FENIAX is an aeroelastic toolbox written and parallelized in Python, which acts as a post-processor of commercial software such as MSC Nastran. Arbitrary FE models built for linear aeroelastic analysis are enhanced with geometric nonlinear effects, flight dynamics and linearized state-space solutions about nonlinear equilibrium. Some of the key features of the software are:
- Leveraging on the numerical library JAX and optimised algorithms, a high performance is achieved that leads to simulation times comparable to the linear counterparts on conventional platforms.
- The software runs on modern hardware architectures such as GPUs in a addition to standard CPUs.
- Algorithm differentiation (AD) of the aeroelastic response is available via JAX primitives.
- Concurrent simulations for multiple load cases are being developed.
- Currently the code has been tested and is developed in Linux and MacOS.
- A minimum installation into the current environment is possible by navigating to the main directory and
pip install .
- However developer mode is recommended and also installing the full set of packages which include testing and visualisation capabilities:
pip install -e .[all]
-
see pyproject.toml file for the options available. Python 3.10+ is required.
-
To install with GPU support install jax first:
pip install -U "jax[cuda12]"
pip install -e ".[all]"
Although it is not necessary, it is recommended that the software is installed in its own environment. Options that have been tested out follow.
- Conda:
Although it is not necessary, If conda is being used as package manager, one can make a specific environment as,
conda create -n feniax python=3.11
conda activate feniax
If pytest has been installed, check everything is OK by running the tests:
pytest
- Thus a typical installation would comprise of these 4 steps:
conda create -n feniax.python=3.11
conda activate feniax
pip install -e .[all]
pytest
- pyenv: Navigate to the root directory and run the following:
pyenv install 3.11.10
pyenv virtualenv 3.11.10 feniax
pyenv local feniax
pip install -e .[all]
pytest
By setting pyenv local to feniax, every time one moves to feniax directory the environment is automatically activated
Available at https://acea15.github.io/FENIAX/
The most relevant examples in the code base are shown here, these and more can be found in the folder /examples
They are also part of a large test suite that is integrated into the development using CI/CD.
!!! tip Navigate to the code of the various examples, including the simulation input settings and postprocessing of the simulation --exactly as it was used for the articles backing the software.
!!! success Validated with MSC Nastran nonlinear solution (sol 400)
!!! success Validated with MSC Nastran nonlinear solution (sol 400)
!!! success Linear response validated with MSC Nastran linear aeroelastic solution (sol 146)
