steel wires

[vaina]

I'd like to simulate a steel wire (a stay on a boat) for FEA purposes. How can I model a flexible part that doesn't work in compression? Maybe I could try with a group of beam elements jointed by hinges, any experience in that?
Thanks for your attention.

 

[TibiX]

Hello vaina,

Do you mean a cable hanging under its own weight (vertically) or a catenary curve?

I have found these links on Wikipedia: anchoring of marine objects and the equation for a catenary curve; and on wolframalpha.com.

Hope this helps,
Best of luck!

CATIA V5 R21 – mold tool design engineer
plastics industry

 

[vaina]

Hello TibiX,

I think my thread was not so clear. With 'stay' I mean an element like this. My case concerns a 50 kn side wind on a mast, so I used a steel beam element on the 'stressed' side of the beam (with no compression) and a lower Young module (about 100000), but this was only a preliminary analysis. I wonder if anyone here is expert about steel wires.

 

[rstupplebeen]

vaina,
What FEA program are you using? Most decent ones will allow beam elements that can only support tension such as ropes and wires. Another way to model this is with some engineering insight and simply not model the stays that will be slack. Most sail boats I have been on one shroud goes significantly slack and the forestay goes slack when the jib is hoisted. I hope this helps.

Rob Stupplebeen

https://sites.google.com/site/robertkstupplebeen/

 

[vaina]

Sorry, I thought it was clear. I use the Generative Structural Analysis, the CATIA workbench. I create 2D models (for a fast analysis) with Structure Functional System Design workbench (I use it for shipbuilding and design) and then I make FEA with GSA workbench. But it's the first time I try to simulate riggings behaviour.

PS a very interesting site, Robert. Thanks.