A Study of the Development of Multi-physical Simulation Platform: Use of VFIFE and DEM Analysis

A Study of the Development of Multi-physical Simulation Platform: Use of VFIFE and DEM Analysis

Multi-physics coupling simulation has been widely applied in solving complex engineering problems. However, it is not easy to integrate different numerical methods together to deliver a complete platform. This research developed a multi-physics coupling simulation platform based on two explicit numerical methods, the Vector Form Intrinsic Finite Element(VFIFE) and Discrete Element Method(DEM). Object-Oriented Programming(OOP) technique and design patterns thinking are introduced to provide enough flexibility for customization and extension. The long-term objective of the platform is coupling more numerical methods for the requirements of academic education, scientific research, and engineering applications. The requirement of co-developers and general users are also considered. Currently the prototype of the platform has been implemented and entering the verification stage.