measuring internal volume of an irregular tube?

[enginerd1959]

I have a non-parametric part, imported as a Parasolid. It's a stainless tube with varying diameters and bends. I need to find out the internal volume - how much liquid it can contain.

What's the best way wo do that?

 

[looslib]

Build a block larger than the tube
Place the tube inside the block boundries
Subtract the tube from the block
trim the ends off (may have to leave a little if you can't create 2 solids from 1 by splitting - used to be a Parasolid limitation, not sure it still is.)
What is left is the interior volume


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

 

[cowski]

Alternatively: extract the internal faces, cap the ends and sew it into a solid (or leave it as sheets and use the 'mass using curves and sheets' option).

 

[jerry1423]

a couple previous threads that may help:

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=135984

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=135556

 

[JohnRBaker]

Jerry,

Those approaches are all but obsolete since the 'Simplify' function has been replaced with the 'Delete Face' function, which will accomplish the same thing, but the workflow is 'backwards' as compared to the old approach, rather then selecting the faces you wish to keep, you now select the faces you wish to delete.

enginerd1959

Could you upload the part or at least provide a picture?



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Cypress, CA

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To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[enginerd1959]

Sorry - can't upload the part (it's proprietary).

But I was able to get what I needed by doing a couple tube sweeps with the same guide curves. I used the old IDs for my new ODs, and zero for my new IDs. There was one tapered transition that I was able to create with a revolve.

Probably not the most elegant solution, but I made my deadline, so I can go home!

Thanks for the suggestions.