A Powerful and Reliable Analysis Program for Realistic Industrial Simulation

For the last 30 years ADINA has been extensively used in different industries around the world such as automotive, heavy machinery, biomedical, civil and construction, energy, and consumer goods. The ADINA System has advanced capabilities that make it a versatile and powerful analytical tool for the development of many cutting edge technologies. We present just a few here.

For the following reasons, ADINA is an attractive analysis tool for problems in the automotive industry:

In addition to the built-in model generation and meshing capabilities of the ADINA System, it also provides interfaces to many CAD/CAE software programs for easy importing of the model geometries and meshes. The results of the analyses can be visualized either with the ADINA User Interface or can be exported to other CAE software for post processing.

ADINA offers a comprehensive set of solution capabilities for solving linear and highly nonlinear, static/dynamic structural problems which may include large deformations/strains, severe material nonlinearities and contact conditions. ADINA also offers a wide range of material models and reliable and efficient element technology, which is crucial in obtaining reliable solutions in complex analyses usually encountered in the automotive industry.

In ADINA, different physical fields can be modeled within the same software environment. Analysts can solve structural, heat transfer and CFD problems seamlessly inside the ADINA System without the need to license other programs.

Many problems in the automotive industry involve interactions between several physical fields such as in fluid-structure interaction and thermo-mechanical coupling. ADINA offers a comprehensive array of multiphysics capabilities that can effectively address such problems.

ADINA offers fast and robust equation solvers that can speed up the design cycle for the large finite element models usually encountered in modeling bulky automotive components (e.g., engine blocks).

Some examples of applications of ADINA in the automotive industry include the analyses of — engine assemblies, occupant safety, pumps, valves, hydraulic engine mounts, shock absorbers, ABS, disc brakes, airbags, exhausts, gaskets, tires, and tire hydroplaning.


Engine Block

Analysis of engine assembly

Carpal Tunnel

Carpal Tunnel

FSI analysis of carpal tunnel syndrome

ADINA is widely used in biomechanical applications. The following are some of the reasons for this widespread adoption:

  • Advanced material models
  • Reliable and efficient element formulations, including large deformation and finite strain capabilities
  • Robust contact algorithms
  • Fast and robust solvers
  • CFD, general Navier-Stokes fluid
  • State-of-the-art fluid-structure interaction capabilities for modeling the interaction between general nonlinear structures and general Navier-Stokes fluids
  • Comprehensive multiphysics capabilities
Some applications of ADINA in biomechanics include the modeling of — cell and tissue mechanics, cardiovascular mechanics, cerebrospinal mechanics, orthopedics, eye diseases, LASIK surgery, contact lenses, dental implants, drug delivery, ventricular assist devices, spine mechanics, carpal tunnel, implant/prosthetic design, meniscus replacement, artificial lungs, vocal folds, upper airways, bioreactors, artificial heart valves, heart surgery, tissue ablation, stents, and bile flow.

ADINA offers a wide range of nonlinear material models such as concrete, steel and soil models which can be effectively used for modeling steel and concrete structures and their surroundings. The effect of steel reinforcement in concrete can be taken into account by embedding the reinforcement inside the continuum elements.

Staged construction is an important aspect in many civil engineering applications such as in excavation, tunneling, and the seismic retrofit of structures. The element birth/death capability in ADINA offers an easy way for modeling such problems.

ADINA provides a wide range of analysis capabilities for modeling dynamic effects (e.g., due to earthquakes) in structural and geotechnical problems by use of direct time integration, mode superposition, random vibration, response spectrum, modal analysis, dynamic substructuring, etc.

It also offers a porous media formulation for modeling the effect of pore water pressure on the time-dependent response of soils. This capability can be combined with the soil plasticity material models (e.g,. Mohr-Coulomb, Drucker-Prager) to study the response of soil structures.

The effect of dam-reservoir interactions and also fluid-structure interactions in storage tanks subjected to earthquakes can be effectively modeled using ADINA. The potential based fluid element in ADINA provides an efficient tool for modeling the fluid in this class of problems.

Some applications of ADINA in structural and geotechnical engineering include the analyses of — buildings, bridges, cooling towers, silos, stadiums, concrete dams, tunnels, masonry structures, earth dams, and slope stability.

Beam Buckling

Beam Buckling

Moment-curvature relation for a beam using shell elements

S-rail

Stamping of an S-rail part

ADINA has excellent capabilities ideal for the analysis of different industrial forming processes in which contact, large deformations and material nonlinearity play a major role. The analysis of forming of both metallic and plastic components can be performed using ADINA. The analysis of hydro-forming of different components can also be accomplished using ADINA FSI. ADINA offers both implicit and explicit time integration schemes, which can be combined in simulating the entire forming process to maximize the solution efficiency. ADINA’s robust finite strain shell element, as well as its reliable and proven contact technology, are crucial in obtaining physically realistic results in forming analyses.

Some applications of ADINA in forming processes include the analyses of — swaging, blow molding, hemming, stamping, deep drawing, and rolling.

The simulation of many problems in the high tech industries, especially MEMS, involve modeling different physical fields (e.g., structural deformations, fluid flows, temperatures, electric fields, etc.). And, as the devices become smaller and more miniaturized, generally the effects of different physical fields on each other become more pronounced. This renders the multiphysics analysis an essential part in the design of such devices. In ADINA, these different physical fields can be modeled within the same software environment. Analysts can solve structural, heat transfer and CFD problems seamlessly inside the ADINA System without the need to license other programs. ADINA offers a comprehensive array of multiphysics capabilities that can be used to effectively address such problems. Following are some of these capabilities:

  • Fluid-structure Interaction (FSI)
  • Thermo-mechanical coupling (TMC)
  • Structural-pore pressure coupling (porous media)
  • Thermal-fluid-structural coupling
  • Electric field-structural coupling (piezoelectric)
  • Thermal-electrical coupling (Joule heating)
  • Acoustic fluid-structural coupling
  • Fluid flow-mass transfer coupling

Some applications of ADINA in the high tech industries include the analyses of — drop testing, electronic packaging, micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS), robotics, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and microfluidic devices.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Aerodynamics of a biomimetic flying device

Nuclear reactor

Blowdown experiment in a nuclear reactor

Subject to one of the tightest regulatory standards, nuclear reactors not only should withstand all the environmental effects (e.g., earthquake, wind, etc.) but also should survive potential accidents (pipe breaks, internal explosions, etc.) without leading to leakage of the radioactive materials. This presents a challenge both from the analysis and the design points of view.

ADINA offers reliable and proven element technology for general nonlinear analysis of nuclear reactors and their surroundings, and a wide range of sophisticated material models for metals, concrete (including creep), and soil.

The simulation of nuclear reactors usually involves large finite element models in which structural, thermal and fluid responses are coupled. Fluid-structure interaction capabilities in ADINA are instrumental in modeling the interaction between water and reactor components during earthquakes and other dynamic events (e.g., pipe breaks). In these analyses, the fluid can be modeled either using the potential-based fluid formulation (acoustic fluid) or the full Navier-Stokes equations. Both modal (when applicable) and nonlinear time-history analysis of the coupled systems can be carried out. The simulations can also include the effect of coupling between thermal fields, the structural deformations, and fluid flows.

Some applications of ADINA in the nuclear industry include the analyses of — blowdown conditions, control rod drops, pipe breaks, and internal explosions.