Collaborative Simulation Method with Spatiotemporal Synchronization Process Control

• Published in: Chinese journal of mechanical engineering 2016-11, Vol.29 (6), p.1074-1082
• Main Authors: Zou, Yisheng, Ding, Guofu, Zhang, Weihua, Zhang, Jian, Qin, Shengfeng, Tan, John Kian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algorithms; Collaboration; Computer simulation; Control algorithms; Control theory; Coupling; Electrical Machines and Networks; Electronics and Microelectronics; Engineering; Engineering Thermodynamics; Heat and Mass Transfer; High speed rail; Instrumentation; Machines; Manufacturing; Mechanical Engineering; Mechatronics; Power Electronics; Process controls; Processes; Simulation; Subsystems; Synchronism; System effectiveness; Systems design; Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
• ISSN: 1000-9345; 2192-8258
• DOI: 10.3901/CJME.2016.0805.088

When designing a complex mechatronics system, such as high speed trains, it is relatively difficult to effectively simulate the entire system＇s dynamic behaviors because it involves multi-disciplinary subsystems. Currently, a most practical approach for multi-disciplinary simulation is interface based coupling simulation method, but it faces a twofold challenge： spatial and time unsynchronizations among multi-directional coupling simulation of subsystems. A new collaborative simulation method with spatiotemporal synchronization process control is proposed for coupling simulating a given complex mechatronics system across multiple subsystems on different platforms. The method consists of 1） a coupler-based coupling mechanisms to define the interfacing and interaction mechanisms among subsystems, and 2） a simulation process control algorithm to realize the coupling simulation in a spatiotemporal synchronized manner. The test results from a case study show that the proposed method 1） can certainly be used to simulate the sub-systems interactions under different simulation conditions in an engineering system, and 2） effectively supports multi-directional coupling simulation among multi-disciplinary subsystems. This method has been successfully applied in China high speed train design and development processes, demonstrating that it can be applied in a wide range of engineering systems design and simulation with improved efficiency and effectiveness.