Engineering Analysis was asked by Shell to perform a variety of FEM simulations, including a flow analysis, on two finned pipes. Each finned pipe is 13m long and 20m tall. The pipes were cooled by the wind sideways, causing them to become crooked. This resulted in a crack in the Y piece.
To solve this problem, Engineering Analysis created a finite element model (FEM/FEA) of the finned pipe. This model was used to determine the temperature distribution caused by the varying pressures of the wind. The temperature distribution was used as a thermal load on the finned pipes in order to determine the deformations and tensions. In addition to the CFD analyses – also known as flow analyses or Computational Fluid Dynamics analyses – static, thermal, and fatigue analyses were also conducted in order to demonstrate the structural strength of the finned pipes. The results were assessed in accordance with the ASME VIII-2 standard and incorporated in a final report.
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