MD Nastran R2.

1 Installation and Operations Guide

MSC.Software

EBEA 2010 User’s Guide

1
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Revision 0. July 9, 2010

MDNA:V2010:Z:Z:Z:DC-EBEA

Main Index
 Instructions for the Energy/BEA program

Introduction
The Energy Finite Element Analysis (EFEA) and Energy Boundary Element Analysis (EBEA)
provides a powerful solution for high frequency acoustics. In contrast to traditional FEA solvers
that use displacements as the primary variables, the EFEA methods use energy based variables
which enables noise and vibration simulations at much higher frequencies than those attained by
conventional FEA analysis. The EBEA solution provides airborne noise loads for use by the EFEA
solution. The combination of EBEA and EFEA methods can be used to predict the interior noise
levels in a vehicle due to exterior acoustic sources. These new solvers are provided through
collaboration with Michigan Engineering Services and are provided as a pre-release in MD Nastran
2010.

The Energy/BEA (Energy Boundary Element Analysis) program can be used to calculate the
sound radiation and scattering from an arbitrary structure in free or half space at high frequency. In
the current version, for the half space problem, the boundary of the half space is assumed to be
rigid, and is restricted to be z=0 plane, where z is the 3rd component of the global coordinate. The
effect of the half space is automatically introduced in the Energy/BEA program. Users don’t need
to create a model for the half space boundary.

I. Running the Energy/BEA code

Syntax: EBEA pname

pname is a user defined project filename, which is used to create a new project and define the
names of the input data files required by Energy/BEA program. The content of a project file
includes three filenames (one filename on each line). The first filename (first line) defines the
Parameter Data File; the second filename (second line) defines the Model File which contains the
boundary element model; the third filename (third line) defines the Field Point File which contains
the field point mesh. For example, a project name defined as “examp1e” can include the following
there lines:
data
model_s
model_f
In the file examp1e, the Parameter Data is defined in the file “data”; the Model is defined in the file
“model_s”; and the Field Points are defined in the file “model_f”.

II. Energy/BEA program input data files and required input format
The Energy/BEA program requires three input data files: Parameter Data File, Model File, and
Field Point File. The nodes and the elements are in NASTRAN fixed short format. All other
entries are in free format with at least one space separating two adjacent fields. The length of an
input entry in any of the input data files must not exceed 80 characters. The function and the
required input format of each file are defined as follows:

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 Parameter Data File
The name of this file is defined in the first line of the project file (see Section I). This file includes
information about the frequencies, the speed of sound in the fluid, the density of fluid, the location
& strengths of acoustic energy sources, and other control parameters for Energy/BEA simulation.

FREQ f1 f2 f3 f4
Specifies the value of the frequencies at which analysis is required. Up to four frequencies
can be specified on one line. If the number of frequencies exceeds four, repeated lines of
FREQ should be used.
fi The frequency value in Hz. [float]
SPEED c
Specifies the speed of sound in the acoustic medium.
c The value of the speed (m/s). [float]

RHO rho
Specifies the density of the acoustic medium.
rho The value of the density (kg/m^3). [float]

UNIT unit
Specifies the unit of length used to describe the mesh. If the meter is used as the unit of
length, this entry is not required. This card is only related to the unit of the mesh. For all
other quantities, such as speed (m/s), density (kg/m^3), as well as strength (m^6/s^2) and
total power (W) of the acoustic energy source, the units have to be specified using
International System of Units (SI). And the entry in the UNIT card will not affect the units of
other quantities than the length of the mesh.
unit =0, using meter (default). [int]
=1, using centimeter. [int]
=2, using millimeter. [int]

HALF
Activates the half space analysis.
(By default, the free space formulation is used)

SUBCASE sid
Defines the load case information (e.g. source information) for each frequency. This entry
must be followed by one or several SOURCE or POWER entries to define a load case for
each frequency. Number of SUBCASE entries should be equal to the total number of
frequencies defined in the FREQ entry/entries.
sid Load case ID, which refers to the sequence ID of frequency defined in
FREQ entry/entries.

SOURCE xs ys zs stren did1 did2 did3 did4

Specifies the location and strength of acoustic energy source and the associated diffraction
plane IDs if available (up to 4 diffraction planes can be assigned to one source. If more than
one diffraction plane is assigned to one source, a corresponding diffraction plane ID should

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 be specified on the GRID entry for the particular field point in Field Point File, see below).
This entry should follow the SUBCASE entry. This entry can be repeated for any number
of acoustic energy sources in one SUBCASE entry (The characters of acoustic energy
sources can be described either by SOURCE entry which specifies the strength of the
source, or by POWER entry which specifies the total power of the source).
xs The global x-coordinate of the acoustic energy source. [float]
ys The global y-coordinate of the acoustic energy source. [float]
zs The global z-coordinate of the acoustic energy source. [float]
stren Strength of the acoustic energy source (m^6/s^2). [float]
didi Diffraction plane ID, up to 4 diffraction planes can be specified for each
source.

POWER xs ys zs power did1 did2 did3 did4

Specifies the location and total power of acoustic energy source and the associated
diffraction plane IDs if available (up to 4 diffraction planes can be assigned to one source. If
more than one diffraction plane is assigned to one source, a corresponding diffraction plane
ID should be specified on the GRID entry for the particular field point in Field Point File,
see below). This entry should follow the SUBCASE entry. This entry can be repeated for
any number of acoustic energy sources in one SUBCASE entry (The characters of acoustic
energy sources can be described either by SOURCE entry which specifies the strength of
the source, or by POWER entry which specifies the total power of the source).
xs The global x-coordinate of the acoustic energy source. [float]
ys The global y-coordinate of the acoustic energy source. [float]
zs The global z-coordinate of the acoustic energy source. [float]
power Total power of the acoustic energy source (W). [float]
didi Diffraction plane ID, up to 4 diffraction planes can be specified for each
source.

LOAD load
Specifies the method of calculating the contributions of acoustic energy sources in each
load case. Two methods can be specified: one is calculating the response of each acoustic
energy source separately; another is calculating the response of all acoustic energy sources
in one load case simultaneously and totally.
load =0, calculating all acoustic energy sources in a load case simultaneously
(default). [int]
=1,calculating each acoustic energy source in a load case separately. [int]

DPLANE did n1 n2 n3 n4
Defines the diffraction plane for each source if required.
did Diffraction plane ID, which refers to the sequence ID of SOURCE.
ni ID numbers of the DPOINT entries which define the connectivity of the
diffraction plane. [integers]

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 DPOINT id xc yc zc
Defines the corner locations which specify the diffraction plane.
id A unique (among all DPOINT entries in Parameter Data File) ID number.
xc The global x-coordinate of the point. [float]
yc The global y-coordinate of the point. [float]
zc The global z-coordinate of the point. [float]

ZFLOOR zf
Specifies the z-coordinate of the plane parallel to the half space boundary (ground). The
field point responses below this plane will be calculated using 1/r terms.
zf The global z-coordinate [float]

EXP exp
Specifies the exponential index for the energy density calculation for some particular field
points (GRID entry in the Field Point File should be modified as described below).
exp Exponential index. [float]

EFEA
If this keyword is present in the parameter data file, then the EBEA analysis computes the
acoustic loading on the surface of the boundary element model and generates automatically
all the necessary PWAVE cards for prescribing the external acoustic excitation for an EFEA
simulation. This option should be used when the EBEA simulation is utilized for providing
the external acoustic loading due exterior acoustic sources for an EFEA analysis.

Model File
The name of this file is defined in the second line of the project file (see Section I). It is used to
define the boundary element model for Energy/BEA analysis. The node and element information
of Energy/BEA program is defined in NASTRAN short and fixed format. The user can create a
model in a pre-processing environment of their choice and output the model in NASTRAN format.
Existence of duplicate or un-referenced elements is not allowed, while duplicate or un-referenced
nodes can exist in the model. It is not required to output a NASTRAN model with sequential (and
compacted) node and element numbers. For the half space analysis the boundary of the half space
is restricted to be the z=0 plane, where z is the 3rd component of the global coordinate. Coordinates
of the model should be consistent with this restriction. Orientations of all element normals
should direct towards the exterior acoustic domain.

GRID id xc yc zc
Defines each node in the boundary element model
id A unique (among all GRID entries in Model File) ID number
associated with the node in the field. [integer]
xc The global x-coordinate of the node. [float]

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 yc The global y-coordinate of the node. [float]
zc The global z-coordinate of the node. [float]

CQUAD4 eid pid n1 n2 n3 n4

Defines a linear (4-nodes) quadrilateral element.
eid A unique ID number associated with the element.[integer]
pid An arbitrary integer (can be any value).[integer]
ni The ID numbers of the nodes comprising the element (the
normal of the element should direct outward). [integers]
CTRIA3 eid pid n1 n2 n3
Defines a linear (3-nodes) triangular element.
eid A unique ID number associated with the element.[integer]
pid An arbitrary integer (can be any value).[integer]
ni The ID numbers of the nodes comprising the element (the
normal of the element should direct outward). [integers]
Field Point File
The name of this file is defined in the third line of the project file (see Section I). It is used
to define field point information for computing the results by Energy/BEA program. The field
points are defined in NASTRAN short and fixed format. Only the GRID entry is required.
GRID id iex xc yc zc idf
id A unique (among all GRID entries in Field point file) ID number associated
with the node in the field. [integer]
iex Specifies the exponential index used for the energy density calculation.
(Occupies the 17th ~ 24th fields of the line)
=0 or Blank Default (=2.0) exponential index is used for calculating the
energy density at this field point.
=1 Using the exponential index specified in EXP entry in Parameter Data
File to calculate the energy density at this field point.
xc The global x-coordinate of the node. [float]
yc The global y-coordinate of the node. [float]
zc The global z-coordinate of the node. [float]
idf Specifies the diffraction plane ID used for this field point if the SOURCE
entry has more than one diffraction planes specified in the Parameter Data File.
(Occupies the 49th ~ 56th fields of the line)
If all SOURCE entries in the Parameter Data File have only one diffraction plane or
no diffraction plane at all, this parameter can be blank.

III. Output of Energy/BEA Program

The Energy/BEA program outputs the results in one result file. The name of this result file
is same as the name of project (see Section I) additional with the extension ‘out’. For example, if
the project name is defined as “exam1”, the name of its result file is “exam1.out”. Content of the
result file includes:
 Energy density at each field point.

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  Magnitude and components of the intensity at each field point.

If the “EFEA” card is present in the “data” file, then the output file has the name “pwave.out” and
contains all the PWAVE cards which define the acoustic loading excitation for an EFEA
simulation. The content of the “pwave.out” must be included as part of the “model-all.dat” file for
the EFEA analysis.

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