How can you optimize MSC Nastran performance for Structural Engineering simulations?

3 Optimize your mesh

The quality and size of your mesh can also affect the performance and accuracy of your MSC Nastran simulation. A good mesh should have well-shaped elements, smooth transitions, and adequate refinement in areas of interest. A bad mesh can have distorted elements, abrupt changes, and unnecessary refinement in areas of low stress or displacement. A good mesh can improve the convergence and stability of your solution, while a bad mesh can cause errors and inaccuracies. A smaller mesh can reduce the computational time and memory required for your simulation, while a larger mesh can capture more details and nuances of your problem. Therefore, you should optimize your mesh by using appropriate element types, meshing techniques, and mesh quality checks.

4 Use substructuring

Substructuring is a technique that allows you to divide your model into smaller and simpler submodels that can be solved separately and then combined to obtain the solution for the whole model. Substructuring can be useful when you have a large or complex model that consists of several components or regions that have different properties or behaviors. By using substructuring, you can reduce the size and complexity of your problem, reuse existing solutions, and focus on the areas of interest. MSC Nastran supports substructuring by using the SUPORT and SPOINT cards, which define the interface nodes between submodels, and the DMIG and DMI cards, which define the stiffness and mass matrices of submodels.

5 Use solution sequences

Solution sequences are predefined sets of commands and options that MSC Nastran provides for common types of problems, such as statics, dynamics, heat transfer, optimization, and more. Solution sequences can simplify your input file and automate your simulation process by applying the appropriate solver, analysis method, output format, and post-processing options for your problem. For example, if you want to perform a modal analysis, you can use the SOL 103 solution sequence, which will use the Lanczos method to calculate the natural frequencies and mode shapes of your model. By using solution sequences, you can save time and avoid errors in your MSC Nastran simulation.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?