GeniE supports a number of boundary conditions
Fixed
Free
Super nodes for use in superelement analysis
Prescribed displacement
Dependent (rigid link support
or master-slave nodes)
Ground to spring
Boundary stiffness matrix (6x6)

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Boundary conditions are applied to a point or a curve

BC on points are most often used for
frame structures

Various BC applied to
points

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Modelling of BC on curves are

independent of mesh

BC are applied to a curve and automatically

added to the finite element model and updated
when e.g. changing the mesh size

Surface modelling
o Structure
o Loads
o Boundary conditions
o Detailed FE model in a global model

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Refined shell model in global beam model

Often used for detailed stress analysis or fatigue analysis
Connection between surface and beam model handled by rigid support link

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Local FE model in global model

Another example
Easy to document the quality of the elements
GeniE will produce good quality mesh, but with edit mesh functionality you have
the freedom to make it match your requirements

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FE Meshing
o Automatic mesh generation
o Partial meshing
o Edit mesh
o Mesh refinement

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Automatic mesh generation

Mesh control is applied to surfaces or lines and mesh is created based on various
mesh rules
Mesh densities & mesh algorithms
QA check points like angle & Jacobi
determinant
Other preferences

Fine mesh in the middle with

transition zone set up by GeniE
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Automatic mesh generation

Add definitions for explicit finite element border

Mesh edge along the user defined control line

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FE Meshing
o Automatic mesh generation
o Partial meshing
o Edit mesh
o Mesh refinement

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Partial mesh: Keep existing and re-mesh only what is needed

Example of initial mesh
270.000 elements, 140.000 nodes
Generation time 770 sec

Global mesh density 0.65 m

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Refine mesh density in corner

Generation time 59 sec
Saved more than 700 sec!

Refined mesh density

0.65 m/4 = 0.1625 m

A change can be mesh settings or

inserting/removing structure
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Refine neighbouring mesh in corner

282.000 elements, 152.000 nodes
200 sec saved 570 sec!

Automatic meshing gives

good Jacobi determinant

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FE Meshing
o Automatic mesh generation
o Partial meshing
o Edit mesh
o Mesh refinement

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Manual mesh editing

Mesh algorithms gives huge advantages compared to manual creation of mesh
Manual adjustment of mesh may be needed to satisfy various requirements
User experience, class requirements etc.

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Manual mesh editing

Mesh editing ideal for quick refinement of mesh
Includes transition part between coarse and refined mesh
Less need for defining mesh control in the structure model
All edit mesh definitions are scripted

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Edit node position

Adjust a FE node and at the same time check the Jacobi determinant
On planar as well as curved surfaces
Graphic pick and move

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Improve mesh based on Jacobi determinant

Different mesh algorithms (Sesam Quad and Paver Meshing) will give different
mesh
Paver: Best along edges Sesam Quad: Best in the middle of a plate
Automatic improve the actual finite element and surrounding elements

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Edit node position

FE nodes can be aligned along lines
Just select start and stop
positions

After manual editing

Auto generated mesh

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Delete elements and merge triangular elements

Hover the mouse over element delete
it

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Select and drag the triangular element

to merge

Move triangular elements

Move triangular from edge

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Manually insert new finite elements

New node positions auto aligned with mid positions can be override by user

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Edit mesh on curved shells

Edit mesh follows the shell surface
There is no linearization between nodes

Refine mesh

Move node

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FE Meshing
o Automatic mesh generation
o Partial meshing
o Edit mesh
o Mesh refinement

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Refine grid - basics

Automatic refinement from 1 -> 2 or
1 -> 3 finite elements
Includes transition from fine to coarse

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Refine grid
Easy to refine large parts in one go
Simply move the mouse along the diagonal of the highlighted elements

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Refine grid
Adjusting a surface mesh will auto
update neighbouring mesh

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Refine grid
Manually refine mesh along edges

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Refine grid
Mesh refinement box
Spend a few seconds in stead of 1 hour

The bracket shown here is

for demonstration only it
is not based on best
engineering practices

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No need to redefine the loads when editing the mesh!

The loads applied to a surface or line are automatically recomputed when a new
analysis is performed

A linearly varying pressure

is applied to a surface(s)

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The FE loads are

automatically computed for
the initial mesh

The mesh is refined (or

edited) and the loads are
automatically recomputed

Demo of edit and refine mesh

- GeniE 7.1 scheduled for release July 2015
- GeniE 7.0 has many of the features presented

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Two demo cases

Bracket model
Fatigue model made by
automatic refinement

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Tubular joint
One overlapping brace
One brace with gap
Fatigue model made by
manual mesh editing

Thank you!
Feedbacks and questions: software@dnvgl.com
Technical support: software.support@dnvgl.com

www.dnvgl.com

SAFER, SMARTER, GREENER

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