Structural assessment of steel process equipment using finite element analysis and fatigue evaluation
Ahmed, Mustafa (2026)
Kandidaatintyö
2026
School of Energy Systems, Konetekniikka
Kaikki oikeudet pidätetään.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2026042734980
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2026042734980
Tiivistelmä
As global competition intensifies and environmental sustainability becomes increasingly important, equipment manufacturers must find ways to optimize their products to improve material efficiency and minimize costs. This thesis focuses on equipment used in the process industry and explores opportunities for structural optimization using finite element analysis (FEA).
Initial assessment of the equipment suggests that current designs may be overly conservative. The thesis aims to validate this assessment using analytical calculations and static simulations. Subsequently, further simulations are conducted on a refined structure to determine the optimal material usage while maintaining an acceptable factor of safety. This is done by analysing stress distributions and deformation behaviour of the simulation models.
The findings suggest that there is potential for optimization in current designs. Although the study is limited to a static analysis, the results provide enough justification for equipment manufacturers to re-consider existing designs, thus promoting more efficient and sustainable design practices.
Initial assessment of the equipment suggests that current designs may be overly conservative. The thesis aims to validate this assessment using analytical calculations and static simulations. Subsequently, further simulations are conducted on a refined structure to determine the optimal material usage while maintaining an acceptable factor of safety. This is done by analysing stress distributions and deformation behaviour of the simulation models.
The findings suggest that there is potential for optimization in current designs. Although the study is limited to a static analysis, the results provide enough justification for equipment manufacturers to re-consider existing designs, thus promoting more efficient and sustainable design practices.