The Boeing Company

Thomas A Grandine

Jan Hendrik Vandenbrande

Thomas Allen Hogan

Paul Zack Thunemann

Stephen L Ray

Gregory Mikel Anderson

Douglas A Carr

Matthew Steven Patterson

James N Buttrick, Jr

Mostafa Rassaian

Fei Cai

Adriana Willempje Blom

Matthew Todd Grimshaw

John Terry Monahan

Miriam Lucian

Paul Zack Thuneman

Natalie G Murray

Matthew S Patterson

Jan H Vandenbrande

Rassaian Mostafa

An apparatus, method and computer-readable storage medium are provided for laser ablation of a structural part. The method includes accessing a digital model of the structural part, and tiling the digital model into tiles that correspond to respective regions of the structural part. The method includes determining discrete tool paths of a machine tool for respective ones of the tiles for laser ablation of the respective regions of the structural part. And the method includes generating instructions for the machine tool to perform the laser ablation of the structural part according to the discrete tool paths.

Systems and methods for laser ablation of a surface

This description provides tools for lazy evaluation of geometric definitions of objects within procedural programming environments. Computer-based methods provided by these tools may parse input program code that includes statements that are syntactically consistent with a procedural programming language. These statements may also include defined functions that are not syntactically consistent with the procedural programming language. The defined functions may be associated with a given function that is defined according to the procedural programming language. The given function may relate to a geometric design of an object. The methods may identify inputs and outputs to this given function, and may build a dependency graph that relates this given function to other functions, based on the inputs and/or outputs of the given function. The methods may delay evaluating the given function until a triggering event occurs, at which time the methods may evaluate the given function to produce the output.

Lazy evaluation of geometric definitions of objects within procedural programming environments

A composite part including a ply stack-up and resin is modeled. The modeling includes performing a convolution on a representation of the stack-up to approximate smoothed ramps between different plies of the stack-up.

Geometric modeling of composite parts

Systems and method for simulating liquid containment behavior. The system comprises a solid modeler and a nonlinear equation solver. The nonlinear equation solver takes as input the solid model representation of the containment vessel from the solid modeler, a desired orientation in space, dynamic conditions (e.g., lateral acceleration) and an amount of liquid. To find the level of liquid in the vessel, the system solver iteratively performs successive Boolean subtractions using an infinite horizontal half-space that represents the liquid level of the vessel. The resulting sliced solid model is used to compute the volume of the liquid at that level. The iterative system solver terminates when the computed volume of the sliced containment vessel matches the specified volume of liquid (e.g., fuel) within a given tolerance.

Calculating liquid levels in arbitrarily shaped containment vessels using solid modeling

A computational optimization process uses the variable stiffness performance of composite laminates attributed to steered fiber to guide the design of stream functions describing the fibers to build it. This design process combines a finite element-based analysis tool, failure criteria and geometry optimization to determine steered angles associated with stream functions by an optimization program to meet target performance requirements, e.g., load condition(s), and failure criteria for quasi-static or dynamic events. The fiber angle distribution and thickness buildup are computed based on the stream function. The simulated structure is analyzed using finite element analysis. The disclosed process allows the designer to impose manufacturing constraints such as fiber steering radius.

Curved fiber paths for composite laminates

A method of determining a rigid motion between a master solid model and an approximated target model (or, more generally, between any two models having different types) includes identifying, within each model, geometrical entities having a unique characteristic, and then determining the best match between the identified geometric entities. The system provides, in machine-readable form, a master model comprising a precise definition of a three-dimensional solid and a target model comprising a simplified definition of the three-dimensional solid. Then it identifies a first set of geometric entities (e.g., planar faces) within the master model that have a unique characteristic (e.g., planar area), and identifies a second set of geometric entities in the target model that have the unique characteristic. The system then determines a best match between a member of the first set of geometric entities and a member of the second set of geometric entities using, for example, a Hungarian matching algorithm. Linear edges of matched faces are compared to determine the appropriate rigid motion.

Methods and apparatus for automated part positioning based on geometrical comparisons

Systems and method for simulating liquid containment behavior. The system comprises a solid modeler and a nonlinear equation solver. The nonlinear equation solver takes as input the solid model representation of the containment vessel from the solid modeler, a desired orientation in space, dynamic conditions (e.g., lateral acceleration) and an amount of liquid. To find the level of liquid in the vessel, the system solver iteratively performs successive Boolean subtractions using an infinite horizontal half-space that represents the liquid level of the vessel. The resulting sliced solid model is used to compute the volume of the liquid at that level. The iterative system solver terminates when the computed volume of the sliced containment vessel matches the specified volume of liquid (e.g., fuel) within a given tolerance. To accommodate dynamic situations, e.g., when acceleration is present, the horizontal liquid plane is replaced with a plane at an angle that corresponds to the total acceleration.

The advantageous embodiments provide a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for constructing a computer aided design model. User input is received that contains a callback function and a required accuracy. The callback function prescribes a procedurally defined geometry and the required accuracy specifies the degree of accuracy needed for the computer aided design model. The callback function is sampled at a number of points to form sampled points and a candidate curve is constructed that approaches the sampled points. A determination is made as to whether the candidate curve meets the required accuracy.

Constructing computer aided design models from procedurally defined curve and surface lofts

According to one aspect of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a method is provided for modeling a transition between adjoining surfaces. The method includes determining a curve of intersection of two adjoining surfaces, where the curve includes a plurality of points. For each of at least some of the points, the method includes selecting a point of the curve of intersection, and determining end points of a section of the transition located at the selected point, where each end point is located on a respective one of the adjoining surfaces. The method also includes determining a shape of the section of the transition, where the shape of the section for each of at least some of the points models the transition between the adjoining surfaces. The transition is curvature continuous with a first curvature at the end points and a second, different curvature at a portion therebetween.

System, method and computer program product for modeling a transition between adjoining surfaces

A system, method and computer program product are provided for modeling at least one section of a curve. Each section can be modeled by initially providing a pair of positions (f, f) of the section of the curve including associated directions (d, d) and curvatures (&#x3ba;, &#x3ba;). Then, points b, b, b, band bcan be identified based upon the pair of positions (f, f) and associated directions (d, d) and curvatures (&#x3ba;, &#x3ba;). Thereafter, a quartic interpolant p(t) can be determined over an interval (i&#x2266;t&#x2266;i+1) based upon points b, b, b, band bto thereby model the section of the curve. The quartic interpolant can be determined such that the interpolant p(t) has a position, direction and curvature equal to f, dand &#x3ba;, respectively, at t=i, and the interpolant p(t) has a position, direction and curvature equal to f, d, and &#x3ba;, respectively, at t=i+1.

Growing community of inventors

Issaquah, WA, United States of America

Thomas A Grandine