Modeling by Altering Parameter Values during Time-Dependent Finite-Element Simulations

Abstract

Finite element software, particularly software with contributions from many developers, often contain models with heavily duplicated code with only minor differences in parameter values and state determination. The lack of new fundamental behavior in duplicated models indicates that the more complex model behavior can be derived from a handful of fundamental mechanistic “building blocks.” While modular, object-oriented programming can encapsulate the basic building blocks of models, using parameters to control analysis and model behaviors at run-time can also mitigate unnecessary code duplication. This modeler-in-the-loop parameterization approach can cover a wide range of behavior, including thermal loading response, long-term creep, gapping, and viscoelasticity, all with minimal code duplication and wide-ranging extensions. The efficient reuse of existing models lowers barriers to implementing new behaviors, allowing modelers to focus on behaviors instead of implementation details and maintenance of unnecessarily duplicated code.