Client Profile.
Engineering consultancy, U.K.
Industry: Energy – Electrical Equipment
Objective.
It was required that the ready-designs of battery racks were to be validated so that they can carry sufficient number of batteries and at the same time bear seismic loading caused. Structural strength of the racks was examined by HitechDigital FEA specialists using ANSYS Professional NLS 17.0 and inbuilt macros of APDL to optimize the design prior to actual fabrication.
Business Needs.
- Determine seismic response during earthquake of the structure of battery rack.
- Predict overall structural strength to check the resistance to deformation.
- Optimize the designs and hence the strength of rack to withstand static & dynamic loading.
Challenges.
- Accurately predict the structural behavior of the racks under the influence of seismic load.
- Determine first natural frequency of the rack structure.
- Keep test trials cost-effective to avoid increase in final development cost.
- Develop optimized rack design to withstand seismic and static loads without failure.
HitechDigital’s Solution.
Client provided the inputs for designing CAD model of the storage rack with specification of dimensions and intended use. FEA specialists developed FE models and simulated the static as well as dynamic loading for battery weight and seismic loading respectively using ANSYS and inbuilt macros in APDL. Critical regions were identified which were subjected to stresses which helped in design optimization and safe designs.
Approach.
- Once CAD model was ready, FE model was generated for 1D beam elements with specified number of batteries in a set of four each.
- Seismic analysis was performed using Finite Element Method to obtain preliminary assessment of dynamic behavior of mechanical structures.
- Inbuilt macros in APDL to automate the modal and structural analysis, and efficiently used the results to perform seismic analysis.
- Critical regions were highlighted and identified for necessary design changes for safe and reliable optimization.
Benefit.
- Scripting helped in reducing design cycle time required to setup the case for different seismic loading condition.
- Any major change in the design can be rectified in the script and optimized set of results are tabulated easily.
- Provided opportunity to improve structure design prior to fabrication.
- Reduced physical test trials and associated costs.
- Assurance of building safe and reliable product for end customers.
Client Speaks.
The advice to critical designed areas in the structural frame was predicted very accurately by the FEA specialists and it resulted in massive cost reduction of wrong fabrication at our end and we could optimize the designs for safety.
Result.
- Ensured safe and reliable designs of the rack structure avoiding catastrophe.
- Design criticalities were identified beforehand fabrication which saved enormous costs.
