Projects / Programmes
January 1, 2004
- December 31, 2008
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.11.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Mechanical design |
|
| 2.10.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Manufacturing technologies and systems |
|
| 1.07.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Computer intensive methods and applications |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T210 |
Technological sciences |
Mechanical engineering, hydraulics, vacuum technology, vibration and acoustic engineering |
| T130 |
Technological sciences |
Production technology |
| P170 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Computer science, numerical analysis, systems, control |
engineering design models, integrated product development, PDM, PLM, FEM, CFD, virtual teams, scientific visualization, fusion, plasma physics, laser scanning, rapid prototyping, virtual reality
Researchers (14)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The area of LECAD's research, educational and development activities, involving its researchers, includes searching for new product opportunities, devising design requirements, synthesis and evaluating suitability of concepts, FEM/CFD and other analyses, specifying the most appropriate manufacturing technologies, cost estimates and information flow management (PDM/PLM). In short, they cover the entire integrated innovative product development.
In 2004, the LECAD research group took an active part in the area of nuclear fusion, especially the area of modelling/simulating processes and the area of solving the engineering problems in development, designing and building experimental fusion reactors.
Results of the research work is further conveyed to undergraduate and postgraduate students but also to a selected group of professionals from the industry. Education in the demanding and complex area of product development is carried out in the form of team project work in one location. Using the latest computer and telecommunication technologies, it is also geographically dispersed. E-GPR is a case example of an education and development project. It has been going on at the LECAD laboratory since 2001 in cooperation with our partners from Technical University Delft, Netherlands and Ecole Politechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland, City University London, Great Britain and Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Croatia as well as with a selected number of companies from the participating countries.
The LECAD research group is a partner in international projects 6FP and EURATOM, bilateral projects with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, and it is actively involved in EFDA through the Slovenian Fusion Association. In 2005, LECAD Laboratory subsidiaries at Sveučilište J.J. Strossmayera, Croatia and at Univerzitet u Zenici, BiH, were set up. The three laboratories make up the LECAD Group, whose objective is to bring together research, education and development capacities. Recently, some of the more recognized projects include a mobile device for processing special shapes (LOMAC; ITER), a laser device for foot measurements (ALPINA d.d.), a turbo blower for fuel cells and optimizing turbo blower parameters with the aim of noise reduction (DOMEL d.d.)
Significance for science
Scope A We have shown that wirk elements can be used as additional means for chaining of physical laws and complementary basic schemata (besides physical quantities in an equation). (Re)allocation of wirk elements also enables variant design and structural optimization. Capabilities of chaining are also enlarged by definition and utilization of conditional physical quantities. In this way we have eliminated deficiencies of original chaining, namely connectivity of chains into systems of chains has not been formalized. Definition and utilization of conditional physical quantities has enabled formalization of such connectivity and enabled synthesis of lower level into higher level building blocks. First analyses have shown that use of virtual teams is appropriate approach to challenges the global product development companies are faced with. First analyses have also confirmed many research results regarding learning curves, project based learning in industrial context and suitability of use of video-conference systems for geographically dispersed teams. Scope B PDM/PLM systems integrate different knowledge and disciplines like computer science, information technology, methodology of design and project management. Introduction of virtual product development teams that communicate via videoconferencing and other Internet tools has opened new research area. Research fields are: project management, creativity in virtual teams, communication, model of decision making, knowledge databases and classification models, product and process modeling through all phases of product development. Scope C The research of complex geometrical shapes and thir description with a small number of parameters is relevant from scientific point of view, however, the number of relevant work is low. We have shown on industrial 3D model examples, that it is possible to design consistent data models, which can describe complex shapes with a small number of parameters. The precision is sufficient for industrial application. We have designed several computer tools, which can be used to efficiently perform shape modifications, which were up to now only performed based on intuition and using extensive experience of users. Scope D The fields of fusion and technology oriented plasmas which involve also the fluid theory are very multi-and inter-disciplinary ones. We introduced in plasma theory a new physical quantity which we named the „local polytropic coefficient“ and via kinetic PIC simulations developed a new theoretical model suitable for linking the plasma parameters between the quasineutral plasma with the plasma sheath appearing near the physical plasma boundaries (wall, electrode or a plasma probe). We developed a new theoretical model of turbulent transport in the SOL region in Tokamak. We developed and coded a new model of the single particle motion in external and magnetic fields and introduced a new physical concept that we named „Instant Larmor Trajectory Center“ which is intended to generalize or substitute the standard concept known in plasma physics as „Guiding Particle Center“. We investigated experimentally and theoretically a special plasma device known as „gass arrester“ and proposed new technological solutions for competitive commercial production. We upgraded the fusion relevant codes for their use at JET and ITER and developed a considerable numbers of program packages for plasma research via computational simulations which we performe on various clusters (Innsbruck, ENEA, JET). It should be noted that a wide scope and a deep content of our work was achieved due to perfect international collaboration primarily with European and USA partners.
Significance for the country
Scope A Research has confirmed that development of innovative and competitive products is a key factor to enable financial stability of companies in global world. The method of chaining of physical laws and complementary basic schematics and its implementation as a computer tool would enable companies to generate higher number of alternative product concepts in shorter time: a possibility to synthesize a good solution rises with a number of synthesized solutions. The method would also enable analysis of existing solutions and identification of structural (and consequently functional and cost) optimizations. In the long run, the portfolio of upgraded and newly developed (potentially innovative) products is a basis for financial success and consequently higher Slovenian GDP. Developed and tested way of collaborative product development would relieve decisions regarding the technologies needed for global product development. OEM and Tier 1 suppliers are main candidate companies for such product development. Scope B PDM/PLM systems have been recognised and applied into larger enterprises in Slovenia. Investment into such systems brings economical advantages and increase of competitiveness in bigger and geographically distributed systems. The development of PDM/PLM will enable applying also to SMEs. For larger enterprises extended functionality of PDM/PLM systems will enable their expansion and more efficient work. PDM/PLM systems enable closer cooperation between companies and suppliers in the phase of product development. They represent core infrastructure for virtual product development and manufacturing. Different solutions have been introduced into companies Domel, IskraEmeco and Iskra Mehanizmi. Scope C Production of products is desired, which are result of proprietary development, based on usage of innovative algorithms. The keeping of work positions and jobs and opening of new ones is based on an assumption, that company sends such products on the market, which have competitive advantages in speed of production, engineering design, perfection of technology and ecological acceptance. For a partner ALPINA this is of crucial importance. Scope D During last several years our group became recognized as an highly qualified and important international partner to other relevant groups from Europe and USA on research and education at field of plasma physics and technics. Our program packages are already implemented in „suite“ of available programs at University of California Berkeley and in fusion research packages in Europe. Further within the framework of international collaboration we are officially included in “Integrated Tokamak Modeling and Simulations” (P1) fusion project of Prof. Kuhn and „Investigation of localized electrostatic structures in bounded plasmas under complex conditions” a general plasma project of Dr. Jelic, both performed at University of Innsbruck and funded by Austrian „Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung“ (FWF). Next ongoing important collaboration is with Prof. Riemann (Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany) on intermediate plasma-sheath transition region. With University of California Berkeley we just agreed on a new collaboration on implementing very promising for PIC simulations in plasma physics – the so called „three code“ method . Of particular importance is also our recently starting agreement on collaboration with ICTP MLab - Multidisciplinary Laboratory“ of Abdul Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (which under auspicies of of UNESCO and IAEA) at the field of Dense Plasma Focus .With mentioned collaborations we became well recognized as representative and internationally respectable group at the field of Plasma Physics and techniques as well as in fusion research and development. The scope and level of our common results opens possibilities for assuring more considerable income from international resources and for further succesful attracting of young research
Most important scientific results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
