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Using ANSYS for GMINA analysis

Using ANSYS to perform GMINA analysis of thin-walled sheet metal structures

Outotec provides equipment for the production of sulfuric acid. CADFEM provided assistance with analyzing the load behavior and the deformation behavior of the support structure of a newly developed sulfuric acid converter made of high temperature resistant stainless steel.

Summary

Task

Thin-walled shell structures are able to effectively remove stresses via membrane forces, but they have a tendency to buckle when subjected to membrane compression.

Solution

Investigation of the supporting structure of the sulfuric acid converter involved performing geometrically and materially nonlinear analyses with imperfections (GMNIA) in ANSYS.

Customer benefits

The analyses carried out by CADFEM facilitated execution of a material-optimized support structure, thereby providing both significant cost advantages and significant competitive advantages.

Project Details

Task

Thin-walled shell structures are able to effectively remove stresses via membrane forces, but they have a tendency to buckle when subjected to membrane compression. Particular attention must be paid to this in their design. This had to be borne in mind while the load-bearing behavior and the deformation behavior of the supporting structure of a newly developed sulfuric acid converter made of high-temperature-resistant stainless steel was undergoing analysis.


Customer Benefit

The analyses carried out by CADFEM facilitated the execution of a material-optimized support structure, thereby providing both significant cost advantages and significant competitive advantages. In addition, supplementary training has ensured that that in future Outotec will be able to carry out these analyses itself.


Solution

Investigation of the supporting structure of the sulfuric acid converter involved performing geometrically and materially non-linear analyses with imperfections (GMNIA). The geometrical imperfections necessary for these analyses were determined by means of accompanying eigenvalue investigations (i.e. taking into account the non-linear pre-buckling state) on partial models. In a further step, these eigenmodes were scaled and inserted into the overall model of the structure. This procedure meant that it was possible for the convergence difficulties that occur in the calculation of the perfect structure – due to local instabilities – to be successfully avoided and also meant that it was possible for the load-bearing behavior and the deformation behavior of the converter to be determined for the specified load cases. In addition to the analyses carried out by CADFEM, the input files were handed over in their entirety – accompanied by full explanations – during a project training course, so that in future Outotec will be able to carry out these geometrically and materially non-linear calculations itself.

Images: © Outotec


CAE Engineer

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