Finite Element Analysis for Marine Structures

Finite Element Analysis for Marine Structures
https://navalapp.com/courses/finite-element-analysis-for-marine-structures/

This course covers theoretical and practical aspects of FEA applied to structural analysis. In the theoretical section, you will explore concepts like material resistance, beam models, finite element fundamentals, and how a FEA software works. The practical lessons will guide you through model preparation, meshing, local axis, boundary conditions, materials, loads, post-processing, key results to look for, and how to prepare a professional report. The course also features multiple examples based on a bulk carrier ship and a fast craft and culminates in a final project involving a planning motorboat, which will allow you to apply everything you have learned in a practical context.






The course

This course covers theoretical and practical aspects of FEA applied to Structural Analysis.

In the theoretical section, you will explore key concepts in structural analysis, including:

• Material resistance and elasticity.
• Beam models.
• Structural elements of ships.
• The fundamentals of finite elements: their origins, transfer functions, and different types of elements.
• Insights into how finite element codes operate, covering:
  • Data input.
  • Data processing.
  • How the data finally gets to a system matrix, including boundary conditions, the materials, and the loads
  • How the system gets solved.
  • And how the code outputs the solution in a graphical user interface so that it can be visualized and correctly interpreted.

This foundational knowledge will provide the necessary background to tackle the practical lessons much more efficiently.

In the practical lessons, you will learn how to:

• Install the course software.
• Import and prepare CAD models.
• Clean and repair them so that the topology is appropriate and we can properly mesh them, assuring convergence for the analysis we want.
• Local axes.
• How to handle boundary conditions, materials, and loads.
• How to generate, assess, and refine different types of meshes and elements.
• How to calculate and post-process the results.
• Which results to look for.
• How to prepare a professional report.

This course focuses on static and linear analysis. We plan to develop a second course that is complementary to this one, focusing on dynamic and nonlinear effects.

The practical part of the course uses commercial software. While this section uses this specific software, the core concepts and knowledge you acquire will be relevant and transferable to any other commercial software you use on your projects.

The course also features multiple examples based on a bulk carrier ship and a fast craft and culminates in a final project involving a planning motorboat, which will allow you to apply everything you have learned in a practical context.

What will you learn?

Upon completing the course, you will have the skills to analyze and verify various types of structures, including marine structures.

More concretely, you will be able to:

• Identify and dimension the different structural elements of a ship hull and assess the relevant structural properties of the chosen materials.
• Successfully translate the physical reality of a structural problem into an FEA simulation.
• Efficiently manage the preprocessing tasks necessary for adapting structural designs for FEA. Mastering these tasks is crucial for optimizing the workflow and reducing costs.
• Understand, both theoretically and in practice, the different procedures and meshing strategies in order to provide robust results within the minimum margins of error.
• Asses the results output by FEA codes and include them in compliant professional reports.

Who should enroll?

This course is ideal for naval architects and marine engineers, but it’s also valuable for professionals in civil engineering, architecture, and anyone involved in structural analysis. In fact, although the course focuses on marine structures, students will be able to apply the knowledge acquired to any field or application.

It will also greatly benefit students, researchers, PhD candidates, as well as instructors, lecturers, and professors looking to transfer this knowledge to their students.

Software and Software License

For the practical part of the course, the instructor uses a commercial software.

Students enrolled in this Navalapp course will receive nine months of free access with the possibility of an extension for those who may require additional time to complete the course. The licenses provided give access to the software's full functionality and are granted exclusively for educational purposes.

While the practical section of this course uses this specific software, the core concepts and knowledge you acquire will be relevant and transferable to any other commercial software you may use.

Course Organization

The course is video-based and on-demand, allowing you to learn at your own pace, wherever and whenever you want.

It includes videos, quizzes, and downloadable documents and provides access to the course’s virtual private classroom, where you can interact with the instructor and other students.

Upon completing all lessons, passing the quizzes, and having your course assignment approved, you will receive the Course Certificate.

– Course Resources:

• Video lessons.
• English captions.
• Written materials.
• Quizzes.
• Optional Activities.
• Final Assignment.
• Virtual Private Classroom.
• Course Certificate.

Last lesson (wrap-up) preview: