Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation
- Sensors - Liquid Detection Sensors
Applicable Industries
- Renewable Energy
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Rapid Prototyping
- Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing
Services
- Hardware Design & Engineering Services
About The Customer
CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI) is the apex R&D institute for mechanical engineering under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), an Autonomous Body under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. Established in 1958, the Institute has been engaged in R&D for over 59 years with the mandate of serving the nation to acquire self-reliance, strategic sectors, and societal applications. Major research areas include Robotics and Mechatronics, Micro-system Technology, Rapid Prototyping and Modeling, Advanced Mechanical Design, Simulation and Modeling, and Advanced Manufacturing Technology and its allied areas.
The Challenge
India's growing population has led to an increased demand for power. To meet this demand, the country is looking towards renewable energy sources. CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI) has developed aesthetically pleasing solar cells, known as 'solar artifacts', in the form of umbrellas or trees. These solar artifacts can be placed in commercial or public spaces, providing power while maintaining the space underneath for productive or recreational uses. However, these solar artifacts needed to be designed to fit into the available space and withstand a range of wind speeds depending on their location. The challenge was to ensure that these artifacts would be strong enough to resist damage over a range of wind speeds without sacrificing their aesthetic design.
The Solution
To address this challenge, CSIR-CMERI researchers turned to ANSYS solutions to run fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulations to determine the effects of wind gusts on their solar artifacts. They used ANSYS SpaceClaim and ANSYS AIM for pre-processing, meshing, solving, and post-processing in a single window environment. They set up a complete FSI workflow in AIM for steady-state turbulent wind flow conditions, with total force mapping on solar panel structures for stress and displacement studies. They simulated a solar artifact model under different structural load and wind flow conditions (80, 100, and 120 km/hr). The simulation results showed that the umbrella design can withstand all these wind conditions.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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