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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

PATRAN as an engineering design visualization tool: Design and analysis of a heat exchanger support

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5606211
The effective communication or engineering results from the finite element modeling analyst to project managers and nontechnical program sponsors often presents a significant challenge to the analyst. Also, the ability to visualize trends in finite element model results is difficult when the analyst is confronted by reams of numerical output. Recent advances in computer graphics and the proliferation of sophisticated commercially-available software have greatly enhanced the ability of the analyst to asses the results of engineering calculations and present those results to others. The use of PATRAN by an engineering mechanics group as a pre- and postprocessor for finite element modeling will be discussed. Specifically, the design and analysis of a heat exchanger support that experiences severe thermally-induced stresses will be examined. Both heat transfer and stress analyses for two different design concepts will be presented. The use of PATRAN as a visualization/presentation tool will be emphasized. The Engineering Mechanics section of the Advanced engineering Technology group provides analytical and computational support to many research and development projects at Los Alamos. Described in this paper are the thermal and structural analyses of a component for an advanced research and development project. Specifically, two design concepts for supporting a heat exchanger were examined. Models for both concepts were built using PATRAN. ABAQUS was the analysis code. The feasibility of each design was assessed based on thermal behavior and stresses and deflections in the structures. PATRAN, with its vivid portrayals of the variations of these quantities through the structures, was instrumental in these assessments. 13 figs.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
5606211
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-89-2661; CONF-8909187-1; ON: DE89016776
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English