4.2 Creating topologies

To couple and decouple components, you have to recreate the assembly topology in the design area, by adding components, linking the interfaces, and adding stiffness information and loads. The idea behind the design area is to allow you to visualize the assembly in the simplest possible way. For this reason, we have decided to leave out all the complexity of the 3D to let you work with a simpler but effecting 2D environment. A 3D viewer will be implemented in a later stage, to allow you to better visualize components orientation, etc.

Adding components and loads

You need to add all component substructures of your assembly in the design area. Components can be generated either from tests or simulations. If desired, you cal also add lodas, such as Blocked Forces.

To add components and loads to the design area, complete the next steps:

1. Open the fly-in library.
2. Drag and drop the component or load to the design area.

Rigidly coupling interfaces

To rigidly connect components, you need to add links between their respective interfaces.

To create a rigid link between two interfaces, complete the next steps:

1. Click the link tool .
2. Click and hold on the first interface.
3. Release on the second interface.

Compliant coupling

You can create a compliant link by adding stiffness to a rigid link.

Adding a stiffness model to the links

If you want to have a compliant coupling between two interfaces, you have to add a stiffness model to an existing link.

To create a compliant link between two interfaces, complete the next steps:

1. Create a link between two interfaces.
2. Drag and drop a stiffness model on the link.

Adding synthetic stiffness to links

You can also add (off-diagonal) synthetic stiffness to a link, by building a stiffness model directly in COUPLE. The stiffness model builder allows you to add stiffness and damping between any pair of interface DoFs (including cross stiffness).

To add synthetic stiffness, complete the next steps:

1. Select the link(s) in the design area.
2. Click .
3. Select the correct interfaces DoFs.
4. Type values for Stiffness and Damping.
5. Click OK.

Creating topologies with blueprints

Instead of directly creating the final assembly with all the components, you can also create an empty topology of the assembly and fill it in with components, loads and stiffness at a later stage. You can also create interfaces and link blueprints in advance.

Adding blueprints

You can add empty blueprints to the design area that you can fill with components or loads at a later stage.

To add a blueprint to the design area, complete the next steps:

1. Click .
2. Click into the design area.

Adding interfaces to blueprints

You can add interfaces to the empty blueprints in order to link them with other blueprints.

To add interfaces, complete the next steps:

1. Click on the outer border of the blueprint.

Adding models to blueprints

When adding models to the empty blueprints, you also need to correctly map the interfaces.

To add models to the blueprint, complete the next steps:

1. Drag and drop the model on the blueprint.
2. If needed, edit the interfaces mapping by drag and drop.
3. Click Close.

Variants

Each different topology is called variant. In COUPLE, you can create and study multiple variants simultaneously.

Creating a new variant

You can create a new variant in a new tab.

To create a new variant, complete the next steps:

1. Click on top of the design area.
2. Create the topology.

Duplicating an existing variant

If your next variant is similar to an existing one, you can duplicate a variant and edit it.

To duplicate an existing variant, complete the next steps:

1. Right-click on the tab containing the desired variant.
2. Select Duplicate.

Renaming variants

You can rename the variants.

To rename variants, complete the next steps:

1. Right-click on the variant tab.
2. Select Rename.

Deleting variants

You can easily delete a variant.

To delete a variant, complete the next steps:

1. Right-click on the variant tab.
2. Select Delete.

Decoupling components

In COUPLE, you can also decouple components from assemblies. This is needed, for example, when you need to decouple transmission simulators from a component.

To decouple a component from an assembly, complete the next steps:

1. Create the topology in the design area.
2. Select the component to decouple in the design area.
3. Check the Decouple checkbox.