Volume XI - Summer 2020 | mscsoftware.com | 83

How CAE can impact the war on COVID-19

By Dr. Kaustubh (Keb) Nande, Director of Marketing, Hexagon | MSC Software

Multiphysics

Volume XI - Summer 2020 | mscsoftware.com | 83

84 | Engineering Reality Magazine

Over the last few month or so, Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic has captured our collective consciousness across the globe and forced us to rethink every aspect of our professional and personal lives. Hexagon, too, has taken concrete steps to protect our workforce, keep supply lines open, and continue services to our customers. For instance, we put in place a work from home program to use our smart manufacturing software packages and put together additional online learning options for manufacturing professionals.

At the same time, the crisis at hand has brought to life some smart and innovative applications using the power of CAE. These different use cases and applications are excellent examples of how knowledge of CAE can be used effectively to tackle some of the biggest problems of our time.

Additive manufacturing used for local PPE solution in Belgium

One interesting project undertaken by our team in Belgium was about using inhouse knowledge and available material and tools to solve a specific issue posed by the COVOD-19 outbreak. Across the globe, there have been several reports of hospital workers suffering from shortages in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), due to the unprecedented demand across the world.

The Hexagon | e-Xstream team in Belgium heard about a requirement for PPE, specifically face shield holders, in a nearby hospital. The small team decided to chip in and do its bit by conceptualizing an additive manufacturing solution to the problem. The team had access to a 3D printer and suitable material within the office. The team first found an open CAD model that was

available online and plugged it into the 3D printer and used the design to 3D print some face shield holders right at the Hexagon office.

Backed by a thorough understanding of Additive manufacturing techniques and knowledge about the use of Digimat and e-Xstream in plastic printing, the team was able to think smart and deliver on what the doctors required. In the coming weeks, the team also increased the production count. The finished product met the need for equipment that could protect hospital staff. The key thing is these plastic PPE liners can be disinfected quickly and reused by the hospital. Depending on the material available, you can print in various colors for easy identification.

This gesture by our Belgium team stands out as a great example of how the right hardware and software tools combined with proper knowledge can bring in quick, practical solutions to solve real-life issues quickly and effectively.

CFD analysis to drive awareness on COVID-19 precautions

Ever since the Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic broke out, our focus has firmly been on ensuring the safety of our workforce, minimizing risk to the supply of our products, and ensuring services to our customers.

Every discussion on the COVID-19 outbreak centers around the importance of social distancing. Mainly the need to cover your nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing to curtail the spread of the virus. Medical professionals, media, and world leaders are trying to drive home the importance of these simple safety measures. But the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, and in this, a video is worth a thousand pictures couldn’t be more true in this case.

To drive home the importance and effectiveness of these safety precautions, the team at MSC Software did a simulation to demonstrate droplet behavior when a person coughs into the air without any protection versus when they take specific precautions. Viewers can see a precise side by side comparison of how droplets behave in each of these scenarios.

The team modeled three scenarios. The first is when the person does not cover their mouth, second is when they use their elbow to cover, and the third is when they use a low-grade face mask. For the ordinary person, this visual reference enhances their understanding and immediately reinforces what the professionals are trying to convey.

Given that human beings often think visually, seeing the impact of their actions demonstrated through visuals can be more effective than explaining the same verbally. Therefore, we believe simulation in general and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), in particular in this case, helped us understand the complex interaction of droplets and fluid flows in a real-life situation. From a technical perspective, in the analysis above, the distance between people is two meters, and the mask is 1mm thick, made from non-woven fabrics, just like some of the masks on the market.

Simulating a Respirator using AdamsOne of the biggest challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown up is the severe shortage of ventilators or respirators.

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Here are some statistics that demonstrate the magnitude of the issue. In 2019, total market demand globally was for 77,000 new ventilators. By contrast, New York City alone is expected to needed 30,000 additional machines just in April 2020. While several ventilator manufacturers are scrambling to boost production, they are still falling short when faced with demands for 500 or 1000% growth in production.

Unique problems call for unique solutions, and the MSC team in Spain wanted to see if any initial simulation and analysis could be done on ventilator models. They took an available open model for a respirator and conducted a Multi Body Analysis (MBD). With the help of MBD Simulation software one can optimize and validate mechanical designs. Most ventilators use two control arms or a double-wishbone structure along with an actuator motor or some other motor with a timing belt. Such and other models for ventilators could be built and designed using CAE to build simple machines that could be brought into the market quickly to meet current global demand.

Over the years, applications for Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) have ballooned significantly. The CAE industry has always charted the way of the future, bringing products to life that we could never imagine before. COVID-19 pandemic has thrown some unique challenges to the world, and we have seen some brilliant minds are working behind the scenes. “MSC Software simulation solutions, along with Hexagon technology, is playing a critical enabling role, and we will continue to do so. Stay safe !

Details on our current assistance programs: www.mscsoftware.com/work-from-home

www.hexagon.com/about/covid-19