Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
Services
Asset Integrity’s extensive experience in FEA, including verifying FEA techniques and predictions against field measurements, can provide you with a service that is reliable and represents the real world.
Almost any physical output (e.g displacement, velocity, acceleration, stress, strain, strain energy, reaction forces, temperature, etc) can be obtained using FEA which allows us to assess the problem and develop solutions.
To complement the modelling predictions, Asset Integrity can provide on-site data acquisition and analysis to gather the required data and provide reassurance that the risk of failure has been mitigated.
About FEA
The vast majority of failures can be prevented in the design stage of a project. Finite element analysis (FEA) allows us to model the intended design, analyse the relevant operating scenarios, and estimate the response of a system under each operating condition (e.g. static or dynamic loading, thermal loading, impact loading, etc).
Typical problems include how much stress a component can endure, whether a piping run will be susceptible to fatigue failure, or whether a steel structure has enough strength for a pump to pass commissioning. FEA is a powerful tool which allows us to tackle a wide range of problems, either in the design stage of a project, or in an operational environment.
| Typical Problem | Analysis Type | Asset |
|---|---|---|
| Static stress predictions for structures (including offshore structures) | - Static | - Structure |
| Pipe stress analysis for static and dynamic loading cases (code compliance) | - Static/Dynamic - Heat Transfer | - Pipe |
| Dynamic stress and vibration/failure predictions for structures, piping, valves, fittings and components | - Dynamic - Linear/Non-Linear - Steady -State/Transient - Contact | - Structure - Pipe / Valve / Fitting - Component |
| Vibration and stress predictions for high compressor cylinder vibration | - Dynamic - Linear/Non-Linear | - Reciprocating Compressor |
| Structural integrity check for vibrating screens and associated structure | - Static/Dynamic | - Vibrating Screen - Structure |
| Re-design of piping and bottle restraints for an offshore reciprocating compressor package | - Static/Dynamic - Heat Transfer | -Reciprocating Compressor - Pipe - Pressure Vessel - Structure |
| Thermal analysis of a superheater experiencing large thermal gradients or repeated failures | - Heat Transfer - Contact - Steady-State/Transient | - Superheater |
| Stress checks for skid packages (i.e. dynamic operating loads, wind loading, earthquake and lifting loads) | - Static/Dynamic - Random | - Equipment Package |
| Deflection and stress predictions for a pump arrangement during start-up | - Transient | - Pump - Structure |
| Optimisation for mechanical components and structures (reduction of weight) | - Static/Dynamic - Design Optimisation | - Component - Structure |
| Re-design of an agitator support frame to pass agitator angular deflection limits | - Dynamic - Design Optimisation | - Agitator - Tank - Structure |
| Buckling analysis for structures or components | - Buckling | - Structure - Component |
| Loading of pressure vessel nozzles | - Static/Dynamic | - Pressure Vessel |
| Failure investigation for small bore fitting arrangements | - Static/Dynamic | Small Bore Fitting (SBF) |
| Foundation cracking and excessive transmission of ball mill vibration | - Dynamic | - Ball Mill |
| Fatigue analysis for a compressor/pump coupling | - Dynamic - Fatigue Assessment | - Reciprocating Compressor - Reciprocating Pump |
| Development of vibration screening limits for piping, small-bore fittings (SBF’s), thermowells and structures | -Static/Dynamic | - Structure - Pipe / Valve / Fitting - Thermowell |
| Comparison with measured strain data on shafts to predict fatigue damage | - Dynamic - Fatigue Assessment | - Rotating Equipment |
| Structural analysis for a belt conveyor system | - Static/Dynamic | - Conveyor |