This webinar, hosted by ESTECO and BETA CAE Systems, focuses on a reliability-based optimization method that statistically increases the safety of free fall lifeboats, which are typically used to evacuate passengers in oil platforms and large transport vessels. Dimitris Drougkas from BETA CAE Systems and Alberto Clarich from ESTECO demonstrate the advantages of the integration of their software in the modeFRONTIER multi-objective design environment for a reliability based optimization of a free fall lifeboat. ANSA software is used to morph the free fall lifeboats mesh by editing its shape and its initial position, and modeFRONTIER is used to automate the simulations performing an optimization under the uncertainties of the operational parameters.

Using modeFRONTIER to perform multi-objective cavitating propeller optimization Azimut Benetti Group is the world’s largest network producing megayachts and leading private group in the luxury yacht industry. Azimut-Benetti’s R&D Centre develops unique technologies, for an effortless and safe navigating experience. The Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Unit (DITEN Department) of Genoa University work jointly with DETRA Custom Propellers and Azimut Benetti’s R&D Centre, using modeFRONTIER to optimize the design of a custom propeller for a high- speed Azimut Benetti 95 RPH yacht. ## Challenge The design of a propeller is always a trade-off between competing objectives and constraints: maximizing the propulsion efficiency and ship speed while avoiding cavitation and maintaining a sufficient blade strength. The traditional lifting line / surface methodologies define the propeller shape by including simplified geometric assumptions that make them not suitable for modern fast propellers design. The application of more accurate flow solvers and the automatic investigation, possible through the parametric description of the geometry (unconventional combinations of pitch, camber, or, for instance, local hydrofoil shapes), proves to be a successful design alternative for a high-speed propeller. ## Solution Following this new approach, the optimization of a reference propeller with modified rake distribution was driven by the MOGA-II, the genetic algorithm included in the automation workflow in modeFRONTIER. The experimental data collected at the cavitation tunnel confirmed the reliability of both the Boundary Elements Method and RANSE numerical approaches. A dedicated full-scale sea trials, performed with propellers manufactured by Detra, showed that the cruise speed achieved with the optimized propeller is 1 kn higher than the baseline propeller speed, geometry by while the cavitating behavior was also significantly enhanced. “The result is remarkable, especially keeping in mind that the increase of cruise speed, together with the enhancement of comfort onboard, is crucial to the perception of luxury yacht customers”, said Francesco Serra, R&D Office, Azimut Benetti Group. ## Benefits modeFRONTIER helped build an optimization framework to interact with the parametric description of the geometry to define each new blade shape and employ flow solvers to quantify how each propeller fulfills the constraints and the objectives of the design. “Starting from a set of 48 blade parameters to alter the reference propeller geometry, the use of MOGA-II algorithm allowed to compute and test 50,000 different geometries in about 5 days to achieve a satisfactory Pareto convergence and choose optimal candidates (one for any rake distribution) for RANSE analyses” said Michele Viviani, Associated Professor at DITEN Department, Genoa University.

In this joint webinar, ESTECO and RBF Morph present an innovative CAD-Mesh mixed approach to enhance shape optimization capabilities. Riccardo Cenni from SACMI describes how engineers at SACMI Ceramic Engineering Department leveraged modeFRONTIER, RBF Morph and ANSYS Workbench to develop an hybrid methodology combining CAD and mesh based approach overtaking the limits of the shape optimization based on the single disciplines. The approach helped find better solutions for the SACMI industrial component analyzed and turns out to be promising for future optimization projects. Agenda: Overview on ESTECO and its technology Overview on RBF Morph and its technology Introduction to SACMI and the engineering challenge Shape optimization: the CAD-based, the Mesh-based and the mixed approach Optimization results and takeaways

This webinar introduces you to key concepts and provides an overview of VOLTA - the ESTECO platform for SPDM and design optimization - and insights on exploiting enterprise engineering data and managing the entire simulation process. VOLTA acts as the engineering hub, where teams benefit from customizable data structures and fine-grained permissions to ensure efficiency for each role involved. Simulation experts can avoid the burden of managing “work in progress” data with the advanced version control system that traces, organizes and makes all kinds of simulation-related data accessible: from models to library files, methodologies, key results and reports. Watch the video and learn more about the VOLTA concepts: Project, Model, Plan, Evaluator and Session, Folder Based Structure, Dataset and Executed Sessions, Tags, Sharing and Notification System. Click here for the webinar Part 1

In this joint webinar, ESTECO and COMAU present the new outcome of the ProRegio project\*: a new approach for a System Design Platform able to respond to regional requirements while dramatically reducing manufacturing systems design cycle and quoting time. Andrea Ascheri from COMAU Spa presents the case study based on a Car Engine Assembly Production Line, where modeFRONTIER helped optimize the costs and layout responding to the different regional requirements. The webinar focuses on a novel approach to the preliminary design of complex production systems, capable of: Capture, store and re-use the existing technical knowledge Reduce the design time under region and customer dependent conditions with first-time-right design Integrate the design with visualization and analytics tools Improved design quality – evaluation of more design alternatives \*The presented results were conducted within the project “ProRegio” entitled “customer-driven design of product-services and production networks to adapt to regional market requirements”. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement n° 636966.

This 2017 webinar introduces you to key concepts and provides an overview of VOLTA - the ESTECO platform for Simulation Process and Data Management and Design Optimization - with insights on exploiting enterprise engineering data and managing the entire simulation process. VOLTA acts as the engineering hub, where teams benefit from customizable data structures and fine-grained permissions to ensure efficiency for each role involved. Simulation experts can avoid the burden of managing “work in progress” data with the advanced version control system that traces, organizes and makes all kinds of simulation-related data accessible: from models to library files, methodologies, key results and reports. Watch the video and learn more about the VOLTA concepts: Project, Model, Plan, Evaluator and Session, Folder Based Structure, Dataset and Executed Sessions, Tags, Sharing and Notification System. Click here for the webinar Part 2

In this joint webinar, expert engineers from WB-Sails, Next Limit Dynamics and ESTECO demonstrate the advantages of the integration of their software, illustrating the details of the models, and presenting the results of the optimization. The focus of the webinar is to illustrate the optimization process used to enhance the shape of the sails used for Olympic disciplines and produced by the Finnish WB-Sails. The “flying shape” of the sail is modeled by a parametric CAD (Catia v5), and a non-stationary simulation is performed using XFlow, the CFD software by Next Limit Dynamics, recently acquired by Dassault Systèmes. The automatic simulation process was set up in modeFRONTIER. With only few simulation the optimization algorithm was able to identify the optimal shape, while minimizing resistance and heeling moment on the boat. Agenda: Olympic Sail Parametrization (Catia v5) modeFRONTIER integration with XFlow CFD software Optimization results and post-processing analysis

modeFRONTIER helped the team select the optimum design in terms of travel experience, maximizing energy efficiency while accelerating design iterations and development time. The Hyperloop Makers UPV team from the Universitat Politécnica de Valencia was awarded the Top Design Concept and the Propulsion/Compression Subsystem Technical Excellence Awards at the 2016 SpaceX international challenge. The goal of the competition, launched by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, is to perfect its revolutionary land transport system, driven by compressed air and able to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco in 30 minutes. Whereas the majority of the competing teams opted for passive magnetic levitation or designing the passenger pod suspended on air bearings, Hyperloop UPV developed a system that enables levitation through the magnetic attraction of the pod to the top of the tube. This rail-free solution saves up to 30% on Hyperloop tube construction costs. ## Challenge The engineering challenge consisted in providing the base design for a 30-passenger cabin travelling as fast as possible through a vacuumed tube. Solution The technological solutions, in terms of comfort for the travelers subject to such high acceleration and cruise speed, were investigated by the team, assisted by advanced multiobjective optimization techniques. The computations related to the acceleration and cruise phase were set up in Excel and integrated into the modeFRONTIER workflow. The design variables mainly related to the compressor and the turbine (pressure ratio and discharge velocity) were automatically adjusted by the software to optimize the output results: acceleration time, specific energy required, pod mass and travel speed. ## Benefits “The effects of modifying even a single variable were, at best, difficult to explain as the physical models regarding the behavior of the system were highly interconnected and interdependent. With a traditional approach, this fact would have lead to a slow and difficult system optimum. modeFRONTIER on the other hand, enabled the team to obtain a family of optimum solutions for a range of inputs in a mere fraction of the time” said Germán Torres, Technical Director at Hyperloop Makers UPV Team. In terms of specific energy per passenger/km, the results show the pod consumes ten time less energy and travels ten times faster than traditional road transport. “We are developing a small levitation demonstrator for the next phase of the SpaceX International Challenge”, continued Torres, “in fact we plan use modeFRONTIER again to optimize the new Hyperloop design proposal”.

The Naviator, optimized using modeFRONTIER, was the first project to demonstrate an unmanned aerial and submersible vehicle that could operate both in air and underwater. At Rutgers, researchers in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering’s Laboratory for Experimental Fluids and Thermal Engineering, under the direction of prof. Diez, invented a remotely controlled drone similar to those used by hobbyists and professionals globally, but with one key difference – it is able to both fly and move underwater. The drone called Naviator, and funded in part by the Office of Naval Research, could speed search-and-rescue operations, monitor the spread of oil spills and even help the Navy rapidly defuse threats from underwater mines. Marco Maia, PhD candidate in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) working under Prof. F. J. Diez in the Rutgers Applied Fluids Lab and student in the Optimal Design course with Prof. Knight, worked at this outstanding project using modeFRONTIER. Most of our research thrusts involve fluids such as in electrokinetics, microfluidics & nanofluidics, wind energy, turbulence, laser diagnostics with PIV, biological flows. We pride ourselves on the applied nature of some of our research topics, such as in the development of electrokinetic thrusters, AUVs & seagliders and unmanned aerial systems. This vehicle gained a great deal of attention and Prof. Diez was able to secure a grant from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in the amount of ~$600k. Since then, this research project has grown and has been showcased in several news outlets. Recently, National Geographic visited Rutgers University to film our latest multi-medium vehicle in action for use in one of their pieces, which we were told would be unveiled later in the summer. The optimization project in the MAE Optimal Design course with Prof. Doyle Knight was a great opportunity to make the planned improvements to our new multi-medium vehicle platform. We cannot provide too many details on the vehicle itself until its unveiling, but when we designed the new platform we purposely made it into a skeleton that could benefit from aerodynamic volumetric additions. Thanks to ESTECO for kindly making available its technology for the students of this course. With modeFRONTIER I was able to easily integrate several software together, such as MATLAB, Solidworks or ANSYS Fluent and run the necessary simulations to determine the optimal geometry for these volumetric additions using several optimization algorithms. The result was an optimal set of solutions that minimized the drag and weight while maintaining near neutral buoyancy. The autonomy and visual aids of the software were truly remarkable-it definitely streamlines the optimization process. Thank you again for allowing us to use this very useful tool”.

Jingyuan Yan, Ph.D in Department of Mechanical Engineering, used modeFRONTIER to develop his Ph.D research project focused on the design and optimization of the Direct Metal Deposition (DMD) process. DMD is a 3D printing process for metal, similar to welding, using powders instead of wire. It uses a continuous wave or pulsed laser to induce a melt pool on a substrate, and metallic powders are delivered into the pool via injection nozzles. The process is able to deposit different metal powders onto different locations of the powder substrate in order to manufacture multi-material parts according to user requirements at the microscale level. Despite the benefits of DMD, this process is not widely used in industry: the building powder waste, the need for reduction of energy usage and inaccurate material composition in the fabricated parts are still critical issues. The DMD system provided by Optomec was used to implement the research. During his research on DMD, Jingyuan worked on an injection nozzle designing first of all its geometry to maximize the process efficiency and investigate the relationship between the desired part’s composition and the process parameters. Jingyuan also wanted to improve the DMD process parameters considering their effect on efficiency when manufacturing multi-material parts. “In order to make the best use of powders and to minimize the laser energy consumption, we aimed at optimizing the process parameters. The bi-objective optimization problem was set up in modeFRONTIER workflow using the direct node to MATLAB. Eight design variables related to the process parameters (injection angles, velocities and nozzle diameters for the two materials as well as the laser power and the scanning speed) were set and automatically adjusted with modeFRONTIER to minimize the outputs results: powder waste and energy cost.". “The multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA-II)” continues Jingyuan, “turned out effective in driving the search process and identify the designs which met the constraints on the deposition of multiple materials. As we see in the scattered chart, the feasible designs show a trade-off relationship between the two objective functions. The Pareto front results, marked with green color, enable the users to rapidly select the configuration with lower powder waste.” “The calculation process took about three hours. Using modeFRONTIER, we saved about three days of calculation time compared to the traditional optimization method. In the future, the optimization method can be applied to analyze other combinations of materials used in DMD, with any powder feed rate ratio. The results will be validated with experimental tests and it will be possible to generate a database of optimal process parameters for any given condition to be reused for future DMD projects. In the long run, modeFRONTIER can help tailor the process parameters during the DMD manufacturing of functionally graded parts, in order to get an accurate material composition as desired.”