Advancing scientific achievement through more powerful and efficient 3D design and simulation
Chinese Academy of Sciences' Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP) was founded in 1952. Led by a group of prestigious scientists, CIOMP has created more than 10 "first in China" innovations, including the first ruby laser, the first optical glasses, the first electronic microscope and the first high-temperature metallurgical microscope.
An honored role in China's quest for scientific innovation
CIOMP also has played a key role in projects ranging from the design of the film transit, high-resolution imaging spectrometer to the aviation measuring meter, as well as the launch of China's carrier rocket in the South Pacific to the modernization of China's national defense.
However, today's intensified scientific and technical competition calls for innovation that requires the support of more powerful and highly efficient information technology. With that in mind, CIOMP notes that the world's economies are shifting from industrial societies to information societies. Since the implementation of a major knowledge innovation project in 1999, CIOMP has adopted a strategy of combining advanced information technologies with innovative management concepts to ensure effective implementation, management and optimization of its research and development (R&D) products.
CIOMP's early use of NX
CIOMP uses 3D design extensively in a variety of disciplines. CIOMP was one of the earliest Chinese organizations to leverage 3D design tools for R&D. During the 1990s, CIOMP used early versions of Siemens PLM Software's NXTM software for 3D to expedite and ensure the success of its scientific research projects. In particular, the digital product development capabilities of NX enabled CIOMP's researchers to describe the real world in a visual 3D scenario, as well as to revolutionize their creative structural designs.
However, with the increasing complexity of optical systems, CIOMP realized that it needs to take more factors into account as it explores new optical products. In the past, the institute's design process only considered the assessments of one discipline at a time. This meant that factors important to other disciplines remained largely unmeasured. This has changed as the NX system's latest enhancements enable multiple disciplines to directly collaborate in designing optical systems. This includes teams that evaluate the effect of optics, mechanics, electricity and heat. Now, factors from these disciplines can be combined to determine the impact of their coming together.
Chen Changzheng, associate researcher at CIOMP, explains the importance of this approach: "Consider a traditional optical instrument, such as a spectrometer. It requires a complex design process that relies on the collaboration of users across multiple disciplines, such as optics, structural science, thermodynamics and material science teams. In addition to meeting the design 'requirements' of each of these disciplines, complex design 'restrictions' must be taken into account, including restrictions that arise from coupling these disciplines to each other.” These considerations led CIOMP to turn its attention to the need for multidiscipline design optimization.
Applying NX for multidiscipline design optimization
In 2006, CIOMP began deploying the system as a multidiscipline, integrated simulation solution that was capable of facilitating 3D design, structural simulation, mechanical movement simulation, fluid simulation, advanced thermal simulation and orbit thermal analysis.
To more efficiently deal with its increasingly heavy design workload and the complexity of today's design tasks, CIOMP extended its NX environment by adding structural analysis and thermal analysis applications, including NXTM Nastran® software and NX Advanced Thermal software. The latter analyzes the mechanical and thermal characteristics of the entire design, while considering the effect of multiple variations. Changzheng notes, "With these enhancements in place, CIOMP became one of the first enterprises to popularize the use of 3D design in conjunction with the fixed-point application of advanced simulation and the application of numerical control (NC) processing."
To enable CIOMP's senior staff to expedite the new software's implementation and productivity, Siemens PLM Software organized a series of highly focused instructional activities, including training events at CIOMP's facilities and follow-up sessions to enable the institute to bring its user communities quickly up to speed. In addition, CIOMP appointed specialized technical service personnel to manage the institute's software usage and to answer user questions. As a result, the NX software 3D design capabilities won widespread support across CIOMP's various disciplines, with younger staff now using 3D design and drawing extensively, and with significant productivity benefits.
Complex parts and components are now directly sent to the institute's IT department, so that NC programs can be efficiently produced. This collaborative process played a key role in facilitating uniform data, improving overall efficiency and raising the success rate of one-off processing.
Beyond this, CIOMP has embarked on a new round of best-practice initiatives. Since the analysis of complex optical system designs usually requires the collaboration of multiple CAD/CAE functions, CIOMP decided to establish the integrated optical, mechanical and thermal optimized design platform to meet the institute's special requirements. The platform included the integration of NX and other software to facilitate optical design, structural design, thermal design and test simulation. Uniform installation of this software on a high-performance server was crucial in enabling CIOMP to help alleviate shortages of local computer resources.
A practical example of the NX system's powerful capabilities
Chen describes how the latest NX upgrade helped in the design of a new optical system for China's aerospace program: "In the new system, a secondary mirror that was close to the opening of a remote sensor will be subjected to the thermal and microgravity effects of outer space. As a result, CIOMP needed to perform a detailed analysis of changes to the transmission function of the entire optical system that were expected to occur due to surface variations. In the past, this kind of complex analysis generally required multiple software tools. With NX, the analysis of both the mechanical and thermal characteristics of the entire model can be performed accurately within a single software environment, thereby streamlining the process."
Using the 3D modeling capabilities of NX, CIOMP was able to build the orbit thermal model of the remote space sensor. CIOMP used NX Space Systems Thermal to determine the distribution of the temperature field of the remote sensor in the orbit environment. Then, CIOMP mapped the temperature field of the thermal analysis model to the NX structural analysis model and applied the space microgravity load to calculate its changes. By using the same method, it was possible to calculate the effects of the deformation of the optical components in the entire remote sensor on the performance of the optical system, as well as to perform a sensitivity analysis to guide the design optimization of the optical components' support structure.
Integrated design and simulation
With the implementation of the NX upgrade, CIOMP has added engineering simulation design software, design analysis software and integrated optimized design software for electronics and optics. The institute also has deployed several adaptive development applications to establish a comprehensive system capable of supporting multidiscipline design (optics, mechanics, electricity, heat and space radiation), with integrated and optimized design capabilities.
As a result, CIOMP is now able to integrate design and simulation tools used by multiple disciplines through a standardized application assembly interface. It is also able to exchange design and simulation data and share its intranet resources to support the collaborative activities of its multidiscipline teams. In addition, CIOMP is using its self-developed programs to finish its optical-mechanical-thermal simulation assessment and integrate it with its optimized design software. This enables the most favorable design environment for the entire system.
"We are currently highly satisfied with our NX system," says Chen. "However, as new technologies are developed, we expect to place additional demands on its design and simulation solutions that will require us to continue to update and extend this system as an integrated design platform."
Chen notes that the institute is positioned at the forefront of China's overall effort to be among the world leaders in scientific and technology innovation. Its information technology provides a solid foundation for facilitating continuous growth and improvement. Chen explains, "We intend to use NX to enhance the knowledge-based integration of our multidiscipline teams, build an expert database and establish a comprehensive set of design case templates to share our resources, data, intellectual assets and project experience."
CIOMP also has played a key role in projects ranging from the design of the film transit, high-resolution imaging spectrometer to the aviation measuring meter, as well as the launch of China's carrier rocket in the South Pacific to the modernization of China's national defense.
However, today's intensified scientific and technical competition calls for innovation that requires the support of more powerful and highly efficient information technology. With that in mind, CIOMP notes that the world's economies are shifting from industrial societies to information societies. Since the implementation of a major knowledge innovation project in 1999, CIOMP has adopted a strategy of combining advanced information technologies with innovative management concepts to ensure effective implementation, management and optimization of its research and development (R&D) products.
CIOMP's early use of NX
CIOMP uses 3D design extensively in a variety of disciplines. CIOMP was one of the earliest Chinese organizations to leverage 3D design tools for R&D. During the 1990s, CIOMP used early versions of Siemens PLM Software's NXTM software for 3D to expedite and ensure the success of its scientific research projects. In particular, the digital product development capabilities of NX enabled CIOMP's researchers to describe the real world in a visual 3D scenario, as well as to revolutionize their creative structural designs.
However, with the increasing complexity of optical systems, CIOMP realized that it needs to take more factors into account as it explores new optical products. In the past, the institute's design process only considered the assessments of one discipline at a time. This meant that factors important to other disciplines remained largely unmeasured. This has changed as the NX system's latest enhancements enable multiple disciplines to directly collaborate in designing optical systems. This includes teams that evaluate the effect of optics, mechanics, electricity and heat. Now, factors from these disciplines can be combined to determine the impact of their coming together.
Chen Changzheng, associate researcher at CIOMP, explains the importance of this approach: "Consider a traditional optical instrument, such as a spectrometer. It requires a complex design process that relies on the collaboration of users across multiple disciplines, such as optics, structural science, thermodynamics and material science teams. In addition to meeting the design 'requirements' of each of these disciplines, complex design 'restrictions' must be taken into account, including restrictions that arise from coupling these disciplines to each other.” These considerations led CIOMP to turn its attention to the need for multidiscipline design optimization.
Applying NX for multidiscipline design optimization
In 2006, CIOMP began deploying the system as a multidiscipline, integrated simulation solution that was capable of facilitating 3D design, structural simulation, mechanical movement simulation, fluid simulation, advanced thermal simulation and orbit thermal analysis.
To more efficiently deal with its increasingly heavy design workload and the complexity of today's design tasks, CIOMP extended its NX environment by adding structural analysis and thermal analysis applications, including NXTM Nastran® software and NX Advanced Thermal software. The latter analyzes the mechanical and thermal characteristics of the entire design, while considering the effect of multiple variations. Changzheng notes, "With these enhancements in place, CIOMP became one of the first enterprises to popularize the use of 3D design in conjunction with the fixed-point application of advanced simulation and the application of numerical control (NC) processing."
To enable CIOMP's senior staff to expedite the new software's implementation and productivity, Siemens PLM Software organized a series of highly focused instructional activities, including training events at CIOMP's facilities and follow-up sessions to enable the institute to bring its user communities quickly up to speed. In addition, CIOMP appointed specialized technical service personnel to manage the institute's software usage and to answer user questions. As a result, the NX software 3D design capabilities won widespread support across CIOMP's various disciplines, with younger staff now using 3D design and drawing extensively, and with significant productivity benefits.
Complex parts and components are now directly sent to the institute's IT department, so that NC programs can be efficiently produced. This collaborative process played a key role in facilitating uniform data, improving overall efficiency and raising the success rate of one-off processing.
Beyond this, CIOMP has embarked on a new round of best-practice initiatives. Since the analysis of complex optical system designs usually requires the collaboration of multiple CAD/CAE functions, CIOMP decided to establish the integrated optical, mechanical and thermal optimized design platform to meet the institute's special requirements. The platform included the integration of NX and other software to facilitate optical design, structural design, thermal design and test simulation. Uniform installation of this software on a high-performance server was crucial in enabling CIOMP to help alleviate shortages of local computer resources.
A practical example of the NX system's powerful capabilities
Chen describes how the latest NX upgrade helped in the design of a new optical system for China's aerospace program: "In the new system, a secondary mirror that was close to the opening of a remote sensor will be subjected to the thermal and microgravity effects of outer space. As a result, CIOMP needed to perform a detailed analysis of changes to the transmission function of the entire optical system that were expected to occur due to surface variations. In the past, this kind of complex analysis generally required multiple software tools. With NX, the analysis of both the mechanical and thermal characteristics of the entire model can be performed accurately within a single software environment, thereby streamlining the process."
Using the 3D modeling capabilities of NX, CIOMP was able to build the orbit thermal model of the remote space sensor. CIOMP used NX Space Systems Thermal to determine the distribution of the temperature field of the remote sensor in the orbit environment. Then, CIOMP mapped the temperature field of the thermal analysis model to the NX structural analysis model and applied the space microgravity load to calculate its changes. By using the same method, it was possible to calculate the effects of the deformation of the optical components in the entire remote sensor on the performance of the optical system, as well as to perform a sensitivity analysis to guide the design optimization of the optical components' support structure.
Integrated design and simulation
With the implementation of the NX upgrade, CIOMP has added engineering simulation design software, design analysis software and integrated optimized design software for electronics and optics. The institute also has deployed several adaptive development applications to establish a comprehensive system capable of supporting multidiscipline design (optics, mechanics, electricity, heat and space radiation), with integrated and optimized design capabilities.
As a result, CIOMP is now able to integrate design and simulation tools used by multiple disciplines through a standardized application assembly interface. It is also able to exchange design and simulation data and share its intranet resources to support the collaborative activities of its multidiscipline teams. In addition, CIOMP is using its self-developed programs to finish its optical-mechanical-thermal simulation assessment and integrate it with its optimized design software. This enables the most favorable design environment for the entire system.
"We are currently highly satisfied with our NX system," says Chen. "However, as new technologies are developed, we expect to place additional demands on its design and simulation solutions that will require us to continue to update and extend this system as an integrated design platform."
Chen notes that the institute is positioned at the forefront of China's overall effort to be among the world leaders in scientific and technology innovation. Its information technology provides a solid foundation for facilitating continuous growth and improvement. Chen explains, "We intend to use NX to enhance the knowledge-based integration of our multidiscipline teams, build an expert database and establish a comprehensive set of design case templates to share our resources, data, intellectual assets and project experience."
