Simulation of High Aspect Ratio Planes in Python

An aeroelastic analysis package

WORK STILL IN PROGRESS

sharpy depends on xbeam and UVLM. For now, only structural simulations are supported.

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Installation

Requirements

sharpy is developed and tested using:

• Anaconda Python 3.5.3
• GCC 4.8.5 or (recommended) GCC 5.4.0
• CentOS 7 and MacOS Sierra

Certain dependencies are required separately:

• LAPACK
• Eigen

Steps

0. Create a working folder and cd into it.

mkdir ~/working_dir
cd !$

1. Clone sharpy in the working folder, if you agree with the license in license.txt

git clone http://github.com/fonsocarre/sharpy

2. Clone xbeam inside the working folder

git clone http://github.com/fonsocarre/xbeam
cd xbeam
# This allows you to execute the run_make script
chmod +x ./run_make.sh
# Now we run run_make
./run_make.sh

This compiles a release version of xbeam calling to gfortran. If you have several versions of gcc compiled, you might have to modify the FC flag in src/Makefile and src/xbeam_base/Makefile in order to account for this. For example, I have gfortran-5.4.0 for the newer version of gcc not included with CentOS, so I need to modify the Makefiles if I want to take advantage of the improved features.

After a (hopefully) successful compilation of the xbeam library, the run_make script automatically copies the library to the required folder in sharpy (this is why you need to clone sharpy before xbeam).

3. Make sure your python version is at least 3.5:

python --version
# it returns:
#>>> Python 3.5.3 :: Anaconda custom (64-bit)

If it returns `Python 2.X.X` (where `X` does not matter), there are two possibilities:
1. You haven't installed the proper [Anaconda](https://www.continuum.io/Anaconda-Overview).
    Make sure you install the python3 version.
2. You have the correct python installation, but the `python` command
points to the default python of the OS. In this case, try `python3`

4. Run a test case!!!

   This command generates the required files for running a static, clamped beam.

cd ../sharpy
python ./tests/beam/static/geradin_cardona/generate_geradin_data.py

Now you should see a success message, and if you check the ./tests/beam/static/geradin_cardona/ folder, you should see two new files:

• geradin_cardona.solver.txt
• geradin_cardona.fem.h5

Try to open the solver.txt file and have a quick look. The solver file is the main settings file. We'll get deeper into this later.

If you try to open the fem.h5 file, you'll get an error or something meaningless. This is because the structural data is stored in HDF5 format, which is compressed binary.

5. Now run it

   The usual sharpy call is something like:

   # from the sharpy folder
   python __main__.py "solver.txt file"
   # from outside the sharpy folder (make sure working_dir is in your path:)
   python sharpy "solver.txt file"

   So if you are in the sharpy folder, just run:

   python __main__.py ./tests/beam/static/geradin_cardona/geradin_cardona.solver.txt

6. Results

   After a successful execution, you should get something similar to:

   Plotting the structure...
   Tip:
       Pos_def:
   	      4.403530 0.000000 -2.159692
       Psi_def:
   	      0.000000 0.672006 0.000000
   ...Finished
   

   And a 3D plot in a matplotlib screen.

   FYI, the correct solution for this test case by Geradin and Cardona is Delta R_3 = -2.159m and Psi_2 = 0.6720rad.

Congratulations, you've run your first case.

If you want to know how to configure your own cases, check the iPython notebook Geradin and Cardona Static Structural Case.