The research presented in the paper “Development of Dynamics for Design Procedure of Novel Grating Tiling Device with Experimental Validation” uses FEATool Multiphysics in a novel dynamics for design (DFD) multi body system (MBS) loop to develop new grating tiling devices, such as used in spectroscopy and optical laser devices for fusion confinement [1].
Modeling and design of grating devices using traditional finite element analysis (FEA) require increasing computational effort and is often limited by available computing capabilities. In the last two decades, MBS has become the most effective tool in modeling complex mechanical systems for simulation and system analysis, and the authors suggested and explored an alternative MBS procedure in order to obtain an efficient design cycle by integrating the dynamics of interconnected systems, including nonlinearities, vibration analysis, and parameter estimation, with current design methodologies.
Specifically, a multibody dynamics approach was used to calculate reaction forces acting on the flexible and flexure bodies of the grating tiling device. In the approach forces are used input to FEATool Multiphysics software in a feedback loop, after which the optimum design could be achieved by changing materials of flexible and flexure bodies and system dimensions until reaching the maximum range of grating movement parameter. As seen in the diagram below the FEATool simulation software was used as a central key component in the simulation loop with its native MATLAB scripting and programming API.
The authors concluded that the dynamics for design (DFD) procedure, which includes the use of the FEATool Multiphysics toolbox, was a very effective way to design a grating tiling device that can achieve the required performance without breakdown.
Reference
[1] Bai Q. et al. Development of Dynamics for Design Procedure of Novel Grating Tiling Device with Experimental Validation, Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 11716, doi: 10.3390/app112411716.