Improved Performance in 3DEC 5.2

3DEC Models Solutions

Contact calculations and fluid flow analysis have been sped-up through:

  • algorithmic improvements, including more powerful cell space and contact detection logic, and
  • multi-threaded calculations.

This enables 3DEC to utilize multi-core CPUs to cycle up to 2x faster for typical applications.

Faster Model Set-up

Six key operations necessary for constructing 3DEC models have been significantly improved to execute faster.

  • Cutting blocks, including adding joint sets
  • Unjoining blocks
  • Deleting blocks
  • Excavating blocks (not deleted, but assigned a NULL constitutive material model)
  • Making blocks deformable (e.g., GENERATE)
  • Application of external boundary conditions

More Robust

Zoning algorithms have been improved for better quality zone generation. Detection of any negative zone volumes is automatic, with such zones being deleted. Rigid block analysis is also more numerically stable.

For Example

 

OPEN PIT

  • Mechanical
  • 50,000 blocks
  • 1.5 million zones
  • 50 faults

INTERSECTING TUNNELS

  • Mechanical
  • 230,000 blocks
  • 2.3 million zones
  • 75 faults

HYDRAULIC FRACTURING

  • Coupled hydro-mechanical
  • 4,000 blocks
  • 1.1 million zones
  • 6,737 faults
  • 13 minutes of fluid injection

Operation Time (Version 5.0, MIN.) Time (Version 5.2, MIN.) Speed-Up
Block Densification 23.7 22.9 ---
Block Deletion (19,500 blocks) 26.6 0.1 240x
Cut Faults 2.5 0.7 3.6x
Zone Blocks 1.6a 1.6 ---
Cycle (10,000 steps) 147.7 82.2 1.8x

a14 blocks failed to zone.

 

Operation Time (Version 5.0, MIN.) Time (Version 5.2, MIN.) Speed-Up
Cut Faults 33 12 1.8x
Zone Blocks 18 7 2.6x
Cycle (5,900 steps) 467 167 2.8x

 

Operation Time (Version 5.0, MIN.) Time (Version 5.2, MIN.) Speed-Up
Fluid Injection (100,000 cycles) 680 523 1.35x