JP7783496B2 - Structural design support device, structural design support method, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a structural design support device, a structural design support method, a program, and a recording medium.

A variety of structural design support systems have been proposed for evaluating and analyzing structures during the design stage of various structures. Computers are generally used as structural design support systems, and programs for enabling computers to evaluate and analyze structures, as well as systems that implement these programs, have been proposed. These structural design support systems construct a model that represents the entire structure to be designed or each of the components that make up the structure, divided into small regions (elements). This model is used to simulate the response to the application of external forces, and the results obtained are used to carry out the design.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a structural analysis technique that focuses on changes in the relative positional relationship between each component constituting a structure and other components due to the application of an external force to the component. Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses a structural design support device that includes: an evaluation point information acquisition unit that acquires evaluation point information indicating the position of an evaluation point provided on a structure composed of multiple components in a first state, its position in a second state, and which of the multiple components the evaluation point belongs to; and an evaluation value calculation unit that uses the evaluation point information acquired by the evaluation point information acquisition unit to calculate an evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of change between the first state and the second state in the positional relationship between a first evaluation point belonging to a reference component and a second evaluation point belonging to a comparison component different from the reference component to which the first evaluation point belongs.

Patent No. 6278122

However, the technology in Patent Document 1 identifies parts to be joined based on the evaluation values of evaluation points (nodes), which can lead to the identification of areas that have little impact on the rigidity of the structure (for example, areas where local relative displacement is large but the relative displacement between parts is not large). Furthermore, actual countermeasures for structures do not fasten nodes together, but fasten parts together. Therefore, there is a demand for technology that can identify parts that have a large impact on the rigidity of a structure.

The present invention was developed in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a structural design support device, structural design support method, program, and recording medium that can easily identify parts that have a large impact on the rigidity of a structure.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
(1) A structure design assistance device according to one aspect of the present invention includes:
Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state; and which of the plurality of components the component belongs to.
an evaluation point information storage unit that stores evaluation point information representing the evaluation point;
an evaluation value calculation unit that uses the evaluation point information to calculate a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of a change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is another of the plurality of components, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the plurality of components, between the first state and the second state;
Equipped with
the evaluation value calculation unit defines one selected from the evaluation points belonging to the reference component as a reference point, and calculates, for each comparison point that is one selected from the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value that represents a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
The part-unit evaluation value is calculated based on the change evaluation value.

(2) The structural design support device described in (1) above may be characterized in that the distance between the reference point and the comparison point is equal to or less than a preset threshold value.

(3) The structure design support device described in (2) above,
The change evaluation value may be a rate of change of the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state.

(4) The structure design support device according to any one of (1) to (3) above,
the evaluation value calculation unit calculates a reference point evaluation value, which is an evaluation value of the comparison part for the reference point, from the change evaluation value calculated for each comparison point for the reference point;
The component-unit evaluation value may be calculated based on the reference point evaluation value.

(5) In the structural design support device described in (4) above, the reference point evaluation value may be the average of the absolute values of the change evaluation values calculated for each comparison point for the reference point.

(6) The structure design support device according to (4) or (5) above,
The component-unit evaluation value may be an average value of the reference point evaluation values calculated for each of the reference points.

(7) The structure design assistance device according to (4) or (5) above,
The component-unit evaluation value is an integrated value of the reference point evaluation values calculated for each of the reference points.

(8) The structure design support device according to any one of (1) to (7) above,
The evaluation value calculation unit may calculate the component-level evaluation value for each of the plurality of comparison components, and identify the comparison component whose component-level evaluation value is equal to or greater than a threshold value as a target component for the reference component.

(9) The structure design support device according to any one of (1) to (7) above,
The evaluation value calculation unit may calculate the component-level evaluation value for each of the plurality of comparison parts, and identify a predetermined number of the comparison parts from among the plurality of comparison parts in descending order of component-level evaluation value as target parts for the reference part.

(10) The structure design support device according to (8) or (9) above,
The system may further include a part information display unit that displays part information that enables identification of the target part.

(11) The structure design support device according to (10) above,
The part information may be image information that visually indicates the position of the target part in the structure model.

(12) A structural design support method according to one aspect of the present invention includes:
Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state; and which of the plurality of components the component belongs to.
a first step of storing evaluation point information representing the
a second step of calculating, using the evaluation point information, a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of a change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is another of the plurality of components, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the plurality of components, between the first state and the second state;
and
In the second step,
determining a reference point from among the evaluation points belonging to the reference component, and calculating, for each comparison point, which is one of the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value representing a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
The part-unit evaluation value is calculated based on the change evaluation value.

(13) The structural design support method according to (12) above,
The distance between the reference point and the comparison point may be equal to or less than a preset threshold value.

(14) The structural design support method according to (12) or (13) above,
The change evaluation value may be a rate of change of the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state.

(15) The structural design support method according to any one of (12) to (14) above,
In the second step, a reference point evaluation value is calculated, which is an evaluation value of the comparison part for the reference point, from the change evaluation value calculated for each comparison point for the reference point;
The component-unit evaluation value may be calculated based on the reference point evaluation value.

(16) The structural design support method according to (15) above,
The reference point evaluation value may be an average value of absolute values of the change evaluation values calculated for each of the comparison points for the reference point.

(17) The structural design support method according to (15) or (16) above,
The component-unit evaluation value may be an average value of the reference point evaluation values calculated for each of the reference points.

(18) The structural design support method according to (15) or (16) above,
The component-unit evaluation value may be an integrated value of the reference point evaluation values calculated for each of the reference points.

(19) The structural design support method according to any one of (12) to (18) above,
In the second step,
The component-by-component evaluation value may be calculated for each of the plurality of comparison components, and the comparison component for which the component-by-component evaluation value is equal to or greater than a threshold value may be identified as a target component for the reference component.

(20) The structural design support method according to any one of (12) to (18) above,
In the second step, the component-level evaluation value may be calculated for each of the plurality of comparison parts, and a predetermined number of the comparison parts may be identified as target parts for the reference part in descending order of the component-level evaluation value among the plurality of comparison parts.

(21) The structural design support method according to (19) or (20) above,
The method may further include a third step of displaying part information that enables identification of the target part.

(22) The structural design support method according to (21) above,
The part information may be image information that visually indicates the position of the target part in the structure model.

(23) A program according to one aspect of the present invention includes:
Computer,
Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state; and which of the plurality of components the component belongs to.
an evaluation point information storage unit that stores evaluation point information representing the evaluation point;
an evaluation value calculation unit that uses the evaluation point information to calculate a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of a change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is another of the plurality of components, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the plurality of components, between the first state and the second state;
and
determining a reference point from among the evaluation points belonging to the reference component, and calculating, for each comparison point, which is one of the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value representing a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
The evaluation value calculation unit is caused to function so as to calculate the part-unit evaluation value based on the change evaluation value.

(24) The program described in (23) above,
The distance between the reference point and the comparison point may be equal to or less than a preset threshold value.

(25) The program according to (23) or (24) above,
The change evaluation value may be a rate of change of the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state.

(26) The program according to any one of (23) to (25) above,
calculating a reference point evaluation value, which is an evaluation value of the comparison part with respect to the reference point, from the change evaluation value calculated for each of the comparison points with respect to the reference point;
The evaluation value of the comparison component relative to the reference component may be calculated based on the reference point evaluation value.

(27) The program described in (26) above,
The reference point evaluation value may be an average value of absolute values of the change evaluation values calculated for each of the comparison points for the reference point.

(28) The program according to (26) or (27) above,
The component-unit evaluation value may be an average value of the reference point evaluation values calculated for each of the reference points.

(29) The program according to (26) or (27) above,
The component-unit evaluation value may be an integrated value of the reference point evaluation values calculated for each of the reference points.

(30) The program according to any one of (23) to (29) above,
The evaluation value calculation unit
The component-by-component evaluation value may be calculated for each of the plurality of comparison components, and the comparison component for which the component-by-component evaluation value is equal to or greater than a threshold value may be identified as a target component for the reference component.

(31) The program according to any one of (23) to (29) above,
The evaluation value calculation unit may calculate the component-level evaluation value for each of the plurality of comparison parts, and identify a predetermined number of the comparison parts from among the plurality of comparison parts in descending order of component-level evaluation value as target parts for the reference part.

(32) The program according to (30) or (31) above,
The computer may function as a part information display unit that displays part information that enables identification of the target part.

(33) The computer-readable program according to (32) above,
The part information may be image information that visually indicates the position of the target part in the structure model.

(34) A computer-readable recording medium according to one aspect of the present invention includes:
The program according to any one of (23) to (33) above is recorded.

The above aspects of the present invention provide a structural design support device, structural design support method, program, and recording medium that can identify components that have a significant impact on the rigidity of a structure.

1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a structure design assistance device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of an evaluation value calculation unit 13 in the first embodiment. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a subroutine of step S4 in FIG. 2. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating "j satisfies F0 _m,i,j ≦α" in formula (3) according to the first embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing a display example by a structure design assistance device 10 in an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the display example of FIG. 5 as viewed from another viewpoint. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the results of evaluation between nodes. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the results of FIG. 7 from another perspective.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiment, an example of the purpose of structural analysis in the design stage of a structure is described as being to improve the rigidity of the structure. However, the purpose of structural analysis in the design stage of a structure is not limited to improving the rigidity of the structure, and it is also possible to perform analysis of the structure according to needs, such as reducing the rigidity of the structure to reduce weight or performing a crash analysis of the structure.

Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a structure design support device 10 according to the first embodiment. The structure design support device 10 evaluates the rigidity of a structure made up of multiple parts using a virtual model (hereinafter referred to as the structure). The structure is assembled from multiple parts joined by, for example, welding, crimping, bolts, etc. The structure design support device 10 has an evaluation point information acquisition unit 11, an evaluation point information storage unit 12, an evaluation value calculation unit 13, and a part information display unit 14.

The evaluation point information acquisition unit 11 acquires evaluation point information indicating the position of an evaluation point set on a structural model to be evaluated in a first state, its position in a second state, and to which component of the structure the evaluation point belongs. The first state is, for example, a state in which no external load is applied to the structural model. The first state may also be a state in which no deformation occurs in the structural model. The second state is, for example, a state in which an external load is applied to the structural model (for example, a state in which the maximum anticipated load is applied). The second state may also be a state in which deformation of the structural model occurs in an eigenmode. The evaluation points are, for example, the vertices (nodes) of elements in the finite element method when the deformation of the structure in each state is analyzed using the finite element method. The evaluation point information is calculated by analyzing the structural model using the finite element method. Note that the evaluation point information may also be calculated, for example, using a numerical simulation other than the finite element method.

The evaluation point information storage unit 12 stores the evaluation point information acquired by the evaluation point information acquisition unit 11. That is, the evaluation point information storage unit 12 stores evaluation point information that indicates the position of an evaluation point set in a structural model composed of multiple parts in a first state, its position in a second state, and which of the multiple parts the evaluation point belongs to. The evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates a component-level evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is one of the multiple parts, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the multiple parts, between the first state and the second state. The method by which the evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates the component-level evaluation value will be described in detail below.

The part information display unit 14 generates and displays, for example, a three-dimensional image of the structure model in which the part-unit evaluation values calculated by the evaluation value calculation unit 13 are represented by shading. Note that the part-unit evaluation values may be represented by color instead of shading. Furthermore, image data or image signals representing the generated three-dimensional image may be output, or the part-unit evaluation values may be output.
The part information display unit 14 may display identifiable part information of the target part to be fastened identified by the evaluation value calculation unit 13. Details of a method for identifying a target part will be described later. The part information may be text information such as a part name, or may be image information that visually indicates the position of the target part in the structure model.

(Calculation method of evaluation value)
2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the evaluation value calculation unit 13. In FIG. 2, an example will be described in which the first state is a no-load state in which no load is applied to the structure model, and the second state is a maximum-load state in which the maximum assumed load is applied to the structure model. The following example is an example of the present invention, and the first state is not limited to the no-load state. Similarly, the second state is not limited to the maximum-load state.

The evaluation value calculation unit 13 performs steps S1 to S8 for each evaluation point included in the evaluation point information stored in the evaluation point information storage unit 12 (steps S1 to S8). In step S1, a comparison part m to be compared with the reference part is set. In step S2, a selected one of the evaluation points belonging to the reference part is set as the reference point (evaluation point) i (for example, initial value i = 0). In step S3, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 reads the position (X coordinate, Y coordinate, Z coordinate) of the reference point i in the first state and the position of the reference point i in the second state from the evaluation point information storage unit 12. Next, in step S4, for each comparison point (evaluation point) j, which is a selected one of the evaluation points belonging to the comparison part m (a part other than the part to which the reference point i belongs), the evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates the rate of change in distance between the reference point (evaluation point) i and the comparison point (evaluation point) j of the comparison part m. The rate of change in the distance between comparison point j of comparison part m and reference point i is an example of a "change evaluation value" that represents the magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state. The evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates a part-level evaluation value based on this change evaluation value.

In step S5, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates a reference point evaluation value, which is an evaluation value of the comparison part m for the reference point, from the change evaluation value calculated for each comparison point for the reference point in step S4. Specifically, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates the average of the absolute values of the distance change rate (change evaluation value) calculated for each comparison point j (in the comparison part m) for the reference point i. The average of the absolute values of the change evaluation value (e.g., the distance change rate) is an example of a "reference point evaluation value." Next, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 determines whether there are any unprocessed reference points i (step S6). If there are any unprocessed reference points i (YES in step S6), the evaluation value calculation unit 13 returns to step S2, selects one of the unprocessed reference points i, and performs steps S2 to S5 again. If there are no unprocessed reference points i (NO in step S6), proceed to step S7.

In step S7, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates a component-level evaluation value from the reference point evaluation value calculated for each reference point. Specifically, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates an integrated value (component-level evaluation value) E _m for each reference point i for the comparison component m (by integrating the reference point evaluation values). The integrated value E _m is an example of a component-level evaluation value calculated based on the reference point evaluation values. In step S8, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 determines whether the comparison component m has any unprocessed components. If the comparison component m has any unprocessed components (YES in step S8), the process returns to step S1, where the evaluation value calculation unit 13 selects one of the unprocessed comparison components m and performs steps S2 to S7 again. If the comparison component m does not have any unprocessed components (step S8), the evaluation value calculation unit 13 ends the process. Steps S4 to S8 will be described in detail below.

3 is a flowchart of the subroutine of step S4 in FIG. 2. The processing of step S4 will be described below. In step S11, evaluation value calculation unit 13 sets evaluation point (comparison point) j of comparison part m (for example, initial value j = 0). In step S12, evaluation value calculation unit 13 reads the positions of comparison point j of comparison part m in a first state (here, the no-load state) and a second state (here, the maximum-load state) from evaluation point information storage unit 12. Next, evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates the distance F0 _m,i,j between reference point i of the reference part and comparison point j of comparison part m in the second state using the positions read in steps S3 and S12 (step S13). For example, when the X coordinate, Y coordinate, and Z coordinate of reference point i of the reference part in the first state are _Xi , _Y , and _Z , respectively, and the X coordinate, Y coordinate, and Z coordinate of comparison point j of comparison part m in the first state are _Xmj , Y _coordinate , and Z coordinate, respectively, _the distance _F0m,i,j is calculated by the following formula (1):

The evaluation value calculation unit 13 determines whether the distance F0 _m,i,j calculated in step S13 is equal to or less than a preset threshold value α (step S14). If it is determined that the distance F0 m,i,j is not equal to or less than the threshold value α (NO in step S14), the process proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 determines whether there is an unprocessed comparison point j of the comparison part m. If there is an unprocessed comparison point j of the comparison part m (YES in step S17), the process returns to step S11, where one of the unprocessed comparison points j of the comparison part m is selected and processed. If there is no unprocessed comparison point j of the comparison part m (NO in step S17), the process proceeds to step S5.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S14 that the difference is equal to or less than threshold value α (YES in step S14), evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates the distance F1 _m,i,j in the second state between reference point i of the reference part and comparison point j of the comparison part m, using the positions read out in steps S3 and S12 (step S15). For example, when the X coordinate, Y coordinate, and Z coordinate of reference point i of the reference part in the second state are _X1i , _Y1i , and _Z1i , and the X coordinate, Y coordinate, and _Z1mi of comparison point j of the comparison part m in the maximum load state are _X1mi , Y1mi, and Z _coordinate , the distance F1 _m,i,j is calculated by the following formula (2):

The evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates the rate of change dF _m,i,j = (F1 _{m,i, j} - F0 m, _i,j )/F0 m,i,j from the distance F0 _{m,i,j to the distance F1 m ,i,} j (step S16). The greater the original distance between the parts, the greater the amount of change in the distance, but by using the rate of change dF m, _i,j from the distance F0 _{m,i,j to the distance F1 m ,i,j} as the change evaluation value, the influence of this distance can be reduced.

Next, processing proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 determines whether there are any unprocessed comparison points j of the comparison part m. If there are any unprocessed comparison points j of the comparison part m (YES in step S17), processing returns to step S11, where one of the unprocessed comparison points j of the comparison part m is selected and processed. If there are no unprocessed comparison points j of the comparison part m (NO in step S17), processing proceeds to step S5.

Next, step S5 will be described. In step S5, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates the average value, for comparison point j of comparison part m, of the absolute values of the distance change rate dF _m,i,j calculated for reference point i of the reference part, as the reference point evaluation value E _mi . The reference point evaluation value E _mi is calculated using the following equation (3).

Here, j is a value that satisfies F0 _m,i,j ≦α, and n is the number of j's that satisfy F0 _m,i,j ≦α. In other words, n is a value determined based on the threshold value α.

If there is a junction with a singular value, the evaluation values of the components tend to be affected. By using the average value of the absolute values shown in Equation (3) as the reference point evaluation value _Emi , the influence of the junction with a singular value can be reduced.

Next, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, it is determined whether there are any unprocessed reference points i for which the reference point evaluation value _Emi has not been calculated. If there are any unprocessed reference points i (YES in step S6), the process returns to step S2, and the evaluation value calculation unit 13 sets one of the unprocessed reference points i, performs the processes of steps S3 to S5 again, and calculates the reference point evaluation value _Emi for that point. If there are no unprocessed reference points i (NO in step S6), the process proceeds to step S7.

In step S7, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates a component-level evaluation value E _m based on the reference point evaluation value E _mi calculated for each reference point. Here, the component-level evaluation value E _m is an integrated value of the reference point evaluation values E _mi calculated for each reference point. Specifically, it is calculated using the following formula (4). In formula (4), l is the total number of reference points i.

If a part with a large relative displacement can be reinforced, it will contribute to rigidity. By using the part-unit evaluation value E _m as the integrated value of the reference point evaluation value E _mi , it is possible to identify parts with a large relative displacement, making it easier to identify parts that contribute more to rigidity.

Next, in step S8, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 determines whether there are any unprocessed comparison parts m. If there are any unprocessed comparison parts m (YES in step S8), the process returns to step S1, and the evaluation value calculation unit 13 sets an unprocessed comparison part m for which an evaluation value E _m has not been calculated. Thereafter, the process repeats steps S2 to S7, and the evaluation value E _m of the set comparison part m is calculated. If there are no unprocessed comparison parts m (NO in step S8), the loop from steps S1 to S8, i.e., the process ends.

FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining step S14 in FIG. 3, i.e., "j satisfies F0 _m,i,j ≦α" in equation (3). FIG. 4 is a cross section including a part (reference part) A1 and a part (comparison part m) B1 that constitute a structure. Part A1 has evaluation points a1 to a7, and part B1 has evaluation points b1 to b6. FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining the calculation of the evaluation value of the reference point (evaluation point) a4 that is the evaluation target. Circle C shown by a dashed line is a cross section of a sphere of radius α centered at evaluation point a4. The sphere of radius α (circle C) corresponds to the evaluation area, and points inside the sphere of radius α (circle C) are the evaluation points used when calculating the reference point evaluation value E _{m i} . At this time, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates the reference point evaluation value E m _{i by calculating the right side of equation (2) (i.e., the average of the absolute values of the values obtained by dividing the difference between the distance F1 m,i,j and the distance F0 m,i,j} by the distance F0 _m,i,j ) for evaluation points b3 and b4, for which the distance F0 _m,i,j is equal to or less than α, out of the evaluation points (evaluation points b1 to _b6 in FIG. 4) belonging to a part (part B1 in FIG. 4) other than the part to which evaluation point _a4 belongs.

The value of threshold α is a variable that corresponds to the target component, finite element method mesh, design phase, etc. The threshold α may be set in advance or by the operator operating the structural design support device 10. The threshold α is preferably a value that corresponds to the size of the structural change that can be made. The evaluation value calculation unit 13 may pre-store threshold α values that correspond to the size of the structural change that can be made, and when the operator specifies the size of the structural change that can be made, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 may determine the threshold α that corresponds to the size specified by the operator based on this memory. The value of threshold α can also be set according to the purpose of the design. For example, when considering the integration of components, it is preferable that threshold α be 10 mm to 200 mm. When considering the addition of components or frameworks, it is preferable that threshold α be 100 mm to 4000 mm.

It is desirable that the evaluation region be an area where structural changes are possible. For this reason, you can specify a geometric range such as a sphere or hexahedron, or you can select only multiple parts and use only the area between those parts as the evaluation region. A combination of the above is also possible. However, to ensure that the number of analysis points that fit into the evaluation region is sufficient, it is desirable that it be larger than a sphere, with a diameter that is generally at least four times the distance between the analysis points. Furthermore, since the size of the structural changes that can be made varies depending on the design stage, it is thought that by adjusting the size of the evaluation region to this, it can be used at various design stages.

Furthermore, although the reference point evaluation value E _mi is calculated using equation (3), it is not limited to this and may be calculated using, for example, the following equation (5) or equation (6).

In equation (5), the evaluation value between each point is raised to the power m. This is expected to make it possible to obtain a value that emphasizes weak parts. In equation (6), the evaluation value between each point is multiplied by a correction coefficient that uses the distance before deformation and the change in distance. This is expected to make it possible to more accurately locate weak parts in the structure.

Furthermore, although the component-based evaluation value E _m is calculated using equation (4), it is not limited to this. For example, it may be calculated using the following equation (7).

In equation (7), the average value of the reference point evaluation value _Emi is calculated. That is, _Em calculated in equation (7) is the average value of the reference point evaluation value _Emi calculated for each reference point. This makes it possible to reduce the influence of anomalous reference point evaluation values _Emi .

Furthermore, when calculating the reference point evaluation value _Emi , it is assumed that "j satisfies _F0m,i,j ≦α," but instead, the condition "comparison point j belongs to a predetermined part" may be used. Also, it is possible to use a condition that both the conditions "j satisfies F0m _,i,j ≦α" and "comparison point j belongs to a predetermined part" are satisfied, or a condition that either of the two conditions is satisfied. Furthermore, in these conditions, the predetermined part may be one or more, and may be predetermined for each target reference point i, or may be predetermined for each part to which the target reference point i belongs.

The calculation may also be performed with a limited number of comparison points j. For example, the number of comparison points j may be limited depending on the fineness of the finite element method mesh near the evaluation point. Also, the size and shape of the evaluation region may be changed depending on the fineness of the finite element method mesh near the evaluation point.

In this way, the structural design support device 10 uses the evaluation point information to calculate a part-by-part evaluation value E _m that represents the magnitude of change in the positional relationship of a reference part, which is one of the multiple parts, with respect to another of the multiple parts, a comparison part, between the first state and the second state.

This allows parts that have a large relative displacement between the reference part and the comparison part when changing from the first state to the second state to be detected. Parts that have a large relative displacement between the reference part and the comparison part when changing from the first state to the second state have a large impact on the rigidity of the structure. Therefore, by strengthening these parts, it is expected that the rigidity of the structure will increase. Therefore, parts that are suitable for increasing the rigidity of the structure can be more easily detected.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the following processing may be further performed. The evaluation value calculation unit 13 calculates a component-level evaluation value E _m for each of a plurality of comparison components m, and identifies the comparison component m whose component-level evaluation value E _m is equal to or greater than a threshold value as a target component for the reference component. The threshold value can be set appropriately depending on the rigidity of the target structure.
Alternatively, the evaluation value calculation unit 13 may calculate a component-level evaluation value E _m for each of a plurality of comparison components m, and identify a predetermined number of the comparison components m in descending order of component-level evaluation value E _m as target components for the reference component. The predetermined number can be set appropriately depending on the synthesis of the target structure.
The identified target parts are parts that are to be reinforced, etc. The results are displayed on the part information display unit 14. That is, the part information display unit 14 has a function of displaying the target parts.

This allows for more precise identification of parts that have a significant impact on rigidity when changing from the first state to the second state. Parts that experience a large relative displacement to surrounding parts when the state changes may be reducing the rigidity of the structure. Therefore, strengthening these parts can be expected to further increase the rigidity of the structure. Furthermore, because parts can be strengthened by adding and joining other small components, the increase in weight is often less than strengthening parts by increasing plate thickness, etc. Therefore, it is easy to detect parts that are suitable for increasing rigidity while minimizing the increase in weight of the structure.

Furthermore, by repeating the process of implementing this evaluation method, identifying target parts, and implementing countermeasures there, it is possible to design a better structure. By repeating the process, parts that were not transmitting load in the initial stages will also begin to function, making it possible to find hidden parts that require countermeasures.

In addition, components can be added/changed based on the evaluation at a certain stage, and the structure before/after the components are added/changed can be compared and evaluated. For example, it is possible to compare the optimal bonding material, optimal plate thickness, whether there is any adverse effect on other parts, etc. by repeating the comparison process, allowing for the design of a better structure.

The steps of this embodiment described above may be configured to be performed automatically by the structural design support device 10.

Furthermore, a program for realizing the functions of the structural design support device 10 in Figure 1 may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on this recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed to realize the structural design support device 10. Note that the term "computer system" here includes hardware such as the OS and peripheral devices.

Furthermore, if the WWW system is used, the "computer system" also includes the homepage providing environment (or display environment).
"Computer-readable recording media" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" also includes devices that dynamically store programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs over networks like the Internet or communication lines like telephone lines, and devices that store programs for a fixed period of time, such as volatile memory within the computer systems that serve as servers or clients. The programs may also be programs that implement some of the aforementioned functions, or may be programs that can realize the aforementioned functions in combination with programs already stored in the computer system.

Example 1
In Example 1, a car body is used as an example of a structure, and an example is shown in which the car body is analyzed by the structure design support device 10. In this example, the first state is a state in which no deformation occurs in the car body B, which is a structure model. The second state is a state in which deformation occurs in the eigenmode of the car body torsional deformation.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example display by the structural design support device 10. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the example display of Figure 5 from a different perspective. The display examples of Figures 5 and 6 are examples of display results when the structural design support device 10 performs and displays an analysis of a vehicle body in which the first state is a state in which no deformation occurs in the structural model vehicle body B, and the second state is a state in which deformation of the eigenmode of vehicle body torsional deformation occurs. The display examples of Figures 5 and 6 are calculated using α as 100 mm. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, components with large spatial distortion compared to the reference component are displayed in darker shades. As shown in Figure 6, by using the structural design support device 10, components to be fastened can be easily identified as components with darker shades.

Figure 7 shows the results of an evaluation performed using the method described in Patent No. 6278122, i.e., between nodes, rather than for each component. Figure 8 shows the results of Figure 7 from a different perspective. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, areas with high spatial distortion are apparent, but it is not clear which components should be fastened together. In the cases of Figures 7 and 8, further consideration must be given to the components to be fastened, such as brackets and outer roof rails.

In this way, by using the component-level evaluation value E _m obtained by the structure design support device 10, it is possible to easily identify components that should be fastened. Also, by strengthening components with large component-level evaluation values E _m , it is possible to efficiently improve rigidity. Furthermore, by strengthening the joints as the method for strengthening components with large component-level evaluation values E _m , it is possible to more efficiently improve rigidity. In other words, the structure design support device 10 can more easily detect components that are suitable for increasing rigidity while suppressing an increase in the weight of the structure.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment and includes design modifications and the like that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

Each aspect of the present invention can be widely applied to structural design support devices, structural design support methods, programs, and recording media for evaluating and analyzing structures during the design stage of various structures. Each aspect of the present invention makes it possible to realize a structural design support device, structural design support method, program, and recording media that can easily identify components that have a significant impact on the rigidity of a structure.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Structural design support device 11 Evaluation point information acquisition unit 12 Evaluation point information storage unit 13 Evaluation value calculation unit 14 Part information display unit

Claims (18)

Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state; and which of the plurality of components the component belongs to.
an evaluation point information storage unit that stores evaluation point information representing the evaluation point;
an evaluation value calculation unit that uses the evaluation point information to calculate a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of a change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is another of the plurality of components, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the plurality of components, between the first state and the second state;
Equipped with
the evaluation value calculation unit defines one selected from the evaluation points belonging to the reference component as a reference point, and calculates, for each comparison point that is one selected from the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value that represents a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
calculating the part-unit evaluation value based on the change evaluation value ;
the distance between the reference point and the comparison point is equal to or less than a preset threshold value,
A structural design support system, wherein the change evaluation value is a rate of change of the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state. Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state, and
Which of the plurality of parts does it belong to?
an evaluation point information storage unit that stores evaluation point information representing the evaluation point;
an evaluation value calculation unit that uses the evaluation point information to calculate a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of a change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is another of the plurality of components, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the plurality of components, between the first state and the second state;
Equipped with
the evaluation value calculation unit defines one selected from the evaluation points belonging to the reference component as a reference point, and calculates, for each comparison point that is one selected from the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value that represents a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
calculating the part-unit evaluation value based on the change evaluation value;
the distance between the reference point and the comparison point is equal to or less than a preset threshold value,
the evaluation value calculation unit calculates a reference point evaluation value, which is an evaluation value of the comparison part for the reference point, from the change evaluation value calculated for each comparison point for the reference point;
A structural design support device, characterized in that the component-unit evaluation value is calculated based on the reference point evaluation value. 3. The structural design assistance device according to claim 2 , wherein the reference point evaluation value is an average value of absolute values of the change evaluation values calculated for each of the comparison points for the reference point. 3. The structural design support system according to claim 2 , wherein the component-unit evaluation value is an average value of the reference point evaluation values calculated for each of the reference points. 3. The structural design support system according to claim 2 , wherein the component-unit evaluation value is an integrated value of the reference point evaluation values calculated for each of the reference points. Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state, and
Which of the plurality of parts does it belong to?
an evaluation point information storage unit that stores evaluation point information representing the evaluation point;
an evaluation value calculation unit that uses the evaluation point information to calculate a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of a change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is another of the plurality of components, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the plurality of components, between the first state and the second state;
Equipped with
the evaluation value calculation unit defines one selected from the evaluation points belonging to the reference component as a reference point, and calculates, for each comparison point that is one selected from the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value that represents a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
calculating the part-unit evaluation value based on the change evaluation value;
the distance between the reference point and the comparison point is equal to or less than a preset threshold value,
a structural design support device characterized in that the evaluation value calculation unit calculates the component-level evaluation value for each of the plurality of comparison components, and identifies the comparison component whose component-level evaluation value is equal to or greater than a threshold value as a target component for the reference component. Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state, and
Which of the plurality of parts does it belong to?
an evaluation point information storage unit that stores evaluation point information representing the evaluation point;
an evaluation value calculation unit that uses the evaluation point information to calculate a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of a change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is another of the plurality of components, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the plurality of components, between the first state and the second state;
Equipped with
the evaluation value calculation unit defines one selected from the evaluation points belonging to the reference component as a reference point, and calculates, for each comparison point that is one selected from the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value that represents a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
calculating the part-unit evaluation value based on the change evaluation value;
the distance between the reference point and the comparison point is equal to or less than a preset threshold value,
a structural design support device characterized in that the evaluation value calculation unit calculates the component-level evaluation value for each of the plurality of comparison components, and identifies a predetermined number of the comparison components from among the plurality of comparison components in descending order of component-level evaluation value as target components for the reference component. 7. The structure design support device according to claim 6 , further comprising a part information display unit that displays part information that enables identification of the target part. 9. The structure design support device according to claim 8 , wherein the part information is image information visually indicating the position of the target part in the structure model. Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state; and which of the plurality of components the component belongs to.
a first step of storing evaluation point information representing the
a second step of calculating, using the evaluation point information, a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of a change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is another of the plurality of components, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the plurality of components, between the first state and the second state;
and
In the second step,
determining a reference point from among the evaluation points belonging to the reference component, and calculating, for each comparison point, which is one of the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value representing a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
calculating the part-unit evaluation value based on the change evaluation value ;
the distance between the reference point and the comparison point is equal to or less than a preset threshold value,
A structural design support method, wherein the change evaluation value is a rate of change of the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state. Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state, and
Which of the plurality of parts does it belong to?
a first step of storing evaluation point information representing the
a second step of calculating, using the evaluation point information, a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of a change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is another of the plurality of components, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the plurality of components, between the first state and the second state;
and
In the second step,
determining a reference point from among the evaluation points belonging to the reference component, and calculating, for each comparison point, which is one of the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value representing a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
calculating the part-unit evaluation value based on the change evaluation value;
the distance between the reference point and the comparison point is equal to or less than a preset threshold value,
In the second step, a reference point evaluation value is calculated, which is an evaluation value of the comparison part for the reference point, from the change evaluation value calculated for each comparison point for the reference point;
A structural design support method, characterized in that the component-unit evaluation value is calculated based on the reference point evaluation value. Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state, and
Which of the plurality of parts does it belong to?
a first step of storing evaluation point information representing the
a second step of calculating, using the evaluation point information, a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of change in the positional relationship of a comparison component that is another of the plurality of components with respect to a reference component that is one of the plurality of components between the first state and the second state;
and
In the second step,
determining a reference point from among the evaluation points belonging to the reference component, and calculating, for each comparison point, the comparison point being one selected from the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value representing a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
calculating the part-unit evaluation value based on the change evaluation value;
the distance between the reference point and the comparison point is equal to or less than a preset threshold value,
In the second step,
A structural design support method characterized by calculating the component-level evaluation value for each of the plurality of comparison components, and identifying the comparison components whose component-level evaluation value is equal to or greater than a threshold value as target components for the reference component. Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state, and
Which of the plurality of parts does it belong to?
a first step of storing evaluation point information representing the
a second step of calculating, using the evaluation point information, a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of a change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is another of the plurality of components, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the plurality of components, between the first state and the second state;
and
In the second step,
determining a reference point from among the evaluation points belonging to the reference component, and calculating, for each comparison point, which is one of the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value representing a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
calculating the part-unit evaluation value based on the change evaluation value;
the distance between the reference point and the comparison point is equal to or less than a preset threshold value,
a component-by-component evaluation value for each of the plurality of comparison components; and a predetermined number of the comparison components, in descending order of the component-by-component evaluation value, are identified as target components for the reference component. Computer,
Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state; and which of the plurality of components the component belongs to.
an evaluation point information storage unit that stores evaluation point information representing the evaluation point;
an evaluation value calculation unit that uses the evaluation point information to calculate a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of a change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is another of the plurality of components, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the plurality of components, between the first state and the second state;
and
determining a reference point from among the evaluation points belonging to the reference component, and calculating, for each comparison point, which is one of the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value representing a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
causing the evaluation value calculation unit to function so as to calculate the part-unit evaluation value based on the change evaluation value ;
the distance between the reference point and the comparison point is equal to or less than a preset threshold value,
The program , wherein the change evaluation value is a rate of change of the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state . Computer,
Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state, and
Which of the plurality of parts does it belong to?
an evaluation point information storage unit that stores evaluation point information representing the evaluation point;
an evaluation value calculation unit that uses the evaluation point information to calculate a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of a change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is another of the plurality of components, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the plurality of components, between the first state and the second state;
and
determining a reference point from among the evaluation points belonging to the reference component, and calculating, for each comparison point, which is one of the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value representing a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
causing the evaluation value calculation unit to function so as to calculate the part-unit evaluation value based on the change evaluation value;
the distance between the reference point and the comparison point is equal to or less than a preset threshold value,
calculating a reference point evaluation value, which is an evaluation value of the comparison part with respect to the reference point, from the change evaluation value calculated for each of the comparison points with respect to the reference point;
A program that calculates the evaluation value of the comparison part relative to the reference part based on the reference point evaluation value. Computer,
Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state, and
Which of the plurality of parts does it belong to?
an evaluation point information storage unit that stores evaluation point information representing the evaluation point;
an evaluation value calculation unit that uses the evaluation point information to calculate a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of a change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is another one of the plurality of components, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the plurality of components, between the first state and the second state;
and
determining a reference point from among the evaluation points belonging to the reference component, and calculating, for each comparison point, the comparison point being one selected from the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value representing a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
causing the evaluation value calculation unit to function so as to calculate the part-unit evaluation value based on the change evaluation value;
the distance between the reference point and the comparison point is equal to or less than a preset threshold value,
The evaluation value calculation unit
A program characterized by calculating the component-level evaluation value for each of the plurality of comparison components, and identifying the comparison component whose component-level evaluation value is equal to or greater than a threshold value as a target component for the reference component. Computer,
Evaluation points set in a structural model consisting of multiple parts,
a position in the first state;
a position in the second state, and
Which of the plurality of parts does it belong to?
an evaluation point information storage unit that stores evaluation point information representing the evaluation point;
an evaluation value calculation unit that uses the evaluation point information to calculate a component-by-component evaluation value that indicates the magnitude of a change in the positional relationship of a comparison component, which is another one of the plurality of components, with respect to a reference component, which is one of the plurality of components, between the first state and the second state;
and
determining a reference point from among the evaluation points belonging to the reference component, and calculating, for each comparison point, the comparison point being one selected from the evaluation points belonging to the comparison component, a change evaluation value representing a magnitude of change in the distance between the reference point and the comparison point between the first state and the second state;
causing the evaluation value calculation unit to function so as to calculate the part-unit evaluation value based on the change evaluation value;
the distance between the reference point and the comparison point is equal to or less than a preset threshold value,
the evaluation value calculation unit calculates the component-level evaluation value for each of the plurality of comparison parts, and identifies a predetermined number of the comparison parts from among the plurality of comparison parts in descending order of component-level evaluation value as target parts for the reference part. A computer-readable recording medium having the program according to any one of claims 14 to 17 recorded thereon .