modeFRONTIER
ADVEA is the Oceania distribution and support agency for the ES.TEC.O software product modeFRONTIER.
modeFRONTIER is a multi-objective optimization and design environment, written to allow easy coupling to almost any computer aided engineering (CAE) tool whether commercial or in-house.
modeFRONTIER provides an environment which allows product engineers and designers to integrate their various CAE tools, such as CAD, Finite Element Structural Analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software.
Using a variety of state-of-the-art optimization techniques, ranging from gradient-based methods to genetic algorithms, the process or design of interest can be optimized by specifying objectives and defining variables which affect factors such as geometric shape and operating conditions.
modeFRONTIER in effect becomes a wrapper around the entire input-process-output procedure, performing the optimization by modifying the value assigned to the input variables based on a feedback loop from monitoring the outputs.
Process integration and automation
Running an analysis tool within the modeFRONTIER framework is extremely straight-forward. The interface which can be used for coupling any CAE tools. There are also direct interfaces for the most popular CAE tools including MADYMO, Abaqus, Excel, Matlab and Simulink to name a few.
Process integration techniques can be used to link different CAE applications. For example modeFRONTIER can be used to perform a complex fluid-structure interaction analysis where a CFD program and a non-linear FEM program were coupled. Taking the design one step further - such a complex system can then be optimised or investigate with Design of Experiments techniques.
A simple example
In order to better understand how modeFRONTIER works, consider this simple structural example.
Imagine you have a 2D-truss structure input file for analysis in MSC.Nastran. Each node of the truss has 2-dofs which can be moved. The objective is to investigate the design space using a full-factorial Design of Experiments analysis.
In modeFRONTIER you start in the 'Workflow' window and create input variable nodes for each of the truss GRID point dofs. The working MSC.Nastran input file becomes a template file, and the input variable nodes in modeFRONTIER are assigned to the template file.
A script node is then generate to run the analysis. In this case it's a simple one line script: nastran truss.bdf
Some output variable nodes are created for outputs of interest - weight/mass, displacement at a GRID, for example. The are assigned to the relevent output file (MSC.Nastran *.f06 file or *.pch file in this case).
Finally a 'scheduler node' is placed in the workflow which tells modeFRONTIER to execute the analysis for all combinations of all values of input variables (full-factorial DOE).
Once the analysis has finished the engineer can move into the Designs space mode and can post-process all the results: fit Response Surface Maps to navigate and interpolate results, view time-histories of the outputs/inputs, use multi-criteria decision making tools to find optimal designs, and so on.
Screenshot of modeFRONTIER in the Designs space mode with a Response Surface Map
Animated demos
ES.TEC.O have created some animated demos that show the flexibility and power of modeFRONTIER.
