Engineering Competences & Services
Thanks to our know-how, arising from many different fields of application, we offer made-to-measure solutions for customer-specific applications. Our engineers will offer you their advice from the start, during the design phase, as well as on site, and will assist you during the construction phase. In addition to technical consulting and highly professional engineering, we provide services that include torsional vibration analysis for torsional couplings, whirling analysis for composite shafts, 6DoF, 12DoF and shock calculations for resilient mounts, as well as extensive product testing at our own test center and trial site. Here you get an overview of some of our services and competences.
Engineering
Predictive analysis of VULKAN shafting systems
VULKAN provides the following types of analyses for VULKAN Composite shaft lines in case of order.
Static analysis of the shaft line (alignment calculation): The analysis is done with a 3D model of the shaft line for the load cases torque, ship hull deflections, shock loads etc. Based on the calculation results the static and fatigue strength is checked according to recognized standards and rules of the Classification Societies.
Linear vibrations modal analysis of the shaft line: For the modal (whirling) analysis the entire drive train and the engine is modeled including the stiffness of the engine mounts. Depending on the required extent of detailed information also single components like membrane couplings are included in the modal analysis in order to find local natural frequencies.
The assessment of the natural frequencies is done by means of a Campbell diagram thereby determining resonance points of the structure with provided excitation frequencies.
Harmonic forced lateral vibration analysis: Response amplitudes of the shaft line and engine will be calculated by forced harmonic vibration analysis for the 3D model. In special cases (e.g. shock spectra) a response spectrum analysis can be performed. Furthermore rotor dynamic analyses are made upon request.
The calculations are performed by means of the actual version of ANSYS (Mechanical APDL and Workbench) and analytical programs. The 3D models are prepared with Pro Engineer and ANSYS DesignModeler.
Torsional Vibration Calculation (TVC)
The starting point of every coupling design process at VULKAN is a comprehensive analysis of the torsional vibration characteristic of the drive train - in ships from the engine to the propeller.
The specialists in the TVC (Torsional Vibration Calculation) department calculate steady and transient operating states, taking into account the particular properties of the elastomers used with regard to stiffness and damping. The couplings meet all requirements with regard to fine tuning the torsional vibration characteristics of the drive train and dynamic safety.
Our analytical expertise of the TVC department is based on a unique combination of profound theoretical understanding in the field of vibration dynamics and long-standing practical experience, we gained from numerous field measurements taken from generator plants or on board ships.
The following video gives you a more detailed insight.
6DOF Calculation
The 6DoF (6 Degrees of Freedom) analysis is used to calculate the appropriate rubber compound for elastic mounts
A special case is when the engine is resiliently mounted and, with a rigidly mounted gear, mounted resiliently again on a common base frame. In this case the overall system is analyzed with a 12DoF calculation. An example is the calculation of shock loads to bearings, such as in the event of high accelerations caused by explosions. The shock is greatly reduced by compressing the elastic suspension to a fraction of its original size.
The degree of freedom is the number of independent movement possibilities of a system.
By selecting the appropriate degree of stiffness and taking into account swell, engine torque and component weight, natural frequencies of the system are calculated and shifted through excitation frequencies of the engine. This process ensures that the natural frequencies of the engine differ from the excitation frequencies, thus protecting the system from damage and guaranteeing a long service life.
Compound Research
VULKAN places great value on the development of elastomers and the vulcanization processes suitable for them. Since setting up its own vulcanization plant in 2005, a team of VULKAN experts integrated in a network of renowned research institutions has been developing in-house elastomer compounds.
The following video gives you a more detailed insight.
Test Center
All products manufactured by the VULKAN Group can be tested here, such as highly flexible couplings,
To do this, 19 test rigs have been developed under VULKAN's supervision which are being constantly expanded and upgraded with the latest measurement technology. Some of the test rigs are globally unique such as a test rig completed in 2014 for the torsional load of composite shafts up to a length of 18 m. The specimens can be subjected to static and/or dynamic loads in the torque range from 10 Nm to 5,000,000 Nm. Shock loads and rotation tests are also possible, and fatigue life tests, as well as overload and destructive tests are carried out regularly.
External Measurements
If required by customers or classification societies – or for troubleshooting – vibration measurements can be carried out anywhere in the world on installed drive units and under real operating conditions.
These measurements include torque measurement, torsional vibration measurement, linear vibration measurement (e.g. to DIN ISO 10816-6) and structure-borne noise. The use of multi-channel telemetry also allows measurements in rotating systems.
Measurement hardware and software from leading manufacturers are used; the torsional vibration measurement is based on a specialized measuring system developed by VULKAN. In addition to active supervised measurements, long-term monitoring is also possible.
Acoustics
Nowadays in shipping - for various reasons - low noise and vibration levels are required for a wide range of ships (ship types). VULKAN is an expert in the field of vibro-acoustics and offers an enormous range of products and possible solutions for a wide variety of requirements.
Contact us for more information.