News
Jan 2012: VAMUCH 3.0 is released. There are many new features of VAMUCH 3.0 comparing to the previous version. Details can be found on Hifi-comp Google group: http://groups.google.com/group/hifi-comp/browse_thread/thread/c93c195ac20800ab.
Jan 2012: VABS 3.6 is released. VABS 3.6 can be several times faster than previous versions for big problems. VABS 3.6 can handle larger models which cannot be analyzed by previous versions.
Nov 2011: Dr. Qi Wang successfully defended his dissertation and relocated to National Renewable Engergy Lab to work on wind turbines.
Feb 2011: Prof. Yu is named the 2006-2010 Five-Year MAE Outstanding Researcher for the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. This award is selected based on 45% scholarly publications, 35% sponsored reseach, and 20% graduate student mentoring with an emphasis on measurable outcomes.
Nov 2010: VAMUCH 2.o is released. The new features can be found in its user manual and developer manual.
Oct 2010: VABS 3.4 is released. The main change is related with expanding \sqrt{g} for inititally curved and twisted beams. Such a change significantly improve the prediction for some cases.
June 2010: VABS 3.3 is released. Details can be found in the most recent user manual. The main change is introducing a new input format for less inputs and easier creation of VABS preprocessor.
May 2010: Prof. Yu finished his sabbatical work at WPAFB/AFRL. The final report of this work describes all the technical details regarding enabling efficient high-fidelity beam modeling tools for computational design. It can serve as a theory manual for VABS, GEBT and DNAD. Once it is approved for public release, it will be upload it here.
April 2010: Both Mr. Qi Wang and Mr. Zheng Ye entered the final list for SDM student paper competition. Details can be found from MAE website.
April 2010: Prof. Yu received Best Technical Presentation Award from 35th Dayton-Cincinnati Aerospace Sciences Symposium.
February 2010: Prof. Yu visited Wayne State University and presented our work on efficient high-fidelity modeling of composite materials and structures. He also had a wonderful discussion with Prof. Berdichevsky, the author of variational asymptotic method.
January 2010: Prof. Yu visited University of Cincinnati and presented some of the work we done on efficient high-fidelity modeling of composite materials and structures.
December 2009: Dr. Chang-Yong Lee will join the group starting January as a postdoc to work on dimensional reduction along with homogenization.
November 2009: USTAR Governing Authority approved our proposal for enhancing VAMUCH so that it will achieve commercial quality.
October 2009: Prof. Yu visited NASA Langley and presented some of the work we done on efficient high-fidelity modeling of composite materials and structures.
September 2009: VABS 3.2 is released. Details can be found in the most recent user manual. The main change is an improved transformation for obtaining the final Timoshenko model. For some cases, this new transformation significantly change the results.
August 2009: The SBIR project focusing on commercializing VABS technology has been selected for Phase II by Army SBIR office for the SBIR topic A08-022. Advanced Dynamics Inc is teaming with Utah State (Prof. Yu) and Georgia Tech (Prof. Hodges) along with an industrial advisory board consisting of major USA helicopter manufacturer for this effort.
May 2009: VABS and VAMUCH joined the Enhanced Solution Partnership with ANSYS for ANSYS users to take advantage of VABS and VAMUCH. ANSYS has generously provided two commercial licenses for Prof. Yu's group for this development.
Apr. 2009: Prof. Yu is named the USU Technology Entrepreneur of the Year to recognize his effort and contribution in implementing his theories into computer programs and promote their use nationally and internationally. Congratulations!
Mar. 2009: Prof. Yu will spend his first sabbatical in Dayton Ohio working at Wright Patterson AFRL to enable efficient high-fidelity structural tools for computational design. His application has been approved by both USU and WPAFRL. We sincerely wish him much success and productivity as he embarks on this very special endeavor!
Feb. 2009: Prof. Yu is named the Outstanding Researcher of the Year Award for the College of Engineering. Congratulations! He also received this award in the year 2008.
Feb. 2009: Prof. Yu is named the Outstanding Researcher of the Year Award for the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Congratulations! He also received this award in the year 2008.
January, 2009: VABS is introduced in the Software Exchange Section of the Mechanical Engineering Magazine as a Composite Section Modeler. Please read the Magazine for more details.
December, 4th, 2008: PreVABS, an effective preprocessor for VABS to model realistic blades and wing sections is released. With PreVABS, the efforts and time previously spend in creating VABS inputs have been drastically reduced to the very minimum.
November, 6th, 2008: VABS technology is descriped in the iBridge Network, a web site developed by the Kauffman Foundation dedicated to provide the transparency and access to university developed innovations that will lead to further advances and next-generation products.
November, 4th, 2008: A critical assessment of VABS against other tools currently used for wind turbine blades has been finished by the collaborative effort of Utah State University and University Stuttgart, Germany. The final report at be obtained from the Google group:hifi-comp.
October, 2008: TechnoSoft, Inc., another small business, also won the Army SBIR topic A08-022. VABS is also proposed as the key technology in their propsal. Prof. Yu will act as an consultant on this project as possible changes of VABS might be needed for their integration.
August 4th, 2008: Prof. Wenbin Yu has been selected as one of Georgia Tech Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni. He will be inducted into the Georgia Tech Council of Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni this November. Congratulations!
August 1st, 2008: Mr. Tian Tang defended his dissertation entitled "Variational Asymptotic Micromechanics Modeling of Composite Materials". We sincerely wish him the best for his future. Congratulations, Dr. Tang!
July 21st, 2008: Under AFOSR summer faculty fellowship, Prof. Yu developed a new code named GEBT, meaning Geometrically Exact Beam Theory. It is a long-waiting 1D companion code for VABS and designed to work seamlessly with VABS. It will be distributed as a freeware. Currently, it is capable of linear static analysis of structures assembled by beams with arbitrary topology and material.
June 16th, 2008: It is decided that VABS Lite will be freely available to students and engineers with limited resources. VABS Lite is a limited version of VABS which is capable of Classical and Timoshenko modeling of prismatic beams. VABS Lite can model cross section with up to 500 nodes and unlimited number of elements.
June 9th, 2008: VABS III is released. Comparing to previous versions, VABS III added quite a few new features. VABS III is also much faster than VABS II. For a big problem (a realistic blade section with 200,000 DOFs), VABS III takes only about 1/3 of the time used by VABS II. Except new technical features, starting from VABSIII, we also developed an evaluation version, which allow users to test VABS III free for one month.
April 21th, 2008: A SBIR topic A08-022 (Army), entitled "Practical Composite Rotor Blade and Wing Structural Design Tool for Aeromechanical Assessments in Conceptual Design" was written by US Army specially targeting VABS-like technology. Let us hope in the near future SBIR topics will also be written for VAPAS and VAMUCH.
April 16th, 2008: Mr. Tian Tang successfully defend his PhD dissertation proposal. He is planning to defend the dissertation August. Congratulations!
April 11th, 2008: Prof. Yu has been promoted to be Associate Professor with early tenure at Utah State University. Congratulations!
Mar. 2008: Prof. Yu has been selected as a Faculty Fellow for the 2008 Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program at AFRL/RB WRIGHT-PATT AFB, OH in the program "Computational Nonlinear Aeroelasticity" for 10 weeks, mainly to explain VABS to AFRL researchers. Congratulations!
Feb. 2008: Mr. Tian Tang received Outstanding Graduate Researcher of the Year Award from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Congratulations!
Feb. 2008: Prof. Yu received Research Excellence Award from the College of Engineering and the Outstanding Researcher of the Year Award from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Congratulations!
Dec. 2007: USU research on composite materials and structures including smart beams, smart plates, micromechanics, and mode jumping are highlighted on Page 74 and Page 81 in the December 2007 Issue of Aerospace America. Please read the magazine for more details.
Oct. 2007: The Boeing Company purchased a license of VABS for its Common Structures Workstation for design and analysis of slender composite structures.
Oct. 2007: Lin Liao successfully defended her disseration entitled Asymptotic Modeling and Analysis of Piezoelectric Composite Plates on Oct. 15, 2007.
Sept, 2007: Groen Brothers Aviation USA Inc. renewed its contract with USU to continue evaluating VABS technology for design and analysis of Heliplane,a high speed, long range, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft designed for use in Combat Search and Rescue roles, a multiphase project sponsored by DARPA.
Sept, 2007: For better visibility of VABS/VAPAS/VAMUCH to the engineering community, a dedicated web site: HiFi-Comp.com (this site) has been created and launched.