Efficiency Improvement in Engine Design Analysis at Ford Motor Company with ANSYS Meshing Solution

Ford Motor Company is a leading automotive company based in the United States of America. The Engine NVH Analysis Section at Ford is responsible for providing CAE NVH design analysis support to the Advanced, V-Engine Component, and Engine Systems programs. The section performs various types of analysis, including engine component and assembly modal & vibrational response analysis, engine component and assembly radiated noise analysis, crank/block dynamic interaction analysis, air intake system NVH analysis, and exhaust manifold radiated noise analysis. The section deals with a wide range of parts, from simple stampings to complex castings of cylinder heads, blocks, and manifolds, to even more complex multi-piece composite intake manifolds.

The Engine NVH Analysis Section at Ford Motor Company is tasked with providing CAE NVH design analysis support to various programs. The types of analysis performed include engine component and assembly modal & vibrational response analysis, engine component and assembly radiated noise analysis, crank/block dynamic interaction analysis, air intake system NVH analysis, and exhaust manifold radiated noise analysis. However, with program timing being regularly compressed, the demand for quick turnaround on design analysis is constantly growing. As the finite element models become larger, they tend to drive the analysis time longer. This creates a need for quick FE models that accurately represent the structures, with the smallest number of degrees of freedom being an absolute necessity. The parts that need to be meshed can range from simple stampings to complex castings of cylinder heads, blocks, and manifolds, to even more complex multi-piece composite intake manifolds.

To address the challenge, Ford Motor Company implemented the ANSYS AI*Environment tet meshing solution. This solution allows the company to create meshed models that meet their element size and quality criteria. Most of the model data is imported directly from I-DEAS, but some of the data comes from X-ray scans. The ANSYS AI*Environment solution offers several benefits. It eliminates the need for rework of geometry to get it to mesh, allows fitting the mesh to different areas in the same geometry without creating too many elements, and enables the import of different types of data that describe the part to be modeled. Furthermore, it allows the creation of all models in a matter of hours, not days.

• The implementation of the ANSYS AI*Environment tet meshing solution has significantly improved the efficiency of the Engine NVH Analysis Section at Ford Motor Company. The solution has eliminated the need for rework of geometry to get it to mesh, saving valuable time and resources. It has also allowed the team to fit the mesh to different areas in the same geometry without creating too many elements, optimizing the use of computational resources. The ability to import different types of data that describe the part to be modeled has enhanced the flexibility of the modeling process. Most importantly, the solution has enabled the team to create all models in a matter of hours, not days, significantly reducing the turnaround time for design analysis and helping the company to meet the growing demand for quick turnaround.

• No rework of geometry to get it to mesh, saving time and resources
• Ability to fit the mesh to different areas in the same geometry without creating too many elements, optimizing the use of computational resources
• Ability to import different types of data that describe the part to be modeled, enhancing the flexibility of the modeling process