Tag: numerical modeling

Top Reasons To Invest In ProteusDS Training

Posted on July 19, 2017
Lauren Dunn

We work in technology-rich workplaces, where we need to keep skills current to ensure that the companies we work for stay competitive. Professional development has many benefits, and DSA wants to help you and your business to continue running effectively and efficiently.

Whether you are a new ProteusDS user or a seasoned pro, regular professional development and software training can build skills within your company that will improve your bottom-line by ensuring you are using the most effective tools and processes.

We’ve compiled some of the top reasons to invest in ProteusDS software training:

#1 Keep up with industry changes

Ocean engineering best practices are always evolving, to avoid being left behind it’s important for you and your business to keep on top of them. At DSA we work across many ocean sectors which give us a tremendous knowledge base to draw upon in training sessions. To the benefit of all attendees, standards and recommended practices for analyses are frequently discussed during training.

#2 Keep in touch with the latest features

New features within ProteusDS are developed all the time! Our team announces these advancements in all our major releases updates. In a training session, you can discover first-hand how these new features are used. In addition, not every feature is discussed in the tutorials or in release announcements. We often dive into these lesser-known features in our training sessions.

#3 Keep one step ahead of the competition

Training helps users be more productive and efficient. Huge investments in tools without the appropriate training can signify inefficiencies that affect your company’s competitiveness. We find that users who invest in training find new and better ways to ProteusDS that save their businesses time and money.

#4 Keep connected with the software developers

Training with the software developers has three significant benefits. First, you are learning from the experts. Second, if you are encountering complex issues or have concerns with your simulations these issues are addressed quickly and efficiently. Lastly, training sessions provide an invaluable opportunity for you to give feedback to DSA that can guide future developments that will make your ProteusDS usage more efficient and tailored to your specific needs.

Image of ProteusDS training in Singapore

A.J. Baron, Project Engineer with DSA leading ProteusDS training in Singapore, March 2017

Interested in learning more about ProteusDS training options? Want to book training today?

ProteusDS v2.36 is now available

Posted on July 4, 2017
Lauren Dunn

DSA is very pleased to announce the release of ProteusDS v2.36. The software is ready to go and active subscribers can use their login credentials to download the latest version from our website. We’ve highlighted some of the key new features below.

Support for visualization-only models

A good computational model is very different than a 3D model used for purely visualization purposes. Because of this, we have added the ability to handle models that are to be used for visualization purposes only. Now, in the ProteusDS Simulation Toolbox, you can add a $VisualizationModel property to a RigidBody. The model specified through this property is not used for computations. We have added functionality in both PostPDS and ProteusDS Simulation Toolbox to toggle visualization or computational models on or off.

Image of Blended copmutational vs visualization labels

Comparing computational and visualization display modes in PostPDS

Bathymetry analysis

We have released a set of powerful bathymetry analysis features in PostPDS that allow users to assess seabed slope and depth. To access these features, simply right-click on the Seabed item in the Categories tree in the UI, and select the appropriate Bathymetry Plotting option. The depth and slope plots now have legends that make it easy to interpret seabed data. The exclusion zone plot allows you to find safe regions to place equipment or position anchors.

PostPDS showing the slopes in a bathymetry file using the bathymetry plotting options

Modeling ropes that are sewn into nets

For our aquaculture and net-modeling users, we have added support for modeling rib-lines or “structural lines” that are frequently sewn into nets to add strength and shape. This is done within the Net DObject itself and not using additional Cable DObjects. This dramatically reduces the numbers of DObjects and connections required to simulate a net pen with rib lines leading to faster simulations. To apply a rib-line to a net, use the $ExtCableLongitudinal or $ExtCableTransverse property in the Net input file.

We have also added an option to connect the end of a line to any point on a net. You do not have to connect a line directly to a node! This is much easier for creating supporting lines in net pens. To create this connection specify the Net as the master and the Cable as the follower, and use the Point connection type.

Image of structural lines that are swen into net panels

Visualization of structural lines (indicated in yellow) that are sewn into net panels.This feature reduced net analysis complexity significantly.

So, that’s ProteusDS 2.36 – we hope you enjoy it and find the new features useful.

v2.36 Changelog

Additions:

Added time history plot functionality for RigidBody DObject in PostPDS
Added legends for bathymetry plots in PostPDS
Added support for computational and visualization models in ProteusDS solver, PST, and PostPDS
Added height above seabed probe to RigidBody to check for clearance
Added inclination angle and tension output for ExtMass and ExtMassCylinder attachments
Added ability to connect the end of a cable to anywhere on a net panel
Added ExtCable functionality to Net DObject to allow for modeling of ropes which are sewn into nets to provide strength and shape

Changes:

Enhanced ‘Duplicate Selected DObject(s)’ functionality to allow for optional duplication of connections

Resolved issues:

Addressed overlapping water rendering
Improved full-screen support with ability to toggle the display device that the full-screen window appears on by pressing ‘F1’
Addressed mooring line naming issue with taut leg mooring generator

View our 2015 changelog here

ProteusDS v2.34 is now available

Posted on March 23, 2017
Lauren Dunn

v2.34 is now available

It’s been an exciting and busy start to 2017 here at DSA and it’s been several months since our last release of ProteusDS (v2.29) – so we are very pleased to announce the release of ProteusDS v2.34.

The software is ready to go and login credentials for active subscribers will allow you to access ProteusDS v2.34 from our website.

Version 2.34 introduces new functionality, including:

Net modeling enhancements

The latest version of ProteusDS contains fixes and enhancements for net modelers. Improvements have been made to increase the accuracy of predicted hydrodynamic forces on nets, and mooring components in the wakes of nets. The pre-existing wake-shielding model, which accounts for fluid velocity reduction through nets, has been updated and is considered essential for not over-estimating forces on successive net pens in simulations. This builds on the self-shielding model that was added in the previous release to account for local hydrodynamic shielding between adjacent net twines at low angles of incidence

Secondly, automatic adjustment of net twine drag coefficient with Reynolds number has been added as default to nets, and has been proven to accurately estimate hydrodynamic forces on nets over wide ranges of fluid velocity. DSA has produced a validation document which outlines the net model developments for estimating hydrodynamic loading and comparisons made to experimental tank tests of nets and full-scale fish farms. It is critical that net users add to their existing net model input models the $FluidCoefficientReData property.

Enhancements have also been made to the net arc space calculations in ProteusDS, which is used to position external masses on nets. Performance improvements were made by switching from a bi-quintic to a linear-cubic interpolation scheme.

The image shows a side view of three successive square aquaculture pens, with current flowing right to left. The leading cage experiences the largest hydrodynamic forcing and netting deformation. Current velocity is then reduced with the wake shielding model as the flow traverses through multiple nets, as seen in the middle and trailing cages.

Lastly, improvements have been made to previsualization of nets in the ProteusDS Simulation Toolbox. Users can now distinguish which net edge is which according to its colour.

Users can now distinguish which net edge is which according to its colour.

Cable model damping optimization

The finite-element cable model is one of the core models in ProteusDS. Users will now have the ability to automatically estimate a reasonable axial damping coefficient in cables based on a damping ratio, axial stiffness and element lengths. Testing has shown that this typically results in major simulation speed-ups.

Simulation execution time can be greatly increased by utilizing automatic cable damping, as each instance of a cable segment defined in a cable has a particular calculated axial damping coefficient based on the average element stiffness, average element length, and cable node mass covered by the cable segment.

Environmental condition transitions

The latest version of the ProteusDS contains a major new feature that allows control over the application current, wind and waves in a simulation. We’ve added the ability to independently control when the current, wind, and wave conditions will start in any given simulation and the length of time that those conditions will be ramped to their set state.

Previously the singular $TRamp property was used to control ramping of all environmental conditions. Users could not, for instance, have a steady state current with wind and then have waves start at some point later on in a simulation.

This feature is very useful when a user wants to determine an initial steady state configuration (positions and loads) for a model (e.g. a mooring system, a fish farm, a moored buoy) – then after the steady state is reached, introduce unsteady wave loads. Previously this level of analysis was only achievable after running separate simulations.

So, that’s ProteusDS 2.34 – we hope you enjoy it and find good use for all the new features.

Complete list of additions, changes and resolved issues.