SIMULATION SUCCESS STORIES

Xi Engineering Simulates Vibrations in Wind Turbines

Énergie

Xi Engineering Consultants Ltd, Edinburgh, UK

Xi Engineering Consultants Ltd specializes in complex vibration issues, like those caused by wind turbines. The meshing of teeth within the gearbox of a wind turbine can cause great vibrations which are perceived as excessive noise. This presents a problem as there are strict regulatory standards throughout Europe and North America limiting permissible noise from these structures.

Studying the design data lead engineers to conclude that this gearbox was the source of the noise and vibration, and that it was being amplified by the tower’s steel skin. Using a COMSOL model of the structure, they were able to locate hot spots where the noise was being amplified and test various solutions. The solution found was to use a specific material to coat the inside of the tower and reduce the amplification. Due to the materials high cost, they used COMSOL to determine the least amount of material necessary to keep the noise levels below the required standards.

  •  /
1
Loading PDF...

Suggested Stories

Keynote: Democratizing In Silico Ablation R&D via Simulation Apps

Keynote: Democratizing In Silico Ablation R&D via Simulation Apps

In this keynote talk from COMSOL Day: MedTech, Marcela Mercado Montoya of IN SILICO STEM introduces the capabilities ...

Bringing Glucose Monitoring to New Levels Through Integrated Sensor Design

Bringing Glucose Monitoring to New Levels Through Integrated Sensor Design

The test strips in glucose monitors, widely used by people with diabetes to maintain good health, are sensitive to ...

Accelerating Custom Capacitor Design with Simulation Apps

Accelerating Custom Capacitor Design with Simulation Apps

When a component is as ubiquitous as a capacitor, its design process needs to allow for a lot of customization. This ...

Picking the Pattern for a Stealth Antenna

Picking the Pattern for a Stealth Antenna

Stealth airplanes and ships avoid radar detection by optimizing the shape of surfaces to reflect away from the radar ...