JP7633527B2 - EVALUATION APPARATUS, EVALUATION METHOD, INSPECTION METHOD, AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an evaluation device, evaluation method, and inspection method for structural members, as well as a program for implementing these.

A bogie frame for railway vehicles (hereafter abbreviated as bogie frame) is a structural member that supports the car body as well as various bogie parts such as wheels, axles, main motors, drive units, and suspension parts. When the railway vehicle is running, loads are transmitted from the various bogie parts to the bogie frame. For this reason, the bogie frame must have sufficient strength and durability to withstand these loads.

Therefore, various methods have been proposed to evaluate the strength of the bogie frame. For example, in the method of evaluating the strength of the bogie frame disclosed in Patent Document 1, the strength of the bogie frame is evaluated using an FEM model of the bogie frame.

Specifically, in the strength evaluation method of Patent Document 1, a virtual strain gauge is defined for each of the multiple nodes on the surface of the FEM model, and the stress that occurs when a load is applied is calculated for each node. Then, a safety factor at each node is calculated based on a previously prepared endurance limit diagram and the stress calculated for each node. Furthermore, in the strength evaluation method of Patent Document 1, a contour diagram (safety factor distribution diagram) is created based on the calculated safety factor for each node.

JP 2005-190242 A

The strength evaluation method of Patent Document 1 can be used, for example, during non-destructive testing of bogie frames (magnetic particle testing, penetrant testing, ultrasonic testing, industrial CT scanning, etc.). Specifically, based on a safety factor distribution map of the bogie frame created using the strength evaluation method of Patent Document 1, an operator can identify the areas of the bogie frame that should be inspected with priority (areas with low safety factors).

Incidentally, in order to properly identify the inspection positions of the bogie frame, it is necessary to properly identify the areas of the outer surface (the surface visible on the outside) and inner surface (e.g., the inner surface of a closed cross-section) of the bogie frame that have low strength (e.g., areas with a low safety factor). In this regard, by checking the appearance of the FEM model with a safety factor distribution diagram, the worker can easily understand the safety factor of each part of the outer surface of the bogie frame.

On the other hand, it is not possible to grasp the safety factor of each part of the inner surface of the bogie frame from the appearance of the FEM model. For this reason, workers must display the inside of the FEM model, which is accompanied by a safety factor distribution diagram, to identify areas on the inner surface of the bogie frame that have a low safety factor.

As such, with conventional evaluation methods, in order to properly determine the inspection target positions on the bogie frame, it was necessary to check the outer surface information (safety factor in the above example) and inner surface information attached to the FEM model separately, leaving room for improvement in terms of work efficiency.

The present invention aims to provide an evaluation device, evaluation method, and program that enable efficient identification of inspection target positions in structural components, as well as an inspection method for structural components using the evaluation device.

The present invention relates to the following evaluation device, evaluation method, inspection method, and program.

(1) a stress calculation unit that applies a load to an FEM model having an outer surface and an inner surface, and calculates a value related to a first stress generated at a plurality of first nodes on the outer surface and a value related to a second stress generated at a plurality of second nodes on the inner surface;
a comparison unit that compares the value related to the first stress with the value related to the second stress;
an output unit that outputs a numerical value related to the first stress as a numerical value related to the stress generated at each of the plurality of first nodes;
the second nodes are associated with any one of the first nodes,
the comparison unit compares, for each of the second nodes, a numerical value related to the first stress with a numerical value related to the second stress between the corresponding first node and the second node, and determines whether or not a comparison result satisfies a preset first requirement;
The output unit outputs a numerical value related to the second stress of the second node for which the comparison unit has determined that the comparison result satisfies the first requirement, as a numerical value related to the stress occurring at the first node corresponding to the second node, in place of the numerical value related to the first stress.

(2) When two or more of the second nodes are associated with one common first node, the comparison unit compares the numerical value related to the first stress with the numerical value related to the second stress between each of the two or more second nodes and the one common first node, and determines whether or not a comparison result satisfies the first requirement;
The structural member evaluation device described in (1) above, wherein when the comparison results of the two or more second nodes all satisfy the first requirement, the output unit outputs a numerical value related to the second stress of a second node among the two or more second nodes that satisfies a predetermined second requirement as a numerical value related to the stress generated in the first node corresponding to that second node, instead of a numerical value related to the first stress.

(3) The structural member evaluation device described in (1) or (2) above, further comprising a correspondence generating unit that associates each of the second nodes with one of the first nodes.

(4) The structural member evaluation device described in (3) above, in which the correspondence generation unit associates each of the second nodes with one of the first nodes based on the distance between the first node and the second node.

(5) The structural member evaluation device described in (3) above, in which the correspondence generation unit associates each of the second nodes with one of the first nodes based on the orientation of the first node relative to the second node.

(6) The structural member evaluation device according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the numerical value relating to the first stress and the numerical value relating to the second stress are each a safety factor.

(7) The structural member evaluation device according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein the numerical value relating to the first stress and the numerical value relating to the second stress are each a stress value.

(8) A structural member evaluation device according to any one of (1) to (7) above, comprising a distribution map creation unit that creates a distribution map of numerical values related to stress occurring on the outer surface based on the output of the output unit.

(9) The structural member evaluation device according to any one of (1) to (8) above, wherein the output unit outputs a preset numerical value instead of the numerical value related to the first stress as the numerical value related to the stress occurring at the first node associated with the second node included in a preset region of the inner surface.

(10) A structural member evaluation device according to any one of (1) to (9) above, comprising an identification unit that identifies an inspection target position on the outer surface based on the output of the output unit.

(11) The structural member evaluation device described in (10) above, in which the identification unit determines the importance of the inspection at the inspection target position based on the output of the output unit.

(12) The structural member evaluation device described in (10) or (11) above, wherein the identification unit identifies the first node associated with the second node included in a predetermined area of the inner surface as the inspection target position.

(13) A structural member evaluation device according to any one of (1) to (12) above, comprising a period calculation unit that calculates the standard use period of an arbitrary inspection position on the outer surface of a structural member based on the degree of damage obtained by inspection, the numerical value of the stress output by the output unit, and information indicating the relationship between the numerical value of the stress, the degree of damage, and the standard use period.

(14) A method for evaluating a structural member implemented by a computer using a FEM model having an outer surface and an inner surface, comprising the steps of:
the outer surface includes a plurality of first nodes, the inner surface includes a plurality of second nodes, and the plurality of second nodes are associated with any of the first nodes;
Calculating a value related to a first stress generated at the first nodes and a value related to a second stress generated at the second nodes;
For each of the second nodes, a numerical value related to the first stress is compared with a numerical value related to the second stress between the corresponding first nodes, and it is determined whether or not a comparison result satisfies a first requirement set in advance;
outputting a numerical value related to the first stress as a numerical value related to the stress generated at each of the plurality of first nodes;
A method for evaluating a structural member, in which a numerical value relating to the second stress of the second node for which the comparison result is determined to satisfy the first requirement is output as a numerical value relating to the stress occurring at the first node corresponding to the second node, instead of a numerical value relating to the first stress.

(15) When two or more of the second nodes correspond to a common first node, a numerical value related to the first stress is compared with a numerical value related to the second stress between the two or more second nodes and the common first node, and it is determined whether or not the comparison result satisfies the first requirement;
The method for evaluating a structural member described in (14) above, in which, when the comparison results of the two or more second nodes all satisfy the first requirement, a numerical value relating to the second stress of the second node among the two or more second nodes that satisfies a predetermined second requirement is output as a numerical value relating to the stress generated in the first node corresponding to that second node, instead of a numerical value relating to the first stress.

(16) A method for evaluating a structural member according to (14) or (15) above, in which each of the second nodes is associated with one of the first nodes.

(17) A method for evaluating a structural member according to (16) above, in which each of the second nodes is associated with one of the first nodes based on the distance between the first node and the second node.

(18) A method for evaluating a structural member according to (16) above, in which each of the second nodes is associated with one of the first nodes based on the orientation of the first node relative to the second node.

(19) A method for evaluating a structural member according to any one of (14) to (18) above, wherein the numerical value relating to the first stress and the numerical value relating to the second stress are each a safety factor.

(20) A method for evaluating a structural member according to any one of (14) to (18) above, wherein the numerical value relating to the first stress and the numerical value relating to the second stress are each a stress value.

(21) A method for evaluating a structural member according to any one of (14) to (20) above, which creates a distribution map of values related to the stress occurring on the outer surface based on the outputted values related to the stress.

(22) A method for evaluating a structural member according to any one of (14) to (21) above, in which a preset numerical value is output as the numerical value related to the stress occurring at the first node associated with the second node included in a preset region of the inner surface, instead of the numerical value related to the first stress.

(23) A method for evaluating a structural member according to any one of (14) to (22) above, in which an inspection target position on the outer surface is identified based on the output numerical value related to the stress.

(24) A method for evaluating a structural member as described in (23) above, which determines the importance of the inspection at the inspection target position based on the output numerical value related to the stress.

(25) A method for evaluating a structural member according to (23) or (24) above, in which the first node associated with the second node included in a predetermined region of the inner surface is identified as the inspection target position.

(26) A method for evaluating a structural member according to any one of (14) to (25) above, which calculates the standard use period for any inspection position on the outer surface of a structural member based on the degree of damage obtained by inspection, the output numerical value related to the stress, and information indicating the relationship between the numerical value related to the stress, the degree of damage, and the standard use period.

(27) A method for inspecting a structural member, comprising: acquiring numerical values relating to the stress occurring at the first nodes of the outer surface of the FEM model of the structural member using an evaluation device described in any one of (1) to (13) above; and inspecting the structural member based on the acquired numerical values relating to the stress occurring at the first nodes.

(28) A program for causing a computer to execute the evaluation method described in any one of (14) to (26) above.

The present invention makes it possible to efficiently determine the inspection target positions of structural members.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an evaluation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a railcar bogie chassis to be evaluated by the evaluation device according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a part of the FEM model of the bogie frame. FIG. 4 is a block diagram specifically showing the configuration of an evaluation device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a safety factor distribution diagram created by directly utilizing the calculation results of the stress calculation unit. FIG. 6 is a safety factor distribution diagram created based on the output result of the output unit. FIG. 7 is a flow diagram showing the operation of the evaluation device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of a computer that realizes an evaluation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes an evaluation device and evaluation method according to an embodiment of the present invention, a program for implementing these, and a method for inspecting structural members. In the following, a railroad vehicle bogie frame is given as an example of a structural member, and a case is described in which a numerical value (in this embodiment, a safety factor) related to the stress generated in each part of the railroad vehicle bogie frame is calculated by the evaluation device.

[Device configuration]
1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an evaluation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the evaluation device 10 according to the present embodiment includes a stress calculation unit 12, a comparison unit 14, and an output unit 16.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a bogie frame for a railway vehicle to be evaluated by the evaluation device 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the bogie frame 100 has a pair of side beams 102 and a cross beam 104 connecting the pair of side beams 102. The cross beam 104 has a pair of pipe members 104a. In the following, a case will be described in which the evaluation device 10 uses an FEM model of the bogie frame 100 to perform a strength evaluation (calculation of a safety factor) of each part of the bogie frame 100. However, the configuration of the bogie frame evaluated by the evaluation device 10 is not limited to the bogie frame 100 shown in Figure 2, and the evaluation device 10 can be used to perform strength evaluation of bogie frames of various configurations.

As shown in FIG. 1, the evaluation device 10 is provided with a FEM (Finite Element Method) model of a structural member to be evaluated (in this embodiment, the bogie frame 100). The FEM model has a plurality of elements and a plurality of nodes. In this embodiment, the plurality of nodes may include corner nodes (primary nodes: nodes located at the corners of the elements) as well as intermediate nodes (secondary nodes: nodes located on the element sides so as to be located between the corner nodes). Note that a known analytical model used in stress analysis by the finite element method (FEM) can be used as the FEM model, so a detailed description of the FEM model will be omitted.

In this embodiment, an FEM model created in another device is provided to the evaluation device 10, but an FEM model may also be created in the evaluation device 10 based on user operations, similar to known FEM analysis software.

In this embodiment, the surfaces of the FEM model include predefined outer and inner surfaces. The outer surface is, for example, a surface that can be seen from outside the bogie frame 100, and the inner surface is, for example, a surface that cannot be seen from outside the bogie frame 100 (such as the inner surface of a closed cross-sectional portion). The outer and inner surfaces can be defined by the user, for example, when creating the FEM model.

In this embodiment, each of the multiple nodes included in the outer surface of the FEM model is given information in advance indicating that it is a node on the outer surface, and each of the multiple nodes included in the inner surface is given information in advance indicating that it is a node on the inner surface. In this way, in this embodiment, each part of the surface of the FEM model is set to the outer surface or the inner surface. Hereinafter, the nodes included in the outer surface are referred to as first nodes, and the nodes included in the inner surface are referred to as second nodes.

In this embodiment, each of the multiple second nodes is previously associated with one of the first nodes. The association between the first nodes and the second nodes may be performed according to a rule arbitrarily set by the user. In this embodiment, assuming that a position corresponding to an arbitrary second node is subjected to non-destructive testing (magnetic particle testing, penetrant testing, ultrasonic testing, industrial CT scanning, etc.) from the outer surface side, the first node included in the inspection area is associated with the second node. In other words, the first node located in the vicinity of the second node is associated with the second node. Specifically, for example, the second node can be associated with the first node based on the distance between the first node and the second node, or based on the direction of the first node relative to the second node. A brief explanation will be given below using the drawings.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing a portion of the FEM model 200 of the bogie frame 100. Figure 3 shows first nodes N11, N12, and N13 on the outer surface 200a of the FEM model 200, and a second node N2 on the inner surface 200b. Note that in reality, the FEM model 200 has five or more nodes, but for ease of explanation, Figure 3 shows only four nodes N11, N12, N13, and N2.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, three first nodes N11, N12, and N13 are located near the second node N2. The distance d2 between the second node N2 and the first node N12 is smaller than the distance d1 between the second node N2 and the first node N11, and is smaller than the distance d3 between the second node N2 and the first node N13. For example, when associating a second node with a first node based on the distance between the first node and the second node, the second node N2 may be associated with the first node N12 that is closest to the second node N2. In this way, when associating a second node with a first node based on the distance between the first node and the second node, the first node that is closest to any second node among the multiple first nodes may be associated with that second node.

3, the angle θ2 between the direction from the second node N2 to the first node N12 and the direction perpendicular to the inner surface 200b at the second node N2 (the direction indicated by the arrow X: hereinafter, referred to as the perpendicular direction X of the second node N2) is smaller than the angle θ1 between the direction from the second node N2 to the first node N11 and the perpendicular direction X of the second node N2, and is smaller than the angle θ3 between the direction from the second node N2 to the first node N13 and the perpendicular direction X of the second node N2. For example, when associating the second node with the first node based on the direction of the first node with respect to the second node, the second node N2 may be associated with the first node N12 whose direction with respect to the second node N2 is closest to the perpendicular direction X of the second node N2. In this way, when associating a second node with a first node based on the direction of the first node relative to the second node, it is sufficient to associate a first node, among multiple first nodes, with any given second node whose direction relative to that second node is closest to the perpendicular direction of that second node.

Referring to FIG. 1, the stress calculation unit 12 applies a load to the FEM model according to conditions set by the user, and calculates a value (in this embodiment, a safety factor) related to the stress generated at each node on the surface of the FEM model. In this embodiment, the stress calculation unit 12 first applies a load to the FEM model based on the load set by the user, and performs stress analysis by the finite element method to calculate a first stress generated at a plurality of first nodes and a second stress generated at a plurality of second nodes. Next, the stress calculation unit 12 calculates a safety factor for each node based on the calculated stress and a preset allowable stress. Hereinafter, the safety factor of the first node calculated by the stress calculation unit 12 is referred to as the first safety factor, and the safety factor of the second node calculated by the stress calculation unit 12 is referred to as the second safety factor. In this embodiment, the first safety factor corresponds to the value related to the first stress, and the second safety factor corresponds to the value related to the second stress.

In this embodiment, the stress calculation unit 12 calculates, for example, the ratio of a preset allowable stress to the calculated stress for each node as the safety factor. In other words, the stress calculation unit 12 calculates, for each node, the value obtained by dividing the preset allowable stress by the calculated stress as the safety factor. Note that the method of calculating the stress and safety factor of each node is not particularly limited, and the stress and safety factor of each node can be calculated using a known method. For example, the stress and safety factor of each node may be calculated using the method described in JP 2005-190242 A or JP 2021-67991 A.

The comparison unit 14 compares the first safety factor and the second safety factor calculated by the stress calculation unit 12 between each of the multiple second nodes and the associated first node, and determines whether the comparison result satisfies the first requirement set in advance. In this embodiment, when the second safety factor is lower than the first safety factor, the comparison unit 14 determines that the comparison result between the first safety factor and the second safety factor satisfies the first requirement.

The output unit 16 outputs the first safety factor calculated by the stress calculation unit 12 as the safety factor of the first node. The output unit 16 also outputs the second safety factor calculated by the stress calculation unit 12 as the safety factor of the second node. However, the output unit 16 outputs the second safety factor of the second node for which the comparison result is determined by the comparison unit 14 to satisfy the first requirement as the safety factor of the first node associated with that second node, instead of the first safety factor.

As described above, in this embodiment, the second node is associated with the first node located in the vicinity of the second node. Furthermore, if the second safety factor of the second node is lower than the first safety factor of the first node associated with the second node, the output unit 16 outputs the second safety factor instead of the first safety factor as the safety factor of the first node. For example, in FIG. 3, if the second safety factor of the second node N2 calculated by the stress calculation unit 12 is lower than the first safety factor of the first node N12 calculated by the stress calculation unit 12, the output unit 16 outputs the second safety factor of the second node N2 as the safety factor of the first node N12.

Therefore, in the portion where the safety factor of the first node output from the output unit 16 is low, the safety factor is low on at least one of the outer surface and the inner surface. Therefore, the worker can obtain the safety factors of the multiple first nodes of the FEM model using the evaluation device 10, and appropriately inspect the bogie frame 100 based on the obtained safety factors of the multiple first nodes. For example, the worker can appropriately inspect the portion of the bogie frame 100 where the safety factor is low by non-destructively inspecting the portion where the safety factor of the first node output from the output unit 16 is low from the outside of the bogie frame 100. In other words, the worker can appropriately grasp the inspection target position of the bogie frame 100 by checking the information (in this embodiment, the first safety factor or the second safety factor) attached to the multiple first nodes of the outer surface of the FEM model, without checking the information attached to the multiple second nodes of the inner surface. In this case, work efficiency is improved compared to the case where the information attached to the multiple first nodes on the outer surface of the FEM model and the information attached to the multiple second nodes on the inner surface are checked separately.

Next, the specific configuration of the evaluation device 10 will be described. Figure 4 is a block diagram specifically showing the configuration of an evaluation device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, the evaluation device 10 according to this embodiment includes, in addition to a stress calculation unit 12, a comparison unit 14, and an output unit 16, an assignment unit 18, a correspondence generation unit 20, a memory unit 22, a distribution map creation unit 24, an identification unit 26, and a period calculation unit 28.

The assigning unit 18 assigns one material class selected from among multiple material classes to each of the first nodes and the second nodes of the FEM model, and also assigns one specification class selected from among multiple specification classes. In this embodiment, the material class is a class indicating the type of material (e.g., SM400, SM400A, SM490, SM490A, etc.) of the part corresponding to each node in the bogie frame 100. The specification class is a class indicating the state (e.g., base material, as welded, polished finish, etc.) of the part corresponding to each node. In this embodiment, the assigning unit 18 assigns a material class and a specification class to each node according to the material class and specification class input by the user. In the above embodiment, the case where the outer surface and the inner surface of the FEM model are predefined has been described. However, the outer surface and the inner surface may be defined by the assigning unit 18 assigning information indicating that the nodes are nodes on the outer surface or information indicating that the nodes are nodes on the inner surface to each of the multiple nodes on the surface of the FEM model based on the user's operation.

The correspondence generating unit 20 associates each of the multiple second nodes of the FEM model provided to the evaluation device 10 with one of the first nodes according to a preset rule. Note that the association between the first nodes and the second nodes is performed in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, so a detailed description is omitted.

The memory unit 22 stores safety factor information and usage period information. The safety factor information and usage period information will be described later.

As described above, the stress calculation unit 12 applies a load to the FEM model and calculates a first safety factor for each of the multiple first nodes and a second safety factor for each of the multiple second nodes. However, in this embodiment, the stress calculation unit 12 calculates the first safety factor and the second safety factor using multiple pieces of safety factor information stored in the memory unit 22. The safety factor information is information for calculating the safety factor at a node based on the stress generated around the node.

Each of the multiple safety factor information is linked to a specific material category and specification category. For example, one piece of safety factor information is linked to the material category "SM400" and the specification category "base material". Furthermore, for example, another piece of safety factor information is linked to the material category "SM400" and the specification category "as welded". In this embodiment, the number of safety factor information obtained by multiplying the number of material categories that can be assigned to each node by the number of specification categories that can be assigned to each node is used. Note that the multiple pieces of safety factor information may be input by the user when the evaluation device 10 evaluates the bogie frame 100.

In this embodiment, the stress calculation unit 12 calculates a safety factor corresponding to the material classification and specification classification assigned by the assignment unit 18 for each of the multiple first nodes and multiple second nodes.

As described above, the comparison unit 14 compares the first safety factor and the second safety factor calculated by the stress calculation unit 12 between each of the multiple second nodes and the associated first node, and determines whether the comparison result satisfies the first requirement set in advance. As described above, when the second safety factor is lower than the first safety factor, the comparison unit 14 determines that the comparison result between the first safety factor and the second safety factor satisfies the first requirement.

As described above, the output unit 16 outputs the first safety factor of each first node and the second safety factor of each second node calculated by the stress calculation unit 12. Also, as described above, the output unit 16 outputs the second safety factor of a second node for which the comparison result is determined by the comparison unit 14 to satisfy the first requirement as the safety factor of the first node associated with that second node, instead of the first safety factor.

When the correspondence generating unit 20 associates the second nodes with the first nodes, two or more second nodes may be associated with a single common first node. In this case, the comparing unit 14 compares the first safety factor and the second safety factor for each of the two or more second nodes with the single common first node, and determines whether the comparison result satisfies the first requirement set in advance.

In addition, when the comparison results between the two or more second nodes (second safety factor) and the common first node (first safety factor) all satisfy the first requirement, the output unit 16 outputs the second safety factor of the second node among the two or more second nodes that satisfies the preset second requirement as the safety factor of the first node associated with the second node instead of the first safety factor. In this embodiment, the second node among the two or more second nodes that has the lowest second safety factor is the second node that satisfies the second requirement. Therefore, in this embodiment, the output unit 16 outputs the lowest value among the second safety factors of the two or more second nodes as the safety factor of the first node associated with the two or more second nodes.

The distribution map creation unit 24 creates a safety factor distribution map (contour diagram) showing the safety factor of the part corresponding to each node in the bogie frame 100 based on the output of the output unit 16. Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the safety factor distribution map created by the distribution map creation unit 24. Figure 5 shows a safety factor distribution map created by directly using the calculation result of the stress calculation unit 12, and Figure 6 shows a safety factor distribution map created based on the output result of the output unit 16. Note that Figures 5 and 6 show the T-shaped joint part of the FEM model 200. Also, in Figures 5 and 6, (a) is a perspective view of the FEM model 200 seen from the outer surface 200a side, and (b) is a perspective view of the FEM model 200 seen from the inner surface 200b side.

In the FEM model 200 shown in Figures 5 and 6, the second safety factor of some of the multiple second nodes on the inner surface 200b is significantly lower than the first safety factor of the first node on the outer surface 200a. However, as shown in Figure 5, in a safety factor distribution diagram created by directly using the calculation results of the stress calculation unit 12, it is not possible to grasp the parts where the safety factor is low from the safety factor distribution on the outer surface 200a. Therefore, in order to properly grasp the parts of the bogie frame 100 where the safety factor is low, the worker needs to check the safety factor distribution of the outer surface 200a and the safety factor distribution of the inner surface 200b separately.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, in the safety factor distribution diagram created based on the output result of the output unit 16, the second safety factor of the second node of the inner surface 200b, which is lower than the first safety factor of the first node of the outer surface 200a, is displayed as the safety factor of the first node of the outer surface 200a. Therefore, by checking the safety factor distribution of the outer surface 200a, the worker can properly grasp the parts of the bogie frame 100 where the safety factor is low, without checking the safety factor distribution of the inner surface 200b.

Referring to FIG. 4, the identification unit 26 identifies the inspection target position on the outer surface 200a based on the output of the output unit 16. In this embodiment, for example, when the safety factor of the multiple first nodes output by the output unit 16 is lower than a preset safety factor threshold value, the identification unit 26 identifies the first node as the inspection target position. In addition, the identification unit 26 displays the identified inspection target position on the FEM model. For example, the identification unit 26 identifies the inspection target position by applying different colors to the inspection target position and parts other than the inspection target position in the FEM model. Specifically, the identification unit 26 may, for example, indicate the inspection target position in black and parts other than the inspection target position in the FEM model in white. In this case, the operator can easily grasp the part to be inspected in the bogie frame 100 by checking the inspection target position identified by the identification unit 26.

The identification unit 26 may determine the importance of inspection at the inspection target position based on, for example, the output of the output unit 16. Specifically, the identification unit 26 may compare, for example, preset information (information indicating the relationship between safety factor and importance) with the safety factors of the multiple first nodes output by the output unit 16, and determine the importance of inspection for each of the multiple first nodes. The importance of inspection may be, for example, the inspection frequency. In this case, the identification unit 26 may determine how often each part of the bogie frame 100 should be inspected based on the output of the output unit 16.

The identification unit 26 may also identify, for example, a first node associated with a second node included in a pre-set region of the inner surface of the FEM model (e.g., a region having ribs or the like and of high inspection importance) as the inspection target position. In this case, by checking the inspection target position identified by the identification unit 26, the operator can properly grasp the region of high inspection importance regardless of the safety factor.

The period calculation unit 28 calculates the standard usage period of an inspection position for any inspection position (actually inspected position) on the outer surface of the bogie frame 100 based on the damage degree obtained by the actual inspection, the safety factor output by the output unit 16, and the usage period information stored in the memory unit 22. The damage degree obtained by the actual inspection is input to the evaluation device 10 by the user or the inspection device. In this embodiment, the usage period information is information indicating the relationship between the safety factor, the damage degree, and the standard usage period. For example, a user of the evaluation device 10 inputs the first node corresponding to the position (position on the outer surface) when the bogie frame 100 was actually inspected and the damage degree obtained by the inspection to the evaluation device 10, and the period calculation unit 28 calculates the standard usage period of the inspection position based on the input data. In this embodiment, if the actual usage period of the bogie frame 100 is longer than the standard usage period calculated by the period calculation unit 28, the user of the evaluation device 10 can recognize the inspection position as a part (part with significant damage) that requires some kind of action, such as repair (gouging or ultrasonic impact treatment, etc.) or replacement.

As described above, in the evaluation device 10 according to this embodiment, the inspection target position of the bogie frame 100 can be efficiently determined by referring to not only the output of the output unit 16 but also the output of the distribution map creation unit 24 or the identification unit 26.

(Modification)
In the above embodiment, the output unit 16 outputs the second safety factor as the safety factor of the first node when the comparison result between the first safety factor and the second safety factor satisfies the first requirement set in advance. However, the processing of the output unit 16 is not limited to the above example. For example, the output unit 16 may output a preset numerical value instead of the first safety factor as the safety factor of the first node associated with the second node included in a preset region (e.g., a part with high inspection importance, in which a rib or the like is provided) of the inner surface of the FEM model. In this case, by setting the preset numerical value to a sufficiently small numerical value (e.g., 0.1, etc.), the operator can appropriately grasp the part with high inspection importance based on the output of the output unit 16, regardless of the safety factor calculated by the stress calculation unit 12.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the stress calculation unit 12 outputs a safety factor as a numerical value related to stress, but the numerical value output by the stress calculation unit 12 is not limited to a safety factor. For example, the stress calculation unit 12 may output a stress value occurring at a first node (hereinafter referred to as a first stress value) as a numerical value related to a first stress, and output a stress value occurring at a second node (hereinafter referred to as a second stress value) as a numerical value related to a second stress.

In this case, the comparison unit 14 compares the first stress value and the second stress value between each of the second nodes and the associated first node, and determines whether the comparison result satisfies the first requirement set in advance. Specifically, for example, if the second stress value is higher than the first stress value, the comparison unit 14 determines that the comparison result between the first stress value and the second stress value satisfies the first requirement.

The output unit 16 outputs the first stress value calculated by the stress calculation unit 12 as the stress value of the first node, and outputs the second stress value calculated by the stress calculation unit 12 as the stress value of the second node. However, the output unit 16 outputs the second stress value of the second node for which the comparison result is determined by the comparison unit 14 to satisfy the first requirement, instead of the first stress value, as the stress value occurring at the first node associated with the second node. Note that the output unit 16 may output a preset numerical value (a sufficiently high numerical value) instead of the first stress value as the stress value of the first node associated with the second node included in a preset region (e.g., a portion with a rib or the like and of high inspection importance) of the inner surface of the FEM model.

When the results of the comparison between two or more second nodes (second stress values) and one common first node (first stress value) all satisfy the first requirement, the output unit 16 outputs the second stress value of the second node that satisfies the preset second requirement among the two or more second nodes as the stress value of the first node associated with the second node instead of the first stress value. In this embodiment, the second node with the highest second stress value among the two or more second nodes is the second node that satisfies the second requirement. Therefore, in this embodiment, the output unit 16 outputs the highest value among the second stress values of the two or more second nodes as the stress value of the first node associated with the two or more second nodes.

Although detailed description is omitted, the distribution map creation unit 24 may create a distribution map (contour diagram) of the stress values. The identification unit 26 may identify the inspection target position based on the stress value of each node. The identification unit 26 may compare preset information (information indicating the relationship between the stress value and the importance) with the stress values of the multiple first nodes output by the output unit 16, and determine the importance of the inspection of each of the multiple first nodes. The usage period information stored in the memory unit 22 may be information indicating the relationship between the stress value, the damage degree, and the standard usage period. In this case, the period calculation unit 28 may calculate the standard usage period of the inspection position based on the damage degree obtained by the actual inspection, the stress value output by the output unit 16, and the usage period information stored in the memory unit 22.

Although a detailed description is omitted, the output unit 16, the distribution map creation unit 24, and the identification unit 26 may output data that can be used in conjunction with augmented reality technology. Specifically, for example, the output unit 16, the distribution map creation unit 24, and the identification unit 26 may output data that can be used in project mapping, eyewear, or the like. Although a detailed description is omitted, the evaluation device 10 may be configured to assign an identification number in advance to a specific portion (e.g., a welded portion, etc.) of the bogie frame 100, and to selectively display information (safety factor, stress value) of the portion corresponding to the identification number specified by the user.

In the above embodiment, the evaluation device evaluates a bogie frame for a railway vehicle, but the structural members to be evaluated by the evaluation device according to the present invention are not limited to bogie frames for railway vehicles. For example, the evaluation device may evaluate various structural members such as other mechanical structural members (such as automobile bodies), architectural structural members, and civil engineering structural members.

[Device Operation]
Next, the operation of the evaluation device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flow diagram showing the operation of the evaluation device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the evaluation method according to the present embodiment is carried out by operating the evaluation device 10.

As shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, as described above, the assigning unit 18 first assigns a material class and a specification class to each of the multiple nodes of the FEM model of the structural member (step S1). Also, as described above, the correspondence generating unit 20 associates each of the multiple second nodes with one of the first nodes (step S2). Note that the order in which steps S1 and S2 are performed is not particularly limited.

Next, as described above, the stress calculation unit 12 applies a load to the FEM model and calculates the numerical values (safety factor, stress value) related to the first stress occurring at the first node and the numerical values (safety factor, stress value) related to the second stress occurring at the second node (step S3).

Next, as described above, the comparison unit 14 compares the numerical value relating to the first stress with the numerical value relating to the second stress between each of the second nodes and the associated first node, and determines whether the comparison result satisfies the first requirement set in advance (step S4).

Next, as described above, the output unit 16 outputs a numerical value related to the first stress as a numerical value related to the stress occurring at each of the multiple first nodes (step S5). However, in step S5, the output unit 16 outputs the numerical value related to the second stress of the second node determined in step S4 as satisfying the first requirement as a numerical value related to the stress occurring at the first node associated with that second node, instead of the numerical value related to the first stress.

Next, as described above, the distribution map creation unit 24 creates a distribution map of stress-related numerical values based on the output of the output unit 16 (step S6). Also, as described above, the identification unit 26 identifies the inspection target positions of the structural member and determines the importance of inspection at the identified inspection target positions (step S7). Also, as described above, the period calculation unit 28 calculates the standard usage period of the actually inspected position of the structural member (step S8). Note that the order in which steps S6 to S8 are performed is not particularly limited.

[program]
The program according to this embodiment may be a program that causes a computer to execute steps S1 to S8 shown in Fig. 7. By installing and executing this program in a computer, the evaluation device and evaluation method according to this embodiment can be realized. In this case, the processor of the computer functions as the stress calculation unit 12, the comparison unit 14, the output unit 16, the assignment unit 18, the correspondence relationship generation unit 20, the distribution map creation unit 24, the identification unit 26, and the period calculation unit 28, and performs processing.

In addition, in this embodiment, the memory unit 22 is realized by storing the data files that make up these in a storage device such as a hard disk provided in the computer, or by installing a recording medium on which these data files are stored in a reading device connected to the computer.

The program according to this embodiment may be executed by a computer system constructed by a plurality of computers. In this case, each computer may function as any one of the stress calculation unit 12, comparison unit 14, output unit 16, assignment unit 18, correspondence generation unit 20, distribution map creation unit 24, identification unit 26, and period calculation unit 28. The storage unit 22 may be constructed on a computer separate from the computer that executes the program according to this embodiment.

[Physical configuration]
8 is a block diagram showing an example of a computer that realizes the evaluation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The computer 110 realizes the evaluation device 10 according to the embodiment by executing a program according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, the computer 110 includes a CPU 111, a main memory 112, a storage device 113, an input interface 114, a display controller 115, a data reader/writer 116, and a communication interface 117. These components are connected to each other via a bus 121 so as to be able to communicate data with each other. Note that the computer 110 may include a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) in addition to or instead of the CPU 111.

The CPU 111 loads the program (code) in this embodiment stored in the storage device 113 into the main memory 112 and executes it in a predetermined order to perform various calculations. The main memory 112 is typically a volatile storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). The program in this embodiment is provided in a state stored in a computer-readable recording medium 120. The program in this embodiment may be distributed over the Internet connected via the communication interface 117.

Specific examples of the storage device 113 include a hard disk drive and a semiconductor storage device such as a flash memory. The input interface 114 mediates data transmission between the CPU 111 and input devices 118 such as a keyboard and a mouse. The display controller 115 is connected to the display device 119 and controls the display on the display device 119.

The data reader/writer 116 mediates data transmission between the CPU 111 and the recording medium 120, reads programs from the recording medium 120, and writes the results of processing in the computer 110 to the recording medium 120. The communication interface 117 mediates data transmission between the CPU 111 and other computers.

Specific examples of the recording medium 120 include general-purpose semiconductor storage devices such as CF (Compact Flash (registered trademark)) and SD (Secure Digital), magnetic recording media such as flexible disks, and optical recording media such as CD-ROMs (Compact Disk Read Only Memory).

The evaluation device 10 according to this embodiment may be realized by using hardware corresponding to each part, rather than a computer on which a program is installed. Also, the evaluation device 10 may be realized in part by a program and the remaining part by hardware.

The present invention makes it possible to efficiently determine the inspection target positions of structural members.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Evaluation device 12 Stress calculation unit 14 Comparison unit 16 Output unit 18 Application unit 18
20 Correspondence generating unit 22 Storage unit 24 Distribution map creating unit 26 Identification unit 28 Period calculation unit 100 Bogie frame 200 FEM model

Claims (28)

a stress calculation unit that applies a load to an FEM model having an outer surface and an inner surface, and calculates a value related to a first stress generated at a plurality of first nodes on the outer surface and a value related to a second stress generated at a plurality of second nodes on the inner surface;
a comparison unit that compares the value related to the first stress with the value related to the second stress;
an output unit that outputs a numerical value related to the first stress as a numerical value related to the stress generated at each of the plurality of first nodes;
the second nodes are associated with any one of the first nodes,
the comparison unit compares, for each of the second nodes, a numerical value related to the first stress with a numerical value related to the second stress between the corresponding first node and the second node, and determines whether or not a comparison result satisfies a preset first requirement;
The output unit outputs a numerical value related to the second stress of the second node for which the comparison unit has determined that the comparison result satisfies the first requirement, as a numerical value related to the stress occurring at the first node corresponding to the second node, in place of the numerical value related to the first stress. When two or more of the second nodes are associated with a common first node, the comparison unit compares the numerical value related to the first stress with the numerical value related to the second stress between the two or more of the second nodes and the common first node, and determines whether or not a comparison result satisfies the first requirement;
2. The structural member evaluation device of claim 1, wherein, when the comparison results of the two or more second nodes all satisfy the first requirement, the output unit outputs a numerical value related to the second stress of a second node among the two or more second nodes that satisfies a predetermined second requirement as a numerical value related to the stress generated in the first node corresponding to that second node, instead of a numerical value related to the first stress. The structural member evaluation device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a correspondence generating unit that associates each of the second nodes with one of the first nodes. The structural member evaluation device according to claim 3, wherein the correspondence generating unit associates each of the second nodes with one of the first nodes based on the distance between the first node and the second node. The structural member evaluation device according to claim 3, wherein the correspondence generating unit associates each of the second nodes with one of the first nodes based on the orientation of the first node relative to the second node. The structural member evaluation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the numerical value relating to the first stress and the numerical value relating to the second stress are each a safety factor. The structural member evaluation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the numerical value relating to the first stress and the numerical value relating to the second stress are each a stress value. The structural member evaluation device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a distribution map creation unit that creates a distribution map of numerical values related to stresses occurring on the outer surface based on the output of the output unit. The structural member evaluation device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the output unit outputs a preset numerical value instead of the numerical value related to the first stress as the numerical value related to the stress occurring at the first node associated with the second node included in a preset region of the inner surface. The structural member evaluation device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a determination unit that determines an inspection target position on the outer surface based on the output of the output unit. The structural member evaluation device according to claim 10, wherein the identification unit determines the importance of the inspection at the inspection target position based on the output of the output unit. The structural member evaluation device according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the identification unit identifies the first node associated with the second node included in a predetermined region of the inner surface as the inspection target position. The structural member evaluation device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a period calculation unit that calculates the standard use period of an arbitrary inspection position on the outer surface of a structural member based on the damage degree obtained by inspection, the stress value output by the output unit, and information indicating the relationship between the stress value, the damage degree, and the standard use period. 1. A computer-implemented method for evaluating a structural member using a FEM model having an exterior surface and an interior surface, comprising:
the outer surface includes a plurality of first nodes, the inner surface includes a plurality of second nodes, and the plurality of second nodes are associated with any of the first nodes;
Calculating a value related to a first stress generated at the first nodes and a value related to a second stress generated at the second nodes;
For each of the second nodes, a numerical value related to the first stress is compared with a numerical value related to the second stress between the corresponding first nodes, and it is determined whether or not a comparison result satisfies a first requirement set in advance;
outputting a numerical value related to the first stress as a numerical value related to the stress generated at each of the plurality of first nodes;
A method for evaluating a structural member, in which a numerical value relating to the second stress of the second node for which the comparison result is determined to satisfy the first requirement is output as a numerical value relating to the stress occurring at the first node corresponding to the second node, instead of a numerical value relating to the first stress. When two or more of the second nodes are associated with a common first node, a numerical value related to the first stress is compared with a numerical value related to the second stress between the two or more second nodes and the common first node, and a determination is made as to whether or not a comparison result satisfies the first requirement;
A method for evaluating a structural member as described in claim 14, wherein, when the comparison results of the two or more second nodes all satisfy the first requirement, a numerical value relating to the second stress of the second node among the two or more second nodes that satisfies a predetermined second requirement is output as a numerical value relating to the stress generated in the first node corresponding to that second node, instead of a numerical value relating to the first stress. The method for evaluating a structural member according to claim 14 or 15, wherein each of the second nodes is associated with one of the first nodes. The method for evaluating a structural member according to claim 16, wherein each of the second nodes is associated with one of the first nodes based on the distance between the first node and the second node. The method for evaluating a structural member according to claim 16, wherein each of the second nodes is associated with one of the first nodes based on the orientation of the first node relative to the second node. The method for evaluating a structural member according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the numerical value relating to the first stress and the numerical value relating to the second stress are each a safety factor. The method for evaluating a structural member according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the numerical value relating to the first stress and the numerical value relating to the second stress are each a stress value. The method for evaluating a structural member according to any one of claims 14 to 20, further comprising creating a distribution map of values related to the stress occurring on the outer surface based on the outputted values related to the stress. The method for evaluating a structural member according to any one of claims 14 to 21, wherein a preset numerical value is output as a numerical value related to the stress occurring at the first node associated with the second node included in a preset region of the inner surface, instead of a numerical value related to the first stress. The method for evaluating a structural member according to any one of claims 14 to 22, further comprising identifying an inspection target position on the outer surface based on the outputted numerical value related to the stress. The method for evaluating a structural member according to claim 23, further comprising determining the importance of the inspection at the inspection target position based on the output numerical value related to the stress. The method for evaluating a structural member according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the first node associated with the second node included in a predetermined region of the inner surface is identified as the inspection target position. A method for evaluating a structural member according to any one of claims 14 to 25, which calculates the standard use period of an arbitrary inspection position on the outer surface of a structural member based on the degree of damage obtained by inspection, the outputted numerical value related to the stress, and information indicating the relationship between the numerical value related to the stress, the degree of damage, and the standard use period. A method for inspecting a structural member, comprising: acquiring numerical values relating to the stress occurring at the first nodes of the outer surface of the FEM model of the structural member using an evaluation device according to any one of claims 1 to 13; and inspecting the structural member based on the acquired numerical values relating to the stress occurring at the first nodes. A program for causing a computer to execute the evaluation method according to any one of claims 14 to 26.

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