You want to build a house but before that, you need a blueprint of the house so that you can build it just the way you want. In the paper blueprint, you may not understand it totally but in the 3D blueprint, you can see every corner of the house and also change it just the way you want. Well, this is what ANSYS is. In this blog, we will know the steps to make the meshing model using ANSYS. But before that, let us know a little bit about ANSYS and the meshing model so that we can understand the later part of the blog.

ANSYS is a simulation software that is used to solve a wide range of engineering problems across multiple disciplines, including structural, fluid dynamics, electromagnetic, and thermal analysis. The software can simulate the behaviour of a system under various conditions and can be used to optimise the design of a product or process.

ANSYS provides a wide range of capabilities, such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and Multiphysics simulation. FEA is used to analyse the structural integrity of a design and can predict how a product will respond to stress, vibration, and other loads. CFD is used to simulate the behaviour of fluids and gases and can predict things like flow patterns, heat transfer, and chemical reactions. Multiphysics simulation allows to couple the of different physics in the same simulation such as thermal-structural, electro-magnetic-structural and so on.

ANSYS can be used in a variety of industries, including aerospace and defence, automotive, electronics, energy, and healthcare. It is widely used by engineers, researchers, and scientists to design, analyse and optimise products, processes and equipment. ANSYS also provides a wide range of pre-processing and post-processing tools that can be used to prepare models, visualise results, and extract data. It also offers many add-ons and specialised software for specific industries and applications.

Identifying the meshing model

Meshing is the process of dividing a model into smaller, simpler shapes called “elements” that can be analysed numerically. This process is also known as “discretization.” The resulting mesh is a collection of interconnected elements that represent the model’s geometry and topology.

In many simulation software like ANSYS, the meshing process is critical to the accuracy and quality of the simulation results. A good mesh will ensure that the solution is accurate, stable, and efficient, while a poor mesh can lead to errors, instability, and slow convergence.

There are different types of meshing techniques, such as structured, unstructured, and hybrid meshes. Structured meshes are composed of simple, regular shapes like squares or hexagons and are often used in CFD analysis. Unstructured meshes are composed of more complex, irregular shapes and are often used in FEA analysis. Hybrid meshes combine both structured and unstructured elements and can be used in multiphysics simulations.

The selection of the mesh type and element size will depend on the simulation type, the complexity of the geometry, and the accuracy required. Meshing can be done automatically or manually, depending on the simulation software and the user’s preference. Many software’s like ANSYS offers both options.

Making the meshing model using ANSYS

Creating a meshing model in ANSYS involves several steps, which can be broadly grouped into three categories: geometry preparation, meshing, and post-processing.

Geometry Preparation: This step involves importing or creating the model geometry in ANSYS. The geometry can be imported from a variety of file formats, such as IGES, STEP, or SolidWorks. Once the geometry is imported, it should be cleaned up and prepared for meshing. This can include tasks such as removing unnecessary details, applying symmetry, or applying boundary conditions.

Meshing: Once the geometry is prepared, the next step is to create the mesh. ANSYS provides several meshing tools, including the ANSYS Meshing application, which can be used to create structured, unstructured, or hybrid meshes. The user can select the type of elements, element size, and other meshing parameters depending on the simulation type and the accuracy required.

Post-processing: After meshing, the user can use ANSYS’s post-processing tools to check the quality of the mesh, and make any necessary adjustments. This can include tasks such as checking for element quality, checking for element distortion, and checking for element skewness.

It’s worth noting that the above steps are a general guide and depending on the specific simulation type, there may be additional steps or variations. The user can also benefit from ANSYS tutorials and documentation for a more detailed understanding. If you want us, fivevidya, to help you, then you can simply reach out to our website https://www.fivevidya.com/ or if you want these free blogs continuously on other topics to improve your knowledge, then you can comment below so that we can continue to provide you free blogs.

Suppose you have written a program on “how to add two numbers”. Now the input is the coding and the output is adding two numbers. That is the basic difference between MATLAB and Simulink. MATLAB is the programming language and Simulink is the output of the language. In this blog, we will identify the fuel economy model in MATLAB Simulink. But before that, let us get an idea about what MATLAB Simulink is and what the fuel economy model is.

MATLAB Simulink is a graphical programming environment for modelling, simulating and analysing dynamic systems. It allows users to design, simulate, and analyse systems using block diagrams, which are collections of blocks that represent different components of a system. The blocks can represent mathematical operations, physical systems, or even MATLAB code. Simulink is commonly used in the design and simulation of control systems, communication systems, and other engineering systems.

Understanding the fuel economy model

Fuel economy is a measure of how much fuel a vehicle consumes per unit distance travelled. A fuel economy model is a mathematical model that predicts the fuel consumption of a vehicle based on certain input variables. These input variables can include the vehicle’s speed, weight, engine size, and aerodynamic drag, as well as environmental factors such as temperature and altitude.

Fuel economy models can be used to estimate the fuel consumption of a vehicle under different operating conditions, and to evaluate the potential fuel savings of different design or operational changes. They can also be used to compare the fuel efficiency of different vehicles or technologies.

Fuel economy models can be developed using various methods, including experimental testing, simulation and data-driven approaches. They are commonly used in the automotive industry, transportation research, and environmental impact studies.

Identifying the fuel economy model in the MATLAB Simulink

In MATLAB Simulink, the “Fuel Economy” library provides a set of blocks that can be used to model the fuel consumption of a vehicle. This library includes blocks for modelling the engine, transmission, and other powertrain components, as well as blocks for modelling the vehicle’s dynamics, such as its speed and acceleration.

The library also includes a block called the “Fuel Consumption Block” which can be used to calculate the fuel consumption of the vehicle based on the input from other blocks in the model. This block can be configured to use different equations or data sets to model the fuel consumption, and it can output the fuel consumption as a function of time, distance, or other variables.

Simulink also provides a set of “Driveline” libraries which can be used to model the powertrain of the vehicle including the engine, transmission and other components. The library includes blocks for modelling the mechanical and thermal components of the engine, as well as the transmission and driveline. These blocks can be connected to other blocks in the model to simulate the behaviour of the entire powertrain.

The above-mentioned blocks can be combined to create a fuel economy model which can be used to predict the fuel consumption of a vehicle under different operating conditions and compare the fuel efficiency of different vehicles or technologies. We, at fivevidya, can also help you to identify the fuel economy model in MATLAB Simulink as we have helped more than 1000+ students. Just visit https://www.fivevidya.com/ and you will get to know how.

Scholars who embark on their journey towards earning a doctorate know that they are about to undertake a mammoth task. At the best of times, starting a PhD can be quite a demanding and, at times, overwhelming academic commitment. However, when a pandemic is added to the equation, things undeniably get even more difficult.

The experience of starting or pursuing a PhD in the pandemic is largely unprecedented, although it can be safely stated that it affects scholars and their daily lives in many disruptive ways. Apart from causing emotional stress and anxiety, the COVID situation can also throw up other challenges for PhD scholars such as technological and logistical troubles.

In order to deal with these negative effects, one needs to understand them properly first. So, let’s take a look at some of the major challenges faced by research scholars who are starting a PhD during the pandemic.

Challenges of Staring a PhD in the Pandemic

• A sense of isolation

Loneliness has always been one of the most common problems faced by research scholars. Since preparing for a PhD often entails working alone on projects, the situation predictably leads to an overbearing sense of isolation at times. As a result of the COVID situation, the overwhelming task of starting a PhD has been made even more difficult. PhD scholars looking to pursue a doctorate are being made to contend with lockdowns and social isolation, which is invariably leading to fear and confusion.

With almost all educational institutions remaining closed down, isolated scholars are left longing for any form of institutional support. While some universities are better than others at providing academic assistance to PhD scholars, the ongoing pandemic restrictions are not enabling even these universities to offer scholars any relevant form of support. For instance, mentorship programs, workshops or social events for new PhD scholars have become nearly inexistent due to the pandemic. Consequently, a sense of isolation is proving to be a huge detriment for some scholars looking to start a PhD in the pandemic.

• Lack of peer support

Starting a PhD is such a daunting task because research scholars can face many uncertainties and doubts. At a time when many important choices need to be made, peer support is immensely helpful. Friends and family can be immensely supportive when starting a PhD, but the kind of support you can get from fellow PhD scholars just cannot be replicated. The shared commonalities, interests and experiences can help many a PhD aspirant make better sense of their bearings.

The ongoing pandemic has made it difficult to meet and interact with peers and one can often experience a general lack of motivation because of the same. Where once it would be easy to sit down with a peer to share ideas and suggestions, the pandemic has made this day-to-day task very difficult now. With social restrictions in full effect, the only viable recourse for PhD scholars is to maintain their peer network virtually, over the internet. After all, online meetings can go a long way in helping one ascertain what they want from their impending PhD course.

• Stress and Anxiety

The pandemic has caused a considerable spike in the stress and anxiety levels of all kinds of people around the world, and when it comes to PhD scholars, the increase in these levels is even more pronounced. Starting a PhD, even without a pandemic in their midst, is quite a stressful task for most.  With COVID wreaking havoc everywhere, the uncertainty of an upcoming lockdown, or a piece of disturbing COVID-related news, can often prove to be even more taxing for scholars.

Furthermore, with the pandemic in full swing, many PhD scholars are also left wondering about the uncertainty that the future holds for them, both in terms of their academic life as well as their distant career prospects.  Scholars looking to start a PhD in the pandemic are being burdened by all kinds of COVID-related inconveniences. From uncertain filing dates of PhD applications and deferred entrance examination dates to delayed Research Degree Committee (RDC) meetings for initial interviews – problems are aplenty, and PhD scholars are having to deal with the stress and anxiety involved therein.

Benefits of Starting a PhD in the Pandemic

Now, although some would argue that there cannot be any actual and relevant benefits of starting a PhD in the pandemic, the reality, thankfully, is different. There is always a silver lining present if one looks hard enough. Let’s see how new PhD scholars can make the best of the situation through the following benefits:

• Support groups and community coming together

Research scholars all over the world are gradually, albeit grudgingly, settling down into their altered routines. The internet, as ever, is proving to be an immense boon as individuals are banding together online to form virtual classrooms, support groups and the like. With social distancing becoming the norm everywhere, online communities are coming to the rescue of many individuals seeking academic or social guidance.

When starting a PhD during these uncertain times, scholars should make it a point to harness the power of this virtual community that is available to them. A lot of confusion can be cleared just by talking to like-minded individuals in a supportive environment. For new PhD scholars, speaking to their supervisor often is also highly advisable. Besides reaching out for guidance and feedback, keeping one’s supervisor in the loop and communicating with them freely is always a good idea.

• More time to spare

With social restrictions and lockdowns in place, many PhD aspirants are left with more time on their hands. This time should be used constructively – by reading and researching about one’s field, or maintaining a diary of your academic activities that will come in handy later, or even by pursuing a new hobby or interest. Not only can such activities positively distract a PhD scholar and keep them busy, but also help them make more informed choices during the course of their lives, academic or otherwise.

Conclusion

With the challenges and benefits of starting a PhD in the pandemic out of the way, the next question is, ‘What is the way forward?’ Well, even in such a strange time where very few have an understanding of what the future holds, the most important thing is to stay positive and upbeat.

Starting a PhD during a pandemic is obviously accompanied by a huge set of problems. However, with the right frame of mind, coupled with the right kind of support, even these problems can be overcome one step at a time.

Research, aiming to discover solutions to issues/problems in a specific field, includes two major categories: primary and secondary research. While primary research involves data collection via self-conducted approaches, secondary research includes data collected from previous studies.

Primary research is valuable as it fills a gap in the information and provides specific answers to the chosen research question. However, due to its nature, cost involved, and time consumed to perform the study, primary research is not commonly used by the researchers. Instead, they opt secondary research method.

Secondary research ( desk research), involving the use of existing data, summarizes & collates the data to improve the effectiveness of the research. This type of research includes sources published in research reports or other similar documents. The sources for data in secondary research are internal secondary data (websites, public libraries, existing surveys) and external secondary data (government statistics, non-government agencies, media sources). 

The purpose of secondary research include:

• Easy clarification of research question
• Ruling out of irrelevant research proposal
• Aligns the objective of the primary research

How to perform secondary research?

Secondary research is easier to perform and includes minimum time-consumption & cost. The steps involved in this process are as mentioned below.

• Identifying the topic of interest – Prior to beginning with the secondary research, identify and define your topic of interest. Next, prepare a list of attributes, purposes and questions that need to be answered at the end of the study. This will help you narrow down the broad topic and determine the key focus of the topic. 
• Determining the research sources – After identifying the topic of interest, the next step is to look for sources of relevant & applicable information. In secondary research, information is mostly collected from published and unpublished sources. 

Published sources include:

• Journals, periodicals and magazines
• Publication of foreign governments 
• Publications and reports of financial institutions, chambers of commerce, trade associations, etc.) 
• Census reports and statistical abstracts
• Reports published by state and central government
• Periodic publications of government bodies such as the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO)
• Reports published by bureaus, economists, research scholars, etc.

Unpublished sources include:

• Reports of business and private sectors
• Data from information sources organizations ( Passport GMID )
• Statistics maintained by corporations, state and central government
• Collecting existing data – On identifying the data sources, narrow them down to gather data that is closely related to your study. For instance, if you want to find the trends in education, then search for suitable data (in the above-mentioned list of sources) using keywords such as trends, education and their synonyms. By doing so, you can collect valuable data and also ensure that none of the vital data is missed out. Also, to ensure that you have collected only the necessary data, consider questions such as: what is the research goal? which questions are outstanding? how precise is the information? and how up-to-date is the collected data?.
• Normalizing data – If the study includes complex and huge data sets, then normalizing the data can ease the process of data analysis. Normalization is the process of comparing the data collected from different sources. For example, information regarding household income is collected from three different sources: US Census Bureau Data (1997), a survey (2000) and a published article (2007). These data can be normalized by shrinking the data into 6 income categories and converting the populations into a percentage.

Normalized data

• Data analysis – Perform the data analysis and determine if any questions are left unanswered. Remember, the analysis technique selected must be capable of producing actionable results. If there is any information gap, repeat the analysis process until you come up with future actions. 

What are the advantages of secondary research?

Secondary research includes several advantages over primary research. These include:

• The information is readily available, thereby saving time & cost spent on data collection
• Internal secondary data utilized breakdowns and categories that reflect the way of structuring the data
• Clarifies the research focus
• Presents difficulties faced while conducting the primary research

When should you consider using this form of research?

Secondary research is useful when you want to obtain feedback, clarify primary research objectives or there is no/little budget. However, it is not suitable if situations such as the information available is out-of-date, and it is challenging to evaluate the validity & reliability of the information. 

Key takeaways-

1.Verify the credibility of the information gathered

2.Do not just summarize the data. Instead, compare & analyze the information and ensure they are value-adding

Congratulations! You are about to start your PhD programme. Don’t be under the false impression that PhD is as easy as falling off a log. You’ll devote your maximum time in extensive research and bring out some new ideas and ways to add benefits to an existing research. You might have consulted several people and done online research about PhD, for instance, when and how to start it, but a few things might have been overlooked. Here they are.

• You can start PhD in an entirely different field

This is not surprising that you have attained your master degree in one subject and eventually found that your interest lies somewhere else. Interests change with time and experience. Having spent several years in one area, you may find passion in an entirely different area that you would be considering nonexistent.

You should talk to one of your professors and tell them your interest area. The brief will help them guide whether or not a new area is benign for you.

• Take a break before enrollment

PhD programme is tedious and long. It takes years to complete. Before proceeding with the programme you should be aware of the type of research you would be doing. You should be certain where you would be living during the course. Are you comfortable for being in an academic environment? Scoop out what lies beyond it, and then make a thoughtful move.

However, long gap is not good as it would be harder to get into an academic environment with lower pay later. Within the time gap you should know your priorities and the area of your research. You will be focused this time in your research, and also know if you would be able to cope up with full time research before applying for PhD.

• Confirm that you have a variety of research options

When you start your PhD programme you may find that it’s not what you expected. A research advisor plays a crucial role. Though you have to pick up the one at the beginning stage, you can finalize a permanent research advisor at later stage. You should choose a programme where professors are working on a broader area. This would assist you exploring different research areas and choose the one that best suits your interest. This will also assist you to be in touch with a research advisor  who’ll help you in project completion successfully.

• Set ground rules

Life gives positive and negative experience. No matter how savvy and patient you are, you may err in coordinating with your supervisor. Sometimes supervisors don’t heed on your work carefully and provide harsh or no feedback. You should be prepared of dealing this situation since you apply for the programme. Supervisors can be enabling, motivating, and bullies. So it’s important to know the structure and regulations of a university.