Method and program for simulating occurrence of air pocket

1. A method of simulating an occurrence of an air pocket in an object to be coated, the method comprising:

dividing a shape data of the object, which is to be immersed in a coating material tank, into a plurality of two-dimensional elements;

setting an element disposed at an end portion of the object or a hole portion of the object as an initial boundary element, and setting an element comprising a common nodal point with the initial boundary element as a flanking element;

analyzing the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, based on the initial boundary element;

setting the analyzed flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, as a secondary boundary element, and also setting an element comprising a common nodal point with the secondary boundary element as a flanking element;

analyzing the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, based on the secondary boundary element;

determining whether there is a flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element;

repeatedly performing, using a computer, when it is determined that there is a flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element, analyzing the flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element based on the secondary boundary element, and setting the analyzed flanking element which adjoined the secondary boundary element as the secondary boundary element and setting an element with a common nodal point with the secondary boundary element as a flanking element until it is determined that there is no flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element; and

finishing analysis when it is determined that there is no flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element,

wherein analyzing the flanking element comprises comparing a height characteristic of the flanking element with a height characteristic of one of the secondary boundary element and the initial boundary element to determine if the flanking element is filled with an air or a liquid coating material.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a height of a center of gravity of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, is compared with a height of a center of gravity of the initial boundary element,

wherein, if the height of the center of gravity of the initial boundary element is greater than the height of the center of gravity of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, is filled with liquid coating material,

wherein, if the height of the center of gravity of the initial boundary element is less than the height of the center of gravity of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, is filled with air,

wherein a height of a center of gravity of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, is compared with a height of a center of gravity of the secondary boundary element,

wherein, if the height of the center of gravity of the secondary boundary element is greater than the height of the center of gravity of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, is filled with liquid coating material, and

wherein, if the height of the center of gravity of the secondary boundary element is less than the height of the center of gravity of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, is filled with air.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the liquid coating material comprises a liquid disposed in the coating material tank.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a height of a highest nodal point of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, is compared with a height of a highest nodal point of the initial boundary element,

wherein, if the height of the highest nodal point of the initial boundary element is greater than the height of the highest nodal point of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, is filled with liquid coating material,

wherein, if the height of the highest nodal point of the initial boundary element is less than the height of the highest nodal point of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, is filled with air,

wherein, a height of a highest nodal point of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, is compared with a height of a highest nodal point of the secondary boundary element,

wherein, if the height of the highest nodal point of the secondary boundary element is greater than the height of the highest nodal point of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, is filled with liquid coating material, and

wherein, if the height of the highest nodal point of the secondary boundary element is less than the height of the highest nodal point of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, is filled with air.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a vehicle body.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

upon finishing analysis, identifying elements determined to be filled with air as containing an air pocket.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the initial boundary element, the flanking element, and the secondary boundary element comprise two-dimensional elements.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an entirety of the elements analyzed comprise two dimensional elements.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

initially setting all of the plurality of two-dimensional elements as being filled with air.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the initial boundary element comprises a plurality of initial boundary elements.

11. A programmable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method of simulating an occurrence of an air pocket in an object to be coated, said method comprising:

dividing a shape data of the object, which is to be immersed in a coating material tank, into a plurality of two-dimensional elements;

setting an element disposed at an end portion of the object or a hole portion of the object as an initial boundary element, and setting an element comprising a common nodal point with the initial boundary element as a flanking element;

analyzing the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, based on the initial boundary element;

setting the analyzed flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, as a secondary boundary element, and also setting an element comprising a common nodal point with the secondary boundary element as a flanking element;

analyzing the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, based on the secondary boundary element;

determining whether there is any flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element;

repeatedly performing, when it is determined that there is a flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element, the analyzing the flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element based on the secondary boundary element, and setting the analyzed flanking element which adjoined the secondary boundary element as the secondary boundary element and setting an element with a common nodal point with the secondary boundary element as a flanking element until it is determined that there is no flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element; and

finishing analysis when it is determined that there is no flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element,

wherein analyzing the flanking element comprises comparing a height characteristic of the flanking element with a height characteristic of one of the secondary boundary element and the initial boundary element to determine if the flanking element is filled with an air or a liquid coating material.

12. The programmable storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein a height of a center of gravity of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, is compared with a height of a center of gravity of the initial boundary element,

wherein, if the height of the center of gravity of the initial boundary element is greater than the height of the center of gravity of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, is filled with liquid coating material,

wherein, if the height of the center of gravity of the initial boundary element is less than the height of the center of gravity of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, is filled with air,

wherein a height of a center of gravity of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, is compared with a height of a center of gravity of the secondary boundary element,

wherein, if the height of the center of gravity of the secondary boundary element is greater than the height of the center of gravity of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, is filled with liquid coating material, and

wherein, if the height of the center of gravity of the secondary boundary element is less than the height of the center of gravity of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, is filled with air.

13. The programmable storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein a height of a highest nodal point of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, is compared with a height of a highest nodal point of the initial boundary element,

wherein, if the height of the highest nodal point of the initial boundary element is greater than the highest nodal point of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element is filled with liquid coating material,

wherein, if the height of the highest nodal point of the initial boundary element is less than the highest nodal point of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element is filled with air,

wherein a height of a highest nodal point of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, is compared with a height of a highest nodal point of the secondary boundary element,

wherein, if the height of the highest nodal point of the secondary boundary element is greater than the height of the highest nodal point of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, is filled with liquid coating material, and

wherein, if the height of the highest nodal point of the secondary boundary element is less than the height of the highest nodal point of the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, then it is determined that the flanking element is filled with air.

14. The programmable storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein the object comprises a vehicle body.

15. The programmable storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein said dividing shape data comprises using a finite element method.

16. A programmable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method of simulating an occurrence of an air pocket in an object to be coated, said method comprising:

dividing a shape data of the object into a plurality of two-dimensional elements;

setting an element of the object as an initial boundary element, and setting an element comprising a common nodal point with the initial boundary element as a flanking element;

analyzing the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the initial boundary element, based on the initial boundary element;

setting the analyzed flanking element, set from the element comprising a common nodal point with the initial boundary element, as a secondary boundary element, and also setting an element comprising a common nodal point with the secondary boundary element as a flanking element;

analyzing the flanking element, set from the element comprising the common nodal point with the secondary boundary element, based on the secondary boundary element;

determining whether there is any flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element;

repeatedly performing, when it is determined that there is a flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element, analyzing the flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element based on the secondary boundary element, and setting the analyzed flanking element which adjoined the secondary boundary element as the secondary boundary element and setting an element with a common nodal point with the secondary boundary element as a flanking element until it is determined that there is no flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element; and

finishing analysis when it is determined that there is no flanking element adjoining the secondary boundary element,

wherein analyzing the flanking element comprises comparing a height characteristic of the flanking element with a height characteristic of the one of the secondary boundary element or the initial boundary element to determine if the flanking element is filled with an air or a liquid coating material.