Abstract

 

This work continues the development of a methodology for extension and configuration of interactive graphics applications utilized on a finite element simulations. New attributes necessary for the analysis modules can be easily included in pre- and post-processor modules. The attributes are defined, through a relatively simple interpreted extension language, in a configuration file. The extension and configuration is performed through the creation of classes and methods, in the context of object oriented programming, of simulation attributes. This methodology was implemented in development of an integrated system for two-dimensional numerical simulation of geotechnical problems by the finite element method.

The dissertation presents, initially, a discussion on the evolution of the systems used for numerical simulations in computational mechanics, developed in Department of Civil Engineering of PUC-Rio, pointing the existing problems. In the sequence, it is presented an extension of architecture of module that manager extension the simulation attributes (ESAM), that, originally, considerated only an approach where attributes could be applied in geometrical entities. The new architecture permits that attributes may also be applied directly to nodes and elements of a finite element mesh.

The system implemented through the integration of the pre-processing, numerical analysis and post-processing modules, with the attribute management module resulted in a very flexible system, that can be extended for several other types of simulations.

The phases involved in a simulations of a computational mechanics process (geometry defined, attributes specification, automatic mesh generation, numerical analysis and visualization of results) are illustrated in an application example of the proposed system.