This paper on "Developing Custom Numerical Analysis Applications Using an Object-Oriented Framework" was presented at the NAFEMS World Congress on Effective Engineering Analysis - 25-28 April 1999, Newport, Rhode Island, USA.

Abstract

The effectiveness of engineering analysis can be increased by using custom applications to solve specific problems. For this purpose, an object-oriented framework is presented that enables custom numerical analysis software to be developed from reusable software components. The framework provides reusability not only at the software level, but also for mathematical models from which the numerical model, are derived. In addition to reusability, other significant features of the proposed framework include extensibility and flexibility, which enhance the maintainability of custom analysis applications.
The framework supports product analysis and manufacturing process simulation. The numerical methods considered include the finite element method (FEM) and finite difference method (FDM). The framework provides abstractions for the basic computational ingredients common to a wide range of physical phenomena. Examples of common abstractions include the mathematical model, discretization, gradient matrix calculation, and nonlinear iterative solution strategy. The mathematical model is defined on the analysis domain and consists of governing equations, constitutive relations, boundary conditions, and constraints.