Optimisation of the design of a component

Abstract

A method of optimising a design of a component is described. The method comprises the steps of: representing a base design as a CAD model comprising a plurality of geometric entities, assigning a tag name to each geometric entity, transferring the design into an analysis code and determining an optimum design from the analysis code. The tag names associate boundary conditions to the geometric entities such as temperature, velocity or mesh density if the analysis code is a Finite Element Analysis code.

1  A method of optimising a design of a component by conducting analyses on a set of design variants, each analysis comprising the steps of: 
 (a) representing the design variant as a CAD model comprising a plurality of geometric entities,  
 (b) assigning a tag name to each geometric entity,  
 (c) creating a computerised analysis model from the CAD model wherein the tag names remain associated with the respective geometric entities,  
 (d) assigning boundary conditions to at least one of the geometric entities in the analysis model by reference to the tag name, and  
 (e) determining an output condition of the analysis model in response to the boundary conditions,  
 the method further comprising the step of selecting an optimum variant on the basis of the results of the analyses.  
 
     
     
         2  A method of optimising a design of a component as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the determination of an output condition comprises determining an output condition of at least one of the geometric entities in the analysis model by reference to the tag name of that entity.  
     
     
         3  A method of optimising a design of a component as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the set of design variants is generated by use of a computer algorithm.  
     
     
         4  A method of optimising a design of a component as claimed in  claim 3 , the geometric entities comprising at least one dimension, wherein the set of design variants is generated by modifying a dimension of at least one of the geometric entities.  
     
     
         5  A method of optimising a design of a component as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the set of design variants is generated by the addition or removal of at least one geometric entity.  
     
     
         6  A method of optimising a design of a component as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the generation of the set of design variants includes generating a design variant by modifying a previous design variant in response to the output condition of the previous design variant.  
     
     
         7  A method of optimising a design of a component as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the association between each tag name and corresponding geometric entity is unaffected by the removal or addition of a geometric entity.  
     
     
         8  A method of optimising a design of a component as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a mesh density is associated with at least one of the geometric entities by reference to the tag name of that entity.  
     
     
         9  A method of optimising a design of a component as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the analysis model is a thermo-mechanical finite element analysis model.  
     
     
         10  A method of optimising a design of a component as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the analysis model is a computational fluid dynamics model.  
     
     
         11  A method of optimising a design of a component as claimed in  claim 1 , the geometric entities having at least one model property applied to it, wherein at least one of said model properties of at least one of the geometric entities is associated with the tag name of that geometric entity.  
     
     
         12  A method of optimising a design of a component as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the model property is a material property of said geometric entity.  
     
     
         13  A method of optimising a design of a component as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the model property is a temperature of said geometric entity.  
     
     
         14  A method of optimising a design of a component as claimed in  claim 1 , which is performed as a batch process, the design variants being generated automatically as the process proceeds until an optimum design variant is achieved.  
     
     
         15  A method of manufacturing a component, the method comprising: 
 (a) optimising the design of the component by a method in accordance with  claim 1;   
 (b) manufacturing the component in accordance with the optimised design.  
 
     
     
         16  A method of manufacturing a component as claimed in  claim 15 , in which the component is a component of a gas turbine engine.  
     
     
         17  A method as claimed in  claim 16 , in which the component is a turbine blade having a fir tree root, the design of at least the fir tree root being optimised by a method in accordance with  claim 1 .  
     
     
         18  A component having a design optimised by conducting analyses on a set of design variants, each analysis comprising the steps of: 
 (a) representing the design variant as a CAD model comprising a plurality of geometric entities,  
 (b) assigning a tag name to each geometric entity,  
 (c) creating a computerised analysis model from the CAD model wherein the tag names remain associated with the respective geometric entities,  
 (d) assigning boundary conditions to at least one of the geometric entities in the analysis model by reference to the tag name, and  
 (e) determining an output condition of the analysis model in response to the boundary conditions; and  
 selecting an optimum variant on the basis of the results of the analyses.  
 
     
     
         19  A component manufactured by optimising the design of the component by conducting analyses on a set of design variants, each analysis comprising the steps of: 
 (a) representing the design variant as a CAD model comprising a plurality of geometric entities,  
 (b) assigning a tag name to each geometric entity,  
 (c) creating a computerised analysis model from the CAD model wherein the tag names remain associated with the respective geometric entities,  
 (d) assigning boundary conditions to at least one of the geometric entities in the analysis model by reference to the tag name, and  
 (e) determining an output condition of the analysis model in response to the boundary conditions;  
 selecting an optimum variant on the basis of the results of the analyses, and manufacturing the component in accordance with the optimised design.  
 
     
     
         20  A computer program product comprising code for carrying out a method of optimising a design of a component by conducting analyses on a set of design variants, each analysis comprising the steps of: 
 (a) representing the design variant as a CAD model comprising a plurality of geometric entities,  
 (b) assigning a tag name to each geometric entity,  
 (c) creating a computerised analysis model from the CAD model wherein the tag names remain associated with the respective geometric entities,  
 (d) assigning boundary conditions to at least one of the geometric entities in the analysis model by reference to the tag name, and  
 (e) determining an output condition of the analysis model in response to the boundary conditions,  
 the method further comprising the step of selecting an optimum variant on the basis of the results of the analyses.  
 
     
     
         21  A computer system adapted to carry out a method of optimising a design of a component by conducting analyses on a set of design variants, each analysis comprising the steps of: 
 (a) representing the design variant as a CAD model comprising a plurality of geometric entities,  
 (b) assigning a tag name to each geometric entity,  
 (c) creating a computerised analysis model from the CAD model wherein the tag names remain associated with the respective geometric entities,  
 (d) assigning boundary conditions to at least one of the geometric entities in the analysis model by reference to the tag name, and  
 (e) determining an output condition of the analysis model in response to the boundary conditions,  
 the method further comprising the step of selecting an optimum variant on the basis of the results of the analyses.