Computer program product for automated fatigue and structural analysis of an element

• US 20030158676A1
• Filed: 03/12/2003
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Sermersheim, Jeffrey S., Meyer, Eric S., Fields, Scott S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,862,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/42
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2203/0214 Calculations a priori without experimental data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/02 CAD in a network environment, e.g. collaborative CAD or distributed simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/04 Ageing analysis or optimisation against ageing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/15 Vehicle, aircraft or watercraft design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/23 using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM]

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product are provided for automated fatigue and structural analysis of a structural element. The method, system and computer program product consolidate and manage the fatigue and structural analysis tools and are responsive to user requests for fatigue and structural analysis of elements based upon user-provided information regarding the element. As such, the appropriate fatigue and structural analysis tools are automatically selected and run, and the output of the tools is automatically evaluated to provide immediately useful fatigue and structural analysis results to the user without requiring further manual input. Thus, people without specialized training can quickly obtain fatigue and structural analysis results for an element. In addition, because the fatigue and structural analysis tools are integrated, the tools may be accessed from remote locations via a computer network.

Claims

1. A method for automated fatigue and structural analysis of a structural element, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding the structural element and a request to perform fatigue and structural analysis upon the structural element;

automatically performing at least two types of fatigue and structural analysis based upon the information regarding the element without further manual input; and

automatically providing results of the fatigue and structural analysis.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising formatting the information received regarding the structural element prior to performing the fatigue and structural analysis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically performing at least two types of fatigue analysis comprises automatically determining a fatigue allowable for the structural element and automatically determining an actual maximum stress for the structural element;

and wherein the method further comprises automatically comparing the fatigue allowable and the actual maximum stress and determining a margin of safety for the structural element based upon the comparison.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein automatically determining the fatigue allowable for the structural element comprises determining an anticipated loading of the structural element over time and determining the fatigue allowable to which the structural element may be subjected based upon the anticipated loading of the structural element over time, and wherein automatically determining the actual maximum stress for the structural element comprises determining the actual stress to which the structural element is subjected based upon the application of a reference load.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the results of the fatigue and structural analysis.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information regarding the structural element and the request to perform fatigue and structural analysis upon the structural element comprises receiving information regarding the structural element and a request to perform fatigue and structural analysis upon the structural element from a plurality of distributed clients, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting the information regarding the structural element and the request to perform fatigue and structural analysis from the plurality of distributed clients to at least one common processing component via a computer network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising presenting at least one web page upon each client to solicit the information regarding the structural element.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining dimensions of the structural element based on the results of the fatigue and structural analysis.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining material composition of the structural element based on the results of the fatigue and structural analysis.

10. An automated system for fatigue and structural analysis of a structural element, the system comprising:

a client component capable of receiving information describing the structural element and a request for fatigue and structural analysis of the structural element; and

a processing component responsive to said client component and capable of automatically performing the fatigue and structural analysis based upon the information describing the structural element without additional manual input, said processing component also capable of automatically providing results of the fatigue and structural analysis to said client component.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said processing component is further capable of formatting the information for the fatigue and structural analysis.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said processing component automatically performs the fatigue analysis by:

automatically determining a fatigue allowable for the structural element;

automatically determining an actual maximum stress for the structural element;

automatically comparing the fatigue allowable with the actual maximum stress; and

automatically determining a margin of safety for the structural element based upon the comparison.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said processing component automatically determines the fatigue allowable for the structural element by determining an anticipated loading of the structural element over time and then determining the fatigue allowable to which the structural element may be subjected based upon the anticipated loading of the structural element over time, and wherein said processing component automatically determines the actual maximum stress for the structural element by determining the actual stress to which the structural element is subjected based upon the application of a reference load.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a storage element for storing the results of the fatigue and structural analysis.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said client component and said processing element are remote from one another, and wherein the system further comprises a computer network for interconnecting said client component and said processing element.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of distributed client components interconnected to said processing element via said computer network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said processing element comprises a server.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said client component is capable of presenting at least one web page to solicit the information regarding the structural element.

19. A computer program product for automated fatigue and structural analysis of a structural element, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion capable of receiving information regarding the structural element and a request to perform fatigue and structural analysis upon the structural element;

a second executable portion capable of automatically performing at least two types of fatigue and structural analysis based upon the information regarding the structural element without further manual input; and

a third executable portion for automatically providing results of the fatigue and structural analysis.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said first executable portion is further capable of formatting the information regarding the structural element prior to performing the fatigue and structural analysis.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said second executable portion automatically performs at least two types of fatigue analysis by automatically determining a fatigue allowable for the structural element, automatically determining an actual maximum stress for the structural element, automatically comparing the fatigue allowable and the actual maximum stress, and thereafter determining a margin of safety for the structural element based upon the comparison.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein said second executable portion automatically determines the fatigue allowable for the structural element by determining an anticipated loading of the structural element over time and the maximum allowable stress to which the structural element may be subjected based upon the anticipated loading of the structural element over time, and wherein said second executable portion automatically determines the actual maximum stress for the structural element by determining the actual stress to which the structural element is subjected based upon the application of a reference load.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said first executable portion is further capable of presenting at least one web page to solicit the information regarding the structural element.