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n the automotive industry there is the vision in every car project to perform only the legally prescribed real crash tests and to lower the development costs by drastically reducing the number of hardware-prototypes. Therefore it is certainly necessary to increase the number of virtual crash tests enormously. But the crash discipline is only one example and the situation is the same for almost all other fields of numerical simulation. Additionally the simulations have the possibility to improve the functional characteristics of the cars by using stochastic, genetic and other optimisation methods. The consequence of this is a significant increase in the number of simulation runs.
Figure 1: Selected analysis disciplines in the car development

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C AE Data Management at A UDI A G

Dr. K. Gruber, Dr. U. Widmann, J. Reicheneder, AUDI AG, Ingolstadt, Germany, J. Elberfeld, MSC Software GmbH, Mnchen, Germay
Durability and fatigue Stiffness of components Global and local dynamic stiffnesses Functional dimensioning of doors, flaps and hoods PowerNet (simulation of the on board supply system)

Front, Rear and Side Crash

CFD Aerodynamic NVH Analyses

Disciplines in CAE All of the analysis disciplines listed below require a large number of numerical simulations. Front, rear, side crash Insurance test NVH analysis (Noise, Vibration, Harness) Head impact Occupant safety (OS) Pedestrian protection CFD aerodynamics

New directions and capabilities in CAE Increasing product diversification, sharper quality requirements, higher market competition, more cost pressure and shorter development cycles were the driving forces for the break-through of numerical simulation. The numerical applications cover nearly all of the virtual development process. Trends in the automotive industry show an increasing number of: product variants (USV, MPV, ), boundary conditions (government regulations, technologies, ), statistical verification (stochastic simulation) and multidisciplinary optimisation (discipline combinations). The result of these facts is once again a drastic increase in the volume of numerical simulations. On the other hand the cost of CAE simulation (see Figure 2) is falling because of advancing hardware and software power. The consequences of these developments and trends can be represented as follows: To compare between experiment and simulation the physical real test is more valuable. Functional analyses can be performed faster and earlier in the development process. More cost-effective and more systematic analyses can be performed. Deeper transparency is needed and thus demands on documentation are higher.

Figure 2: Cost in virtual vs. cost in physical prototyping

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The most standardiseable section is the post-processing. In this step the post-processing objects (PPOs), e.g. curves, pictures, movies etc. are generated using different postprocessing applications. In the data management system the PPOs together with the corresponding meta data are stored. In the reporting, the last step of the process, the report is generated out of the previously produced PPOs.

Figure 3: The sections pre-processing, solving and post-processing in the CAE process

Project demands for a CAE data management system In addition to the boundary conditions resulting from the existing work flow at Audi, the following requirements could be identified: Because of the enormous number of simulations the data management system has to be able to handle the huge amount of data. The representation of the data has to be adaptive to fit the requirements of the different disciplines and analysts. The concatenations of the objects and data must be unique so that afterwards the workflow can be reconstructed and traceability is possible. Easy and fast access to the results with competent preparation of the representations is required. To avoid routine jobs for the analysts an automatic standard evaluation and reporting is necessary. To guarantee independence of the computer hardware and operating system and to economise the resources (CPU and storage) of the user, a server based web application should be employed. Automatic pre-processing with a link to the CAD component database should be realized. Project overview For milestone 1, which lasted from November 2001 until June 2002, the following tasks were performed: Implementation of the Basis-System for crash and occupant safety (OS). Integration of the AUDI-scripts for post-processing. Jobs from CAE-Bench should use LSF (Load Sharing Facility). Central database in the computer centre. Planning of the hardware for productive use. Request the first user feedback.

An intensive and efficient use of numerical simulation is only possible if we succeed in rationalising the process of numerical analyses. Therefore consistent data management is needed, which enables fast access to simulation data and efficient handling of huge amounts of data.

Development of SDM (Simulation Data Management)

The starting points for the development of our SDM system are the management of data and the workflow. In the following section the focus is on the CAE process and the resulting data. Audi CAE process In principle the CAE process can be divided into the respective sections of pre-processing, solving, postprocessing and reporting (see Figure 3). In the pre-processing step the data of the different car components are extracted out of the CAD data management system. Dependent on the analysis discipline these geometries are meshed according to certain guide-lines and mounted together with barriers (crash) and dummies (occupant safety, OS) to a virtual car assembly, the so-called numerical model. In addition to the geometry the physical parameters (e.g. contacts and velocities) and the material properties have to be defined in the input deck. In these work steps different preprocessing applications are used. In data management the input data and all meta data describing the car project and the specific computer run (discipline, load case, analyst ) are stored. The solving step is the numerical solution of the load cases defined in the input deck. Important for data management are the following: The results (output decks) Additional information (computer time, data volume of the output ...).

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The goal of Milestone 2 (July 2002 - December 2002) was the expansion and the adaptation of the system and the introduction of new disciplines. Five sub-projects were defined: NVH (Data model, interactive use) CFD/Aerodynamic (Data model, interactive use) Job submit (FlowGuide/LSF integration) FMVSS201 (Head Impact-Greenhouse) Expansions (Enhancements for the report, workbenches dependent on disciplines, graphical data navigator) Milestone 3 (January 2003 - December 2003) contained the start of productive use, the expansion and the adaptation of the system and the introduction of further disciplines. The subprojects were: Pre-processing Enhancements for Import Pedestrian Protection (Data model, interactive use) PowerNet (Data model, interactive use) Computer Aided Testing CAT (Data model, interactive use) To ensure that the hardware matches productive requests, a webserver (Linux), storage server (SGI, 1.4 TByte) and a post-processing/report server were installed.
Figure 5: VirtualInsight is the framework for the integrated simulation environment of CAE-Bench

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$<Import> $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ <Input> <Project>Car of the future</Project> <ModelPhase>Virtual Prototype</ModelPhase> <Discipline>Crash</Discipline> <SubDiscipline>Front</SubDiscipline> <Variant>F8A9</Variant> <LoadCase>Euro-NCAP</LoadCase> <SourceType>CAE</SourceType> <Editor>Gruber, Widmann, Reicheneder, Elberfeld</Editor> <Label>Test Data Set</Label> <Storyboard>Crash Front Storyboard</Storyboard> <Report> <MasterName>Crash Front Master</MasterName> </Report> </Input>

CAE-Bench
Simulations in CAE-Bench As shown in Figure 4 the productive use started in February 2003. There was a cumulative import of about 2000 simulations during October 2004. Input deck Solving, post-processing, importing in the database and reporting are supposed to work automatically. Thus it is important to declare all the necessary information in the input deck. The following listing is an example.

$</Import>

Storyboard A central part of the post-processing in CAE-Bench is the storyboard concept. The storyboard is the complete definition of a post-processing object (e.g. curve, movie ...). Figure 6 illustrates the creation of a curve. Representation of the evaluation The complete representation of the results takes place in the web browser. The browser window is divided into two frames. On the left hand side there is a navigation frame and on the right hand side the listings of the appropriate PPOs (Figure 7) are arranged. Report The report is generated automatically on a master report which is declared in the input deck. CAEBench provides a report editor with multiple editing functions for handling with PPOs, i.e. adding,

Figure 4: Number of simulations imported in CAE-Bench

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deleting, replacing and comparison of variants. The report in the web browser has proved itself in meetings and presentations. In addition it is possible to create a pdf-file. Hardware For the different tasks in our SDM system there are different servers and storage systems (Figure 9). One of the central units is the web server which consists of two linux computers with load balancing. They form the user interface and manage access rights. The compute server stands for several clusters for CAEsolving (PamCrash, Nastran, ..). The application servers generate the PPOs and the reports. The database server administrates the attributes of the calculations and the paths to the data in the file server and the storage system. The file server holds the PPOs and report data and offers a very quick data transfer. The input and the huge solver output files are deposited in the storage system. Advantages CAE-Bench offers a set of advantages: Standard Information is extracted from the solver output files automatically. Access Information via Web-GUI Use Information for Reports and Comparison One of the greatest benefits of our SDM is the overall time saving. We assume a time saving per simulation of about one hour. With 100 simulations per engineer per year and 50 engineers, we get 5000 simulations per year. The time saving for this example would be 5000 hours per year. This corresponds to 3 man years.
Figure 8: Report editor and representation of the report

Figure 6: The storyboard and the creation of a post-processing object

Figure 7: Representation of the PPOs in the browser

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Thus the simulation engineer can perform more simulations, has more time for analyses, can get the results faster and therefore has a better technical understanding.

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Challenges
CAE-Bench provides a lot of options and challenges. The following sections describe some challenges for the next years. Data volume grows For instance a typical EuroNCAP calculation generates approx. 2 GByte of data.

Figure 9: Hardware architecture of the CAE-Bench installation at Audi

Variant_1_EuroNCAP/Input Variant_1_EuroNCAP/Output Variant_1_EuroNCAP/Misc Variant_1_EuroNCAP

117.660 KB 1.943.986KB 2.797 KB 2.064.446 KB

Input Data Results Descriptions total sum

Simulation Data Management fills the gap between CAE and CAT data management. Its basis is CAE/CAT data management and CAx integration. A scheme of CA data interfaces is shown in Figure. 13. The interfaces between the CAx data is formed by integration layers. In the case of CAE the framework is CAE-Bench, applications for example are PamCrash, Nastran and Abaqus. CAE Process Chain expands CAE Network One of our tasks in the next few years will be the CAEIntegration of the different companies in the VW group including external engineering companies, system developers and system suppliers. It requires access and search capabilities on distributed data bases for a global information management, i.e. wide area CAE network.

In addition the conditions for the future will push the data volume even higher. We anticipate an increasing: number of engineers number of simulations types and sizes of simulations types and sizes of tests. Subsequent requirements are: Consistent data management Easy transparent access to data Efficient management of huge amounts of data Concepts for archiving Standard report at certain milestones A further challenge will be the automatic generation of quick surveys of all disciplines involved in a car project. Dependent on the particular milestone classification numbers have to be calculated (see Figure 11). CA-Integration Product definition is based on geometric design, functional design and physical verification. Product life cycle management is based on CAD data management, configuration management, component management and logistics. Page 10

Figure 10: Data volume over time with 2 GByte per simulation

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Global data grids Global data grids are able to enhance SDM and the simulation workflow. Referring to this we identify the following items: 1. IT infrastructure for distributed engineering data grids Technology and requirements for hardware operating systems network distributed databases authentication 2. Data sharing, data exchange, distributed data and databases Integration of multiple organisations, disciplines and locations Management, transfer and synchronisation of distributed raw data (files) Data access and exchange for distributed schema (data model) Process integration in distributed data grids 3. Security of data and data access Authorisation for Multiple disciplines (access rights/policies) Multiple locations (encryption) Partner integration (e.g. external suppliers) 4. Encryption of data for collaboration with suppliers Encryption technology for data transfer Hiding (partial encryption) of simulation models 5. Standardised data representation Data schemas for collaboration and data exchange Interfaces for data exchange Integration of applications Processes for collaboration 6. Integration of applications (tools) Standards for application integration Post-processing tools Solvers Stochastic tools Parametric tools

Figure 11: Quick survey of all disciplines in a car project

Figure 12: CA-integration

7. Integration of different frameworks Standards for Data access, Data exchange and Open software (LMS/Virtual.Lab, Dassault/VPM)

ESI/Composer,

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10. Knowledge discovery and data mining Data mining technologies Data mining in distributed databases Formulation of queries and researches Definition of similarity for compare Fuzzy research Automated learning Integration of external tools Interfaces for data mining

Conclusion
Effective rationalisation can only be achieved through the analysis of the discipline dependent CAE-process. CAE-Bench provides standardised evaluation and archiving of key-results and descriptive documents. It is an open system based upon SDM Technology from MSC. At Audi, CAE-Bench has been in productive use for more than a year. The system fits our demands. Staff members are relieved of standard operations. Now they have additional time for specific considerations.

Figure 13: CA data interfaces

Further Activities
The next activities will be the extension of the process chain by pre-processing, the development of concepts for CA-integration and the establishment of global data-grids.

References
[1] Doing the Right Thing First. MSC.Software Focus, Volume 1, Spring 2003, pp. 8-12 [2] Elberfeld, J.: SDM - Integrated Data Management for the Optimisation of Computation and Simulation Processes. MSC.Software Focus European Edition, Volume 1, Spring 2003, pp. 4-7
Figure 14: CAE Process chain expands CAE Network

8. CAD integration and pre-processing for distributed data grids Neutral and standardised CAD interface CAD-CAE data exchange Parametric design CAD framework Variation of CAE simulation models Automatic meshing of assemblies 9. CAT integration for distributed data grids Standardised interfaces for data access and exchange Data integration vs. replication Standardisation for compare CAE-CAT process integration Standards of data format (e.g. curves, movies, etc) Page 12 January 2005

[3] Gruber K.; Widmann U.; Reicheneder, J.; Elberfeld, J.: CAE Data Management at AUDI AG. [4] NAFEMS-Seminar: "Die Integration der numerischen Simulation in den Produktentwicklungsprozess", Wiesbaden (Germany) 2003

Contact
Josef Reicheneder, AUDI AG Josef.Reicheneder@audi.de