Inexpensive FEA software for pressure vessels 1

[Plasmech]

Are there any good recommendations for an inexpensive FEA software that works well with pressure vessels? I understand that Ansys is a great program, approximately how much does the Ansys Mechanical package cost?

 

[LSThill]

Which FEA application has the Pressure Vessel ASME SECTION VIII Div 1 and Div 2.

1). SDRC IDEAS.
2). Paulin research Group.

Stephen
Leonard Stephen Thill

 

[jte]

Plasmech-

Kinda like asking for an inexpensive race car that'll win the next NASCAR race...

I trust you realize that one must learn to fly small planes before graduating to jet fighters - and the same applies to vessel FEA. Get started, but back up everything with a ballpark hand calc and seek mentorship.

Programs I've seen used most frequently for production work and for ASME PVP conference papers, in no particular order, are:

cheap:
- none -

medium:
Ansys
Cosmos (My personal program simply because my first employer used it, my second employer bought it for me, and my current employer was using it before I hired in)
Algor
Nastran (usually the MSC variety)

expensive:
Abaqus
Marc

jt

 

[Plasmech]

I have a primitive version of COSMOS, maybe I'll work from there and try to get the full blown version.

 

[deanc]

jte

Have you done this before???

 

[jte]

deanc-

Done what??? I fly aircraft (not fighters, my trim speed is roughly Mach 0.05), I've done a few FEA's (ok, more than a few), but I've not raced NASCAR.

jt