An interactive geometry modeling and parametric design platform for isogeometric analysis

This paper addresses some practical aspects of making Isogeometric Analysis (IGA) more accessible to design engineers and analysts. An interactive parametric design-through-analysis platform is proposed to help design engineers and analysts make more effective use of IGA to improve their product design and performance. We develop several Rhino 3D plug-ins with a user-friendly interface to take input design parameters, generate appropriate surface and/or volumetric models, perform mechanical analysis, and visualize the solution fields, all within the same Computer-Aided Design (CAD) program. As part of this effort we propose and implement graphical generative algorithms for IGA model creation based on Grasshopper 3D, a visual programming interface to Rhino 3D. The developed platform is demonstrated on two structural mechanics examples—an actual wind turbine blade and a model of an integrally bladed rotor (IBR). In the latter example we demonstrate how the Rhino 3D functionality may be utilized to create conforming volumetric models for IGA.