Energy Check
Tools → Workflows → Energy Check
The Energy Check Workflow is a quick tool to help plot global energies for your model and perform checks.
In PRIMER we can set the tool up, by selecting the model unit system, selecting the desired time and energy units and selecting the thresholds and percentages allowed for the energy checks.
In T/HIS, this tool displays the Kinetic Energy, Internal Energy, Hourglass Energy, Total Energy, Absolute Total Contact Energy, External Work and Total System Energy. Multiple checks are completed on these energies such as the percentage of Hourglass Energy compared to Total Energy, the Absolute Total Contact Energy compared to Internal Energy and Energy Ratio (Total System Energy).
Setup in PRIMER
When this tool is initially launched, PRIMER will ask you to select which model you want to use to configure for Energy Check. You can only configure a single model at a time.
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Model Unit System
You can select the unit system used for the model from the drop-down menu.
Once you have selected the unit system, the Display Time Unit and Display Energy Unit will automatically update to match the model unit system.
Display Time Unit
You can select the display time unit to use: Seconds or Milliseconds.
Display Energy Unit
You can select the display energy unit to use: Joules, Millijoules, Kilojoules or Foot-Pounds.
Hourglass Energy Warning
You can change the warning value of which Hourglass Energy as a percentage of Total Energy will be flagged.
Hourglass Energy should be less than 5% of Total Energy, therefore the default for this check is 5%.
Contact Energy Warning
You can change the warning value of which absolute Total Contact Energy as a percentage of Internal Energy will be flagged.
Contact Energy should be less than 5% of Internal Energy, therefore the default for this check is 5%.
Energy Ratio Tolerance
You can change the warning value of which Energy Ratio (Total Energy minus External Work or Total System Energy) will be flagged at if the curve has exceeded the threshold. Total System Energy should remain constant (Energy Ratio should stay at 1.0), although this is not realistic therefore the default for this check is 1%.
Saving
Save the Workflow data to a .json file or save it to your model and then write the keyword file from PRIMER.
Use in T/HIS
When this tool is initially launched, the tool will complete a first run of the script by producing the aforementioned energies and checks. Once the run has completed the GUI will look something like this by default:
Energy Checks
The first check determines if Hourglass Energy is below the percentage you specified of Total Energy. If this check is a fail, the maximum percentage will be displayed in the GUI.
On its graph, the Hourglass Energy as a percentage of Total Energy is displayed with datums used to visualise the warning threshold. If Hourglass Energy does not exist in the model or have the same number of points on the graph as Total Energy, the check will not be displayed.
The second check determines if absolute Total Contact Energy is below the percentage you specified of Internal Energy. If this check is a fail, the maximum percentage will be displayed in the GUI.
On its graph, the Contact Energy as a percentage of Internal Energy is displayed with datums used to visualise the warning threshold. If time intervals for contacts are not consistent with other energies, the check will not be displayed. Please edit the DT field for GLSTAT within the \*DATABASE_ASCII card to enable fill accuracy of this check.
The third check is Energy Ratio, which determines if the Total System Energy (Total Energy minus External Work) is constant. The threshold is now shown as a range instead of a single value. This represents the acceptable deviation from a perfect energy ratio of 1.0 and flags both energy losses and gains. If this check is a fail, the energy ratio value will be displayed in the GUI.
On its graph, if TER - total/initial (Energy Ratio) is available as a curve in your model then it is displayed with datums to visualise the tolerance threshold.
If it is not available then (Total Energy - External Work) / Initial Total Energy is displayed, please note this check is calculated manually so may not be as accurate. Please request GLSTAT in your model to enable full accuracy of this check. If External Work is not available in your model, the check will not be displayed.
The graphs for all checks now ensure datum lines (representing warning thresholds) are always visible. The plot automatically scales to include both the energy curve and its associated datum line, allowing for clearer visual representation of whether the thresholds are being exceeded.
The Energy Checks results table now includes two additional columns:
- Graph ID: Identifies the curve used in the check (in the corresponding numbered format)
- Units: Displays the unit used in each check (e.g. "%", "J")
Model Unit System
The unit system that has been selected in PRIMER for this model.
Setup
You have the option to change the Display Time Unit, Display Energy Unit, Hourglass Energy Warning, Contact Energy Warning and Energy Ratio Tolerance just like in PRIMER, however any adjustments made here won't be saved upon re-load of the workflow, unlike in PRIMER if it was saved to a .json or to the model. Press 'Recalculate' to reproduce the graphs and energies with the updated setup options.
Recalculate
You can recalculate the energies and checks with the any changes made to the display time/energy units and warning thresholds taken into effect.
Plot Parts with Greatest Total Energy
Plots the Kinetic, Internal, Hourglass and Total Energies of the biggest N parts in the users model calculated by their greatest Total Energies. N is a value specified by the user, from 1 to 6.
