The article discusses the potential use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to accelerate stress analysis and simulations, enabling quicker simulations, faster decision-making, and design optimization in engineering.
Finite Element Method (FEM) is a cornerstone in structural analysis, allowing engineers to model complex components by discretizing them into smaller elements. However, the complexity of the problem increases, so does the computational cost.
Hybrid approaches combining FEM with ANNs are emerging as a powerful solution, offering faster predictions that work as pilot values for proper adjustments in the model before a full-fledged finite element simulation may be carried out again.
Using ANNs to predict outcomes based on prior FEM data allows engineers to gain insights into the sensitivity of their design much more efficiently, without needing to rerun FEM simulations for every parameter change.
Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are machine learning algorithms that excel at identifying patterns and making predictions from complex data. In structural analysis, they offer a major advantage: speed. Once trained on data from FEM simulations, ANNs can quickly predict required primary and secondary variables such as deformations, strains, stresses, etc. in new configurations, bypassing the need for time-consuming computations.
To make things clearer, the article takes a simple example of a plate with a misaligned hole, or a plate with a misaligned hole with the wrong diameter. To analyze plates with holes, the potential for misalignment of the hole or slightly too small or too-large hole diameter is one of the significant challenges, especially when considering real-world applications.
The article further explains how ANN, when trained with FEM data, serves as a powerful tool for quick stress predictions and simulations in structural and mechanical analysis.
The combination of FEM with ANN brings speed and adaptability, transforming how engineers approach structural analysis and optimization. The future of structural and mechanical simulations seems to be a hybrid FEM-ANN approach.
To train the ANN, FEM generates a diverse dataset that covers a wide range of scenarios and inputs for simpler geometry. Larger simulations are carried out for complex geometry. ANNs offer quick approximations, which makes them ideal for tasks like design iterations or real-time decision-making where quick feedback is crucial.
ANN, when trained with FEM data, serves as a powerful tool for quick stress predictions and simulations in structural and mechanical analysis. The future of structural and mechanical simulations seems to be hybrid FEM-ANN approach.