It’s a global challenge: energy transition, global warming, carbon footprint, sovereignty, cost control… every stage in the value chain is concerned with energy management. Our engineers work on behalf of energy producers and their equipment manufacturers, as well as on international collaborative R&D projects to identify new technologies (electrolysers, thermo-acoustics, etc.).
Optimizing equipment design
Any energy-related project involves a chain of players and subcontractors who own a defined part of the system that will be interfaced with others, and is impacted both upstream and downstream by more global engineering decisions. Simulations enable companies to design and optimize mechanical equipment used in the production, transmission and distribution of energy, such as turbines, pumps, valves, pipes, etc., and to anticipate both commissioning and operation. This means better performance and greater energy efficiency.
Failure analysis
The reliability of safety components is critical. Industrial risk management involves the safe operation of equipment. What’s more, given the high cost of downtime, it’s essential to anticipate the risk of failure, so as to be able to draw up robust maintenance plans. Simulations enable potential failures of mechanical equipment to be simulated and analyzed, so that areas at risk can be identified and measures taken to reduce them.
Reduce costs and lead times
Simulations help to reduce costs and development times by testing and optimizing equipment and processes virtually, before they are physically implemented, or by exploring virtual tests that cannot be reproduced physically. Our teams work directly with our customers’ innovation boards and R&D teams to simulate each key stage of the project.
Gas turbine turbo-machine (mechanical)
Turbines, whether gas, steam or hydraulic, are subjected to various mechanical (centrifugal force, pressure, etc.) and thermal (fluid/metal heat exchange, cooling) loads during operation, whether cyclical (start/stop), transient or continuous. Numerical simulations make it possible to determine the response of turbine components to these stresses, and thus to assess the risks to turbine integrity for each type of damage (vibration, fatigue, creep, oxidation, etc.) as early as the design phase, and to apply corrections upstream of production. The calculations also enable us to assess the acceptability of non-conformities during the production phase, as well as to carry out a detailed analysis of any malfunctions that may occur.
1D system analysis
In the energy sector, cooling systems are of prime importance. These systems need to be robust and able to perform their functions even in the event of an incident/accident. 1D system analyses can be used to estimate the performance of these systems, and to check that functions are correctly assured in the event of failure, using control systems directly implemented in the simulation.
Leaks in a gas turbine (CFD)
Simulation can take many different types of failure into account. Leaks in a component can have disastrous consequences if the area is not properly classified. For example, a methane leak in a gas turbine leads to explosion risks if the area is not properly ventilated and the zone classification is not in line with the risks involved. Simulation is used to estimate the ventilation required and the inherent classification, taking into account the complex physical effects associated with a leak (supersonic flow, gas accumulation, etc.).
Components
The energy industry relies on many components whose robustness must be proven. Pumps, valves and even chassis must be robust enough to withstand normal, degraded and even accidental conditions. Simulation (mechanical, CFD, FSI, EMC, etc.) enables a detailed analysis of a wide range of parameters: from the effects of tank rocking to creep in components due to high temperatures, to stresses in screws, etc. Simulation enables us to determine and verify that these components are sufficiently robust under operating and accident conditions.
Standard-compliant post-processing
To simplify verification processes and ensure operator safety, standards based on feedback (RCC-M, EN 13445, etc.) have been introduced. Simulation can be used to verify the integrity of these components, using standard calculation and post-processing methodologies. The DAES teams have developed an ANSYS App to simplify and optimize data post-processing according to RCC-M. Versions for RCC-MRx and ASME are currently under development and will soon be available for rental or purchase.
Innovating for the future: digital simulation drives innovation!
Cleantech (or Clean Technology) refers to all clean or green technologies that aim to reduce the environmental impact of human activities while improving efficiency and productivity.
Cleantech technologies cover a wide range of fields, including renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal), waste management, water treatment, sustainable mobility, eco-friendly materials, intelligent buildings, clean energy production and distribution, and more.
The main aim of Cleantech is to provide sustainable solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and preserve natural resources, while creating new economic opportunities for businesses and improving people’s quality of life.
It’s only natural that DAES should support you in these projects.
Product design and optimization
Cleantech companies can use numerical mechanical simulation to design and optimize products such as wind turbines, solar panels, hydroelectric turbines, heat pumps and more. This reduces development costs and improves product efficiency and durability.
Simulation of materials and performance
Cleantech companies can use mechanical numerical simulation to simulate the performance of the materials used in the production of their products, as well as the overall performance of their products. This makes it possible to test alternative, more durable materials and design more efficient, higher-performance products.
Risk and sustainability analysis
Numerical mechanical simulation can be used to assess the risks and sustainability of Cleantech products throughout their lifecycle, from production to end-of-life. This enables us to identify potential risks and take steps to minimize the environmental impact of our products.
Process planning and optimization
Numerical simulation can be used to plan and optimize production and distribution processes for Cleantech products. This optimizes the use of resources, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and improves profitability.
Wind turbine mechanisms
Wind turbines and their various components are subject to considerable stress. In addition to withstanding the loads associated with weather conditions, transport conditions, the mechanism itself (bearings, etc.) and other factors, these parts, which are difficult to replace, must survive for long periods and therefore withstand fatigue. Simulation can be used to estimate the impact of these loads (standardized or not) on component life and robustness.
Analysis of wind turbine blades
Wind turbines are synonymous with blades. These large components, which are directly exposed to the wind, require rigidity and resistance to bending. Finite element analysis, using modal analysis and coupled FSI (fluid-structure interaction) calculations, can be used to verify these imperatives and their resistance to even the strongest winds. The material laws available also make it possible to anticipate all the failure modes that could occur in the composite.
Environmental impact of a wind turbine
Simulation enables us to anticipate the environmental impact of a wind farm. When wind passes through such a field, the flow structure is altered, which can have an impact on the surrounding flora. A CFD calculation can be used to anticipate changes in this flow.
Similarly, by analyzing the resulting pressures, the acoustics of these machines can be estimated and their impact on local residents assessed.
System analysis of a desalination plant
A desalination plant consists of a loop in which pressure is of prime importance. A 1D system analysis shows the evolution of the various parameters (pressure, flow, salt concentration) in the loops along the route, as well as over time in the event of pump start-up or shutdown.
CFD analysis of desalination plant components
To separate seawater into brine and pure water, the water passes through filters or membranes (depending on the technology used). CFD analyses can be used to estimate the performance of these filters and replace them with equivalent models in more global models or in 1D analyses.
