ADVANTAGE

TM

EXCELLENCE IN ENGINEERING SIMULATION

VOLUME II ISSUE 3 2008

GETTING CONNECTED
WITH MEMS
PAGE 8

ENERGY PREDICTING DESIGNING FOR A

SPOTLIGHT VIBRATIONS COMPETITIVE EDGE
PAGE 13 PAGE 24 PAGE 27
 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 deter-
mine 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
doesn’t jump around in the spin cycle, for example, or cal-
culating 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
issue’s articles. “Predicting Vibrations in High Power
Burners” describes how engineers shortened development
time by five months by determining an assembly’s 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 struc-
tural 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, time-
consuming 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 well-
engineered products designed with vibration, motion and
other real-world behavior in mind. ■
John Krouse, Senior Editor and Industry Analyst

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Executive Editor Art Director Ad Sales Manager Designer About the Cover
Chris Hardee Susan Wheeler Shane Moeykens Miller Creative Group EPCOS NL and Philips
Helen Renshaw Applied Technologies have
Managing Editor Editors Circulation Manager used simulation to develop
Chris Reeves Erik Ferguson Graphics Contributor Sharon Everts an RF-MEMS switch for
Fran Hensler Dan Hart improving cell phone signal
Senior Editor and Marty Mundy strength.
Industry Analyst Shane Moeykens Editorial Advisor
John Krouse Kelly Wall 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.
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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
4
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
Predictive analysis tools save time and money at Xerox and, more
8 important, enable top-line revenue growth and the competitive
advantage that comes from developing winning products.

Spotlight on Engineering Simulation for the

Energy Industries
13 The Global Challenge
As engineers and technologists rally to meet energy and
environmental demands, they turn to engineering simulation
13 to solve their most complex problems.

16 Blending Solar Panels with Roof Profiles

Simulation guides the design of innovative solar panel
frames, reducing molding time, material and cost.

18 Coupling Analyses to Improve

Nuclear Safety
Coupled thermal hydraulic and stress analysis of
a CANDU feeder pipe helps determine integrity.

20
20 Reformers Getting Results
Simulation pushes diesel-powered fuel cells
on their way to early markets.

22 Harnessing Natural Energy

Multiple simulation tools are used as a cost-effective
way to design reliable offshore wind turbines.

24 Predicting Vibrations in
High Power Burners
Engineering simulation reduces development time
for industrial burners by five months.
24

2 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 www.ansys.com

 CONTENTS

SIMULATION @ WORK
27 SPORTS ANSYS Adds Leading Electronics
Picking Up Speed
Speedbike designers use fluid simulation to gain Solutions to Its Portfolio
a competitive edge.
The recent acquisition of
30 AUTOMOTIVE
Ansoft Corporation by ANSYS,
Electromagnetics Comes Through Inc. augments the depth and
in the Clutch breadth of the ANSYS port-
BorgWarner engineers meet a tight deadline in optimizing
folio of engineering simulation
the design of a revolutionary variable-torque clutch for
solutions for electronics by
all-wheel-drive vehicles.
providing increased functionality,
32 PARTNERS usability and interoperability.
Higher Returns on the As a leading developer of high-
Simulation Investment performance electronic design
Optimizing Linux clusters for ANSYS Mechanical software automation software, Ansoft is
delivers fast turnaround on large problems. world-renowned for expertise in
electromagnetic, circuit and system simulation. This tech-
nology is highly complementary to leading-edge solutions from
DEPARTMENTS ANSYS in the areas of structural, fluids, thermal and electro-
34 ACADEMIC magnetic simulation.
Because electronics are now integral to many products
Driven to Simulation
A teenage student helps improve the aerodynamic design from automobiles to coffee makers to industrial equipment,
of F1 race cars using ANSYS software and Windows high true virtual prototyping must encompass all design aspects of
performance computing. those products. The fusion of ANSYS and Ansoft provides us
with a unique opportunity to address the convergence of
36 ANALYSIS TOOLS mechanical, fluids and electrical engineering that will take
Stretching Your Elastomer Understanding simulation to a new level — a level that will provide the true
Accurate nonlinear analysis leads to a better material selection multiphysics design solutions our customers need.
process that enables innovation and faster time to market. The next issue of ANSYS Advantage, to be distributed in
December, will feature articles that introduce readers to the
39 TIPS AND TRICKS
broad range of capabilities added by the Ansoft product port-
Analyzing Random Vibration Fatigue
folio, for the design of products such as cellular phones,
Powerful ANSYS Workbench tools help calculate the damage
Internet-access devices, communications systems, integrated
of vibrations that lack straightforward cyclic repetition.
circuits, broadband components, printed circuit boards, auto-
43 Extracting Solution-Dependent motive electronics systems and power electronics.
Regions in CFX-Post We are excited about the state-of-the-art technologies that
Identifying and quantifying regions of reverse flow Ansoft adds to the simulation software portfolio from ANSYS.
in the CFX-Post fluids post-processor. The integration of these two companies and our technologies
will enable ANSYS to better serve our customers throughout
45 OUTSIDE THE BOX
the world by accelerating the delivery of powerful and compre-
Bio-Inspiring Engineering
hensive, customer-driven engineering simulation solutions.
Scientists use nature to advance technology.

James E. Cashman III

President and Chief Executive Officer
ANSYS, Inc.

34

www.ansys.com ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 3

FEATURE: SPORTS
Citius, Altius, Fortius
Faster, Higher, Stronger
Engineering simulation in sports comes of age at the
2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
By Chris Hardee, Executive Editor, ANSYS Advantage
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 perform-
ance 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
4 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008
Donald Miralle/Getty Images
reach, is now also reaching into the
world of sports. High-profile examples
— such as the 2007 America’s Cup and
the 2007 Formula One racing season
— have conclusively demonstrated the
effectiveness of computer-aided engi-
neering 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
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 lim-
ited 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 fair-
ness 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 specta-
tors and the general public. It wouldn’t
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
www.ansys.com

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 simu-
lation-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 America’s Cup yacht
designs, which have benefited from a
significant investment in simulation
analysis, every detail of boat design,
from the hull to the most inconsequen-
tial fixture, can influence performance
and benefit from multiphysics analysis.
All of the cycling events, with victory
dependent on aerodynamic and struc-
tural 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 pro-
vide the winning edge in a photo finish.
www.ansys.com
FEATURE: SPORTS
Olympic venues are the physical
culmination of years of planning and
construction, often preceded by
prestigious architectural design compe-
titions. 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 architec-
tural envelope, simulation technology
has played a significant role by
validating that innovative designs, con-
struction 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 computer-
While simulation is likely to emerge aided engineering technologies. They
into the public spotlight in this year’s also watched sporting events on that
Olympic Games because of its impact stage in which the same technology
on the events themselves, its impact had been brought to bear. Faster,
and influence on the design of the Higher, Stronger — the Olympic motto
event venues — the stadia and sport- — could as easily be a description
ing centers — while no less significant, of the benefits of engineering simu-
will most likely remain out of the public lation. A paddle stroke, a flip turn, a
eye. The use of both mechanical and heartbeat and hundredths of a second
fluids analysis for the design of build- were the story in Beijing and often were
ings and the comfort and safety of the all that determined which athletes
spectators, press and athletes who use won a medal. It was interesting to
the buildings is a more traditional and watch how many simulation-enhanced
entrenched use of the technology. athletes stood on the podium.
2008 Beijing Olympic Results
Swimmers wearing Speedo’s 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.
ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 5
 FEATURE:
FEATURE: SPORTS
SPORTS
The National Stadium –
Bird’s Nest
The Beijing National Stadium, or Bird’s
Nest, is the main stadium for the Beijing
games and was designed by Swiss archi-
tects Herzog & de Meuron to incorporate
universal qualities of beauty and to be sen-
sitive to Chinese cultural traditions. This
venue hosted the opening and closing cer-
emonies as well as the track and field
Image © Sunmdm/dreamstime.com
events. The 332 meter long by 296 meter
wide elliptical structure has an unusual lat-
tice 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.
6 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008
VENUES
Table Tennis
Gymnasium
As one of the most popular sports in
China, table tennis warranted a worthy
venue. The gymnasium’s roof, incorpo-
rating a central transparent ball shape,
was designed in keeping with both tradi-
tional 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.
Cancan Cho/Getty Images
Angelo Cavalli/Getty Images
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 single-
layer reticulated shell structure that is
62 meters long by 46 meters wide.
Researchers at Beijing University of
STR/Getty Images
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 dis-
figurement ratio is approximately 1/250.
www.ansys.com
 Events FEATURE: SPORTS

Track Cycling – The British National Team

In competitive track cycling, aerodynamic drag is perhaps the most important adversary. Pedal-
ing 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 bicycle–rider 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 Sport’s 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 Image courtesy United Kingdom
Athens Games, in which they won four Sports Council

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.

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 sev-
eral universities — to create the world’s 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 swimmer’s 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 calcu-
lated 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 Develop-
ment 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
Pool photo © iStockphoto.com/Purdue 9394

hull and calculation of the boat’s 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 team’s entire fleet of flatwater racing kayaks
for the Beijing Games, as well as boats for the canoeing, rowing and sailing events. ■

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
www.ansys.com Image courtesy FES Hu and Angela Liu, ANSYS China (Pera Global Holdings,
ANSYS Inc.).
Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 7
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 prob-
lems 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 phone’s antenna and
power amplifier, causing signals to be
partially reflected back into the ampli-
fier rather than transmitted into
the surrounding open space. Such
impedance mismatches usually are
caused by the presence of objects
adjacent to the antenna — the caller’s
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 prob-
lem is an adaptive antenna-matching
module that senses the mismatch and
automatically changes the phone’s
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-micro-
electromechanical systems) switches,
made with semiconductor manufac-
turing techniques and materials. The
compact size, sensitivity and speed of
MEMS devices are being leveraged in
an expanding range of applications
including automotive manifold pres-
sure sensors, ink-jet printer nozzles,
pacemakers and industrial equipment
systems.
This particular module is under
development at component manufac-
turer EPCOS NL, which recently
announced the acquisition of the
RF-MEMS activities from NXP Semi-
conductors. At specific points in the
development, Philips Applied Tech-
nologies — 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 antenna-
matching application because of
their linearity and accuracy, and the
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)
large on–off capacitance ratio (1:20)
needed to change impedance levels to
an optimal value for better signal trans-
mission. One of the major challenges in
developing the device is ensuring that
the switch actuates in 50 microseconds
or less — fast enough to shift imped-
ance before a call is disconnected.
With conventional electromech-
anical 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 devel-
opment. Simulation is especially helpful
in predicting the complex MEMS per-
formance, 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 three-
micron 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 inter-
related effects:
• Electrostatic force of a transducer
that actuates the opening and
closing of the switch when an
electrical voltage is applied

8 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 www.ansys.com

 FEATURE: ELECTRONICS

• Mechanical configuration of com- between the switch’s elec-

ponents, including the residual trode plates, especially in the
gap between electrode plates critical “almost closed”
that determines the capacitance state. Nonlinear gap ele-
of the closed switch ments were used to capture
• Fluid behavior of the inert gas in the mechanical action of the
the hermetically sealed module switch, including contact of
as it is squeezed from the gap the electrode plates at
between the electrode plates as complete closure. Similarly,
the switch closes electrostatic transducer ele-
ments provided high-fidelity Acc.V Spot Magn Det WD Exp 100µm
200 kV 2.0 200x SE 7.5 1 DIE16_JS70_C_5x5_right
Software from ANSYS accounted simulation throughout. A new
Finite element model showing pressure (left quadrant) and displacement
for all three of these interrelated nonlinear transient squeeze- (right quadrant) overlaid on scanning electron microscope image of an
effects using the same directly- film formulation capability RF-MEMS switch measuring 250 microns wide
coupled multiphysics model, thus of the FLUID136 element 15
1 bar FE simulation
avoiding the delays and potential was used to accurately 1 bar measurement
inaccuracies of exchanging results represent the air gap and

Capacitance (pF)
0.4 bar FE simulation
0.4 bar measurement
between different models. fluid damping effects in 10
Parametric capabilities of the the switch. EPCOS and
software were especially helpful in Philips Applied Technolo-
modifying the configuration of the gies assisted in validation 5
switch by merely changing a few of this element for use in
key parameters rather than rebuilding larger pressure regimes.
the model from scratch. In particular, Taking into account fluid, 0
scripting features of the ANSYS electrostatic and mechanical 0.0+00 5.0E-05 1.0E-04 1.5E-04 2.0E-04 2.5E-4 3.0E-04

Parametric Design Language (APDL) effects in a single model, Time (s)

enabled the engineering team to
implement an algorithm for readily
determining the capacitance–voltage
(CV) curve, including nonlinear snap-
back 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
ANSYS Multiphysics tech- Simulation results of opening and closing transients at two ambient
pressures 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, provid- As a result of these capabilities of
ing fast turnaround for rapidly changing ANSYS Multiphysics software, an opti-
cell 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 EPCOS’s position in the competitive
studying other aspects of module telecommunications market with an
design, including thermal–mechanical innovative product that meets a signifi-
simulation to predict material creep and cant consumer demand. ■

edge
Capacitance (pF)

mid

Gap (µm)

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
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 manage-
ment. In the face of fierce global
Korhan Sevenler
competition, Xerox provides the indus-
try’s 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 thou-
sands of dollars and weeks of time.
More profoundly, simulation enables
top-line revenue growth and the com-
petitive advantage that comes from
developing innovative, winning new
products.
Design for Lean Six Sigma
One of the latest and most far-
reaching 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
the company’s Lean Six Sigma in
manufacturing 18 months earlier. At the
heart of DFLSS is the capability to per-
form 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 company’s engineering ranks and
increasing overall efficiency of engi-
neering operations.
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
www.ansys.com
 FEATURE: THOUGHT LEADER

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 tech-
nology 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,
Structural analysis of numerous costs in line and maintaining quality
interconnected parts and assemblies and reliability. The machine is now
was of critical value during the design regarded as one of the company’s
of the iGen3. By shifting engineering premier flagship products and a major
efforts up front as much as possible, source of revenue.
engineers could more readily study
product performance, spot potential Overcoming Organizational Obstacles
problems, evaluate alternatives and In many respects, implementing
refine the design to avoid problems the tools and technologies for simula-
later. Using engineering analysis and tion-based product development is
DFLSS methods, Xerox brought the easier than overcoming organizational
iGen3 to market on time while keeping obstacles across a large, distributed
enterprise. One of the chal-
lenges is in securing funding
2.41E-3 and time in the development
cycle for up-front simulation.
2.41E-3 Traditionally, engineering
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.
2.40E-3 In contrast, the simu-
lation-based design process
1.96
-1

1.98
0E

E+0

which resulted in greater than focuses on spending more

4.9

-
4E

1.99
-1

E+0
4.9

8E

2.01

400 patents on a product that time early in the cycle

-1

E+0
4.9

2E

2.02
-1

E+0

was the most complex system to analyze and refine

5.0

6E

2.04
-1

E+0
5.0

0E

ever developed by Xerox and designs, thus saving time

E+0
5.1

that pushed the limits of speed ANSYS DesignXplorer study of a deformation of a

and expense downstream
and performance. polygon mirror used in a complex digital printer through reduced reliance on

www.ansys.com ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 11

FEATURE: THOUGHT LEADER

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 last-
minute 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 gen-
erally have only limited opportunities to
exchange ideas and share their knowl-
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 what-
if 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 Edison’s lab in
New Jersey, United States. Considered
one of the most prolific inventors in
history, Edison didn’t 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 effi-
ciently to see what works and what
doesn’t. 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. ■
© Xerox Corporation

edge. 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 net-
working and information exchange.
The company also hosts monthly
“Lunch and Learn” sessions, in which
engineers meet to hear about and dis-
cuss the latest simulation approaches
and methods.

Driving Innovation with Simulation-Based

Processes
One of the greatest values of Com- Particle trajectories in a printer emissions control subsystem were simulated
munities of Practice for Xerox is that by Xerox engineers with ANSYS fluid analysis software.

12 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 www.ansys.com

 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 com-
bination 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 collec-
tive challenge is to utilize technology to
answer the call to find high-yielding bio-
mass, deliver affordable oil and gas,
develop clean coal, harness the sun’s
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

www.ansys.com ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 13

ENERGY: OVERVIEW

applications ranging from energy

production and processing to con-
servation and end use. The broad
acceptance of technology from ANSYS
is, in part, due to the company’s
unwavering focus on the energy indus-
try 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 equip-
ment, including hydroturbine and
power system design. To meet
nuclear regulatory concerns, ANSYS
follows NQA-1 quality classification
for its ANSYS structural mechanics
Engineering simulations are used to study micro-cracks and fatigue to evaluate turbine performance
software. Products in the offshore suite
at higher pressure and temperatures.
are used for oil, gas and wind turbine Courtesy Siemens Power Generation

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
simulations. In addition, there is a need
for engineering software that models
as much of the overall system as
possible. ANSYS provides true multi-
physics 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.

14 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 www.ansys.com

 CHEMICAL PROCESSING
ENERGY: OVERVIEW

engineer’s desktop, across the

work group or for enterprise deploy-
ment — based on an organization’s
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, espe-
cially recently, energy projects and
product design applications are
Image © iStockphoto.com/Magumi Terao
restricted by demanding time
schedules. Engineers must get reliable
answers from their engineering simu-
lation activities in a reasonable
time-to-solution. Features in ANSYS ANSYS products on these machines, This industry spotlight highlights
technology, such as two-way CAD are proving to be valuable in simulating customer successes and details a
associativity and an intuitive workflow real-world problems in the energy few examples in which many of the
environment that reduces the time industry. Continual HPC improvement ANSYS solutions are used in
needed to set up problems, lead to means that simulations with large engineering simulation related to
efficiency. Organizations also are look- computational cells are being modeled the energy industry. The selected
ing to reduce the engineering hours routinely, benefiting from near-linear articles capture the benefits cus-
needed to run complex engineering scalability of ANSYS software tools in tomers have reaped in transforming
simulations. Advances in high- parallel processing simulations. leading-edge design concepts into
performance computing (HPC), along There has never been a greater reality in nuclear, fuel cell, solar
with the exceptional performance of need for engineering simulation to help power, wind turbine, and equipment
conserve energy, to bring a plant online retrofit and design applications. ■
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 Image © iStockphoto.com/Hans F. Meier
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,
engineers use simulation tools from ANSYS to evaluate
equipment, looking to improve through-
retrofit options, optimize combustion and heat transfer, put and reliability, avoid unacceptable
capture pollutants, design pipelines and sub sea equip-
interruptions, 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.
Geometry courtesy Technip U.S.A. unique position to help power the world.

www.ansys.com ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 15

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 photo- the cost-effectiveness and perform-
voltaic (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 Open Energy solar panels being installed reducing the number of electrical
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 400-
walked on, simplifying installation for roofing contractors and pound load concentrated in a three-inch-diameter area,
solar integrators. representing a concentrated heel-load of an installer on the

16 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 www.ansys.com


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 allow-
able 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 frame’s 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
www.ansys.com
ENERGY: SOLAR
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 approxi-
mately 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 mechan-
ical 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. ■
ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 17
ENERGY: NUCLEAR
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 imple-
ments nuclear safety programs, such
as safety reviews and inspections,
development of regulatory standards
and monitoring of environmental radia-
tion 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)
18 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008
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 inter-
action (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 multi-
physics 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 pressur-
ized heavy water reactor. The research
team then used the results of this simu-
lation 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
Image ©iStockphoto.com/Hans F. Meier
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 maxi-
mum 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 investi-
gators set the initial conditions to be
400
- Heat-up / Cool-down -
- -
- -
- -
300 – –
Temperature (˚C)
- -
- -
- -
- -
200 – –
- -
- -
- -
- -
100 – –
- -
- -
- -
- -
–
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
Time (sec)
Transient thermal data representing a typical
heat-up and cool-down cycle of the pipe model
www.ansys.com

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 simula-
tions included the variations of material
properties with temperature of both the
heavy water and the pipe.
KINS engineers then used the ther-
mal 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
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
www.ansys.com
ENERGY: NUCLEAR
the inner surface during cool-down. As
was seen with the pressure-based Simplifying the FSI Process
stresses, maximum thermal stresses with ANSYS Workbench
occurred in the intrados of the bend.
When integrating structural and fluids
The greatest thermal stresses
analyses, the intuitive interface of the
found during cool-down, combined
ANSYS Workbench platform enables designers
with the pressure-driven stresses, were
and analysts to account for one-way or
used to determine the maximum equiv-
two-way fluid-structure interaction (FSI).
alent stresses, which were quantified to
For example, if an ANSYS mechanical sim-
be approximately 19 MPa. The fatigue
ulation requires the results from an ANSYS CFX
curve for carbon steel [1] indicated a
simulation in the specification of a load, users
life of more than 106 cycles under this
only need to select the relevant surfaces and
stress — much greater than what the
the ANSYS CFX results file that contains the
feeder pipe is expected to see in oper-
desired load. The ANSYS Workbench environ-
ation. Therefore, the KINS researchers
ment takes care of the rest, including
were able to conclude that the
management of files, extraction of data, inter-
cumulative usage factor is almost
polation between meshes and application of
infinite, and thermal fatigue of the pipe
boundary loads.
due to heat-up and cool-down over the
User setup for two-way FSI only requires
time considered is negligible for this
selection of the surfaces at which information
operating scenario.
such as temperatures or pressures are
Software from ANSYS allowed
exchanged. The CFD and FEA solvers then run
the KINS team to successfully perform
concurrently with robust implicit coupling on
a coupled thermal hydraulic-stress
one or more machines connected by LAN, WAN
analysis of the CANDU feeder pipe
or even Internet. Load transfer between the two
to verify integrity estimates. By per-
uses an advanced algorithm that is both
forming a unified simulation, the
profile-preserving and conservative. There is no
combined effects of the interrelated
need for third-party software — all the data
physical phenomena could be investi-
exchange is handled automatically and inter-
gated efficiently, reducing both the time
nally, using built-in socket-based inter-process
and the cost of independent simu-
communication (IPC).
lations. At the same time, this approach
There is no compromise in capability as
provided a more realistic picture of the
the ANSYS FSI solution uses the full power and
behavior of these components under
features of ANSYS CFX and ANSYS mechanical
the given operating conditions. ■
products.
References
[1] ASME, ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel – John Stokes, Product Manager
Code, Section III, Appendix I, The American ANSYS, Inc.
Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2004.
ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 19
ENERGY: FUEL CELLS
Reformers
Getting Results
Simulation pushes diesel-powered fuel cells
on their way to early markets.
By Zdenĕk Por š and Ralf Peters, Institute of Energy Research – Fuel Cells,
Forschungzentrum Jülich 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 hydro-
gen, 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 refor-
mate 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,
20 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008
also known as
coking. These
effects progres-
sively 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 air–fuel and steam–fuel 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
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.
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) Jülich in
Germany, researchers have been
developing diesel fuel processing units
for PEM fuel cells, including ATRs,
since 1998. They have used compu-
tational fluid dynamics (CFD) as a
tool for design optimization since
2003. From a modeling standpoint,
of special interest to FZ Jülich
researchers was the mixing of diesel,
www.ansys.com
 ENERGY: FUEL CELLS

air and water at the reformer inlet, along in the chamber size. The basic concept
with the temperature and concentration of the ATR-7 was then further improved
distribution to individual sections of the in the next-generation ATR-8, which
ceramic honeycomb structure that enabled fuel distillation residue separa-
contains the catalyst. The research tion from the reactant gas stream
group found this task too complex before entering the catalyst zone.
to be solved by “trial and error” design This development confirmed for FZ
improvements alone and chose Jülich researchers that FLUENT
FLUENT fluid flow simulation software software was an important tool for
from ANSYS to analyze the flow in optimizing mixing processes in reactors
the reformer mixing chamber. and balance-of-plant devices such
To simulate the flow regime, the as heat exchangers. Worldwide, the
researchers used the k-ε turbulence ATR-7 and ATR-8 are the only known
model, since its accuracy was sufficient Glass prototype of a 50 kWe ATR reformers tested with commercial
for the purpose. Based on the type of diesel without measurable catalyst
nozzle in the reformer, they chose to The CFD model of ATR-5 found unfa- deactivation. The next development
use the pressure swirl atomizer model, vorable flow profiles near the fuel step is to scale the design up from
one of the FLUENT software’s discrete nozzle (for example, dead flow zones) 5 kWe to 50 kWe. Analysis of the larger
phase models, to study the fuel and poor heat exchange from hot mixing chamber concept shows a more
injection and atomization process. gases to fuel droplets. In a new con- complex flow field design. In the larger
With respect to the complex physical cept, the ATR-7, the energy of the design, the incorporation of curved
phenomena of the atomization and superheated steam was used to force blades in the air feeding area serves
evaporation processes, they chose evaporation of the fuel while air was to intensify mixing and provides a
the pure hydrocarbon n-tetradecane then added to the mixture downstream homogeneous flow profile behind the
(C14H30) as the model fuel for diesel. of the evaporation zone. A special air mixing zone. A glass model of this
The analysis helped to identify design of the mixing chamber’s evapo- design has been fabricated for the
weak areas in the existing design and rator section guaranteed intensive purpose of flow experiments and is
to optimize a new design. In the 5 kWe mixing of the fuel spray and hot gases, scheduled to be fully tested by 2010.
power class, the previous state-of-the- thus completely evaporating the fuel With such reformers leading the way,
art autothermal reformer type 5 (ATR-5) and preventing coking. Improvements cooperation between researchers and
did not prove feasible because even in the steam and air inlet designs led to industry could make it possible to
though the mixture homogeneity stronger turbulence effects in the mix- introduce the first diesel- or kerosene-
was sufficient, the design could not ing chamber, which made for a better powered fuel cells to the market
guarantee complete fuel evaporation. mixture quality and an overall reduction by 2015. ■

45

40
H2 conc. in the dry reformate [vol.%]

35

30 ATR-5 ATR-7
non-optimized CFD optimized
25

20

15

10

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
Time on stream [h]

Comparison of hydrogen concentration during autothermal reforming A 50 kWe ATR design incorporates curved blades in the air feeding area, which
of ARAL Ultimate diesel for the ATR-5 (non-optimized) and ATR-7 result in more agitated mixing and provide a homogeneous flow profile behind the
(CFD optimized) designs air mixing zone, as seen by the pathlines depicted here.

www.ansys.com ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 21

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
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 engi-
neering 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 engi-
neers, manufacturers and operators because storms, rough
seas and saltwater subject the entire turbine and its associ-
ated 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 certifi-
cation, 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
Model
Rotor Nacelle Assembly
Controller
Rotor Drive Train
Tower
Substructure
Foundation
Support Structure
Structure of an offshore wind turbine and loads that must be considered for simulation
22 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008
Image courtesy REPower
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
Turbulent Wind Fields OWT. Extensive knowledge of all the load
(Aerodynamics)
sources and their interactions can help
improve the reliability of OWTs and is
vital for cost-effective operation of offshore
wind farms.
Before analyzing a turbine’s reaction to
wave loading, the CWMT engineering team
needed to develop a finite element model
of the entire structure. Researchers used
Waves and Currents
ANSYS Mechanical software to develop
(Hydrodynamics)
and define the support structure as a
parameterized beam model. Using the
Soil–Pile Interaction
ANSYS-to-ASAS translator, they trans-
ferred the model to ANSYS ASAS software.
Within the ANSYS ASAS Offshore
analysis tool, the engineering group used
www.ansys.com

Support structure as a beam model in ANSYS Mechanical
(left) and in ADCoS software (right)
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 Morison’s 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 sim-
ulation 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 sim-
ulation 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 aero-
hydro-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 com-
ANSYS Solutions
Structural Simulation
• Definition of parameterized
support structure
Support structure
• Optimization of the structure
model transferred to
Model used for ANSYS ADCoS using a macro
ASAS simulation
Offshore Simulation
• Calculation of loads from Nodal loads
transferred as time
waves and currents on
support structure series in text file
• Calculation of stiffness
matrices for pile elements Stiffness matrices
for pile elements
transferred as text files
Simulation process and data handling
www.ansys.com
ENERGY: WIND
Wave loads as simulated by ANSYS ASAS software
putation of soil–pile 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 Agency’s 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 suite’s 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. ■
References
[1] Jonkman, J., Butterfield, S., Musial, W. and Scott, G., “Definition of a
5-MW Reference Wind Turbine for Offshore System Development,”
ADCoS Software NREL/TP-500-38060, Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy
Aeroelastic Simulation Laboratory, February 2007.
[2] Kleinhansl, S., Mayer, M. and Mangold, A. “ADCoS — A Nonlinear
• Parameterized model
Aeroelastic Code for the Complete Dynamic Simulation of Offshore-
Structures 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
• Deterministic and 2007proceedings.info/allfiles2/272_Eow2007fullpaper.pdf (11.06.08).
stochastic wind loads
[4] Nichols, J., Camp, T., Jonkman, J., Butterfield, S., Larsen, T., Hansen,
• Loads from waves and A.M., Azcona, J., Martinez, A., Munduate, X. and Vorpahl, F., “Offshore
irregular sea states Code Comparison Collaboration within IEA Wind Annex XXIII: Phase III
• Soil characteristics Results Regarding Tripod Support Structure Modeling” (to be published).
[5] http://www.cwmt.fraunhofer.de
[6] http://www.aero-dynamik.de
ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 23
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
Displacement at the first natural vibrational mode for the original Riello burner configuration
Industrial gas and oil burners are used for steam produc-
tion 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
24 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008
properties, including natural modes of vibration and
dependence on the geometry and the materials used in
the system’s 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:
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 Young’s modulus and Poisson’s 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
www.ansys.com
 ENERGY: BURNERS

Electric Motor

flow — must be considered very carefully so that

the boiler’s 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 burner’s mechanical vibrations,
the engineering team considered and improved
a mathematical model in which the flame’s
perturbation and boiler’s geometry were combined
into a unique Fourier series with frequencies
expressed by:

Sleeve Duct Impeller Volute

The geometry of a burner assembly: Air is taken in through the impeller and directed into the sleeve
where c was the speed of sound in the tube’s local duct, which houses a combustion head (which initiates the flame).
environment (400 m/s), L the tube’s 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 Impeller four-nodal diameter mode associated Equivalent stress for impeller four-nodal
coefficients to improve the accuracy of the simu- with its first natural frequency; this value, 141 diameter mode at 141 hertz; at the edge of
hertz, is close to other vibrational frequencies the hub’s central bearing surface, the local
lation. The simulation results were confirmed of the global system. stress values are high and can be close to
by the data obtained from experiments for both 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 structure’s response is calculated at
several frequencies and a graph of a response quantity (usually displace-
ments) 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 tech-
niques 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 compu-
tational 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.

www.ansys.com ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 25

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 opera-
tion. 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. ■

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)
References
[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. 43–44.
[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. 823–833.

26 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 www.ansys.com

 Speedbike designed in a cooperative effort between VRT-Speedbike e.V., SPORTS
ANSYS Germany GmbH, and Adam Opel GmbH

Picking Up
Speed
Speedbike designers use fluid simulation to gain a competitive edge.
By Ralf Siber and Frank Werner, Adam Opel GmbH, Rüsselsheim, 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 develop-
ment 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 Dyck-
hoff) 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 develop-
ment 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 Speed-
hawk 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-ε turbulence
model because it offers a good compromise between

www.ansys.com ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 27

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 construc-
vehicle, 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.
outer hull was regarded as being hydraulically smooth. The team designed the ventilation to occur passively,
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
designed using aero spokes. both the flow resistance of the interior and the flow change
For the correct computation of the complete model, the resulting from the addition of a passive ventilation system in
engineering team had to compute the the front were accounted for simultaneously.
external and internal flow in combination. In simulating the entire interior and exterior
This included simulation of the bow areas, of the Speedhawk together, the team
the underbody and the rear of the vehicle. intended to significantly improve
Researchers optimized the bow and performance when compared to
underbody profiles to minimize air con- their 2004 demonstration. The
gestion between the lower leading edge of corrections made to the design
the craft and the ground. The length of the have resulted in a 10 percent
tail was driven by the necessity to create a improvement in drag perform-
gentle transition from the broadest part of ance so far, as well as much
the hull to the tail and to offer balanced more significant driver comfort,
control behavior in cross-wind conditions. boding well for the future
In addition, the team simulated various wind performance of the vehicle.
conditions to mimic real driving conditions. The molds for lamination will
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. ■

28 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 www.ansys.com

 CHEMICAL PROCESSING

www.ansys.com ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 29

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 re-engineering and optimizing the manufacturing processes, operational
have evolved dramatically, becoming device’s electromagnetic solenoid environments and other design
increasingly popular in an expanding actuator, assuring reliability and proper variables. This minimized hardware pro-
range of vehicles. The technology function for a wide range of operating totype testing and enabled BorgWarner
began several years ago with relatively environments. In parallel, engineers to subsequently land the contract and
simple devices that would positively had to provide guidance for the design, quickly launch a new robust product
engage and disengage a vehicle’s sec- tooling and validation of the manu- with market-leading performance.
ondary axle with the main transmission facturing processes. NexTrac communicates with the
and driveline. Systems are now more Using electromagnetic capabili- vehicle’s electrical bus and is modulated
complex, with sophisticated controllers ties in ANSYS Multiphysics software, by a BorgWarner-supplied electronic
that continuously monitor vehicle condi- engineers were able to achieve these control unit (ECU) containing propri-
tions and actively adjust driveline torque goals, quickly evaluating design alter- etary control algorithms. According to
balance to enhance vehicle stability and natives, optimizing device operation the level of electrical current provided,
handling. These systems are also through simulation, and studying the an electromagnetic solenoid actuator
integrated seamlessly with the operation impact of different material properties, compresses clutch plates. This action
of the engine, transmission, anti-lock
brakes and a myriad of other vehicle Electromagnetic Solenoid
powertrain and safety subsystems.
Armature Stator
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 all-
wheel-drive passenger cars, crossover
vehicles, sport-utility vehicles and light
Clutch Plates
trucks. The company recently devel-
oped the electromagnetically actuated
NexTrac™ active all-wheel-drive
system, which provides a slipping con-
nection with varying levels of torque
transmission between the front-wheel-
drive transmission and rear axle.
BorgWarner TTS engineers initially Electronic Control Unit
attracted customer interest in NexTrac
with concept-level hardware. The
challenge then was to provide a set of 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
production prototypes for a customer required torque to the rear axle. The stator (containing the coil winding) is bolted inside an aluminum casting
vehicle in three months. This required fixed to the vehicle’s rear axle.

30 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 www.ansys.com


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 device’s 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. Funda-
mentally, 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 manufac-
turer. It must also reach its
maximum force within a mini-
mum 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 vari-
ations. 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 tech-
nology 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 electro-
magnetic performance, identify key
design deficiencies and guide develop-
ment 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 inte-
grated into the design permutation.
www.ansys.com
Front-Wheel-Drive
Front Axle
Transmission
Driveshaft
NexTrac Variable-
Rear Axle Torque Clutch
NexTrac active all-wheel-drive system provides a slipping
connection with varying levels of torque transmission
between the vehicle’s 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 manu-
facturing conditions. In addition, key
dimensions — known for problems or
difficulty in manufacturing — were
permuted to study their effect on sys-
tem performance before prototypes
were produced.
The flexibility of the material
property specification process
proved to be very helpful
throughout the project.
Like many simulation prob-
lems, accurately representing
nonlinear material behavior is
vitally important to producing
relevant results. This is particu-
larly true in the estimation of force
developed in electromagnetic
ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008
AUTOMOTIVE
structures. Software from ANSYS
enabled BorgWarner TTS to move
forward quickly by including B-H
nonlinear material property data
into analysis models and com-
paring 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 design’s
response in the time domain.
Through the design permutation
process, BorgWarner engineers eval-
uated 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 prod-
ucts controlled in real time.
Through successful analysis and
the ability to provide design direc-
tion 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. ■
BorgWarner engineers used
electromagnetic capabilities in
ANSYS Multiphysics software
in calculating the magnetic flux
density of the armature.
31
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 deploy-
ment, 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
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 config-
urations. 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
series of benchmark tests was performed by Penguin
Runtime (sec)

2000
Computing and run on an Intel®‚ Cluster Ready certified
1500 8GB
cluster using Penguin Computing’s Relion® 1600 series 16GB
1000
servers, equipped with two dual-core Intel Xeon® 5160 32GB
500
CPUs. Scyld ClusterWare™ 4.20, a cluster management
0
solution from Penguin Computing, was installed on the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

cluster [1]. Scyld ClusterWare is designed to make the Benchmark Number

management of a Linux cluster as easy as the management Figure 1. In-core vs. out-of-core performance comparison
of a single desktop system and is fully compatible with
Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®. With ClusterWare’s lightweight
3000
provisioning, compute nodes boot over the network from a
2500
master node into local memory. Avoiding a local operating
Runtime (sec)

2000
SATA
system (OS) installation on every compute node guarantees 1500
1000 SAS
configuration consistency, allows for easy node replacement 500
and ensures cluster scalability. ClusterWare also provides a 0
Single, Dual and Quad Disk Configuration
unified process space: All processes running in the cluster
can be directly controlled from the master node. Figure 2. Relative performance of SATA vs. SAS disks

32 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 www.ansys.com

 PARTNERS

fabrics. Marginal performance improvement is noted for the

How to Obtain Optimal Performance?
Many users of ANSYS Mechanical software want to get the
very best performance out of their software and hardware combi-
nation. 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 sys-
tems. 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 through-
out 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 con-
figurations 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
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 max-
imizes the amount of memory available for each process.
The presented benchmark results are useful for deter-
mining 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 individ-
ual 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 round-
robin allocation of cores on nodes that are dedicated
exclusively to running one high-priority job at a time. ■
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
different disk configurations. Serial attached SCSI (SAS) disk
Runtime (sec)

Ethernet
800
configurations performed up to 18 percent better than serial Infiniband
600
advanced technology attachment (SATA) configurations.
400
SAS drives spin considerably faster than SATA drives —
200
15,500 RPM vs. 7,200 RPM — but their better I/O perform-
0
ance is partially offset by their higher cost and smaller 1 2 4 8 16

capacities. Moving from a single disk configuration to a two- Number of Processes

disk redundant array of independent drives (RAID0) Figure 3. Distributed solver scalability
configuration yielded performance gains of 10 percent
1200
for SAS disks and 18 percent for SATA disks, indicating a
significant advantage for the parallel I/O provided by the 1000
Sequential
RAID0 configuration. 800
Round-Robin

Distributed ANSYS Mechanical technology spreads the

Runtime (sec)

600
computational workload of a single solver run across multi-
ple systems. For benchmarking solver scalability, distributed 400

benchmark BMD-4 was chosen. Each node in the cluster

200
was configured with 8GB of RAM and used a RAID0 disk
configuration consisting of four SAS drives. 0
1 2 4 8 16
Figure 3 illustrates the scalability of the BMD-4 bench- Number of Processes

mark. The job scales well on Ethernet and Infiniband® Figure 4. Performance comparison of round-robin vs. sequential core allocation

www.ansys.com ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 33

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 often take place during pit stops, which have become part
road racing in France in the 1890s has evolved into a pro- of the race strategy.
fessional sport attracting millions of followers around the A reason for the the decreasing number of passing
globe. Grand Prix racing now takes place in Europe, the maneuvers can be found in safety regulations imposed by
Asian Pacific rim, the Middle East, South America and the the governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Auto-
United States, with one of the most successful series being mobile (FIA), and the resulting changes to the aerodynamics
Formula One (F1). The passion associated with F1 racing of modern F1 race car designs. In the 1980s, road grip was
has grown beyond the teams, drivers and technicians who derived primarily from wide tires. With a shift to
are personally involved with the sport. Broadcast to coun- narrower tires, aerodynamic grip — which depends
tries worldwide, each of the 17 races in the 2007 season on several factors including the intensity of air
was watched by an average of 597 million viewers. turbulence — has become a much more
Milad Mafi, a teenage student in Germany, has followed important factor than the mech-
Formula One racing since childhood, and is much more anical grip provided by the
than a regular fan. Although only 16 years old, he is already tires. The external aero-
skilled at optimizing the aerodynamic design of F1 race cars dynamics of modern
with the aid of high performance computing (HPC) on the Formula One
Windows® platform. cars produce
a downward
Aerodynamic Computations force of
Milad started watching Formula One TV broad-
casts 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. Pressure contours on the surface
In modern F1 racing, changes in position most of a classic 1980s F1 race car

34 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 www.ansys.com


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.
Microsoft’s 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
An optimized F1 race car design
based on Milad’s research
www.ansys.com
ACADEMIC
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 simula-
tion 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 cost-
intensive and time-consuming physical tests.
Milad had the discipline to first investigate the compo-
nents 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 aero-
dynamic design of modern F1 racing cars and yield better
passing capabilities.
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 Milad’s research and the resulting design optimiza-
tions 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 sur-
prising 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 Milad’s observations. ■
ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 35
ANALYSIS TOOLS
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
3-D analysis of an O-ring elastomer seal employed in a valve cavity
36 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008
Image © iStockphoto.com/James Pauls
Elastomers, or rubbers, are a category of engineering materi-
als 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 stress–strain
relationship
• Nearly or fully incompressible — can undergo very
little volumetric change under stress or cannot be
compressed significantly under load
• 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
www.ansys.com
 ANALYSIS TOOLS

result, as newer elastomeric

Hyperelastic
materials are made available, a compression
Neo-Hookean continuous learning process unloading 1
unloading 2
Mooney-Rivlin is necessary.
unloading 3
Polynomial Simulation can help aug- unloading 4
ment the understanding of an unloading 5
Ogden
elastomer’s performance by
Arruda-Boyce providing deep insight that
Gent may not be available through
physical testing. With software
Yeoh
tools, it is possible to study
Ogden (Foam) many prototypes rapidly, accel-
Blatz-Ko erating the understanding of the
Anisotropic material. In this way, engineers
Pressure vs. deflection loading curve for a typical gasket material
are provided with a means to
User make better material choices
Material models available with and develop a more effective
ANSYS mechanical tools
selection process.

Simulation
With any finite element analysis, the accuracy of
the material properties used is critical. However,
because of the highly nonlinear and nearly incom-
pressible 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
1.81
lab to extract their stress–strain behavior. The goal is
to acquire the stress–strain curves of the material in
the desired operating state and then find the matching 1.5

material model to mimic that behavior. It is highly rec-

ommended that more than one set of test data — such 1.25

as uniaxial tension, biaxial tension and shear test data

— be used to identify the correct model for the material.
Stress MPa

1.

0.75
ANSYS Mechanical Technology
Uniax Exp
To fully rely upon a simulation tool for the material Biax Exp
0.5
selection process, the software needs to be accurate and Shear Exp
Uniax Fit
have an established record of excellent correlation with Biax Fit
0.25
experimental results. The mechanical suite of software Shear Fit

from ANSYS has repeatedly proven to have all of the nec-

0.
essary features to perform quick and accurate simulations
0. 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.679
of elastomeric components.
Strain mm/mm
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 Screenshot of curve fitting setup (top) and samples of uniaxial,
elastomers. To further enhance accuracy of simulations — biaxial and shear fitted data using the Yeoh 3rd order curve
fitting model available in the Engineering Data tool in the
such as predicting the damping behavior of elastomers ANSYS Workbench platform (bottom)
— the hyperelastic material models can be freely
combined with any of the viscoelastic material models.

www.ansys.com ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 37

ANALYSIS TOOLS
To aid in identifying the right material model for
stress–strain 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 stress–strain data of the mate-
rial 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.
Cook Compression: World’s 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 thermo-
plastics 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 reciprocat-
ing 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 environ-
ments in which differential
pressures exist is challeng-
ing. To make things more
complex, these valves also Cook Compression manufactures complete
compressor valve assemblies such as this one.
operate at differential pres-
sures 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
“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.”
38 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008
Additionally, it is critical for simulation to account for
contact between elastomeric components. Often the com-
ponents contact themselves as well as adjacent surfaces
that are made of materials other than rubber. The robust,
automatic, surface–surface contact capability with mechan-
ical software from ANSYS accounts for this nonlinearity. This
capability is not only robust, but is automatic, quick and
straightforward to use. ■
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 operat-
ing 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
compressor valve
families can be elimi-
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 world’s only compressor valves with elas-
tomeric 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.
Kevin Durham, Director of Valve Engineering
Cook Compression
www.ansys.com
 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, sinu-

soidal vibration is a fairly straightforward process in which
damage content is calculated by multiplying the stress 0.2
amplitude of each cycle from harmonic analysis with the
Amplitude

0.1

number of cycles that the parts experience in the field. The 0

-0.1
computation is relatively simple because the absolute value
-0.2
of the vibration is highly predictable at any point in time. 24
Vibrations may be random in nature in a wide range of 6
applications, however, such as vehicles traveling on rough 5
12
roads or industrial equipment operating in the field where Day
4
Time
arbitrary loads may be encountered. In these cases, instan- 3
2
taneous vibration amplitudes are not highly predictable as
0 1
the amplitude at any point in time is not related to that at
Figure 1. Random vibrations measured for vehicle on a rough road showing perio-
any other point in time. As shown in Figure 1, the lack of dicity for single, dual and quad disk configuration
periodicity is apparent with random vibrations.
The complex nature of random vibrations is demon-
strated with a Fourier analysis of the random time–history
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
Amplitude

Time
0
damage of random vibrations.

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
Amplitude

vibration can be characterized using a mean, the standard 0

Time

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 time–history data for Figure 2. Random time–history can be represented as a series of overlapping
many different vibration profiles. sinusoidal curves.

www.ansys.com ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 39

TIPS AND TRICKS

An important aspect of such a statistical representa- 3 3

tion is that most random processes follow a Gaussian 2 2

probability distribution. This distribution can be seen in a 1 1

Acceleration (g)
Acceleration (g)
frequency-of-occurrence histogram (sometimes referred 0 0
to as probability density function), which plots the num-
-1 -1
ber of times random acceleration peaks reached certain
-2 -2
levels in small frequency segments called bins. The his-
togram shown in Figure 3 represents a random signal -3
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000
-3
0 100 200 300
Time (sec)
measured for 10,000 seconds and indicates that this No. of occurrence
Figure 3. Gaussian distribution (right) of random signal (left)
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 his-

PSD (G2/Hz)
Amplitude
togram, 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 Time Frequency (Hz)
Figure 4. Random time–history (left), power special density (PSD) of a random time-history (right)
acceleration levels expected for random vibration. The
instantaneous acceleration will be between the +1σ and
the -1σ values 68.3 percent of the time. It will be
between the +2σ and the -2σ values 95.4 percent of the
time. It will be between the +3σ and the -3σ values 99.73
0.475
percent of the time. Note that the Gaussian probability
distribution does not indicate the random signal’s
frequency content. That is the function of the power PSD(G2/Hz)
spectral density analysis.
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 15
(PSD), a measure of a vibration signal’s power intensity
in the frequency domain. Looking at the time–history
plot in Figure 4, it is not obvious how to evaluate the 150
constantly changing acceleration amplitude. The way to 7 X
evaluate is to determine the average value of all the
amplitudes within a given frequency range. Although
acceleration amplitude at a given frequency constantly Figure 5. Problem sketch of aluminum beam with a weight at the tip undergoing
changes, its average value tends to remain relatively white-noise random vibration
constant. This powerful characteristic of the random
process provides a tool to easily reproduce random
signals using a vibration test system. PSD Analysis Sample Problem
Random vibration analysis is usually performed over a To illustrate how power spectral density analysis is
large range of frequencies — from 20 to 2,000 Hz, for used in calculating the fatigue life of a part undergoing
example. Such a study does not look at a specific random vibration, consider a cantilevered aluminum beam
frequency or amplitude at a specific moment in time but (Al 6061-T6 [E=68.9 GPa, γ=0.3]) that is 150 mm long by 15
rather statistically looks at a structure’s response to a mm wide by 7mm high, as shown in Figure 5. This system
given random vibration environment. Certainly, we want has an overall damping ratio of 5 percent. An instrument
to know if there are any frequencies that cause a large assembly of weight 2N is mounted on the tip of the beam,
random response at any natural frequencies, but mostly and its movement is restricted to only the vertical direction.
we want to know the overall response of the structure. The assembly must be capable of operating in a white-noise
The square root of the area under the PSD curve (grey random vibration environment with an input PSD level of
area) in Figure 4 gives the root mean square (RMS) value 0.475 g2/Hz (from 20 to 200 Hz) for a period of 4.0 hours. The
of the acceleration, or Grms, which is a qualitative meas- challenge is to determine the approximate dynamic stress
ure of intensity of vibration. and the expected fatigue life of the assembly.

40 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 www.ansys.com

 TIPS AND TRICKS

Analysis of the assembly under this white-noise Standard Deviation Bending Stress Percentage of Occurrence
environment results in a bending stress contour plot shown
1σ stress 1x 55.4 = 55.4 MPa 68.3%
in Figure 6, which shows a maximum 1-σ bending stress of
55.4 MPa (see accompanying table). 2σ stress 2x 55.4 = 110.8 MPa 27.1%

3σ stress 3x 55.4 = 166.2 MPa 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 system’s 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 1σ value of the bending stress.

Fatigue Analysis
For fatigue life calculation in the sample problem, root
Figure 6. 1-σ bending stress distribution
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
Response PSD -
of the most common approaches: the Three-Band Technique Normal Stress

using Miner’s 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 con-
centration factor K can be used in the stress equation or in 56.426
3.2591e+8
defining the slope b of the S-N fatigue curve for alternating 2.5e+8

stresses. The stress concentration should be used only 1.e+8

once in either place. For this sample problem, a stress con- 5.e+7
2.5e.7
centration factor K = 2 will be used in the S-N fatigue curve
as shown in Figure 8, where slope b = 6.4. 1.e+7
5.e+6
The approximate number of stress cycles N1 required to
PSD

2.5e+6
produce a fatigue failure in the beam for the 1σ, 2σ and 3σ
stresses can be obtained from the following equation: 1.e+6
5.e+5
2.5e+5

1.e+5
50000
25000
where: 17785
2. 2.5 5. 10. 25. 50. 100. 200.
N2 = 1000 (S1000 reference point) Frequency

S2 = 310 MPa (stress to fail at S1000 reference point) Figure 7. Response power spectral density of bending stress distribution
for aluminum beam
S1 = 55.4 (1σ RMS stress)
b = 6.4 (slope of fatigue line with stress concentration K = 2)

The number of cycles to fail (N) under dynamic stress is K=1

calculated as follows: 310
Stress (MPa)

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

www.ansys.com ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 41

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 1σ, 2σ and 3σ values:
Miner’s Rule
Miner’s 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 sinu-
soidal vibration, random vibration, thermal cycling, shock
or acoustic noise.
Miner’s fatigue damage cycle ratio calculation is as follows:
An examination of the above fatigue cycle ratio shows
that the 1σ RMS level does very little damage even though
it is in effect about 68.3 percent of the time. Most of the
42 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008
damage is generated by the 3σ level, even though it acts
only about 4.33 percent of the time. The 3σ level generates
more than two times as much damage as the 2σ 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 four-
hour 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
While fatigue life evaluation under a random process is
highly complicated, Miner’s 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 recom-
mended 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. ■
Reference:
[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.
www.ansys.com

Extracting Solution-
Dependent 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 solu-
tion 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.
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. It’s 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 sim-
ply 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
Reverse flow is indicated by the light blue contour region.
www.ansys.com
TIPS AND TRICKS
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 kilo-
meters/hour but cannot add 10 meters/second to 30 kilometers.
The same holds true for other available algebraic operations.
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
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.
ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 43
TIPS AND TRICKS

Reverse flow regions (in blue) at new plane location

Expression Original Location New Location

Plane area 1.588 [m2] 1.505 [m2]

Contour and user surface object geometry details
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 tem-
perature 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
Object Persistence
The calculated objects in our example (Tave reverse,
Tave forward, Tdiff, etc.) have the dependencies on post-
processing 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
Reverse flow area 0.972 [m ]2
0.666 [m2]
Reverse flow area proportion 0.612 0.443
Tave forward 286.300 [K] 287.708 [K]
Tave reverse 286.861 [K] 290.798 [K]
Tdiff 0.561 [K] 3.091 [K]
Quantitative data at original and new locations
when the input changes. If the plane is moved to a new loca-
tion, 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 option-
ally 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. ■
References
[1] Free viewer download available at http://www.ansys.com/
products/cfx-viewer.asp

Expressions

User Surface Tave Forward

Tdiff
Contour 1
Tave Reverse
User Surface
Reverse Flow
Reverse
Flow Area
Plane Plane Area Proportion
Vector 1
Point Cloud
Streamline 1
Dependencies for user-created objects and expressions.

44 ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 www.ansys.com

 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 you’re 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 other-
wise 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 to assign the velocity boundary condition for the
wanting to learn more about jellyfish locomotion. fluid moving past the animal. By using two phases
As Dular puts it, the animals are usually not very of liquids in the simulation — both with identical
keen to cooperate experimentally, and simulation properties — Dular was able to introduce a virtual
solved this problem. Using FLUENT simulation color tracer in order to visualize the vortices that were
software, he was able to help researchers visualize produced by the jellyfish locomotion.
the flow patterns related to the animals’ move- From an engineering point of view, jellyfish
ments, gaining insight into the dynamics of the bell propulsion is interesting because it was perfected
contraction and relaxation. over millions of years. With simulation, we can
Dular utilized a user-defined function (UDF) further our understanding of how it is that animals
to describe the movement of the jellyfish bell, a are so efficient and try to learn from those
dynamic mesh capability to describe the mesh natural designs. So what other natural engineering
motion, and another UDF to calculate the forces solutions are waiting to be discovered? Humming-
that the bell imposed on the surrounding fluid as bird-inspired new high-tech flight techniques with
it moved. With the resultant force, he was able to aerospace application? Insect-inspired drug delivery
calculate the acceleration of the jellyfish in each methodologies within the pharmaceutical industry?
time step. The jellyfish acceleration was then used Time will tell. ■

Image © iStockphoto.com/Klaas Lingbeek-van Kranen

www.ansys.com ANSYS Advantage • Volume II, Issue 3, 2008 45