FEA Using SolidWorks Project 2 : Analysis of buckling phenomena

AIM :

To perform finite element analysis in SolidWorks to Cyclonic Separator Stand.

Objective :

• To perform a buckling analysis on a cyclonic separator stand.
• To create a metallic stiffener on the legs of the stand and run the analysis to find out the change in buckling factor of safety.
• To run a design study and find the optimum position for the stiffener. Compare the results for all the cases using tables and highlight the best one.

Theory :

Buckling is the sudden change in shape of a structural component under load such as the bowing of a column under compression or the wrinkling of a plate under shear. If a structure is subjected to a gradually increasing load, when the load reaches a critical level, a member may suddenly change shape and the structure and component is said to have buckled.

Buckling may occur even though the stresses that develop in the structure are well below those needed to cause failure in the material of which the structure is composed. Further loading may cause significant and somewhat unpredictable deformations, possibly leading to complete loss of the member's load-carrying capacity. However, if the deformations that occur after buckling do not cause the complete collapse of that member, the member will continue to support the load that caused it to buckle. If the buckled member is part of a larger assemblage of components such as a building, any load applied to the buckled part of the structure beyond that which caused the member to buckle will be redistributed within the structure. Some aircraft are designed for thin skin panels to continue carrying load even in the buckled state.

FEA Procedure :

• First we are going to import the model of cyclone separator stand and then we remove the cyclone separator from the stand and we will start the new case study.
• Go to the parts and select the material as alloy steel and apply the force on the stand top face of 150000N.
• Create the mesh and select as default mesh level and click mesh and run.
• We will get the results of cyclone stand without stiffener here we get the FOS.
• After that we create the stiffener and then we will go to new case study and select the design study and then we conduct the parametric study.
• Provide the variable as offset distance of stiffener and input distance of some range of length and select the constraint as buckling FOS of some minimum limit and set the goal as some buckling FOS to get the optimum distance of stiffener.
• Then we will get the optimum distance of stiffener.

Buckilng Analysis

In many design projects, engineers must calculate the factor of safety (FOS) to ensure the design will withstand the expected loadings. Calculations require correctly recognizing the mechanisms of failure, and this is a dificult task. All too often we associate structural failure only with yielding and are satisfied when design analysis shows a suficient FOS related to yield.

Buckling analysis of Cyclone separator stand without stiffener

Cyclone separator stand with mesh

Amplitude plot

Buckling FOS of Cyclone separator stand without stiffener RESULT 1

Cyclone separator stand with stiffener

Result 2 :

Component Name	Units	Current	Initial	Optimal	Scenario 1	Scenario 2	Scenario 3	Scenario 4	Scenario 5	Scenario 6	Scenario 7
Offset Distance	mm	1000	1000	1000	250	500	750	1000	1250	1500	1750
Buckling Factor of Safety 1		27.279512	27.279512	27.279512	12.959827	17.009073	23.203600	27.279512	20.155396	14.947279	11.567584
Buckling Factor of Safety 2		27.279512	27.279512	27.279512	12.959827	17.009073	23.203600	27.279512	20.155396	14.947279	11.567584

CONCLUSION

• From the first case study cyclone separator stand without stiffener in that result we get the Buckling FOS is 9.3941, but if we use the stiffener definitely we will get the more Buckling FOS.
• In the design study Cyclone separator with stiffener we are getting the Buckling FOS is 27.279512 at an optimum offset distance from the top of the table is 1000mm.