cae

name	cae
description	Computer-aided engineering analysis
license	MIT
compatibility	opencode
metadata	{"audience":"engineers, analysts, designers","category":"engineering"}

What I do

• Perform finite element analysis (FEA) for structural analysis
• Conduct computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations
• Run thermal and heat transfer analyses
• Perform modal analysis and vibration studies
• Support optimization and topology optimization

When to use me

• When validating designs against physical loads
• When analyzing stress and deformation in structures
• When simulating fluid flow and heat transfer
• When optimizing designs for weight or performance
• When predicting product behavior before physical testing

Key Concepts

FEA Fundamentals

# Basic FEA workflow
class FEAAnalysis:
    def __init__(self, geometry, mesh_params):
        self.geometry = geometry
        self.mesh_params = mesh_params
        self.boundary_conditions = []
        self.loads = []
    
    def mesh(self):
        """Generate finite element mesh"""
        return {
            "nodes": self._generate_nodes(),
            "elements": self._generate_elements(),
            "element_type": self.mesh_params.get("type", "tetrahedral")
        }
    
    def apply_boundary_conditions(self, bcs):
        """Apply displacement constraints"""
        self.boundary_conditions = bcs
    
    def apply_loads(self, loads):
        """Apply forces, pressures, temperatures"""
        self.loads = loads
    
    def solve(self):
        """Solve system of equations"""
        # K * u = F
        stiffness_matrix = self._assemble_stiffness()
        load_vector = self._assemble_loads()
        displacement = self._solve(stiffness_matrix, load_vector)
        return displacement
    
    def postprocess(self, results):
        """Calculate stresses, strains"""
        return {
            "displacement": results,
            "stress": self._compute_stress(results),
            "strain": self._compute_strain(results)
        }

Element Types

Element	DOFs	Applications
Tetrahedron (3D)	3/node	Complex 3D solids
Hexahedron (3D)	3/node	Structured meshes
Triangle (2D)	2/node	2D plane stress/strain
Quadrilateral (2D)	2/node	2D with bending
Beam	6/node	Structural frames
Shell	5-6/node	Thin structures

Analysis Types

# Static structural analysis
STATIC_ANALYSIS = {
    "equation": "[K]{u} = {F}",
    "assumptions": "Linear, time-independent",
    "outputs": ["displacement", "stress", strain"]
}

# Modal analysis
MODAL_ANALYSIS = {
    "equation": "[K]{phi} = omega^2 [M]{phi}",
    "purpose": "Natural frequencies, mode shapes",
    "outputs": ["frequencies", "mode_shapes"]
}

# Thermal analysis
THERMAL_ANALYSIS = {
    "types": ["steady-state", "transient"],
    "equation": "[K]{T} = {Q}",
    "outputs": ["temperature", "heat_flux"]
}

Mesh Quality Metrics

Metric	Good	Acceptable	Poor
Aspect ratio	< 3	< 5	> 10
Jacobian	> 0.5	> 0.3	< 0.1
Skewness	< 20°	< 40°	> 60°
Warpage	< 5°	< 15°	> 30°

Common CAE Software

Software	Analysis Types
ANSYS	Structural, Thermal, CFD, Multi-physics
ABAQUS	Structural, Nonlinear, Dynamic
COMSOL	Multi-physics coupling
NASTRAN	Structural, Aeroelasticity
STAR-CCM+	CFD, Multi-physics
Altair HyperWorks	Optimization, Structural