The scope of simulation assisted structural integrity assessment concerned a part of hot air installation under operating loads (temperature, pressure) as well as addtional loads (wind, snow).
Whole structure was analysed with respect to structural strength and compensations using AutoPipe simulation software. However for complicated elements with complex geometrical shape i.e. for series of T-junction placed close to each other with different angle arrangements was done with Finite Element (FE) method.
The FE method allows to direct determination of stress state in the analysed element – in opposite to simulation software like AutoPipe, where the stresses in elements are determined indirectly with SIF (Stress Intensification Factor). The SIF concept doesn’t allow to take into account stress concentration coming from series of close placed junctions (consolidation of stress concentration).
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