Isight-Abaqus Optimization of a Ring-Stiffened Cylinder

Electric Boat’s design process involves evaluating the structural stability of ring-stiffened cylinder structures through finite element analyses to simulate a static pressure load. Each design revision of the cylinders must be evaluated to verify that the structure meets the required stress criteria for the static pressure load; any revision to geometry or material would require the design to be reevaluated. Additionally, it is critical that the weight of the structure is kept as light as possible while still satisfying all stress and deflection criteria. This presentation documents the use of Isight and Abaqus to perform a weight optimization for static pressure loading on a ring-stiffened cylinder, varying geometry and model thicknesses. The use of Isight to run the analysis allows Electric Boat to find an optimized design earlier in the design process.
This work was conducted under the auspices of the National Shipbuilding Research Program’s (NSRP) Advanced Shipbuilding Enterprise (ASE) Full-Ship Simulation/Analysis Models 2 Project (M&S 2) and Electric Boat’s Independent Research and Development (IR&D).