Ansys Advantage Vol2 Issue3 PDF

ADVANTAGE
EXCELLENCE IN ENGINEERING SIMULATION

VOLUME II ISSUE 3 2008
TM
GETTING CONNECTED WITH MEMS

PAGE 8
ENERGY SPOTLIGHT
PAGE 13
PREDICTING VIBRATIONS
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DESIGNING FOR A COMPETITIVE EDGE

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EDITORIAL
The Power of Structural Dynamics Simulation

Analyzing time-varying loads helps develop innovative products with vibration, motion and other real-world behavior in mind.
Companies increasingly rely on structural dynamics simulation to study how products vibrate, bend, twist and otherwise move when subjected to loads that vary over time. Whereas static analysis is traditionally used to determine characteristics such as stress and deflection of individual parts under a constant load such as a weight on the end of a beam structural dynamics enables designers and engineers to study product behavior in greater detail. Such analysis could include determining the natural frequency of a washing machine so the appliance doesnt jump around in the spin cycle, for example, or calculating the fatigue life of a car suspension to withstand years of pounding by potholes and rough roads. Structural dynamics is being implemented in an expanding range of applications, as seen in some of this issues articles. Predicting Vibrations in High Power Burners describes how engineers shortened development time by five months by determining an assemblys natural frequencies through modal analysis and refining the design early to avoid these damaging displacements. No More Dropped Calls covers the work of an engineering team at EPCOS NL that used multiphysics analysis to account for fluid, electrostatic and mechanical effects in simulating the transient dynamic response of an innovative RF-MEMS switch that promises to reduce the number of disconnected cell phone calls and extend battery life. Analyzing Random Vibration Fatigue is about tools based on probability and statistics used to study the damaging effects of highly unpredictable arbitrary loads. There are also advanced tools for studying nonlinear dynamics where large, high-speed loads permanently deform structures. Applications include scenarios such as bomb-blast damage to buildings, ballistic impact of aircraft on power stations, stamping and other metal-forming manufacturing operations, or drop testing of cell phones and other consumer products. The beauty of this breadth and depth of ANSYS structural dynamics solutions is that they are not confined to specialists intimately familiar with the technology who are running problems on supercomputers. Rather, analysis compression techniques enable most problems to be run on conventional desktop machines. Moreover, analysis models are far easier to set up through the ANSYS Workbench interface with features for extracting geometry directly from CAD systems, building models with robust meshing tools, and setting up the analysis with a simulation tree that describes problems in user-friendly terminology related to geometry and physical behavior. In this way, engineers can easily perform structural dynamics simulation as a routine part of development fixing problems, refining designs and optimizing product performance early in the cycle instead of with costly, timeconsuming and usually less-precise physical testing. On a corporate level, forward-thinking manufacturers with the good sense to invest in these tools enjoy the benefits of higher profitability and greater market share through wellengineered products designed with vibration, motion and other real-world behavior in mind. s
John Krouse, Senior Editor and Industry Analyst
For ANSYS, Inc. sales information, call 1.866.267.9724, or visit www.ansys.com. For address changes, contact AdvantageAddressChange@ansys.com. To subscribe to ANSYS Advantage, go to www.ansys.com/subscribe.
Executive Editor Chris Hardee Managing Editor Chris Reeves Senior Editor and Industry Analyst John Krouse Art Director Susan Wheeler Editors Erik Ferguson Fran Hensler Marty Mundy Shane Moeykens Ad Sales Manager Shane Moeykens Helen Renshaw Graphics Contributor Dan Hart Editorial Advisor Kelly Wall Designer Miller Creative Group Circulation Manager Sharon Everts
About the Cover

EPCOS NL and Philips Applied Technologies have used simulation to develop an RF-MEMS switch for improving cell phone signal strength.
Cell phone iStockphoto.com/ michal koziarski; French wine valley iStockphoto.com/katarzyna mazurowska
Email the editorial staff at ansys-advantage@ansys.com. ANSYS Advantage is published for ANSYS, Inc. customers, partners and others interested in the field of design and analysis applications.
Neither ANSYS, Inc. nor the senior editor nor Miller Creative Group guarantees or warrants accuracy or completeness of the material contained in this publication. ANSYS, ANSYS Workbench, CFX, AUTODYN, FLUENT, DesignModeler, ANSYS Mechanical, DesignSpace, ANSYS Structural, TGrid, GAMBIT and any and all ANSYS, Inc. brand, product, service, and feature names, logos and slogans are registered trademarks or trademarks of ANSYS, Inc. or its subsidiaries located in the United States or other countries. ICEM CFD is a trademark licensed by ANSYS, Inc. All other brand, product, service and feature names or trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2008 ANSYS, Inc. All rights reserved.
CONTENTS
Table of Contents
FEATURES
4 SPORTS
Faster, Higher, Stronger

Engineering simulation in sports comes of age at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. 8 ELECTRONICS
No More Dropped Calls

Using true multiphysics incorporating fluid, electrostatic and mechanical effects, engineers are simulating the transient dynamic response of an innovative RF-MEMS switch for improving cell phone signal strength. 10 THOUGHT LEADER
Simulation-Based Innovation as a Competitive Advantage

8 Predictive analysis tools save time and money at Xerox and, more important, enable top-line revenue growth and the competitive advantage that comes from developing winning products.
Spotlight on Engineering Simulation for the
Energy Industries
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The Global Challenge

As engineers and technologists rally to meet energy and environmental demands, they turn to engineering simulation to solve their most complex problems.
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Blending Solar Panels with Roof Profiles

Simulation guides the design of innovative solar panel frames, reducing molding time, material and cost.
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Coupling Analyses to Improve Nuclear Safety

Coupled thermal hydraulic and stress analysis of a CANDU feeder pipe helps determine integrity.
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Reformers Getting Results

Simulation pushes diesel-powered fuel cells on their way to early markets.
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Harnessing Natural Energy

Multiple simulation tools are used as a cost-effective way to design reliable offshore wind turbines.
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Predicting Vibrations in High Power Burners

Engineering simulation reduces development time for industrial burners by five months.
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ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008
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CONTENTS
SIMULATION @ WORK
27 SPORTS
Picking Up Speed
Speedbike designers use fluid simulation to gain a competitive edge. 30 AUTOMOTIVE
ANSYS Adds Leading Electronics Solutions to Its Portfolio

The recent acquisition of Ansoft Corporation by ANSYS, Inc. augments the depth and breadth of the ANSYS portfolio of engineering simulation solutions for electronics by providing increased functionality, usability and interoperability. As a leading developer of highperformance electronic design automation software, Ansoft is world-renowned for expertise in electromagnetic, circuit and system simulation. This technology is highly complementary to leading-edge solutions from ANSYS in the areas of structural, fluids, thermal and electromagnetic simulation. Because electronics are now integral to many products from automobiles to coffee makers to industrial equipment, true virtual prototyping must encompass all design aspects of those products. The fusion of ANSYS and Ansoft provides us with a unique opportunity to address the convergence of mechanical, fluids and electrical engineering that will take simulation to a new level a level that will provide the true multiphysics design solutions our customers need. The next issue of ANSYS Advantage, to be distributed in December, will feature articles that introduce readers to the broad range of capabilities added by the Ansoft product portfolio, for the design of products such as cellular phones, Internet-access devices, communications systems, integrated circuits, broadband components, printed circuit boards, automotive electronics systems and power electronics. We are excited about the state-of-the-art technologies that Ansoft adds to the simulation software portfolio from ANSYS. The integration of these two companies and our technologies will enable ANSYS to better serve our customers throughout the world by accelerating the delivery of powerful and comprehensive, customer-driven engineering simulation solutions.
Electromagnetics Comes Through in the Clutch

BorgWarner engineers meet a tight deadline in optimizing the design of a revolutionary variable-torque clutch for all-wheel-drive vehicles. 32 PARTNERS
Higher Returns on the Simulation Investment

Optimizing Linux clusters for ANSYS Mechanical software delivers fast turnaround on large problems.
DEPARTMENTS
34 ACADEMIC
Driven to Simulation
A teenage student helps improve the aerodynamic design of F1 race cars using ANSYS software and Windows high performance computing. 36 ANALYSIS TOOLS
Stretching Your Elastomer Understanding

Accurate nonlinear analysis leads to a better material selection process that enables innovation and faster time to market. 39 TIPS AND TRICKS
Analyzing Random Vibration Fatigue

Powerful ANSYS Workbench tools help calculate the damage of vibrations that lack straightforward cyclic repetition. 43
Extracting Solution-Dependent Regions in CFX-Post

Identifying and quantifying regions of reverse flow in the CFX-Post fluids post-processor.
45 OUTSIDE THE BOX
Bio-Inspiring Engineering
Scientists use nature to advance technology.
James E. Cashman III President and Chief Executive Officer ANSYS, Inc.
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FEATURE: SPORTS
Citius, Altius, Fortius

By Chris Hardee, Executive Editor, ANSYS Advantage
Faster, Higher, Stronger

Simulation has also been used in the two most recent Olympic Games the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Greece, and the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy but both its adoption and visibility have been somewhat limited to date. The recent launch of the Speedo racing swimsuit in February of 2008, though, has made quite a splash in the press. The timing of the product launch to coincide with the Olympics, the publicity that the rapidly falling world records has generated, and the subsequent controversy about fairness that the suit has sparked have generated a high level of buzz. The Beijing Games in all likelihood will be a turning point in the marriage of simulation and sport, accelerating its adoption by teams and nations looking to improve medal counts and shining the spotlight on simulation for spectators and the general public. It wouldnt be surprising if post-event office cooler conversations turn to the simulation color commentary. While certain individuals in the sporting community have carried the
Image Camera4/Thonfeld
Engineering simulation in sports comes of age at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
Donald Miralle/Getty Images
Swimmers at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials wearing the Speedo LZR RACER suit
In the Olympics, hundredths of a second can be all that separates a medal performance from no medal at all. When the margin of victory is that small whether running or rowing, cycling or swimming elite athletes will look for an advantage that provides a competitive edge. Dedicated training has always been the foundation for a gold medal performance, but with only fractions of a heartbeat separating winners and losers, techniques such as psychology, nutrition, physical therapy, massage and meditation have all become important tools for the Olympic athlete. With athletic performance in many sports approaching the supposed limits of the human body, improved performance will more often come from dimensions other than fitness. Engineering simulation, a valuable tool in certain high-tech industries for the last three decades and currently growing in its commercial and industrial
reach, is now also reaching into the world of sports. High-profile examples such as the 2007 Americas Cup and the 2007 Formula One racing season have conclusively demonstrated the effectiveness of computer-aided engineering and the competitive advantage it can provide. In both examples, the winners invested heavily in simulation analysis.
The German double flatwater kayaking team (foreground) at the 2007 World Championships 4 ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 www.ansys.com
FEATURE: SPORTS
Image courtesy British Cycling
British track cyclist (center) at the 2008 World Championships
simulation torch for years, and certain teams and countries have already adopted it wholeheartedly, others are just beginning to experiment. The simulation-enabled medal count in Beijing will likely provide the tipping point. The water sports where hydrodynamic design and optimized technique can enhance speed are all prime candidates for further analysis. This includes swimming, of course, but also all of the boating events, such as canoeing, kayaking, rowing and sailing. As with the Americas Cup yacht designs, which have benefited from a significant investment in simulation analysis, every detail of boat design, from the hull to the most inconsequential fixture, can influence performance and benefit from multiphysics analysis. All of the cycling events, with victory dependent on aerodynamic and structural variables such as helmet shape, wheel design, derailleur materials, and shifter mechanisms can benefit from fluids and structural analysis. In tennis, raquet design and material choices have already revolutionized the sport, increasing speed, power and control. And even in track and field events, where the equipment is simple simply shoes in many cases design and material advances can provide increased bounce, a lengthened stride and the infinitesimal nose that can provide the winning edge in a photo finish.
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While simulation is likely to emerge into the public spotlight in this years Olympic Games because of its impact on the events themselves, its impact and influence on the design of the event venues the stadia and sporting centers while no less significant, will most likely remain out of the public eye. The use of both mechanical and fluids analysis for the design of buildings and the comfort and safety of the spectators, press and athletes who use the buildings is a more traditional and entrenched use of the technology.
Olympic venues are the physical culmination of years of planning and construction, often preceded by prestigious architectural design competitions. The structures are innovative and visually stunning and are meant not only to engender pride from the host country, but also to serve as iconic landmarks for the future. While these innovative designs push the architectural envelope, simulation technology has played a significant role by validating that innovative designs, construction techniques and materials will work with certainty. People all over the world tuned in to the Beijing Summer Games in August 2008 and witnessed a stage that was created in part by the technological sophistication and power of computeraided engineering technologies. They also watched sporting events on that stage in which the same technology had been brought to bear. Faster, Higher, Stronger the Olympic motto could as easily be a description of the benefits of engineering simulation. A paddle stroke, a flip turn, a heartbeat and hundredths of a second were the story in Beijing and often were all that determined which athletes won a medal. It was interesting to watch how many simulation-enhanced athletes stood on the podium.
2008 Beijing Olympic Results

Swimmers wearing Speedos new LZR RACER suit, designed using ANSYS software, won 94% of the gold medals awarded and set 23 new world records.
The British track cycling team, supported by ANSYS technology, won 13 medals, including 7 golds in a total of 10 events.
With ANSYS simulation-enhanced boat designs, the German flatwater kayaking team won a total of 6 medals.
FEATURE: FEATURE: SPORTS SPORTS
VENUES
Angelo Cavalli/Getty Images
The National Stadium Birds Nest

The Beijing National Stadium, or Birds Nest, is the main stadium for the Beijing games and was designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron to incorporate universal qualities of beauty and to be sensitive to Chinese cultural traditions. This venue hosted the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the track and field
Table Tennis Gymnasium

As one of the most popular sports in China, table tennis warranted a worthy venue. The gymnasiums roof, incorporating a central transparent ball shape, was designed in keeping with both traditional features and the modern Beijing style. Researchers at Tongji University used ANSYS software for a nonlinear analysis of the pre-stressed, steel truss roof structure. In this analysis, researchers assessed the hybrid tension design for pre-stress, nonlinear buckling and the ultimate bearing capacity of the roof. The engineering group applied BEAM188 elements and took into account geometric, material and support condition nonlinearities caused by the slide bearing. The team determined that the structural validity of the roof depended on the strength and rigidity of the support column, which is comprised of a central rigid ring (5 meter by 2 meter) and roof brace system. The analysis helped in the creation of an optimum design.
Badminton Arena
Badminton another popular sport in China, like table tennis was played in an arena designed in the shape of a shuttlecock. The building is a singlelayer reticulated shell structure that is 62 meters long by 46 meters wide. Researchers at Beijing University of
STR/Getty Images
Image Sunmdm/dreamstime.com
events. The 332 meter long by 296 meter wide elliptical structure has an unusual lattice steel design. One group of researchers simulated the structure using ANSYS software for static and dynamic analysis. Another group used simulation to evaluate the structural response to a spatially varying magnitude 7 earthquake in which there were multiple support excitations and multiple natural frequencies in the 1 to 6 Hz range. In this study, displacements of up to 0.9 meters were predicted and within acceptable limits for the design.
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Technology used ANSYS software to perform a nonlinear stability analysis. The team used BEAM188 elements a 3-D linear finite beam element, based on the Timoshenko beam theory. The analysis took into account shear deformation and rotational inertia effects. Utilizing ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL), the research team constructed a virtual model of the arena. The simulation results indicated that the structure is least stable if the initial geometry disfigurement ratio is approximately 1/250.
Cancan Cho/Getty Images
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Events
Track Cycling The British National Team
In competitive track cycling, aerodynamic drag is perhaps the most important adversary. Pedaling a single-speed, lightweight racing bicycle on a 250-meter banked oval track requires attention to every detail in order to shave fractions of seconds. The bicyclerider system, while seemingly simple, contains approximately 250 components all of them critical when waging a war on drag. Derailleur, sprocket, chain, wheels, helmets and suits can all be optimized, resulting in incremental gains in speed. Working with UK Sports Innovation team, the British track cycling team has employed simulation technology supported by TotalSim to a degree that few other Olympic teams have done to date. Following the 2004 Image courtesy British Cycling Athens Games, in which they won four medals, the team has invested significant resources in research and development, much of it on the computer. The results at the recent World Track Championships in March 2008 had the British team winning nine out of 18 gold medals.
FEATURE: SPORTS
Image courtesy United Kingdom Sports Council
Image courtesy Speedo
Swimming The Speedo LZR RACER Swimsuit

From the starting gun to the final touch, there is nothing between an Olympic swimmer and a medal except water. Decreasing passive drag was the engineering challenge that Speedo took on three years ago when it partnered with a number of organizations including ANSYS, NASA and several universities to create the worlds fastest swimsuit. In conjunction with research on fabrics and suit construction, as well as testing in water flumes, fluid analysis using ANSYS software was a critical part of the project. With the analysis identifying the locations of greatest drag on the swimmers body, special fabric panels were bonded to the suit in those regions and were also used to mold the swimmer into a more hydrodynamic shape. It has been calculated that the suit has five percent less passive drag than their previous fastest suit, and world records have fallen at an unprecedented rate since the introduction of the LZR RACER swimsuit in February 2008.
Image Camera4/Thonfeld
Flatwater Kayaking The German National Team

Take a carbon fiber kayak no longer than 5.20 meters and no heavier than 12 kilograms with an accentuated V-shaped hull and very low draft when loaded. Add elite paddlers stroking at racing pace with double-bladed paddles, and you have the ingredients for a very complex simulation problem. The Institut for Research and Development of Sports Equipment (FES) in Berlin performed this fluids analysis calculation using ANSYS CFX software. As the paddles grab the water, the trim of the boat and the water resistance change constantly. The simulation, which involved two-phase flow around the hull and calculation of the boats changing trim, were verified through experimentation in a towing tank. The end result was an overall reduction in drag of up to three percent. Using simulation, FES helped design the German teams entire fleet of flatwater racing kayaks for the Beijing Games, as well as boats for the canoeing, rowing and sailing events. s
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Image courtesy FES
Thanks to the following for their assistance with this article: for the Speedo swimsuit story: Keith Hanna, Leigh Bramall, Natalie Fieldsend and Helen Rushby, ANSYS UK, Ltd.; for the track cycling story: Rob Lewis, Total Sim; Scott Drawer, UK Sport; Natalie Fieldsend, ANSYS UK, Ltd.; for the flatwater kayaking story: Mathias Jirka, ANSYS Germany GmbH; Nicholas Warzecha, FES Berlin; for the Olympic venue stories: Tony Hu and Angela Liu, ANSYS China (Pera Global Holdings, Inc.). ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 7
Pool photo iStockphoto.com/Purdue 9394
FEATURE: ELECTRONICS
No More Dropped Calls

Using true multiphysics incorporating fluid, electrostatic and mechanical effects, engineers are simulating the transient dynamic response of an innovative RF-MEMS switch for improving cell phone signal strength.
By Jeroen Bielen and Jiri Stulemeijer, EPCOS NL, Nijmegen Sander Noijen, Philips Applied Technologies, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
One of the most perplexing problems for mobile phone users is dropped calls those annoying and unpredictable disconnections when signal strength falls below a given threshold. Typically the problem is a mismatch in impedance (resistance to electromagnetic wave transmission) between the phones antenna and power amplifier, causing signals to be partially reflected back into the amplifier rather than transmitted into the surrounding open space. Such impedance mismatches usually are caused by the presence of objects adjacent to the antenna the callers hand, a car frame or building wall, for example resulting not only in dropped calls but also shortened talk time as battery power is drained trying to maintain signal strength. An innovative solution to this problem is an adaptive antenna-matching module that senses the mismatch and automatically changes the phones impedance by adjusting a capacitor value in a matching network between the power amplifier and antenna. The device is expected to reduce power consumption of mobile handsets by up to 25 percent and significantly reduce the number of dropped calls. The heart of the module is a set of RF-MEMS (radio frequency-microelectromechanical systems) switches, made with semiconductor manufacturing techniques and materials. The compact size, sensitivity and speed of MEMS devices are being leveraged in
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an expanding range of applications including automotive manifold pressure sensors, ink-jet printer nozzles, pacemakers and industrial equipment systems. This particular module is under development at component manufacturer EPCOS NL, which recently announced the acquisition of the RF-MEMS activities from NXP Semiconductors. At specific points in the development, Philips Applied Technologies a contract research and development supplier supported the RF-MEMS activities with their specific expertise in finite element modeling. RF-MEMS switches are well suited for this adaptive antennamatching application because of their linearity and accuracy, and the
large onoff capacitance ratio (1:20) needed to change impedance levels to an optimal value for better signal transmission. One of the major challenges in developing the device is ensuring that the switch actuates in 50 microseconds or less fast enough to shift impedance before a call is disconnected. With conventional electromechanical switches, such performance is easily verified and refined through a series of test and redesign cycles using hardware prototypes. Semiconductor fabrication setup for MEMS is costly and time-intensive, so engineering simulation is an indispensable tool in optimizing MEMS designs early in development. Simulation is especially helpful in predicting the complex MEMS performance, which typically is influenced by several interdependent variables and often defies intuitive logic. Amazingly, the RF-MEMS switch in this application is small enough to fit on the head of a pin approximately 250 microns square and five microns thick, with a threemicron travel distance for the capacitive switching plate. The engineering team used ANSYS Multiphysics software extensively in the development of the RF-MEMS switch. The solution was especially important in determining switching speed, a critical parameter that depends on three interrelated effects: Electrostatic force of a transducer that actuates the opening and closing of the switch when an electrical voltage is applied
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A single directly-coupled multi-field model of the RF-MEMS switch containing elements accounting for three effects: fluid (blue), electrostatic (red) and mechanical (yellow)
FEATURE: ELECTRONICS
Mechanical configuration of components, including the residual gap between electrode plates that determines the capacitance of the closed switch Fluid behavior of the inert gas in the hermetically sealed module as it is squeezed from the gap between the electrode plates as the switch closes Software from ANSYS accounted for all three of these interrelated effects using the same directlycoupled multiphysics model, thus avoiding the delays and potential inaccuracies of exchanging results between different models. Parametric capabilities of the software were especially helpful in modifying the configuration of the switch by merely changing a few key parameters rather than rebuilding the model from scratch. In particular, scripting features of the ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL) enabled the engineering team to implement an algorithm for readily determining the capacitancevoltage (CV) curve, including nonlinear snapback instabilities that characterize the quasi-static behavior. APDL was also used to run design optimization and sensitivity studies, most importantly in simulating the potential instability of the switch in its almost closed state. The engineering group used specialized ANSYS elements to accurately represent switch behavior for the various stages of gap closure
between the switchs electrode plates, especially in the critical almost closed state. Nonlinear gap elements were used to capture the mechanical action of the switch, including contact of the electrode plates at complete closure. Similarly, electrostatic transducer elements provided high-fidelity Acc.V Spot Magn Det WD Exp 100m 200 kV 2.0 200x SE 7.5 1 DIE16_JS70_C_5x5_right simulation throughout. A new Finite element model showing pressure (left quadrant) and displacement nonlinear transient squeeze(right quadrant) overlaid on scanning electron microscope image of an film formulation capability RF-MEMS switch measuring 250 microns wide of the FLUID136 element 15 1 bar FE simulation was used to accurately 1 bar measurement represent the air gap and 0.4 bar FE simulation 0.4 bar measurement fluid damping effects in 10 the switch. EPCOS and Philips Applied Technologies assisted in validation 5 of this element for use in larger pressure regimes. Taking into account fluid, 0 0.0+00 5.0E-05 1.0E-04 1.5E-04 2.0E-04 2.5E-4 3.0E-04 electrostatic and mechanical Time (s) effects in a single model, Simulation results of opening and closing transients at two ambient ANSYS Multiphysics techpressures agree closely with test measurements. nology accurately predicted the switching time for the module and plasticity for solder joint fatigue life allowed engineers to refine the design calculation, or structural analysis to for optimal performance. The process determine stress and deformation for enables the team to simulate numerous various packaging alternatives. module configurations quickly, providAs a result of these capabilities of ing fast turnaround for rapidly changing ANSYS Multiphysics software, an opticell phone requirements for a wide mal design will be released to production range of phone models. Moreover, in the 2010 time frame, strengthening software from ANSYS is used in EPCOSs position in the competitive studying other aspects of module telecommunications market with an design, including thermalmechanical innovative product that meets a signifisimulation to predict material creep and cant consumer demand. s
Capacitance (pF) edge mid
Capacitance (pF)
Gap (m)
Detail of the electromechanical model shows an example of the capacitance-gap relationship obtained from an independent electrostatic simulation and used for the transducer elements shown in red. The two curves for the edge and middle of the plate represent fringing effects of the electrostatic field on the capacitance-gap relationship. www.ansys.com ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 9
FEATURE: THOUGHT LEADER
Simulation-Based Innovation as a Competitive Advantage

Predictive analysis tools save time and money at Xerox and, more important, enable top-line revenue growth and the competitive advantage that comes from developing winning products.
By Korhan Sevenler, Director Product Lifecycle Management, Xerox Corporation, New York, U.S.A. Xerox Corporation
Korhan Sevenler
Xerox Corporation was built on innovation, defining an industry with the introduction of the first plain paper photocopier using a new electrographic process it called xerography. Innovation remains at the foundation of the $17 billion company as the world leader in document duplication and management. In the face of fierce global competition, Xerox provides the industrys broadest portfolio of offerings. Digital systems include color and black-and-white printing and publishing systems, digital presses and book factories, multifunction devices, laser and solid ink network printers, copiers, and fax machines. Engineering simulation is vital in developing this expanding range of products. Predictive tools ensure that high quality standards are met and reduce the number of prototype testing iterations, each costing tens of thousands of dollars and weeks of time. More profoundly, simulation enables top-line revenue growth and the competitive advantage that comes from developing innovative, winning new products.
the companys Lean Six Sigma in manufacturing 18 months earlier. At the heart of DFLSS is the capability to perform numerous design of experiments (DOEs) to study the sensitivity of changes in key product variables such as part manufacturing tolerances, operating temperatures of the machines or differences in print media. The idea is to arrive at a robust design one that delivers defect-free performance in spite of these variations by taking the guesswork out of design and shifting the focus to optimization up front in development. ANSYS DesignXplorer technology holds great potential in the Xerox DFLSS efforts by enabling engineers to readily set up these DOE studies, assess design sensitivities through response surfaces and quickly develop robust designs. The speed and ease of use of the software fits right in with the program of instilling DFLSS throughout the companys engineering ranks and increasing overall efficiency of engineering operations.
Design for Lean Six Sigma One of the latest and most farreaching engineering initiatives is the Xerox Design for Lean Six Sigma (DFLSS) strategy. The program was instituted in 2005 following the start of
10 ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008
Simulation-Based Product Development All Xerox products are developed using leading-edge analysis tools. ANSYS Mechanical software is one of the primary analysis tools for advanced simulation, particularly in multiphysics applications in which multiple physical factors must be evaluated. ANSYS CFX
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Structural analysis of interconnected parts and assemblies was of critical value in developing the iGen3 digital printing system one of the most complex systems ever developed by Xerox.
and FLUENT products, likewise, are used for computational fluid dynamics studies, and ANSYS DesignSpace technology is an ideal tool in early product development for simulation-based design to assess alternative concepts and to optimize designs up front in the cycle. Xerox is moving toward greater use of the ANSYS Workbench interface, which is consistent with the approach of engineers performing their own analysis, rather than having a central group for that function. Software from ANSYS was instrumental in developing the iGen3 digital printing system, enabling Xerox to penetrate the commercial printing market with image quality look and feel comparable to offset presses yet with a faster speed, greater economy for short-run press jobs and the ability to customize each page. More than $1 billion was poured into the R&D project, which resulted in greater than 400 patents on a product that was the most complex system ever developed by Xerox and that pushed the limits of speed and performance.
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Structural analysis of numerous interconnected parts and assemblies was of critical value during the design of the iGen3. By shifting engineering efforts up front as much as possible, engineers could more readily study product performance, spot potential problems, evaluate alternatives and refine the design to avoid problems later. Using engineering analysis and DFLSS methods, Xerox brought the iGen3 to market on time while keeping
costs in line and maintaining quality and reliability. The machine is now regarded as one of the companys premier flagship products and a major source of revenue.
ANSYS DesignXplorer study of a deformation of a polygon mirror used in a complex digital printer
Overcoming Organizational Obstacles In many respects, implementing the tools and technologies for simulation-based product development is easier than overcoming organizational obstacles across a large, distributed enterprise. One of the challenges is in securing funding and time in the development 2.41E-3 cycle for up-front simulation. Traditionally, engineering 2.41E-3 groups have been set up to 2.41E-3 complete designs as fast as possible, with incentives 2.40E-3 based on productivity and speed in performing 2.40E-3 these tasks. In contrast, the simu2.40E-3 lation-based design process focuses on spending more time early in the cycle to analyze and refine designs, thus saving time and expense downstream through reduced reliance on
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E+0 1.96 E+0 1.98
4.9 0E -1 4.9 4E 1 4.9 8E -1 5.0 2E -1 5.0 6E -1 5.1 0E -1
E+0 1.99
E+0 2.01
E+0 2.02
E+0 2.04
Xerox engineers use ANSYS Mechanical software in a wide range of analysis applications such as these studies of heat transfer (left) and contact analysis (right).
prototype testing cycles and less lastminute troubleshooting. Over recent years, Xerox has made great progress in moving to up-front modeling and simulation in order to reduce physical prototypes. Training for DFLSS has been especially effective, beginning first with the enthusiasts and then extending to those who recognized the value of DFLSS in their professional development.
Communities of Practice One of the challenges for a large organization is that professionals generally have only limited opportunities to exchange ideas and share their knowledge. Xerox addressed this issue with Communities of Practice: knowledge networks through which people with common specialties (engineers, sales, marketing, equipment repair, etc.) can discuss best practices, experiences, tips and solutions to problems. As part of this effort, Xerox holds an annual company-wide two-day forum for engineers on modeling, simulation and DFLSS. Speakers from within the company, as well as outside experts, are invited, and ample free time and break-out are provided for informal networking and information exchange. The company also hosts monthly Lunch and Learn sessions, in which engineers meet to hear about and discuss the latest simulation approaches and methods. Driving Innovation with Simulation-Based Processes One of the greatest values of Communities of Practice for Xerox is that
engineers can discover how to best utilize simulation tools and techniques such as DFLSS and DOE in the product development process not solely to save time and money but also to explore alternatives, try out different ideas and run through numerous whatif scenarios. From that type of environment comes the stimulus for innovation needed to maintain a competitive edge. In this respect, simulation-based approaches today are analogous to what happened in Thomas Edisons lab in New Jersey, United States. Considered one of the most prolific inventors in history, Edison didnt just sit around
dreaming up innovations, such as the incandescent electric light bulb; instead, he had a process of experimentation in place and workers to carry out his directions. Likewise, simulation technology today enables engineers to be their own innovator, trying out different ideas efficiently to see what works and what doesnt. By zeroing in on the good ideas and iteratively refining concepts with multiple experiments, engineers today can leverage the speed and accuracy of simulation in driving product design innovations, which are the foundation of industry-leading companies. s
Xerox Corporation
Particle trajectories in a printer emissions control subsystem were simulated by Xerox engineers with ANSYS fluid analysis software.
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CHEMICAL PROCESSING ENERGY: OVERVIEW
Roof photo iStockphoto.com/Max Homend Simulation courtesy Stein Design House image courtesy of Digital Vision/PunchStock
The Global Challenge

As engineers and technologists rally to meet energy and environmental demands, they turn to engineering simulation to solve their most complex problems.
By Ahmad Haidari, Director of Industry Marketing for Process, Energy and Power, ANSYS, Inc.
The demand for energy, regardless of rising costs, is driven by a combination of population growth, global industrialization and the desire for improvements in quality of life in the remotest corners of the world. The increasing worldwide need for reliable energy at a reasonable cost, combined with environmental concerns, has brought science and engineering together into the spotlight. The collective challenge is to utilize technology to answer the call to find high-yielding biomass, deliver affordable oil and gas, develop clean coal, harness the suns power, capture the wind and turn the
tides. The potential benefits are there, but the projects are complex and the efforts, in business and human costs, can be enormous. For example, energy industry engineers are being called upon to: Drill deeper and in harsher environments with reduced environmental impact Develop technology to reduce greenhouse gases and the overall carbon footprint Make wind and solar power more cost-effective and scalable
Increase fuel cell reliability Build cheaper, safer nuclear power plants Reduce energy consumption through improved efficiency and retrofits Energy companies and related industries are applying engineering simulation technology at a high rate, indicative of an ongoing energy revolution. Companies both large and small and in many sectors deploy solutions from ANSYS, Inc. to optimize design and engineering approaches in
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ENERGY: OVERVIEW
applications ranging from energy production and processing to conservation and end use. The broad acceptance of technology from ANSYS is, in part, due to the companys unwavering focus on the energy industry along with continual investment in expanding capabilities. For years, many components of ANSYS technology have been applied to the energy industry. Turbomachinery application products are used in rotating equipment, including hydroturbine and power system design. To meet nuclear regulatory concerns, ANSYS follows NQA-1 quality classification for its ANSYS structural mechanics software. Products in the offshore suite are used for oil, gas and wind turbine offshore installations as well as for ensuring that installations are up to industry-specific regulatory standards (code check). ANSYS pressure vessel capabilities help engineers meet ASME code requirements and are used in stress analysis of tubes, boilers and storage tanks. Explicit analysis capabilities are used for catastrophic event simulation, including impact and explosion. The undeniable demand from the energy sector is for a strong emphasis on the quality and reliability of
Engineering simulations are used to study micro-cracks and fatigue to evaluate turbine performance at higher pressure and temperatures.
Courtesy Siemens Power Generation
simulations. In addition, there is a need for engineering software that models as much of the overall system as possible. ANSYS provides true multiphysics tools for applications in which there is little or no opportunity for simplification, of either the physics or the detailed geometry. As an example, the unparalleled breadth of tools from ANSYS is ideal for studying enhanced oil recovery (EOR):
exploring soil mechanics, rock fractionation, drilling, and thermally enhanced oil extraction concepts in which engineers can combine an explicit study of rock fracture in a same-simulation environment as they assess the transport of sand away from the reservoir. Another requirement is for engineering simulation tools to be scalable, available for use on an
Technology from ANSYS is applied to flow assurance projects dealing with oil flow ability (addressing sand management, slug flow and gas-lift applications), ensuring more efficient and uninterrupted flow of oil in a given pipeline. This example shows slug flow in a gas-liquid pipeline.
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CHEMICAL PROCESSING ENERGY: OVERVIEW
engineers desktop, across the work group or for enterprise deployment based on an organizations specific needs. Global energy companies leverage the flexible architecture of solutions from ANSYS for worldwide projects that address, for example, offshore platform design, building and retrofitting nuclear plants, designing and installing wind turbines, and developing clean coal technologies. Similar to other industries, especially recently, energy projects and product design applications are restricted by demanding time schedules. Engineers must get reliable answers from their engineering simulation activities in a reasonable time-to-solution. Features in ANSYS technology, such as two-way CAD associativity and an intuitive workflow environment that reduces the time needed to set up problems, lead to efficiency. Organizations also are looking to reduce the engineering hours needed to run complex engineering simulations. Advances in highperformance computing (HPC), along with the exceptional performance of
Image iStockphoto.com/Magumi Terao
ANSYS products on these machines, are proving to be valuable in simulating real-world problems in the energy industry. Continual HPC improvement means that simulations with large computational cells are being modeled routinely, benefiting from near-linear scalability of ANSYS software tools in parallel processing simulations. There has never been a greater need for engineering simulation to help conserve energy, to bring a plant online months or years ahead of schedule, to evaluate an innovative energy concept, or to improve equipment efficiency. Even small improvements can reap big benefits, whether the end product is brand new or a retrofit. Today, engineers successfully employ simulation tools to design new equipment that uses less energy, whether power, steam or heat. Through analysis, development teams retrofit oil and gas, refining, and power-generation For environmental, green and sustainable design, equipment, looking to improve throughengineers use simulation tools from ANSYS to evaluate put and reliability, avoid unacceptable retrofit options, optimize combustion and heat transfer, capture pollutants, design pipelines and sub sea equipinterruptions, and increase product life. ment, look at safety and installation strategies, and increased structural integrity to avoid spills and disruption, This broad acceptance of engineering Vortex-induced motion for this truss spar is modeled to simulation tools puts ANSYS in a understand global and local forces on the spar streaks. unique position to help power the world. Geometry courtesy Technip U.S.A.
This industry spotlight highlights customer successes and details a few examples in which many of the ANSYS solutions are used in engineering simulation related to the energy industry. The selected articles capture the benefits customers have reaped in transforming leading-edge design concepts into reality in nuclear, fuel cell, solar power, wind turbine, and equipment retrofit and design applications. s
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Image iStockphoto.com/Hans F. Meier
ENERGY: SOLAR
Blending Solar Panels with Roof Profiles

Simulation guides the design of innovative solar panel frames, reducing molding time, material and cost.
By Matthew Stein, President, Stein Design, California, U.S.A.
Open Energy SolarSave panels are designed to integrate and interweave with standard roofing tiles so as to blend in with the roof profile and color.
One of the most efficient sources of In their continuing efforts to improve renewable energy is rooftop photothe cost-effectiveness and performvoltaic (PV) solar cells, which convert ance of these solar panels, Open sunlight into electricity for homes and Energy commissioned Stein Design to business. Use is hampered, however, complete a redesign of the panel with by high upfront costs as well as the goal of reducing unit cost while aesthetics, with most solar panels improving strength and reliability. The mounted on unattractive brackets new design was to be a four-foot-long that do not blend well with house and PV panel to replace existing three-foot building designs. models, cutting square-foot costs by Open Energy Corp. of Solona reducing the number of electrical Open Energy solar panels being installed Beach, California, has overcome these connections, related junction boxes and drawbacks with SolarSave panels a solar roof solution other hardware. Analysis work was done exclusively using unlike anything previously available in the industry. Panels ANSYS DesignSpace software. are designed to integrate and interweave with standard Stein Design started the redesign by first evaluating the roofing tiles so as to blend in with the roof, an important con- existing three-foot panel product. Three-dimensional solid sideration in subdivisions with strict homeowner bylaws CAD model assemblies were generated in SolidWorks and pertaining to roof profiles and solar panel installations. These then imported into the ANSYS DesignSpace tool to perform integrated panels are also cost-effective, as they are the stress analysis. Two load cases were considered: (1) a installed as tiling over part of the roof rather than as an 300-pound per-square-foot pressure, satisfying at least 99 add-on above traditional coverings. The lightweight panels percent of structural building code requirements across the are warranted for 25 years, are easily handled, and can be United States and Canada for snow loads; and (2) a 400walked on, simplifying installation for roofing contractors and pound load concentrated in a three-inch-diameter area, representing a concentrated heel-load of an installer on the solar integrators.
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ENERGY: SOLAR
Stress distribution and deformation for walk-on load on the three-foot panel frame
panel. Experimentally, this walk-on requirement is typically checked using an industry-standard 200-pound load transferred to the glass panel via a three-inch diameter steel puck. Given the weight of some contractors and the heavy equipment they carry, 400 pounds was considered a better target, providing more of a safety margin than the code requirement of 200 pounds. Analysis showed that the original three-foot plastic frame was strong enough to support both the walk-on and snow loads. However, further investigation was necessary for the new four-foot panel, since analysis indicated that a 400-pound walk-on load (twice the industry standard) created stress that was 40 percent greater than the allowable tensile stress of the solar panel glass (6,000 pounds per square inch or psi). Moreover, there was concern that in some cases the bond between the glass panel and its plastic mounting frame might be compromised over time due to temperature expansion differences in the materials, since the coefficient of thermal expansion for the solar glass is about one-tenth that of the frames polycarbonate plastic. This results in a one-quarter-inch linear expansion difference across the frame when subjected to a 200 degree Fahrenheit temperature change from extreme heat in direct summer sun to sub-zero nighttime temperatures in extreme winter climates. To account for these effects, the four-foot plastic molded frame was split into two parts, and an interlocking expansion joint, as well as 10 percent glass-fill to the polycarbonate frame material, was added. These changes reduced the thermal expansion difference between the solar glass and the four-foot plastic frame to one-third that of the original three-foot frame. The next step in the redesign was to reduce thicknesses and reconfigure the frame walls and ribs to use less material and shorten molding cycle time, thus lowering production cost. The original three-foot panel design had nominal wall thicknesses of 0.210 inches and nominal rib thicknesses of 0.150 inches, but some walls were as thick as 0.260 inches, resulting in a slow molding cycle time. ANSYS DesignSpace technology was used to verify the design as it progressed through multiple iterations in which nominal wall thickness was trimmed by 0.085 inches and rib thickness by 0.065
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In this reconfigured design that reduced production costs, frame stress increased somewhat for both the walk-on load (top) and snow load (bottom), but remained well within targeted safety margins.
inches. Even though nominal wall thickness was reduced by 40 percent and nominal rib thickness by 43 percent, the maximum frame stresses rose by only 33 percent overall, through improved rib design and placement. The maximum stress in the four-foot molded frame increased to approximately 2,550 psi from a level of approximately 1,700 psi in the three-foot frame well within the design target of a 3-to-1 safety margin for the 9,000 psi tensile strength polycarbonate material. The resulting four-foot panel frame uses less material than the original frame and can be injection-molded in two-thirds the time, yielding a finished four-foot assembly that costs the same to manufacture as the original three-foot panels. The use of ANSYS DesignSpace capabilities was critical throughout this entire redesign process and is part of the reason Stein Design can provide clients fast turnaround with designs that meet stringent requirements. Its ease of use enables engineers to get up to speed quickly, even if several months may pass between analysis projects. Furthermore, the software interfaces seamlessly with SolidWorks mechanical design software, so part geometry can be readily changed and analysis solutions regenerated quickly to investigate what-if scenarios throughout the development process. In this way, the technology guides the design to an optimum configuration that satisfies multiple engineering requirements and enables projects to be completed much faster than would otherwise be possible. s
ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 17
ENERGY: NUCLEAR
Image iStockphoto.com/Hans F. Meier
Coupling Analyses to Improve Nuclear Safety

Coupled thermal hydraulic and stress analysis of a CANDU feeder pipe helps determine integrity.
By Myung Jo Jhung, Principal Researcher, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon, South Korea
The ultimate goal of nuclear safety regulation is to protect the public and the environment from the radiation hazards that could accompany the production and utilization of nuclear energy. The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) develops and implements nuclear safety programs, such as safety reviews and inspections, development of regulatory standards and monitoring of environmental radiation within Korea. In order to maintain and continually improve nuclear safety, increasing technology depth is required for prediction, analysis, experimental and remedial measures.
ANSYS CFX model of pipe exterior (left) and interior (right)
Because components in operating nuclear reactor systems can be subject to extreme forces and stresses that may threaten their integrity, safety is a constant concern. Safety is ensured by predicting conditions that would lead to component failures using simulations that incorporate fluid structure interaction (FSI) as a key technology. Simulations using FSI, for example, can involve taking results from a simulation of fluid flow with convective heat transfer and applying these results as loads in a structural simulation. In the past, these fluid and structural fields typically were analyzed separately due to the limitations of computer software and hardware resources. But advances in both areas now permit unified and efficient multiphysics simulations that couple the combined effects of interrelated physical phenomena (physics or fields). In this project, KINS researchers performed a coupled thermal hydraulic and stress analysis of a pipe with two bends. They studied transient heat-up and cool-down of the feeder pipe that delivers the primary coolant to the nuclear fuel of a CANDU pressurized heavy water reactor. The research team then used the results of this simulation for fatigue analysis of the pipe. The team developed a finite element model for simulation using ANSYS Mechanical software. For this structural analysis, the engineers
considered pressure and temperature simultaneously in generating the normal operating stresses. For the purpose of this study, a total time of 180 seconds was considered for heat-up and cool-down. Assuming an internal pressure of 10 MPa, the team of investigators discovered that maximum levels of equivalent stress and stress intensity were located in the intrados (inner curve) of the first and second bend. They also discovered that stress component variations along the circumference were more severe along the radius of the inner surface than along the outer surface. The team used ANSYS CFX fluid flow simulation software to model the flow of the heavy water coolant and determine the temperature distribution within the heavy steel pipe. The investigators set the initial conditions to be
400
300 200 100 0 0
Heat-up / Cool-down -
Temperature (C)
90 120 150 180 Time (sec) Transient thermal data representing a typical heat-up and cool-down cycle of the pipe model
30 60
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ENERGY: NUCLEAR
Equivalent stress predictions in the pipe analysis assuming a constant interior pressure of 10 MPa. The line indicates where calculations for stress variations and stress variation components were conducted.
a stationary fluid and a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius for both the fluid inside the pipe and the pipe itself. As the heavy water flowed through the pipe, the temperature of the pipe increased due to the heat transfer between the pipe and the fluid. The team assumed a constant reference pressure of 10 MPa, and in their simulations included the variations of material properties with temperature of both the heavy water and the pipe. KINS engineers then used the thermal results from the fluids simulation as input for a structural simulation that analyzed the resultant thermal stresses. They were able to obtain predictions of equivalent stress variations during heat-up (30 seconds) and cool-down (100 seconds). Analyzing the results and comparing the heat-up with the cool-down phases, the KINS team determined that the most severe axial and circumferential stresses arose at the outer surface during heat-up and at
the inner surface during cool-down. As was seen with the pressure-based stresses, maximum thermal stresses occurred in the intrados of the bend. The greatest thermal stresses found during cool-down, combined with the pressure-driven stresses, were used to determine the maximum equivalent stresses, which were quantified to be approximately 19 MPa. The fatigue curve for carbon steel [1] indicated a life of more than 106 cycles under this stress much greater than what the feeder pipe is expected to see in operation. Therefore, the KINS researchers were able to conclude that the cumulative usage factor is almost infinite, and thermal fatigue of the pipe due to heat-up and cool-down over the time considered is negligible for this operating scenario. Software from ANSYS allowed the KINS team to successfully perform a coupled thermal hydraulic-stress analysis of the CANDU feeder pipe to verify integrity estimates. By performing a unified simulation, the combined effects of the interrelated physical phenomena could be investigated efficiently, reducing both the time and the cost of independent simulations. At the same time, this approach provided a more realistic picture of the behavior of these components under the given operating conditions. s
Simplifying the FSI Process with ANSYS Workbench

When integrating structural and fluids analyses, the intuitive interface of the ANSYS Workbench platform enables designers and analysts to account for one-way or two-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI). For example, if an ANSYS mechanical simulation requires the results from an ANSYS CFX simulation in the specification of a load, users only need to select the relevant surfaces and the ANSYS CFX results file that contains the desired load. The ANSYS Workbench environment takes care of the rest, including management of files, extraction of data, interpolation between meshes and application of boundary loads. User setup for two-way FSI only requires selection of the surfaces at which information such as temperatures or pressures are exchanged. The CFD and FEA solvers then run concurrently with robust implicit coupling on one or more machines connected by LAN, WAN or even Internet. Load transfer between the two uses an advanced algorithm that is both profile-preserving and conservative. There is no need for third-party software all the data exchange is handled automatically and internally, using built-in socket-based inter-process communication (IPC). There is no compromise in capability as the ANSYS FSI solution uses the full power and features of ANSYS CFX and ANSYS mechanical products. John Stokes, Product Manager ANSYS, Inc.
References
[1] ASME, ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Appendix I, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2004.
Temperature distribution in the pipe for typical heat-up and cool-down. From left to right: 10, 30, 70, 100, 130 seconds, with blue indicating lower temperatures and red higher temperatures
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ENERGY: FUEL CELLS
A liquid fuel concentration isosurface colored by evaporation rate is plotted with the flow pathlines colored by the concentration of evaporated diesel for the ATR-7 mixing chamber.
Reformers Getting Results

Simulation pushes diesel-powered fuel cells on their way to early markets.
By Zdenek Por s and Ralf Peters, Institute of Energy Research Fuel Cells, Forschungzentrum Jlich GmbH, Germany
In the transportation sector, fuel cells offer the potential of improving the energy conversion efficiency and decreasing overall pollutant emissions. Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells are especially suitable in transportation applications, for both vehicle propulsion and as auxiliary power units (APUs), because of their good dynamic characteristics. Usually for logistical reasons, APUs use the same fuel as the main engine; for example, this could be kerosene in aircraft or diesel in trucks. Because PEM fuel cells are powered by hydrogen, if they are to use a hydrocarbon fuel such as kerosene or diesel, catalytic reforming must be employed to extract the hydrogen. In a catalytic process called autothermal reforming, liquid hydrocarbon fuel reacts with oxygen and steam to produce a reformate product that consists mainly of hydrogen along with some carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Reforming commercially available diesel fuels has a number of technical challenges, including complete fuel conversion, processing of aromatic compounds and prevention of carbon formation,
also known as coking. These effects progressively deactivate the catalyst and lead to reduced system durability. The function of an autothermal reformer (ATR) mixing chamber is to supply uniform flow of a homogeneous mixture of air, steam and evaporated fuel to the catalytic reaction zone. In designing an ATR mixing chamber, important processes for optimization include fuel injection, atomization and evaporation. Poor quality of the reactant mixture has a negative impact on the conversion efficiency, so it is important to maintain proper airfuel and steamfuel ratios to avoid hot spots. The fuel must also be completely evaporated before entering the reaction zone to prevent catalyst damage due to coking. To completely evaporate the fuel, a considerable amount of heat is required. One challenge of this requirement, especially for fuels with
Mixing device assembly for the ATR-7 autothermal diesel reformer
high boiling temperatures, is that the temperature required for evaporation sometimes exceeds the fuel ignition temperature. Complete evaporation of the diesel fuel without coking thus represents the greatest technological challenge in the reactant mixing process. At Research Centre (FZ) Jlich in Germany, researchers have been developing diesel fuel processing units for PEM fuel cells, including ATRs, since 1998. They have used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as a tool for design optimization since 2003. From a modeling standpoint, of special interest to FZ Jlich researchers was the mixing of diesel,
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ENERGY: FUEL CELLS
air and water at the reformer inlet, along with the temperature and concentration distribution to individual sections of the ceramic honeycomb structure that contains the catalyst. The research group found this task too complex to be solved by trial and error design improvements alone and chose FLUENT fluid flow simulation software from ANSYS to analyze the flow in the reformer mixing chamber. To simulate the flow regime, the researchers used the k- turbulence model, since its accuracy was sufficient for the purpose. Based on the type of nozzle in the reformer, they chose to use the pressure swirl atomizer model, one of the FLUENT softwares discrete phase models, to study the fuel injection and atomization process. With respect to the complex physical phenomena of the atomization and evaporation processes, they chose the pure hydrocarbon n-tetradecane (C14H30) as the model fuel for diesel. The analysis helped to identify weak areas in the existing design and to optimize a new design. In the 5 kWe power class, the previous state-of-theart autothermal reformer type 5 (ATR-5) did not prove feasible because even though the mixture homogeneity was sufficient, the design could not guarantee complete fuel evaporation.
Glass prototype of a 50 kWe ATR
The CFD model of ATR-5 found unfavorable flow profiles near the fuel nozzle (for example, dead flow zones) and poor heat exchange from hot gases to fuel droplets. In a new concept, the ATR-7, the energy of the superheated steam was used to force evaporation of the fuel while air was then added to the mixture downstream of the evaporation zone. A special design of the mixing chambers evaporator section guaranteed intensive mixing of the fuel spray and hot gases, thus completely evaporating the fuel and preventing coking. Improvements in the steam and air inlet designs led to stronger turbulence effects in the mixing chamber, which made for a better mixture quality and an overall reduction
in the chamber size. The basic concept of the ATR-7 was then further improved in the next-generation ATR-8, which enabled fuel distillation residue separation from the reactant gas stream before entering the catalyst zone. This development confirmed for FZ Jlich researchers that FLUENT software was an important tool for optimizing mixing processes in reactors and balance-of-plant devices such as heat exchangers. Worldwide, the ATR-7 and ATR-8 are the only known reformers tested with commercial diesel without measurable catalyst deactivation. The next development step is to scale the design up from 5 kWe to 50 kWe. Analysis of the larger mixing chamber concept shows a more complex flow field design. In the larger design, the incorporation of curved blades in the air feeding area serves to intensify mixing and provides a homogeneous flow profile behind the air mixing zone. A glass model of this design has been fabricated for the purpose of flow experiments and is scheduled to be fully tested by 2010. With such reformers leading the way, cooperation between researchers and industry could make it possible to introduce the first diesel- or kerosenepowered fuel cells to the market by 2015. s
45 H2 conc. in the dry reformate [vol.%] 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 Time on stream [h] Comparison of hydrogen concentration during autothermal reforming of ARAL Ultimate diesel for the ATR-5 (non-optimized) and ATR-7 (CFD optimized) designs A 50 kWe ATR design incorporates curved blades in the air feeding area, which result in more agitated mixing and provide a homogeneous flow profile behind the air mixing zone, as seen by the pathlines depicted here. ATR-5 non-optimized ATR-7 CFD optimized
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ENERGY: WIND
Harnessing Natural Energy

Multiple simulation tools are used as a cost-effective way to design reliable offshore wind turbines.
By Fabian R. Vorpahl, Holger Huhn and Hans-Gerd Busmann, Fraunhofer Center for Wind Energy and Maritime Engineering (CWMT), Bremerhaven, Germany Stefan Kleinhansl, Aero Dynamik Consult GmbH, Neuhausen/Stuttgart, Germany
Image courtesy REPower
Governments around the world are looking to offshore wind power because of its potential as a reliable source of inexpensive, renewable energy. However, developing wind farms in a marine environment comes with a new set of engineering challenges. The support structures for these offshore wind turbines (OWTs), for example, must be designed to function effectively in deep water and with large turbines. Offshore projects also present challenges to design engineers, manufacturers and operators because storms, rough seas and saltwater subject the entire turbine and its associated support structure to extreme stresses. Engineering simulation is a valuable tool for designing cost-efficient and reliable large-frame OWTs. To evaluate OWT designs for life expectancy and certification, detailed analysis of critical parts of the turbine is very important in order to predict fatigue. The OWTs being studied consist of a turbine and tower that are attached to
a partially submerged substructure. The substructure is fastened to the ocean floor using foundation piles. In order to obtain accurate results when simulating the overall system, a number of effects must be considered simultaneously, including loads from turbulent wind fields, the turbine control system, loads resulting from waves and currents, the elastic behavior of the support structure, and the soil characteristics of the local sea bed. To carry out the complex simulation of OWTs with branched support structures, engineers at the Fraunhofer Center for Wind Energy and Maritime Engineering (CWMT) used a special purpose aeroelastic software, ADCoS. This tool relates the influence of the environment (wind effect, wave type and structure, sea state and behavior of the ocean currents) and the soil-pile structural interactions, to the structural capacity of the overall wind turbine. ADCoS, developed by Aero Dynamik Consult Ingenieurgesellschaft, has typically been utilized for onshore wind turbines and has the capability to conduct a detailed investigation of interacting loads and the resulting dynamic response on an Model Rotor Nacelle Assembly Turbulent Wind Fields OWT. Extensive knowledge of all the load Controller (Aerodynamics) sources and their interactions can help Rotor Drive Train improve the reliability of OWTs and is vital for cost-effective operation of offshore wind farms. Tower Before analyzing a turbines reaction to wave loading, the CWMT engineering team needed to develop a finite element model of the entire structure. Researchers used Waves and Currents Substructure ANSYS Mechanical software to develop (Hydrodynamics) and define the support structure as a parameterized beam model. Using the SoilPile Interaction Foundation ANSYS-to-ASAS translator, they transSupport Structure ferred the model to ANSYS ASAS software. Within the ANSYS ASAS Offshore analysis tool, the engineering group used Structure of an offshore wind turbine and loads that must be considered for simulation
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ENERGY: WIND
Support structure as a beam model in ANSYS Mechanical (left) and in ADCoS software (right)
Wave loads as simulated by ANSYS ASAS software
ASAS-WAVE to calculate the wave loads on the support structure. With the aid of ASAS-WAVE, loads resulting from linear and nonlinear waves, as well as irregular sea states and currents, were taken into account. The research team calculated the loads using Morisons equation and then exported the distributed member loads, as equivalent nodal loads, into a text file for further use. For the next step, the team conducted the nonlinear simulation of the foundation piles using the P-Y approach, as recommended by the American Petroleum Institute. This was done using SPLINTER, the soil-pile interaction tool, in the ANSYS ASAS Offshore product. SPLINTER allows simulation of single piles or pile groups, including group interaction effects via the soil medium. The outcomes of the SPLINTER analyses were linearized stiffness matrices for each pile head. Finally the CWMT researchers performed the aerohydro-servo-elastic (nonlinear finite element) simulation using the ADCoS software. In this step, engineers input the model created in the ANSYS Mechanical software, the wave loads from the ANSYS-WAVE tool and the stiffness matrices from SPLINTER for the pile heads into ADCoS. The modeling of the support structure, calculation of wave loads and comANSYS Solutions Structural Simulation
Definition of parameterized support structure Optimization of the structure Model used for ANSYS ASAS simulation Support structure model transferred to ADCoS using a macro
putation of soilpile interaction were executed using a single Windows batch file. To date, some validation has been completed, and further validation will be performed under the Offshore Code Comparison Collaboration project (OC3) within the International Energy Agencys Wind Annex XXIII. In researching the interaction of wind and water with a wind turbine structure, CWMT engineers use ANSYS Mechanical functionality for creating the structural model and the ANSYS ASAS Offshore suites extensive options to account for hydrodynamic loads and soil characteristics. The adaptive architecture of these tools allows them to be connected to ADCoS, which then enables the simultaneous aero-servo-hydro-elastic simulation of the OWT. Detailed load history information and resulting fatigue data such as rain flow counts, load spectra and damage equivalent loads can be derived from ADCoS. Equipped with this knowledge, CWMT can perform in-depth investigations and optimization of critical parts, leading ultimately to even more reliable and cost-effective OWTs for future wind farm projects. s
References [1] Jonkman, J., Butterfield, S., Musial, W. and Scott, G., Definition of a 5-MW Reference Wind Turbine for Offshore System Development, NREL/TP-500-38060, Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, February 2007. [2] Kleinhansl, S., Mayer, M. and Mangold, A. ADCoS A Nonlinear Aeroelastic Code for the Complete Dynamic Simulation of OffshoreStructures and Lattice-Towers, DEWEK Proceedings, 2004. [3] Vorpahl, F., Huhn, H., Busmann, H.-G. and Kleinhansl, S., A Flexible Aeroelastic Simulation Approach for Offshore Wind Turbines, European Offshore Wind Proceedings, 2007, www.eow 2007proceedings.info/allfiles2/272_Eow2007fullpaper.pdf (11.06.08). [4] Nichols, J., Camp, T., Jonkman, J., Butterfield, S., Larsen, T., Hansen, A.M., Azcona, J., Martinez, A., Munduate, X. and Vorpahl, F., Offshore Code Comparison Collaboration within IEA Wind Annex XXIII: Phase III Results Regarding Tripod Support Structure Modeling (to be published). [5] http://www.cwmt.fraunhofer.de [6] http://www.aero-dynamik.de
ADCoS Software Aeroelastic Simulation

Parameterized model
Offshore Simulation
Calculation of loads from waves and currents on support structure Calculation of stiffness matrices for pile elements Nodal loads transferred as time series in text file Stiffness matrices for pile elements transferred as text files
Deterministic and stochastic wind loads Loads from waves and irregular sea states Soil characteristics
Simulation process and data handling
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ENERGY: BURNERS
Predicting Vibrations in High Power Burners

Engineering simulation reduces development time for industrial burners by five months.
By Gianluca Argentini, Mathematical Modeler, R&D Department, Riello Burners, Legnago, Italy
properties, including natural modes of vibration and dependence on the geometry and the materials used in the systems components. The usual mathematical description for problems of this type is based on the structural mass [M], stiffness [K] and damping [C] matrices of the system, which are related to the displacements of the structure {U(t)} by the standard set of differential equations of motion:
Displacement at the first natural vibrational mode for the original Riello burner configuration
Industrial gas and oil burners are used for steam production in industrial processes and electric power generation plants. Reducing vibrations in these systems can increase component longevity and reduce maintenance on bolts and flanges. A gas or oil burner is comprised of an intake system that draws air into the burner and an ignition area where fuel is introduced, mixed with the intake air and ignited. In the air intake system, an electric motor drives an impeller, which pulls in air and propels it along the volute-shaped housing and into the ignition area. The ignition area contains a sleeve duct that encases a combustion head and attaches the entire burner to the associated combustion tube, or boiler. An industrial burner that is capable of producing more than five megawatts may exhibit structural vibrations due to interaction between the combustion chamber and the flame initiating from the burner itself. Experiments on these kinds of burners at Riello Burners Combustion Research Center showed that the frequencies of the vibrations depended on the power of the flame, the dimensions of the combustion tube, and the features and design of the burner assembly itself. In order to reduce vibration in the burner system, engineers performed a detailed study of their structural
While this equation can be manually solved for simple, linear, discrete systems, a numerical approach like finite element analysis is necessary for complex geometries such as in a burner-engine system. Engineers and researchers at Riello Burners have found that modal analysis using ANSYS Mechanical software within the ANSYS Workbench environment is extremely useful for a rigorous numerical treatment of alternate designs. The engineering team applied a fixed constraint at the surface where the sleeve duct was anchored to the combustion chamber. For each body with a large mass, the engineers specified the appropriate physical constants, such as Youngs modulus and Poissons ratio, using the engineering data section of the ANSYS Workbench interface. When necessary, the team modified these values using the material property form, which allows users to specify suitable data in the physical characteristics field. An initial simulation using the original burner design provided the same results as experiments with regard to the values of vibrational frequencies. In particular, as computed by the software, a value of 49 hertz demonstrated the need to accurately balance the electric engine to avoid whirling effects caused by a rotational speed of only 48 revolutions per second. Also, the smallest computed value of 29 hertz is almost equal to the natural frequency of the combustion tube (boiler). When designing and engineering a high power burner, the geometric and physical properties of the boiler including the dimensions of the tube, the physical characteristics of the materials and the water mass
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ENERGY: BURNERS
Electric Motor
flow must be considered very carefully so that the boilers vibrations have a natural frequency that is not close to that of the burner in order to avoid resonance problems. To understand and include the influence of combustion on the burners mechanical vibrations, the engineering team considered and improved a mathematical model in which the flames perturbation and boilers geometry were combined into a unique Fourier series with frequencies expressed by:
Sleeve Duct Impeller Volute
where c was the speed of sound in the tubes local environment (400 m/s), L the tubes length (8 m) and m the natural frequency of concern. Using this formula, f1 was calculated to be 25 hertz, a value very close to the smallest vibrational frequency of 29 hertz computed by the software. Using the harmonic response analysis module in the ANSYS Workbench platform, Riello engineers performed computations using sinusoidal loads with frequencies in the range of 5 to 100 hertz acting on the surface between sleeve duct and combustion tube. This module allowed researchers to set values for damping coefficients to improve the accuracy of the simulation. The simulation results were confirmed by the data obtained from experiments for both
The geometry of a burner assembly: Air is taken in through the impeller and directed into the sleeve duct, which houses a combustion head (which initiates the flame).
Impeller four-nodal diameter mode associated with its first natural frequency; this value, 141 hertz, is close to other vibrational frequencies of the global system.
Equivalent stress for impeller four-nodal diameter mode at 141 hertz; at the edge of the hubs central bearing surface, the local stress values are high and can be close to the creep coefficient of the material.
ANSYS Software for Linear Dynamic Vibration Simulation

The study of structural dynamics is critical for understanding and evaluating the performance of any product. It is also essential for solving noise and vibration problems with existing structures. ANSYS mechanical solutions, including ANSYS Structural, ANSYS Mechanical and ANSYS Professional software, provide all the necessary tools for such analyses. Usually, vibration analysis begins with a modal analysis that estimates the natural vibration frequencies of a given structure. The frequencies of the structure can be determined from an unloaded state or from the loaded structure, as loads may shift the frequencies. Depending on the environment of the structure, several advanced types of analyses can be performed: harmonic, spectrum, random vibration or transient dynamic analysis. Harmonic response analysis is a technique used to determine the steady-state response of a linear structure to loads that vary sinusoidally (harmonically) with time. The structures response is calculated at several frequencies and a graph of a response quantity (usually displacements) versus frequency is generated. Peak responses are then identified on the graph and stresses reviewed at those peak frequencies. A spectrum analysis is one in which the results of a modal analysis are used with a known spectrum to calculate displacements and stresses in the model. It is mainly used instead of a time-history analysis to determine the response of structures to random or time-dependent loading conditions such as earthquakes, wind loads, ocean wave loads, jet engine thrust and rocket motor vibration. A random vibration analysis is similar to a spectrum analysis technique but is based on probability and statistics. It is used to analyze loads that produce random time histories, such as acceleration loads during a rocket launch, that can be represented by a power spectrum density during each event. Finally, a transient dynamic analysis is used to determine the response of a system under a given load variation over time. ANSYS mechanical solutions allow the use of any of these techniques with various methods: direct analysis where the full matrices are assembled, mode superposition that reuses the results of a modal analysis, or reduced methods that condense the problem to a smaller set of degrees of freedom. The last two options help reduce the computational time. Another technique to reduce the computational time is the Component Mode Synthesis (CMS), which is used in reducing the size of the problem when large and complex assemblies are modeled. Pierre Thieffry, Product Manager, ANSYS, Inc.
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ENERGY: BURNERS
vibrational frequencies and displacement values. The peak displacement value for the mechanical system was computed at 30 hertz, confirming that the burner shows a structural resonance due to the first harmonic Fourier component of the flame. To eliminate the structurally dangerous lower vibrational frequencies, the team performed modal analysis for a set of possible design modifications to the structure of the components. After iterating through four new designs, the engineers reached a virtual configuration where the first natural frequency is sufficiently high that displacement of the global structure does not occur during normal operation. In the end, by using the ANSYS Workbench platform, Riello Burners minimized the high cost for construction and testing of intermediate prototypes, reducing the time to develop an optimized model of the burner by approximately five months. s
References
The new design of the volute showing reinforcement by ribs at upper and lower parallel surfaces and by new material at the engine flange (modifications in green)
[1] Den Hartog, J.P., Mechanical Vibrations, Dover: New York, 1985. [2] Strogatz, S.H., Abrams, D.M., McRobie, A., Eckhardt, B., Ott, E., Theoretical Mechanics: Crowd Synchrony on the Millennium Bridge, Nature 2005, Vol. 438, pp. 4344. [3] Doria, A., A Simple Method for the Analysis of Deep Cavity and Long Neck Acoustic Resonators, Journal of Sound and Vibration 2000, Vol. 232 (4), pp. 823833.
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Speedbike designed in a cooperative effort between VRT-Speedbike e.V., ANSYS Germany GmbH, and Adam Opel GmbH
SPORTS
Picking Up Speed
Speedbike designers use fluid simulation to gain a competitive edge.
By Ralf Siber and Frank Werner, Adam Opel GmbH, Rsselsheim, Germany Guido Mertens, VRT-Speedbike e.V., Bergisch Gladbach, Germany and Marco Lanfrit, ANSYS Germany GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
Speedbikes are the Formula One equivalent for human powered vehicles (HPV). They owe their ability to be faster than any other HPV to aerodynamics that are better than all other earth-bound vehicles. In order to achieve this state of the art, it is necessary to investigate both global and local aerodynamic effects and their interactions, in addition to analyzing the human factor (cooling, breathing, vision for navigation, safety). The similarities to automobile development are striking. In 1994, the collaboration between Guido Mertens of VRT-Speedbike e.V. and the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) at RWTH Aachen University (notably Johannes Dyckhoff) led to the creation of the Speedbike Tomahawk 1. It was designed to surpass the existing distance record over one hour. Its development revealed that speedbike design in general had to address not only aerodynamics but also ergonomics and driving stability. The results of this development process were several long distance records between 1996 and 1999, including a record of over 82 kilometers in one hour set by rider Lars Teutenberg.
It became evident that, to further improve designs, each competitor would have to decrease the frontal area, due to asymptotically improved drag values. The project Speedhawk was launched as a cooperative effort between VRT-Speedbike e.V., ANSYS Germany and Adam Opel GmbH. The initial hull design for this new vehicle failed dramatically at the Speedchallenge 2004, which took place at the Opel proving ground in Dudenhofen. This led to a significant redesign that used simulation to evaluate both internal and external factors. The aim was to derive a new aerodynamic hull from the old one through the use of digitized point data. The team converted point data from a 3-D digitization that was performed at the Adam Opel GmbH Styling Center into regular surfaces with Autodesk SurfaceStudio. Parts without a direct effect on the air flow (redirection gear under seat, chain and chain sheet) were neglected. The simulation efforts that followed used FLUENT software. Researchers chose the RNG k- turbulence model because it offers a good compromise between
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SPORTS
Pressure contour on exterior side (left) and top (right) of a speedbike, assuming a 4-degree diagonal flow
Revised ventilation designs (left) compared with earlier ones (right) led to greatly improved rider comfort; contour plots represent temperature.
computational accuracy, storage requirements and fiberglass/CFK skin or using the hood frame as a safety computing time. The mesh consisted of a five-tier prism cage), taking rider comfort into account during development surface layer on both the interior and exterior surfaces of the required a substantial effort. For this, air ventilation construcvehicle, while a hexcore mesh created in the TGrid tool tions had to be inserted and tested on a suitable test track at filled the volume. Ground, tire, interior hull surface and rider running conditions for each case. All information was clothing roughnesses were taken into account, while the acquired subjectively from the rider. The team designed the ventilation to occur passively, outer hull was regarded as being hydraulically smooth. Earlier tests showed that disk wheels themselves are reducing interior cabin humidity and supplying cooling air to very aerodynamic, whereas in combination with wheel the rider. In the Speedhawk, air flows into the ventilation housings, the close proximity of these components makes system at a stagnation pressure point on the vehicle, is the parts act together like a friction pump. An enlargement of distributed through the interior and later escapes from the the wheel housings would disturb a large portion of the clean tail area. To simulate this effect, researchers computed lower hull flow. As a compromise, the physical vehicle was the interior and exterior volumes in a coupled way so that both the flow resistance of the interior and the flow change designed using aero spokes. For the correct computation of the complete model, the resulting from the addition of a passive ventilation system in the front were accounted for simultaneously. engineering team had to compute the In simulating the entire interior and exterior external and internal flow in combination. of the Speedhawk together, the team This included simulation of the bow areas, intended to significantly improve the underbody and the rear of the vehicle. performance when compared to Researchers optimized the bow and their 2004 demonstration. The underbody profiles to minimize air concorrections made to the design gestion between the lower leading edge of have resulted in a 10 percent the craft and the ground. The length of the improvement in drag performtail was driven by the necessity to create a ance so far, as well as much gentle transition from the broadest part of more significant driver comfort, the hull to the tail and to offer balanced boding well for the future control behavior in cross-wind conditions. performance of the vehicle. In addition, the team simulated various wind The molds for lamination will conditions to mimic real driving conditions. An equally important emphasis for speedbike be produced by Gaugler & Lutz development was safety and comfort. While oHG in August 2008 and the team safety aspects can be considered by carry-over Lars Teutenberg fits tightly into the initially looks forward to a finalized vehicle in designed Speedhawk prototype. preventive measures (Kevlar inlays within the Image courtesy Berndt Photography September 2008. s
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CHEMICAL PROCESSING
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AUTOMOTIVE
Electromagnetics Comes Through in the Clutch

BorgWarner engineers meet a tight deadline in optimizing the design of a revolutionary variable-torque clutch for all-wheel-drive vehicles.
By Chris Kurmaniak, Senior Design Release Engineer, BorgWarner TorqTransfer Systems, Michigan, U.S.A.
All-wheel automotive drive systems have evolved dramatically, becoming increasingly popular in an expanding range of vehicles. The technology began several years ago with relatively simple devices that would positively engage and disengage a vehicles secondary axle with the main transmission and driveline. Systems are now more complex, with sophisticated controllers that continuously monitor vehicle conditions and actively adjust driveline torque balance to enhance vehicle stability and handling. These systems are also integrated seamlessly with the operation of the engine, transmission, anti-lock brakes and a myriad of other vehicle powertrain and safety subsystems. One of the most recent advances in all-wheel-drive systems has been made by BorgWarner TorqTransfer Systems (TTS) a leading global designer and producer of transfer cases and torque management devices for allwheel-drive passenger cars, crossover vehicles, sport-utility vehicles and light trucks. The company recently developed the electromagnetically actuated NexTrac active all-wheel-drive system, which provides a slipping connection with varying levels of torque transmission between the front-wheeldrive transmission and rear axle. BorgWarner TTS engineers initially attracted customer interest in NexTrac with concept-level hardware. The challenge then was to provide a set of production prototypes for a customer vehicle in three months. This required
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re-engineering and optimizing the devices electromagnetic solenoid actuator, assuring reliability and proper function for a wide range of operating environments. In parallel, engineers had to provide guidance for the design, tooling and validation of the manufacturing processes. Using electromagnetic capabilities in ANSYS Multiphysics software, engineers were able to achieve these goals, quickly evaluating design alternatives, optimizing device operation through simulation, and studying the impact of different material properties,
manufacturing processes, operational environments and other design variables. This minimized hardware prototype testing and enabled BorgWarner to subsequently land the contract and quickly launch a new robust product with market-leading performance. NexTrac communicates with the vehicles electrical bus and is modulated by a BorgWarner-supplied electronic control unit (ECU) containing proprietary control algorithms. According to the level of electrical current provided, an electromagnetic solenoid actuator compresses clutch plates. This action
Electromagnetic Solenoid Armature Stator
Clutch Plates
Electronic Control Unit
Based on electrical current from an electronic control unit (ECU), the armature of an electromagnetic solenoid actuator moves laterally to compress clutch plates separated by an organic friction material, thus applying required torque to the rear axle. The stator (containing the coil winding) is bolted inside an aluminum casting fixed to the vehicles rear axle.
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AUTOMOTIVE
applies the required torque to the rear axle, enabling smooth engagement, exceptional torque accuracy and quick performance response at a relatively low cost. Engineers from BorgWarner used software from ANSYS in studying the many design constraints and nonlinearities associated with the stator and armature that comprise the devices electromagnetic solenoid actuator the core element of NexTrac operation. The engineering team used simulation in designing the various elements of the actuator to meet a range of performance criteria. Fundamentally, the actuator must achieve a specified maximum force (which dictates the maximum clutch torque of the system) within the size and power consumption constraints specified by the vehicle manufacturer. It must also reach its maximum force within a minimum amount of time and proceed to maximum force bounded by a force-to-electrical-current linearity requirement. The assembly must be designed robustly with respect to temperature and manufacturing variations. It must also survive a multitude of durability test schedules and vehicle level validation testing, and accomplish all objectives at minimum weight and cost. The ANSYS Multiphysics technology enabled BorgWarner engineers to quickly encompass all these important design constraints and nonlinearities. During the simulation process, engineers meshed and analyzed the concept-level actuator to study electromagnetic performance, identify key design deficiencies and guide development toward an optimal design. They then selected important geometry features, which were automatically iterated and meshed by custom script programs generated within the ANSYS Multiphysics software environment. One major advantage of the custom script feature was that it enabled coil winding characteristics to be integrated into the design permutation.
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Front Axle
Front-Wheel-Drive Transmission
Driveshaft
Rear Axle
NexTrac VariableTorque Clutch
NexTrac active all-wheel-drive system provides a slipping connection with varying levels of torque transmission between the vehicles front-wheel-drive transmission and the rear axle.
The ability to study the balance of magnetic circuit design (primarily flux density and the number of coil windings that would fit in the coil package) was extremely valuable. The engineering team also employed custom scripts to adjust temperature and material properties in validating the design under vehicle and manufacturing conditions. In addition, key dimensions known for problems or difficulty in manufacturing were permuted to study their effect on system performance before prototypes were produced. The flexibility of the material property specification process proved to be very helpful throughout the project. Like many simulation problems, accurately representing nonlinear material behavior is vitally important to producing relevant results. This is particularly true in the estimation of force developed in electromagnetic
structures. Software from ANSYS enabled BorgWarner TTS to move forward quickly by including B-H nonlinear material property data into analysis models and comparing results with linear and native reference steel results. The efficiency and interactivity of this process enabled analysts to go through multiple what-if iterations in comparing behavior of alternative materials. Another valuable feature of the technology from ANSYS was the ability to analyze the designs response in the time domain. Through the design permutation process, BorgWarner engineers evaluated actuator reactions to typical controller inputs and used them as a tool for optimization. This enabled them to balance static design metrics with metrics of dynamic response. This feature is particularly important for products controlled in real time. Through successful analysis and the ability to provide design direction to its sub-suppliers, BorgWarner TTS was able to meet customer deadlines and deliver a highly refined actuator design for maximum force capacity, improved linearity, reduced response time and reduced power consumption. In this way, ANSYS Multiphysics software enabled BorgWarner TTS to quickly deliver next generation NexTrac technology and meet the demands of a growing all-wheel-drive market. s
BorgWarner engineers used electromagnetic capabilities in ANSYS Multiphysics software in calculating the magnetic flux density of the armature.
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PARTNERS
Higher Returns on the Simulation Investment

Optimizing Linux clusters for ANSYS Mechanical software delivers fast turnaround on large problems.
By Joshua Bernstein, Software Engineer and Arend Dittmer, Director Product Management, Penguin Computing, California, U.S.A.
In many organizations, design engineers perform FEA (finite element analysis) simulations using desktop systems. With this approach, high-powered systems are required even though they are typically only fully utilized for short periods of time due to workflow interruption. Alternatively, solving more complex problems on shared back-end compute systems is more efficient. Offering excellent price/performance ratio, Linux -based clusters have become a common platform for these back-end computations. However, the concept of achieving high performance through interconnected systems introduces performance and manageability challenges. One of the biggest obstacles to a quick return on a cluster investment is the initial cluster setup. After deployment, the system configuration on compute nodes needs to remain consistent. Even minor discrepancies a missed driver update on one system, for example are hard to troubleshoot. In the case of a cluster upgrade or system failure on a compute node, the compute nodes need to be reprovisioned, leading to maintenance downtime. Moreover, it is difficult to identify and control processes in a cluster as compared to a single system. To better understand optimal methods for installing and running ANSYS Mechanical software on a Linux cluster, a series of benchmark tests was performed by Penguin Computing and run on an Intel Cluster Ready certified cluster using Penguin Computings Relion 1600 series servers, equipped with two dual-core Intel Xeon 5160 CPUs. Scyld ClusterWare 4.20, a cluster management solution from Penguin Computing, was installed on the cluster [1]. Scyld ClusterWare is designed to make the management of a Linux cluster as easy as the management of a single desktop system and is fully compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. With ClusterWares lightweight provisioning, compute nodes boot over the network from a master node into local memory. Avoiding a local operating system (OS) installation on every compute node guarantees configuration consistency, allows for easy node replacement and ensures cluster scalability. ClusterWare also provides a unified process space: All processes running in the cluster can be directly controlled from the master node.
Before an ANSYS Mechanical model can be solved in parallel, it must be decomposed so that the computations can be distributed. A sparse matrix is generated when performing the structural analysis and has a resulting size that depends upon the number of degrees of freedom in the model. Ideally, this matrix can be stored entirely in memory. In this case, the solver is run in the in-core (IC) mode. If the simulation run cannot be executed in-core, the ANSYS Mechanical software writes the sparse matrix to a file, passing through the disk input/output (I/O) subsystem. In this latter case, the simulation is run out-of-core (OOC), and the read/write I/O speed to the local scratch space greatly impacts solver performance. Figure 1 shows performance results for ANSYS Mechanical benchmarks, tested using three memory configurations. As expected, memory configuration had the biggest impact on performance for the larger models benchmarks 7 and 8. Significantly longer runtimes for these two models with the 8GB memory configuration occurred because they were solved out-of-core. Moving from an 8GB to a 16GB configuration resulted in a 32 percent
3000 2500 Runtime (sec) 2000 1500 1000 500 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Benchmark Number 8GB 16GB 32GB
Figure 1. In-core vs. out-of-core performance comparison
3000 2500 Runtime (sec) 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Single, Dual and Quad Disk Configuration SATA SAS
Figure 2. Relative performance of SATA vs. SAS disks
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PARTNERS
How to Obtain Optimal Performance?

Many users of ANSYS Mechanical software want to get the very best performance out of their software and hardware combination. Others wish to make the best hardware purchase decisions. Fortunately for both groups, ANSYS has put together a white paper on Obtaining Optimal Performance in ANSYS 11.0. This performance guide provides a comprehensive resource for ANSYS Mechanical users who wish to understand the factors that impact the solution performance of this software on current hardware systems. The guide provides information on ANSYS Mechanical computing demands, hardware considerations, memory usage, parallel processing and I/O considerations. The guide also includes general information on how to measure performance in the ANSYS Mechanical solvers and an example-driven section showing how to optimize performance for several ANSYS Mechanical analysis types and equation solvers. The guide provides summary information along with detailed explanations for users who wish to push the limits of performance on their hardware systems. Both Windows and UNIX or Linux operating system issues are covered throughout the guide. This guide can be downloaded from the ANSYS Customer Portal. Ray Browell, Product Manager ANSYS, Inc. performance increase as the problem was now solved in-core. While the benefit from solving FEA solutions in-core may seem obvious, this characteristic is often overlooked when managing back-end compute systems. To illustrate the influence of different local storage configurations on performance for an analysis model that runs out-of-core, benchmark 7 was run on a node configured with 8GB of RAM. Figure 2 presents observed runtimes for two different disk configurations. Serial attached SCSI (SAS) disk configurations performed up to 18 percent better than serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) configurations. SAS drives spin considerably faster than SATA drives 15,500 RPM vs. 7,200 RPM but their better I/O performance is partially offset by their higher cost and smaller capacities. Moving from a single disk configuration to a twodisk redundant array of independent drives (RAID0) configuration yielded performance gains of 10 percent for SAS disks and 18 percent for SATA disks, indicating a significant advantage for the parallel I/O provided by the RAID0 configuration. Distributed ANSYS Mechanical technology spreads the computational workload of a single solver run across multiple systems. For benchmarking solver scalability, distributed benchmark BMD-4 was chosen. Each node in the cluster was configured with 8GB of RAM and used a RAID0 disk configuration consisting of four SAS drives. Figure 3 illustrates the scalability of the BMD-4 benchmark. The job scales well on Ethernet and Infiniband
fabrics. Marginal performance improvement is noted for the Infiniband fabric relative to Ethernet results. The cores used for this set of benchmark runs were allocated round-robin: Each process was launched on one core on a different system. After four cores on four systems had been allocated, the algorithm wrapped around and allocated the next core on the first node in the set, and so forth. A second set of tests, shown in Figure 4, was performed using a node packing method for distributing processes onto cores. When scaling across an increasing number of cores, up to four processes were started on one node before moving to the next node. Better performance is achieved with the round-robin allocation method, as round-robin maximizes the amount of memory available for each process. The presented benchmark results are useful for determining the optimal set of conditions for running an individual job. This does not consider the more realistic case in which many simultaneous ANSYS Mechanical runs need to be executed in parallel. Another option is to optimize for total throughput rather than for performance of individual jobs. When optimizing for throughput, the performance of individual jobs of the same priority has to be balanced against the number of simultaneous jobs running on the cluster. Best performance for high-priority jobs is achieved with roundrobin allocation of cores on nodes that are dedicated exclusively to running one high-priority job at a time. s
References
[1] These benchmarks are described at http://www.ansys.com/services/ hardware-support-db.htm. [2] To request the benchmark models, contact Shane Moeykens, shane.moeykens@ansys.com.
1200 1000 Runtime (sec) Ethernet 800 Infiniband 600 400 200 0 1 2 4 Number of Processes 8 16
Figure 3. Distributed solver scalability

1200 1000 800 Runtime (sec) 600 400 200 0 1 2 4 Number of Processes 8 16
Sequential Round-Robin
Figure 4. Performance comparison of round-robin vs. sequential core allocation
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ACADEMIC
Image Afby T1/dreamstime.com
Driven to Simulation
A teenage student helps improve the aerodynamic design of F1 race cars using ANSYS software and Windows high performance computing.
By Eric Tierling, Freelance Writer, Germany and Shane Moeykens, Strategic Partnership Manager, ANSYS, Inc.
What began as a hobby for enthusiasts who pioneered road racing in France in the 1890s has evolved into a professional sport attracting millions of followers around the globe. Grand Prix racing now takes place in Europe, the Asian Pacific rim, the Middle East, South America and the United States, with one of the most successful series being Formula One (F1). The passion associated with F1 racing has grown beyond the teams, drivers and technicians who are personally involved with the sport. Broadcast to countries worldwide, each of the 17 races in the 2007 season was watched by an average of 597 million viewers. Milad Mafi, a teenage student in Germany, has followed Formula One racing since childhood, and is much more than a regular fan. Although only 16 years old, he is already skilled at optimizing the aerodynamic design of F1 race cars with the aid of high performance computing (HPC) on the Windows platform.
Aerodynamic Computations Milad started watching Formula One TV broadcasts as a child and loved racing maneuvers such as passing. Over time, however, he realized like many others that these thrilling moments were becoming rarer, and today are close to extinction. In modern F1 racing, changes in position most
often take place during pit stops, which have become part of the race strategy. A reason for the the decreasing number of passing maneuvers can be found in safety regulations imposed by the governing body, the Fdration Internationale de lAutomobile (FIA), and the resulting changes to the aerodynamics of modern F1 race car designs. In the 1980s, road grip was derived primarily from wide tires. With a shift to narrower tires, aerodynamic grip which depends on several factors including the intensity of air turbulence has become a much more important factor than the mechanical grip provided by the tires. The external aerodynamics of modern Formula One cars produce a downward force of
Pressure contours on the surface of a classic 1980s F1 race car
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ACADEMIC
roughly 25,000 Newtons (N), which corresponds to a gravitational force of 2.5 metric tons. Maintaining laminar air flow across the wings and body of an F1 car is an ideal that is not realized in practice. Turbulence and eddies form around bluff components of a car body and trail behind the moving car, reducing efficiency. The wings of an F1 car may fail to fulfill their design function in some highly turbulent flow conditions, producing little or no downward force while creating significant resistance. This necessitates that drivers reduce their curve speed and curve acceleration, making it nearly impossible to execute a passing maneuver on the track.
More Passing Excitement Driven by his disappointment in the decreasing number of passing maneuvers, Milad started to research the problem. Where other teenagers prefer to play football, he examined the design and aerodynamic behavior of F1 race cars an exciting challenge for a boy who programmed his first computer-aided design (CAD) solution when he was just 11 years old. There are two primary approaches for exploring the aerodynamic behavior of an F1 race car: using a wind tunnel or performing fluids simulation. Efficiency, visualization capabilities and accuracy not to mention the financial savings make simulation analysis an excellent option. With the aid of Microsoft and ANSYS, Milad turned to an industry standard PC servers for high performance computing. He was able to investigate turbulence effects and the design modifications necessary to make passing maneuvers on the track easier. Microsofts Compute Cluster Server 2003 (predecessor of the current Windows HPC Server 2008) provided an effective HPC software platform capable of performing complex flow simulations. Working with a Microsoft HPC partner, Milad received access to a Windows HPC Server cluster having more than 250 CPUs all tied together with the Microsoft HPC solution. For the flow analysis, he used
The interaction between the rear wing and diffuser leads to a decrease in total pressure behind an F1 race car.
FLUENT software from ANSYS, the same technology that many Formula One teams also rely upon. By using this combination, Milad had a powerful simulation platform for his aerodynamic experiments. In addition, he took advantage of the comprehensive support provided by Microsoft and ANSYS, allowing him to obtain answers quickly and concentrate on his work. With the Windows HPC platform and FLUENT software, he could analyze the problematic components of F1 race cars and avoid costintensive and time-consuming physical tests. Milad had the discipline to first investigate the components of interest wings, diffuser, bargeboards, etc. in 2-D before moving to 3-D calculations. After weeks of intense computations, his results indicated that the winglets and the lower rear wing element, which interact with the diffuser, produce significant turbulence. Although it might seem simple, this observation could influence the aerodynamic design of modern F1 racing cars and yield better passing capabilities.
An optimized F1 race car design based on Milads research
Windows HPC Enhances Racing Excitement Trying to keep F1 racing exciting without compromising safety, the FIA constantly makes rule changes aimed at increasing the ability of cars to overtake each other. One approach for achieving better passing capabilities might build on Milads research and the resulting design optimizations he performed on the front wing, rear wing, diffuser and bargeboards. Given the fact that F1 race teams make significant investment in improving performance, it is not surprising that Milad has already been in contact with several Formula One teams. As a result, the next time you watch an F1 race, you might see car designs that have been influenced by Milads observations. s
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ANALYSIS TOOLS
Image iStockphoto.com/James Pauls
Stretching Your Elastomer Understanding

Accurate nonlinear analysis leads to a better material selection process that enables innovation and faster time to market.
By Siddharth Shah, Product Manager, ANSYS, Inc.
Large deformation analysis of an elastomeric-based automotive door seal
Elastomers, or rubbers, are a category of engineering materials that are used in many critical applications and have properties that are very distinct from commonly occurring solid materials. They exhibit a highly elastic nature, allowing them to be stretched to many times their original length and, upon release, quickly return to their original shape. This ability to significantly deform and, as a result, conform between complex adjacent surfaces makes them very attractive for use in seals, sealants, gaskets and shock-absorbing applications. For a good seal, the elastomeric part needs to maintain sufficient pressure against the sealing surface so that a leak is prevented. Since they are often expected to function at extreme conditions, it is critical to determine whether sufficient pressure can be maintained. Elastomers have the following characteristics: Ability to undergo large deformations and sustain strains in the range of 500 percent Highly nonlinear load-displacement or stressstrain relationship Nearly or fully incompressible can undergo very little volumetric change under stress or cannot be compressed significantly under load
3-D analysis of an O-ring elastomer seal employed in a valve cavity
Exhibit high energy absorption under cyclically varying load, providing excellent damping properties Highly dependent on temperature, operating frequency and duration of use Elastomers have a wide range of applications and come in an even wider range of material types. Diverse and often conflicting design requirements make material specifications difficult. Selecting a material is often a complex process, with the final choice dependent on a series of trade-offs and intangible factors. A material is often selected based on familiarity and experience that takes years to develop. As a
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ANALYSIS TOOLS
Hyperelastic Neo-Hookean Mooney-Rivlin Polynomial Ogden Arruda-Boyce Gent Yeoh Ogden (Foam) Blatz-Ko Anisotropic User
Material models available with ANSYS mechanical tools
result, as newer elastomeric materials are made available, a continuous learning process is necessary. Simulation can help augment the understanding of an elastomers performance by providing deep insight that may not be available through physical testing. With software tools, it is possible to study many prototypes rapidly, accelerating the understanding of the material. In this way, engineers are provided with a means to make better material choices and develop a more effective selection process.
compression unloading 1 unloading 2 unloading 3 unloading 4 unloading 5
Pressure vs. deflection loading curve for a typical gasket material
Stress MPa
Simulation With any finite element analysis, the accuracy of the material properties used is critical. However, because of the highly nonlinear and nearly incompressible attributes of elastomers, their mathematical characterization assumes a central role in ensuring the quality of any analysis. Complex mathematical models, often referred to as hyperelastic material models, are required to accurately describe elastomer behavior under loading conditions. Most elastomeric specimens need to be tested in a lab to extract their stressstrain behavior. The goal is to acquire the stressstrain curves of the material in the desired operating state and then find the matching material model to mimic that behavior. It is highly recommended that more than one set of test data such as uniaxial tension, biaxial tension and shear test data be used to identify the correct model for the material. ANSYS Mechanical Technology To fully rely upon a simulation tool for the material selection process, the software needs to be accurate and have an established record of excellent correlation with experimental results. The mechanical suite of software from ANSYS has repeatedly proven to have all of the necessary features to perform quick and accurate simulations of elastomeric components. In ANSYS software, there is a wide choice of material models backed by robust element technology sufficient to cover all possible combinations of natural and synthetic elastomers. To further enhance accuracy of simulations such as predicting the damping behavior of elastomers the hyperelastic material models can be freely combined with any of the viscoelastic material models.
1.81
1.5
1.25
1.
0.75 Uniax Exp Biax Exp 0.5 Shear Exp Uniax Fit Biax Fit 0.25 Shear Fit
0. 0. 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.679
Strain mm/mm
Screenshot of curve fitting setup (top) and samples of uniaxial, biaxial and shear fitted data using the Yeoh 3rd order curve fitting model available in the Engineering Data tool in the ANSYS Workbench platform (bottom)
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ANALYSIS TOOLS
To aid in identifying the right material model for stressstrain data, software from ANSYS provides a very efficient and lucid curve fitting tool. This tool, available in Prep7 as well as in Engineering Data, can account for much of the experimental stressstrain data of the material under consideration and then quickly compare different material models. The tool then automatically makes available the various mathematical constants that can be used by the material models.
Additionally, it is critical for simulation to account for contact between elastomeric components. Often the components contact themselves as well as adjacent surfaces that are made of materials other than rubber. The robust, automatic, surfacesurface contact capability with mechanical software from ANSYS accounts for this nonlinearity. This capability is not only robust, but is automatic, quick and straightforward to use. s
Cook Compression: Worlds First Compressor Valve with Elastomeric Elements

Cook Compression designs and manufactures inlet-discharge valves and capacity-control equipment for industrial reciprocating gas compressors in refineries and petrochemical plants. In the industry, they have built a reputation for long life and efficiency. Historically, metals have been the primary material of choice for valve elements. In the early 1970s, Cook Compression pioneered engineered thermoplastics as valve element materials. Customers continue to demand a longer mean time between failures (MTBF) for their valve elements. This has been the main driving force behind the investigation of alternative materials. Today, Cook Compression is analyzing elastomeric materials for use in reciprocating compressor valves using nonlinear FEA. A compressor valve must open and close with each stroke of the compressor (300 to 1500 rpm), forming a gas-tight seal when closed and allowing gas to flow though the valve when open. Since elastomeric materials have no strength, applying them in environments in which differential pressures exist is challenging. To make things more complex, these valves also Cook Compression manufactures complete compressor valve assemblies such as this one. operate at differential pressures that cycle between zero and some value. Since compressor valves are aerodynamic devices, shapes that promote efficient gas flow are desirable in order to reduce pressure losses as well as the load/power on the driver equipment. Meeting the needs of dynamic differential pressure loading using an aerodynamic shape made from a material with no inherent strength is not an easy task. First, designers model the parts in 3-D with Solid Edge software and evaluate them for ease of manufacture. At this stage, designers then conceptualize shapes that promote efficient flow, with consideration of negative parameters relevant to compressor valve design such as fixed clearance, ease of repair in the field and the robustness of the design to handle plant process upset conditions. Once shapes are determined, elastomeric materials are selected on the basis of their mechanical properties and their resistance to chemical attack. Candidates passing this last criterion get evaluated using nonlinear analysis in ANSYS Structural software to provide insight into the deformation and stresses at operating temperature and pressure. Shapes can be adjusted based on the analysis output, and the design evolution continues until a shape is deemed worthy of a field trial. There are millions of polymers that can be evaluated. Physically testing them all would be costly at best and impossible at worst. Being able to create a systematic method for polymer selection and then having the capability to perform nonlinear FEA provides insight into how the polymer behaves under operating conditions, which in turn provides feedback about how to improve the selection process. In short order, many polymers and polymer Deformation contours for the prototype families can be elimicompressor valve nated, leaving only the most promising candidates. Having a reliable simulation model makes analysis fast and accurate. In the Cook Compression analysis, physical measurements of the prototypes matched the simulation-predicted deflections within 0.002 inches. As a result, the worlds only compressor valves with elastomeric valve elements are operating successfully in a number of locations. More work is being conducted to expand the operating envelope, and elastomeric designs are greatly increasing the MTBF with lower valve pressure drops than their thermoplastic and metal counterparts.
The nonlinear capability of ANSYS Structural software has proven to be an invaluable tool in quickly evaluating shapes and elastomeric polymers for use in compressor valves. Time to market is reduced, and the accuracy of the FEA results provides the necessary confidence to spend money on prototype production. Kevin Durham, Director of Valve Engineering Cook Compression
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TIPS AND TRICKS
Analyzing Random Vibration Fatigue

Powerful ANSYS Workbench tools help calculate the damage of vibrations that lack straightforward cyclic repetition.
By Santhosh M. Kumar, Technical Support Engineer, ANSYS India
Determining the fatigue life of parts under periodic, sinusoidal vibration is a fairly straightforward process in which damage content is calculated by multiplying the stress amplitude of each cycle from harmonic analysis with the number of cycles that the parts experience in the field. The computation is relatively simple because the absolute value of the vibration is highly predictable at any point in time. Vibrations may be random in nature in a wide range of applications, however, such as vehicles traveling on rough roads or industrial equipment operating in the field where arbitrary loads may be encountered. In these cases, instantaneous vibration amplitudes are not highly predictable as the amplitude at any point in time is not related to that at any other point in time. As shown in Figure 1, the lack of periodicity is apparent with random vibrations. The complex nature of random vibrations is demonstrated with a Fourier analysis of the random timehistory shown in Figure 2, revealing that the random motion can be represented as a series of many overlapping sine waves, with each curve cycling at its own frequency and amplitude. With these multiple frequencies occurring at the same time, the structural resonances of different components can be excited simultaneously, thus increasing the potential damage of random vibrations.
0.2 Amplitude 0.1 0 -0.1 -0.2 24 6 5 12 Time 2 0 1 3 Day 4
Figure 1. Random vibrations measured for vehicle on a rough road showing periodicity for single, dual and quad disk configuration
Amplitude
Time
Statistical Measures of Random Vibration Because of the mathematical complexity of working with these overlapping sine curves to find instantaneous amplitude as an exact function of time, a more efficient way of dealing with random vibrations is to use a statistical process to determine the probability of the occurrence of particular amplitudes. In this type of approach, the random vibration can be characterized using a mean, the standard deviation and a probability distribution. Individual vibration amplitudes are not determined. Rather, the amplitudes are averaged over a large number of cycles and the cumulative effect determined for this time period. This provides a more practical process for characterizing random vibrations than analyzing an unimaginably large set of timehistory data for many different vibration profiles.
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Amplitude
Time
Figure 2. Random timehistory can be represented as a series of overlapping sinusoidal curves.
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TIPS AND TRICKS
An important aspect of such a statistical representation is that most random processes follow a Gaussian probability distribution. This distribution can be seen in a frequency-of-occurrence histogram (sometimes referred to as probability density function), which plots the number of times random acceleration peaks reached certain levels in small frequency segments called bins. The histogram shown in Figure 3 represents a random signal measured for 10,000 seconds and indicates that this random signal follows a classic bell-shaped Gaussian probability distribution. Representing the random signals in this manner is sometimes called a zero-mean Gaussian process, since the mean value of the signals centers at zero of the histogram, as do the random signal responses, which are usually described in terms of standard deviation (or sigma value) of the distribution. Figure 3 shows how the Gaussian distribution relates to the magnitude of the acceleration levels expected for random vibration. The instantaneous acceleration will be between the +1 and the -1 values 68.3 percent of the time. It will be between the +2 and the -2 values 95.4 percent of the time. It will be between the +3 and the -3 values 99.73 percent of the time. Note that the Gaussian probability distribution does not indicate the random signals frequency content. That is the function of the power spectral density analysis.
3 2 Acceleration (g) 1 0 -1 -2 -3 Acceleration (g)
3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 0 100 200 300 No. of occurrence
1000
2000 3000
4000 5000 6000 Time (sec)
7000 8000
9000 10000
Figure 3. Gaussian distribution (right) of random signal (left)
Time
PSD (G2/Hz)
Amplitude
Frequency (Hz)
Figure 4. Random timehistory (left), power special density (PSD) of a random time-history (right)
0.475 PSD(G2/Hz)
20
Frequency (Hz)
200
Power Spectral Density The usual way to describe the severity of damage for random vibration is in terms of its power spectral density (PSD), a measure of a vibration signals power intensity in the frequency domain. Looking at the timehistory plot in Figure 4, it is not obvious how to evaluate the constantly changing acceleration amplitude. The way to evaluate is to determine the average value of all the amplitudes within a given frequency range. Although acceleration amplitude at a given frequency constantly changes, its average value tends to remain relatively constant. This powerful characteristic of the random process provides a tool to easily reproduce random signals using a vibration test system. Random vibration analysis is usually performed over a large range of frequencies from 20 to 2,000 Hz, for example. Such a study does not look at a specific frequency or amplitude at a specific moment in time but rather statistically looks at a structures response to a given random vibration environment. Certainly, we want to know if there are any frequencies that cause a large random response at any natural frequencies, but mostly we want to know the overall response of the structure. The square root of the area under the PSD curve (grey area) in Figure 4 gives the root mean square (RMS) value of the acceleration, or Grms, which is a qualitative measure of intensity of vibration.
15
150 7 X
Figure 5. Problem sketch of aluminum beam with a weight at the tip undergoing white-noise random vibration
PSD Analysis Sample Problem To illustrate how power spectral density analysis is used in calculating the fatigue life of a part undergoing random vibration, consider a cantilevered aluminum beam (Al 6061-T6 [E=68.9 GPa, =0.3]) that is 150 mm long by 15 mm wide by 7mm high, as shown in Figure 5. This system has an overall damping ratio of 5 percent. An instrument assembly of weight 2N is mounted on the tip of the beam, and its movement is restricted to only the vertical direction. The assembly must be capable of operating in a white-noise random vibration environment with an input PSD level of 0.475 g2/Hz (from 20 to 200 Hz) for a period of 4.0 hours. The challenge is to determine the approximate dynamic stress and the expected fatigue life of the assembly.
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TIPS AND TRICKS
Analysis of the assembly under this white-noise environment results in a bending stress contour plot shown in Figure 6, which shows a maximum 1- bending stress of 55.4 MPa (see accompanying table).
Standard Deviation 1 stress 2 stress 3 stress
Bending Stress 1x 55.4 = 55.4 MPa 2x 55.4 = 110.8 MPa 3x 55.4 = 166.2 MPa
Percentage of Occurrence 68.3% 27.1% 4.33%
Reponse Power Spectral Density (RPSD) Figure 7 shows a response power spectral density plot (new in Workbench 12.0) of a node at root having maximum bending stress at the systems first natural frequency of ~56 Hz. The integration of the RPSD curve (the area under the curve) yields variance of bending stress. The square root of the variance is 1 value of the bending stress. Fatigue Analysis For fatigue life calculation in the sample problem, root mean square (RMS) stress quantities are used in conjunction with the standard fatigue analysis procedure. The following procedure explains how to calculate the fatigue life using one of the most common approaches: the Three-Band Technique using Miners Cumulative Damage Ratio [1]. The first step is to determine the number of stress cycles needed to produce a fatigue failure. When the root of the beam is connected to the other parts of the structure without any fillet, the computed alternating stress has to account for stress concentration effects. The stress concentration factor K can be used in the stress equation or in defining the slope b of the S-N fatigue curve for alternating stresses. The stress concentration should be used only once in either place. For this sample problem, a stress concentration factor K = 2 will be used in the S-N fatigue curve as shown in Figure 8, where slope b = 6.4. The approximate number of stress cycles N1 required to produce a fatigue failure in the beam for the 1, 2 and 3 stresses can be obtained from the following equation:
Figure 6. 1- bending stress distribution
Response PSD Normal Stress
3.2591e+8 2.5e+8 1.e+8 5.e+7 2.5e.7 1.e+7 5.e+6 PSD 2.5e+6 1.e+6 5.e+5 2.5e+5 1.e+5 50000
56.426
where:
N2 = 1000 (S1000 reference point) S2 = 310 MPa (stress to fail at S1000 reference point) S1 = 55.4 (1 RMS stress) b = 6.4 (slope of fatigue line with stress concentration K = 2)
25000 17785 2. 2.5 5. 10. 25. Frequency 50. 100. 200.
Figure 7. Response power spectral density of bending stress distribution for aluminum beam
The number of cycles to fail (N) under dynamic stress is calculated as follows:
310 Stress (MPa)
K=1
103 b=6.4 K=2 51.7
103
N, Cycles to fail
108
Figure 8. S-N curve for 6061-T6 aluminum beam with a stress concentration of 2
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TIPS AND TRICKS
The actual number of fatigue cycles (n) accumulated during four hours of vibration testing can be obtained from the percent of time exposure for the 1, 2 and 3 values:
damage is generated by the 3 level, even though it acts only about 4.33 percent of the time. The 3 level generates more than two times as much damage as the 2 level, which acts about 27.1 percent of the time. The above fatigue cycle ratio shows that about 95.71 percent of the life of the structure is used up by the fourhour vibration test. This means that 4.29 percent of the life remains, with the expected life of the structure obtained from the following calculation: Used life + remaining life = 4.0 hrs + [(4.0) x (0.0429)] = ~4.17 hrs
Miners Rule Miners cumulative fatigue damage ratio is based on the idea that every stress cycle uses up part of the fatigue life of a structure, whether the stress cycle is due to sinusoidal vibration, random vibration, thermal cycling, shock or acoustic noise. Miners fatigue damage cycle ratio calculation is as follows:
While fatigue life evaluation under a random process is highly complicated, Miners Rule provides a reasonably good prediction. In the example, the safety factor of 2 calculated from structural stress values is not adequate to ensure fatigue life of the beam for the chosen environment. When it comes to design for manufacturing, it is recommended that the beam design be changed to provide a fatigue life of approximately 8 hours, amounting to a safety factor of 2 on the fatigue life. s
Reference:
An examination of the above fatigue cycle ratio shows that the 1 RMS level does very little damage even though it is in effect about 68.3 percent of the time. Most of the
[1] Steinberg, D.S., Vibration Analysis for Electronic Equipment, John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2000. The author would like to thank Eng Hui Khor, ANSYS, Inc., for his technical advice and editorial assistance.
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TIPS AND TRICKS
Extracting SolutionDependent Regions in CFX-Post

Identifying and quantifying regions of reverse flow in the CFX-Post fluids post-processor.
By Robin Steed, Senior Fluids Application Specialist, ANSYS, Inc.
When evaluating computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results, engineers are often faced with the need to quantify aspects of the flow based on specific behaviors in the solution fields as opposed to geometric locations. One example is the need to visually identify and quantitatively evaluate regions of reversed air flow in an automotive vehicle cabin. This will be demonstrated using CFX-Post to evaluate a CFD solution obtained from FLUENT software.
Quantifying Reversed Flow Although visualization is helpful in understanding the flow field, it is also necessary to quantify the results for the purposes of evaluation, comparison and optimization. You can use the CFX Expression Language (CEL) to quantitatively evaluate the proportional area of the reverse flow region, and then evaluate the average temperature of forward and reversed flow on the plane. Units and Algebraic Operations in CEL CEL is an algebraic expression language that follows standard unit arithmetic. It allows CFX-Post (and CFX Solver) users to create persistent, algebraic expressions to evaluate integrated quantities, new variable fields, complex material properties and boundary conditions. CEL variables include many common constants, all solution variables and any other expressions you have created, regardless of the order in which they are created. All variables include appropriate dimensions. The CEL subsystem ensures that quantities are converted to the same units before being added and flags errors if a user tries to add values that equate to different dimensions. For instance, you can add 10 meters/second to 30 kilometers/hour but cannot add 10 meters/second to 30 kilometers. The same holds true for other available algebraic operations.
Visualizing Reversed Flow Using the solution from the cabin airflow simulation, a vertical plane through the vehicle was colored by velocity in the x direction (velocity u). Deep blue regions in this contour plot suggest low speed or reverse flow. Its difficult to tell, however, at exactly what point the flow is actually reversed because of the smooth color gradient. To locate regions where the velocity is in the negative x direction, you can simply create a contour plot on the same plane, manually specifying the contour boundaries at -100, 0 and 100 meters per second (m/s) in order to clearly delineate forward and reverse flow regions.
Flow field on a plane down the middle of the cabin, colored by velocity in the x direction
In the example, to calculate the area proportion, you need to know the area of the plane (Plane 1) and the area of reversed flow. For this, you would use the area()@<location> function:
Plane area = area()@Plane 1
Reverse flow is indicated by the light blue contour region.
To calculate the area of reverse flow, you must first create a User Surface object and define it using the From Contour method, picking contour level 2 on Contour 1. This area is called User Surface 1. Using a similar approach, User Surface 2 is defined by picking contour level 3 on Contour 1. This provides you with a location for your expression.
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TIPS AND TRICKS
Reverse flow regions (in blue) at new plane location Expression Plane area Contour and user surface object geometry details Reverse flow area Reverse flow area proportion Original Location 1.588 [m2] 0.972 [m ]
2
New Location 1.505 [m2] 0.666 [m2] 0.443 287.708 [K] 290.798 [K] 3.091 [K]
0.612 286.300 [K] 286.861 [K] 0.561 [K]
The area of reverse flow is returned by the expression: Reverse flow area = area()@User Surface 1 The area proportion is obtained by dividing the two expressions: Reverse flow area proportion = Reverse flow area / Plane area Next, you would obtain the area weighted average temperature on the reverse and forward flow regions and the difference between the two in a similar manner using the areaAve()@<location> function. The area average function returns the area weighted average of a variable or expression at the specified location. Tave reverse = areaAve(Temperature) @User Surface 1 Tave forward = areaAve(Temperature) @User Surface 2 Tdiff = Tave reverse Tave forward
Tave forward Tave reverse Tdiff
Quantitative data at original and new locations
Object Persistence The calculated objects in our example (Tave reverse, Tave forward, Tdiff, etc.) have the dependencies on postprocessing objects or geometries (in this case, the contour plot and the plane that the contour resides on). But what happens if the plane is moved? The real power of CFX-Post lies in the persistence of its data meaning the calculated object data is preserved
when the input changes. If the plane is moved to a new location, the dependent object states are instantly updated, including to the level of the calculated expressions. As you post-process your results, you can add figures, tables and comments to an HTML report, which can optionally include 3-D viewer files [1]. Post-processing objects created during the session, including the report, can be saved to a CFX state file. The CFX-Post state file is a text file containing only the persistent data (parameters of objects), not the results. The CFX-Post state allows a user to restore a post-processing session or apply an existing post-processing state to new simulation results without the need for scripting or journal files. This feature allows engineers to reduce time spent on post-processing, compress the analysis process and increase productivity. It is also the basis for the automatic extraction of quantitative results from ANSYS CFX software in a CFD simulation using ANSYS DesignXplorer software. s
References
[1] Free viewer download available at http://www.ansys.com/ products/cfx-viewer.asp
Expressions
User Surface Contour 1 User Surface Reverse Flow Plane Vector 1 Point Cloud Streamline 1
Dependencies for user-created objects and expressions.
Tave Forward Tdiff Tave Reverse
Plane Area
Reverse Flow Area Proportion
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OUTSIDE THE BOX
Bio-Inspiring Engineering
Scientists use nature to advance technology.
By ANSYS Advantage Editorial Staff with the assistance of Matevz Dular, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Animals are naturally engineered to be highly efficient. Fireflies emit a light that essentially produces no heat. Cockroaches and crickets are able to traverse complex and uneven terrain, a trait worth imitating if youre developing a robot that needs to navigate unknown and rough territory. Studying natural solutions to the physical world is not new and can often lead to important and surprising technological advances. Within the study of locomotion, observations in the animal kingdom have led to a number of engineering developments that may have otherwise been overlooked. The rough textures found on shark skin would intuitively introduce extra drag into the swimming process. When swimsuits are designed with similar surfaces, however, they prove more efficient than other alternatives. In another example, penguins provided engineering insight when researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a marine propulsion system that uses two oscillating foils to create thrust in the water. The system boasts significantly higher efficiencies than the traditional propeller system. In order to fully understand any propulsion system, familiarity with the fluids that are involved is essential. For Matevz Dular, who was collaborating with the Marine Biology Station Piran in Slovenia, simulation was an effective tool to employ when wanting to learn more about jellyfish locomotion. As Dular puts it, the animals are usually not very keen to cooperate experimentally, and simulation solved this problem. Using FLUENT simulation software, he was able to help researchers visualize the flow patterns related to the animals movements, gaining insight into the dynamics of the bell contraction and relaxation. Dular utilized a user-defined function (UDF) to describe the movement of the jellyfish bell, a dynamic mesh capability to describe the mesh motion, and another UDF to calculate the forces that the bell imposed on the surrounding fluid as it moved. With the resultant force, he was able to calculate the acceleration of the jellyfish in each time step. The jellyfish acceleration was then used
Image iStockphoto.com/Klaas Lingbeek-van Kranen
to assign the velocity boundary condition for the fluid moving past the animal. By using two phases of liquids in the simulation both with identical properties Dular was able to introduce a virtual color tracer in order to visualize the vortices that were produced by the jellyfish locomotion. From an engineering point of view, jellyfish propulsion is interesting because it was perfected over millions of years. With simulation, we can further our understanding of how it is that animals are so efficient and try to learn from those natural designs. So what other natural engineering solutions are waiting to be discovered? Hummingbird-inspired new high-tech flight techniques with aerospace application? Insect-inspired drug delivery methodologies within the pharmaceutical industry? Time will tell. s
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ADVANTAGE

EXCELLENCE IN ENGINEERING SIMULATION

GETTING CONNECTED WITH MEMS

DESIGNING FOR A COMPETITIVE EDGE

The Power of Structural Dynamics Simulation

John Krouse, Senior Editor and Industry Analyst

About the Cover

Faster, Higher, Stronger

No More Dropped Calls

Simulation-Based Innovation as a Competitive Advantage

Spotlight on Engineering Simulation for the

The Global Challenge

Blending Solar Panels with Roof Profiles

Coupling Analyses to Improve Nuclear Safety

Reformers Getting Results

Harnessing Natural Energy

Predicting Vibrations in High Power Burners

ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008

ANSYS Adds Leading Electronics Solutions to Its Portfolio

Electromagnetics Comes Through in the Clutch

Higher Returns on the Simulation Investment

Stretching Your Elastomer Understanding

Analyzing Random Vibration Fatigue

Extracting Solution-Dependent Regions in CFX-Post

45 OUTSIDE THE BOX

ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008

Citius, Altius, Fortius

Faster, Higher, Stronger

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Image courtesy British Cycling

British track cyclist (center) at the 2008 World Championships

2008 Beijing Olympic Results

ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008

FEATURE: FEATURE: SPORTS SPORTS

Angelo Cavalli/Getty Images

The National Stadium Birds Nest

Table Tennis Gymnasium

Cancan Cho/Getty Images

ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008

Image courtesy United Kingdom Sports Council

Image courtesy Speedo

Swimming The Speedo LZR RACER Swimsuit

Flatwater Kayaking The German National Team

Image courtesy FES

Pool photo iStockphoto.com/Purdue 9394

No More Dropped Calls

ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008

FEATURE: THOUGHT LEADER

Simulation-Based Innovation as a Competitive Advantage

FEATURE: THOUGHT LEADER

E+0 1.96 E+0 1.98

4.9 0E -1 4.9 4E 1 4.9 8E -1 5.0 2E -1 5.0 6E -1 5.1 0E -1

ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008

FEATURE: THOUGHT LEADER

ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008

CHEMICAL PROCESSING ENERGY: OVERVIEW

The Global Challenge

ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008

ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008

CHEMICAL PROCESSING ENERGY: OVERVIEW

Image iStockphoto.com/Magumi Terao

ANSYS Advantage Volume II, Issue 3, 2008

Image iStockphoto.com/Hans F. Meier