Projects / Programmes
January 1, 2009
- December 31, 2014
| 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 |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 2.11 |
Engineering and Technology |
Other engineering and technologies |
engineering design models, integrated product development, PDM, PLM, FEM, CFD, virtual teams, scientific visualization, fusion, plasma physics, laser scanning, rapid prototyping, virtual reality
Researchers (22)
Organisations (1)
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
R&D process is a complex one and the level of formalisms of its activities is relatively low. Achieved results in the domain of searching for opportunities for new products with introduction of social, economic, technological and legislative factors and the development of prescriptive model for conceptual design that is based on the chaining of physical laws and complementary basic schemata, are contributions to formalisation of R&D process activities. The results of research of culturally bound influences on work dynamics of virtual product development teams, perception/emotional response of product users, and generating guidelines for guiding development process within Kansei engineering are also contributions to formalisations. Optimization of intra-logistics is one of the activities in the modern production, following product development. Developed method enables real-time optimization of logistics processes, with special emphasis on product planning, material flow and logistics of tools. Universality and applicability of the method for various types of production are its main advantages. The new optimization method integrates a relational database, a mathematical model with multi-criteria function and artificial intelligence techniques. Several-years long research within reverse engineering domain, more specifically, research of optical 3D scanning parameters – laser triangulation scanning of freeform real objects, contributed to breakthrough in increasing measurement accuracy of these sorts of measurement methods. The method merged and mathematically/statistically connected various parameters and provided a model for measurement uncertainty prediction. The basic research of the programme group in the field of plasma physics are focused on fusion relevant processes modelled within a multidisciplinary framework. Within this framework, fluid models (CFD) as well as kinetic models, with appropriate assumptions, contribute to a thorough understanding of the plasma sheath-transition. Developed program codes can then be used in more complex configurations or as upgraded models in the integrated workflows, where multiple codes are coupled into single simulation. Computer intensive codes, which are executed in parallel on HPC clusters, provide new insights in the interpretation of phenomena.
Significance for the country
As the working costs and living standard in Slovenia are relatively high, it is crucial to foster the development of niche, often small-series products and services for final users, as this is the only way to compete mass-producers and maintain high-added value of the products. This approach opens new opportunities also to various complementary services and knowledge (marketing, service, economy, etc.) defined by the product and have multiplying effect to local economy. In programme group we are striving to achieve these goals by joining basic-, technical knowledge with multidisciplinary, but systematic approach towards development of new final products and services. This approach addresses the whole product lifecycle and connects various disciplines: engineering, design, social and psychological – including emotional – aspects of product and service development for end users. The achieved results in the domain of R&D process and its activities research have potentially long-term effects on practising the process and its activities in industry, because they shorten time to market. The time efficiency is based on lower number of iterations needed in the R&D process compared to widespread trial&error approach. Prescriptive models and guidelines facilitate more efficient knowledge transfer to students and industrial experts. It is expected that learning curve of graduates is steeper when entering professional careers. Long-term effect is also expected from technology of Product Lifecycle Management systems (PLM) which represents a significant support for product development and production processes. But the technology can only be exploited by well trained engineers. The research group permanently educates new generations of engineers. Knowledge transfer to Slovenian industry is performed by improvement of companies' existing product development processes and IT support. The research group has gathered rich industrial experiences which resulted in various generalised models. These models were then applied in wider range of industrial companies. The Programme group performs several activities that are linked to plasma simulations under the fusion research. In these multidisciplinary activities it is necessary to combine engineering knowledge, modelling physics and supercomputing (HPC) techniques. Modelling and simulation of man-made and natural objects or processes are key enabler of a modern, scientific and technical research and development. Programme group develops its supercomputing activities within the Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe - PRACE. HPC cluster HPCFS administered by the programme group provides support to researchers and enables a highly advanced research and thus high penetration in the traditional sector with new activities which facilitate structural changes and impacts other areas of research and development. Immediately, importance of the programme group activities in the field of HPC and fusion impacts the development of appropriate manpower which can competently participate in the development of future fusion power plants.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
2012,
2013,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
2012,
2013,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
