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  3. Training Module #4: HyperX Entities

Training Module #4: HyperX Entities

HyperX features a variety of Entities that can be used to organize and optimize the model within HyperX. Simply put, HyperX Entities are things that can be Sized and/or Analyzed and are primarily organized in the Structures Tree. After importing the FEM, you must organize the FEM into HyperX Entities and assign Properties to those Entities before you can Size or Analyze them. The following sections provide overviews of the Structures Tree, each type of HyperX Entity, and their basic functions.

entitiesOverview

Videos

Zones

Zones are panels and beams of constant cross-section that are analyzed to return margins of safety and optimum Sizing results. They are the fundamental entity in HyperX - as cross-section dimensions, materials, and failure criteria/settings are all assigned to and/or optimized for each Zone.

Important

HyperX analyzes panel and beam Zones, not finite elements. A Zone is a collection of finite elements used to represent a panel or a beam.

In the image below, a wing box is shown modeled with a panel Zone per bay. Each of these panels can have its own Sizing/Analysis results.

zone-example.png

Add Context with collieraerospace.com

HyperX panel and beam designs replace FEM properties. They provide structural detail to the model in order to find optimal lightweight concepts, dimensions, materials, and laminates while achieving positive margins to aerospace analyses methods for all load cases. Read more on the Feature Page on our main website, found here.

Attributes

Elements ID selections are used to define the coverage of Zones - much like property assignment to elements works in the FEM-world. An element can only belong to one Zone at a time.

In order to be Sized and/or Analyzed:

  • Zones must belong to a Structure in order to be Sized/Analyzed.

  • A Design Property must be assigned to a Zone to apply corresponding design space definitions to selected Zone(s) for Sizing/Analysis.

  • A Load Property must be assigned to a Zone to apply the corresponding loads processing technique to the selected Zone(s).

  • An Analysis Property must be assigned to a Zone to apply the corresponding Failure Modes and their respective analysis defaults to the selected Zone(s).

Note

Zones can optionally be organized into Sets to aid with model management.

Types

typesOfZones

There are two primary types of Zones, delineated by the FEM element types of which they are comprised:

  1. Beams/1D Zones - Made up of 1-dimensional (bar) FEM elements, can only be assigned Beam (1D) Design Properties.

  2. Panels/2D Zones - Made up of 2-dimensional (shell) FEM elements, can only be assigned Panel(2D) Design Properties.

zones-types.png

Note

Panel Segments can be considered a special kind of Zone corresponding to discretely stiffened panels but they are not organized in the same way as Beam and Panel Zones.

Non-FEA Zones

Non-FEA Zones are panels and beams that do not originate from finite elements. They are manually created in HyperX and have no association with a FEM. When Non-FEA-based load scenarios are applied, they can be Sized and Analyzed in the same manner as traditional FEM-based Zones.

nonFEAZone

Panel Segments

Panel Segments are Zones corresponding to Stiffened Panels that are modeled in the FEM using discretely meshed stiffeners. The figures below show examples of the FEM idealization compared to the structural model.

panSeg_create_tech2_uni.png
panSeg_create_tech3_uniaxial.png

Attributes

  • Panel Segments can be considered as a special type of Zone - the actual attributes and functions of which mirror all other Zone types.

  • Elements ID selections are used to define the coverage of Panel Segments (mutually exclusive).

    • The FEM elements that make up each segment depend on the modeling technique used in the FEM. See Discrete Modeling Techniques for an overview.

  • Panel Segments are not imported directly from the FEM. They are created automatically or manually as a HyperX-specific process.

Important

In order to be Sized and/or Analyzed: Panel Segments must be assigned a Design, Load, and Analysis Property.

Joints

HyperX Joints are the HyperX interpretation of a joining mechanism between two Zones – which can be Analyzed or Sized in the same manner as Zones.

Add Context with collieraerospace.com

Structural joints are defined on the FEM with HyperX. Different FEA loads processing techniques are provided to analyze and design fastened, riveted, and bonded joints – concurrently with panels. Read more on the Feature Page on our main website, found here.

Attributes

  • Membership - boundaries of adjacent Zones; fastener element(s).

  • Joints are organized in Structures and Sets.

  • Design results and Margins of Safety are calculated per Joint.

In order to be Sized and/or Analyzed:

Types

There are two types of FEA Joints, based on the elements defining the membership:

  1. Point Joints - Contain at least one connector element (spring element, spring + RBE combination, etc.) and are used to represent a fastened or riveted connection.

    joint_pointjoint-example.png

  2. Edge Joints - Do not contain any connector elements, and physically exist on the boundary between Zones.

    joint_edgejoint-example.png

Structures

A Structure is a collection of Zones and/or Joints that share design/analysis criteria. They typically coincide directly with the manufacturing tool surface. The image below shows a wing model divided into one Structure per part type - skin, spars, and ribs.

structure-colorby-structure.png

Tip

HyperX Structures are analogous to HyperSizer Pro Assemblies

Attributes

  • FEM properties, FEM elements, Zones, or Joints can all be added to a Structure.

  • Structures are mutually exclusive. I.e. a Zone or Joint cannot be assigned to multiple Structures.

  • Zones (panel or beam) and Joints must be added to a Structure to be Analyzed or Sized.

  • Structures are organized in the Structures Tree.

Sets

Sets are arbitrary collections of HyperX Zones or Joints that are used to assist with model management. For example, a wing model, which has all ribs organized into a single Structure, might also have a set that contains only the rib Zones with access holes - as those Zones might have different Failure Modes or structural concepts than other rib Zones.

As another example the wing model below, colored-by set membership, has a single internal substructure Set. This Set is made up of the rib and spar Structures.

sets-colorby-set.png

Tip

HyperX Sets are analogous to HyperSizer Display Sets

Attributes

  • Entities must be placed in a Structure before they can be associated with a Set.

  • Unlike Structures, Sets are NOT mutually exclusive or entity-type dependent. Zones and Joints can therefore be associated with multiple Sets.

  • Sets are organized in the Structures Tree.

  • Sets have no analysis implication - meaning their creation is optional.

Section Cuts

Section Cuts are defined by a plane and coordinate system, as well as a selection of elements to use for evaluating the properties of the section. Once defined, the Section Cut can be used to evaluate the beam stiffness properties of the structure at the cut location, including bending and torsional stiffness, stiffness and shear centers, and areas. Additionally, the user can input required bending or torsional stiffness for the Section Cut to be enforced during Zone Sizing.

Attributes

SectionCutOverview.png

  • Section Cuts are organized in the Structures Tree. They do not live within Structures, though, as a single cut can contain Zones from multiple Structures.

  • Section Cuts are defined by a plane, a coordinate system, and FEM elements.

  • Elements must be selected on the Section Cut to calculate section properties.

  • The Zones contained in the Section Cut must have Sizing results for section properties to be calculated.

Structures

Structure Tree

The Structure Tree holds and organizes all HyperX Entities - things that can be Sized or Analyzed. These are the Entities that are summarized in this section.

StructureTree.png

Attributes

  • Zones, Joints, and Panel Segments are organized by type within their assigned Structures.

  • Sets and Section Cuts are organized into corresponding sections of the Tree.

  • Each Entity can be hidden or shown by toggling the circle aligned with its name.

  • The buttons along the top of the Structure Tree also act as view mechanisms.

Operations

Each one of these Entities can be created from the Structure tab of the Ribbon. Once created, they each correspond to nodes on the Structure Tree and selection options on the selection wheels for easy management and manipulation.

Ribbon-structure.png
Structures

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