HM-3640: Interpolate Loads With Shapes

In this tutorial, you are given a temperature distribution at points defined by a cube (hexa element). You will use shapes to interpolate the temperatures to the tube lying inside the cube.

Shapes are one of the most versatile types of the morphing entities. Loads can be converted into shapes and vice versa. When you position shapes, they act on a volume equivalent to the initial volume, but at the new location. In this regard, shapes can be used to interpolate loads on a mesh given the loading at the boundaries of a volume.

This exercise uses the s_bend_tube.hm file, which can be found in the hm.zip file. Copy the file(s) from this directory to your working directory.


Figure 1.

Open the Model File

In this step you will open the model file, s_bend_tube.hm.

Open the model file, s_bend_tube.hm.

Convert Temperatures to Shapes

In this step, you will convert temperatures to shapes.

  1. From the menu bar, select Morphing > Create > Shapes, then select the Convert subpanel.
  2. Switch the conversion type to temperature to shapes.
  3. For loadcols, select temperature.
  4. Click select.
  5. Click convert.


    Figure 2.
    Note: The temperature loads have been converted into shape vectors. The shape vectors are proportional to the temperature loads on the corners of the cube and the distances from those corners. The name of the converted shape is the same as the temperature load collector.

Translate the Shape

In this step, you will translate the shape.

  1. Click the apply shapes subpanel.
  2. Change the operation to translate shapes.
  3. Change apply only to create new.
  4. For envelope, use auto-envelope.
  5. For shapes, select temperature.
  6. Click select.
  7. For from: base, select the node as shown in the following image.


    Figure 3.
  8. For to: nodes, select the node as shown in the previous image.
  9. Click translate.

    The shape has been transferred to the tube. You selected the same base and to node, effectively selecting a translate distance of 0. A new shape is created with the suffix 1 (temperature1).

Convert Shape Vectors to Temperature Loads

In this step, you will convert shape vectors to temperature loads.

  1. Click the convert subpanel.
  2. Switch the conversion type to shapes to temperatures.
  3. For shapes, select temperature1.
  4. Click select.
  5. Click convert.
    The shape has been converted into temperature load.

Check the Result

In this step you will check the result.

  1. In the Model Browser, right-click and select Hide for Shape.
  2. In the Model Browser, right-click component cube and select Hide.
  3. In the Model Browser, right-click LoadCollector and select Hide.
  4. From the BCs menu, select Contour Loads. Make sure you expand the Contour Loads utility appropriately to visualize all the buttons.
  5. From the list of loads, select temperature1.
  6. Click Accept.
  7. Select simulation = temperature1.
  8. Select data type = Temperature.
  9. Click contour.


    Figure 4.
    Using shapes you have been able to interpolate temperatures from the corners of a volume onto an object located in that volume.