Virtual debris simulator for analyzing debris clogging areas and washing cycle of a machined object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11645437-B2
Application number	US-202016886277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2020
Priority date	May 28, 2020
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

A method to identify possible debris clogging area in a machined object includes simulating movement of a plurality of debris particles provided within a modeled object having a plurality of cavities in accordance with a debris clogging evaluation to identify inaccessible areas along the plurality of cavities. The plurality of debris particles is indicative of solid debris and the modeled object is a multidimensional computer designed model. The method further includes determining an egress characteristic of the plurality of cavities based on the simulated movement of the plurality of debris particles. The egress characteristic includes a contact area, an obstruction area, or a combination thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
simulating movement of a plurality of debris particles provided within a modeled object having a plurality of cavities in accordance with a debris clogging evaluation to identify an inaccessible area along the plurality of cavities, wherein the inaccessible areas is an area at which one or more debris particles are inhibited from leaving, wherein the plurality of debris particles is indicative of solid debris and the modeled object is a multidimensional computer designed model;
determining an egress characteristic of the plurality of cavities based on the simulated movement of the plurality of debris particles, wherein the egress characteristic includes a contact area, an obstruction area, or a combination thereof; and
calculating a debris passing index, a debris clogging area, or a combination thereof based on the egress characteristic of the plurality of cavities,
wherein the debris passing index is a ratio of the contact area versus a total area of the modeled object and the debris clogging area is the inaccessible area provided along the plurality of cavities.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising defining an object cleansing procedure, an object manufacturing procedure, or a combination thereof based on the egress characteristic.

3. The method of claim 1 the method further comprising:
identifying, as the contact area, an area along the plurality of cavities at which one or more debris particles from among the plurality of debris particles flows through; and
identifying, as the obstruction area, the inaccessible area along the plurality of cavities.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the debris clogging evaluation includes a fill-shake evaluation, and for the fill-shake evaluation, the method further comprises:
simulating the modeled object in a filled state in which the plurality of debris particles is distributed throughout the plurality of cavities; and
rotating the modeled object about an axis to assess movement of the plurality of debris particles through the modeled object.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the debris clogging evaluation is an inject-overflow evaluation, and for the inject-overflow evaluation, the method further comprises simulating injection of the plurality of debris particles at a first opening of the modeled object until the plurality of debris particles exits a second opening different from the first opening.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the debris clogging evaluation includes an inject-shake evaluation, and for the inject-shake evaluation, the method further comprises:
simulating injection of the plurality of debris particles at an opening of the modeled object to meet a fill criterion; and
rotating the modeled object about an axis to assess movement of the plurality of debris particles through the modeled object.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fill criterion is at least one of predetermined time period and a predefined volume.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein simulating movement of the plurality of debris particles is based on smoothed-particle hydrodynamic.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
simulating a washing cycle of the modeled object in which a plurality of liquid particles flow through the plurality of cavities, wherein the liquid particles are indicative of a liquid substance; and
determining a cleansing characteristic of the modeled object, wherein the cleansing characteristic includes a wet area, a cleansing time, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining a cleansing efficiency to provide an amount of the wet area over time, an accumulated soaking index to provide a cleansing time for the modeled object, or a combination thereof based on the cleansing characteristic, wherein the cleansing efficiency is based on the wet area.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein a debris particle from among the plurality of debris particles has a defined particle size that is greater than that of a liquid particle from among the plurality of liquid particles.

12. A method comprising:
executing a virtual debris clogging evaluation of a modeled object having a plurality of cavities to identify a potential debris clogging area of the modeled object, wherein the virtual debris clogging evaluation includes a simulation of a plurality of particles moving through the modeled object, wherein for the virtual debris clogging evaluation, the plurality of particles is defined at a first size;
predicting an egress characteristic of a physical object configured as the modeled object having the plurality of cavities based on the executed virtual debris clogging evaluation;
executing a virtual washing cycle evaluation of the modeled object to identify a cleansing characteristic of the modeled object, wherein the virtual washing cycle evaluation is a simulation of the plurality of particles flowing through the modeled object, wherein for the virtual washing cycle evaluation, the plurality of particles is defined at a second size less than the first size; and
defining a washing cycle for the physical object based on the virtual washing cycle evaluation of the modeled object.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the virtual debris clogging evaluation and the virtual washing cycle evaluation are based on smoothed-particle hydrodynamic.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein for the virtual debris clogging evaluation, the plurality of particles is indicative of solid debris and for the virtual washing cycle evaluation, the plurality of particles is indicative of liquid.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program instructions, that when executed by a processor of computing device, cause the computing device to perform a set of operations comprising:
simulating movement of a plurality of debris particles provided within a modeled object having a plurality of cavities in accordance with a debris clogging evaluation to identify an inaccessible area along the plurality of cavities, wherein the inaccessible area is an area at which one or more debris particles are inhibited from leaving, wherein the plurality of debris particles is indicative of solid debris and the modeled object is a multidimensional computer designed model;
determining an egress characteristic of the plurality of cavities based on the simulated movement of the plurality of debris particles, wherein the egress characteristic includes a contact area, an obstruction area, or a combination thereof;
simulating a washing cycle of the modeled object in which a plurality of liquid particles flow through the plurality of cavities, wherein the liquid particles are indicative of a liquid substance;
determining a cleansing characteristic of the modeled object, wherein the cleansing characteristic includes a wet area, a cleansing time, or a combination thereof; and
determining a cleansing efficiency to provide an amount of the wet area over time, an accumulated soaking index to provide a cleansing time for the modeled object, or a combination thereof based on the cleansing characteristic, wherein the cleansing efficiency is based on the wet area.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the set of operations further comprises: calculating a debris passing index, a debris clogging area, or a combination thereof based on the egress characteristic of the plurality of cavities, wherein the debris passing index is a ratio of the contact area versus a total area of the modeled object and the debris clogging area is the inaccessible area provided along the plurality

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Jan Yi-Jou
• Khorran Aaron
• Hall Mark
• Silva Carlos

Classifications

• G06F30/25 Primary

  using particle-based methods · CPC title

• G06F2113/08

  Fluids · CPC title

• G06F30/28

  using fluid dynamics, e.g. using Navier-Stokes equations or computational fluid dynamics [CFD] · CPC title