A NEW MODELLING TOOL FOR 3-D FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF FRP SHIPS

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Kumar, Y.V. Satish | Mukhopadhyay, Madhujit

Affiliations: Department of Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India

Abstract: A ship structural analysis software "ASSA" has been developed for the 3-D finite element analysis of Fibre Reinforced Plastic Boats and Ships using a new stiffened plate element. The software is unique and distinct from the existing ship structural analysis softwares due to the elegance of the element in modeling the stiffened panels. The plate element can accommodate any number of arbitrarily oriented stiffeners and obviates the use of mesh lines along the stiffeners. Moreover, the element does not lock under shear and can analyse both thin and thick plates. The software can analyse all types of FRP vessels. The global analysis of a rectangular box shaped vessel has been carried out with the present software and results compared with the general purpose finite element software NISA. A high speed FRP patrol boat has been analysed and the stresses are presented.

Keywords: Ship, Stiffened plate element, Stiffener, 3-D finite element analysis, Allman's triangle, Discrete Kirchhoff Mindlin Triangle, High speed crafts, FRP vessels

Journal: International Shipbuilding Progress, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 5-35, 2002