Application of free software FreeFem++/Gmsh and FreeCAD/CalculiX for simulation of static elasticity problems

The paper discusses the stages of computer numerical simulation of engineering problems and ways to improve the accuracy of simulation; provides a brief overview of free software for simulation elasticity problems by the finite element method, as well as trends in the development of free CAD and CAE software. For a successful engineering study, it is necessary to choose a convenient tool that takes into account all the features of the problem being solved. Based on the solution of a test static problem of linear elasticity, two approaches to engineering modeling were demonstrated. The first approach requires programming skills - the full modeling cycle was written in the programming language of the FreeFem++ software. Additionally, the method mesh generating in the Gmsh program with subsequent use in the FreeFem++ program is shown. In the second approach, the full cycle of modeling is carried out through the interface of the FreeCAD program with the built-in CalculiX solver, which does not require programming skills. A way to parameterize the task using the Python interpreter built into FreeCAD is also proposed. The simulation results obtained using both approaches are compared for an object to which an external action is applied, determined by the Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions, and two types of object fastening are analyzed: rigid embedding and limitation by a plane with zero friction. The analysis of the use of computing resources by various direct and iterative methods is carried out. Within the framework of the considered test problem of static linear elasticity, the most optimal method in FreeFem++ is the iterative method of conjugate gradients CG both in terms of computation time and in terms of the memory used. The highest speed of calculations is provided by the Cholesky iterative method with conditioning by the incomplete Cholesky expansion in the CalculiX program.