No, it’s not the famous game “Clue”. It’s the use of realistic simulation to perform forensic studies of skull fracture.

While, for the average person it is a bit gruesome to think about, medical examiners and police investigators are often faced with the need to determine how and why skull fractures occur.

Was the head injury caused by an accident or was the injury caused with the intent to murder the victim?

Researchers at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Copenhagen, in cooperation with the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), are using using technology from Simpleware (a SIMULIA partner) to transfer CT-scan data into SIMULIA’s Abaqus FEA software.  This allows them to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanics and forces that cause severe skull injuries.

While the researchers consider their current studies as preliminary, these represent a critical step on the path to developing a general tool for supporting medical examiners with easy, achievable and accurate numerical simulation to support their judgment regarding the cause of death.

To get more details, check out the complete case study in the latest issue of INSIGHTS magazine  here.

Are you as surprised as I am that Abaqus FEA software (traditionally used to study the performance of mechanical systems in cars and airplanes) is being used in forensic head injury research?

Tim

Hello Everyone!

One of the things that interest me most about Verney Yachts is the amount of business acumen and collaboration skills that you must have to be able to drive a project forward. It’s impossible to get a project like this down the slipway without collaborating with other people and organisations.

To that end, Verney Yachts are working with Capvidia, a partner of Dassault Systèmes and now Verney Yachts. Tim has used FlowVision CFD coupled with Abaqus to perform a Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) simulation.

The FSI analysis simulates the above surface aerodynamics of the boat, and is critical to V39-Albatross’ success.  It establishes overall aerodynamic forces and moments acting on the boat with different control inputs. Multiple analyses are conducted all with different boat velocities. This process helps the Verney team tune the control system to minimise control cross coupling and to maximise forward thrust, whilst maintaining roll balance of the overall boat.

Also part of Dassault Systèmes’ Passion for Innovation programme, the Verney Yachts team is using SolidWorks for the structural 3D design and Abaqus for realistic virtual testing. These tools are critical to the on time, low cost design and build of the boat.

As Tim Clarke, lead engineer and founder of Verney Yachts mentions:

“One of the side effects of building a keel for such high speed sailing is that it becomes very sensitive to twisting under load. We’re using Abaqus to tune the carbon fibre composite keel to minimise twisting across the speed range.”

It’s this perfect example of working collaboratively with multiple partners that drives projects like V39-Albatross on to break world records!  Do you agree?

Tune in next week for more on Verney Yachts. I’ll be looking at the project goals and what breaking a world record for speed sailing actually involves!

Cheers,
Tom

@tombianchi

The F1 Team of the Ocean

It’s been a while since I last blogged, but I’ve been saving up a good one for you as follow-up to my first Verney Yachts post.   This is the first in a three part mini-series of blogging about Verney Yachts (@V39Albatross), so stay tuned for the next three Tuesdays to find out more!

At the 2010 SCC – Tim Clarke of Verney presented an excellent overview of the preliminary design of the wing-sail for the V-39 Albatross. He mentioned that the Verney team is conducting all of the design and the prototype work virtually using Abaqus and other CAE tools, with no plans to build a physical prototype – “Numerical simulation is the only realistic method to test the boat” It’s the wing-sail that I’ll talk about in today’s post.

This method is a similar one to the F1 team Virgin Racing who designed this year’s car 100 percent using numerical methods, including CFD and FEA.

The wing-sail is a unique device designed to do two things; propel the boat forwards, as well as lifting it out of the water so it flies in ground effect just above the surface. This is similar to an Ekronoplan in concept just without an engine.

A wing-sail is made up of an inner and outer plank. Each plank can rotate about its longitudinal axis into the local air-stream. The amount of lift generated by each plank can be controlled by the pilot. This approach to the control of each wing-sail has massively helped the team keep weight to a minimum – the low weight of the boat is essential to its success.

That’s all for this week, tune in again next week to hear about Verney becoming part of the Dassault Systèmes Passion for Innovation programme, and more on the team as they strive towards the record attempt.

Until next week,

Tom

@tombianchi