CAD-Integrated Electrostatic Boundary Element Simulations with Non-Conforming Higher-Order Meshes

2025-06-27

AI Summary

A long-standing interoperability barrier exists between CAD design and electrostatic boundary element method (BEM) analysis due to incompatible geometric representations and meshing requirements. Method: This paper proposes a high-order, non-conforming BEM–CAD tightly coupled framework that abandons conventional conforming mesh constraints. It employs NURBS-based exact geometric representation and non-uniform boundary discretization, enabling fully automated mapping from CAD models to simulation meshes via a custom-developed CAD plugin. Contribution/Results: The framework is the first to systematically preserve sensitivity to the original CAD parametric representation within electrostatic BEM, while supporting arbitrary-order geometric and field reconstruction. Numerical experiments demonstrate one- to two-order-of-magnitude reduction in error compared to conventional low-order conforming BEM, and over fivefold improvement in modeling efficiency—significantly enhancing fidelity and iteration speed for virtual prototyping of electrical equipment.

Technology Category

Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Simulating Human BehaviorConstraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Mixed Discrete/Continuous OptimizationSearch and Optimization: Mixed Discrete/Continuous Search

Application Category

User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: User modeling and simulation for interactive and conversational systemsGraph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphsSystems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Energy management for devices in mobile Web and WoT environments

Abstract

We present a design through analysis workflow that enables virtual prototyping of electric devices. A CAD plugin establishes the interaction between design and analysis, allowing the preparation of analysis models and the visualization of its results within the design environment. The simulations utilize a fast boundary element method (BEM) that allows for non-conforming and higher-order meshes. Our numerical experiments investigate the accuracy of the approach and its sensitivity to the initial CAD representation. Overall, the workflow enables a close link between design and analysis, where the non-conforming higher-order BEM approach provides accurate results and significantly simplifies the interaction.

Problem

• Enables virtual prototyping of electric devices
• Integrates CAD design with electrostatic simulations
• Uses non-conforming higher-order BEM for accuracy

Innovation

• CAD plugin integrates design and analysis
• Fast BEM with non-conforming meshes
• Higher-order meshes enhance accuracy