Modeling and Structural Analysis of Hovercraft Assembly
Modeling and Structural Analysis of Hovercraft Assembly
Modeling and Structural Analysis of Hovercraft Assembly
water. It supports the whole weight of the can and was then let out towards the scales
craft. in a narrow ring of air, the cans were
Skirts- They are air bags inflated by air mad4e so that it was possible to remove
are fitted around the perimeter of the craft inner can so the air could be directed in
hold air under the craft and thus upon a two ways.
cushion of air. It enables to obtain greater The experiment was conducted in
Hover height. The material used is rib stop two steps. First the smaller can was
nylon or Terylene. removed and blower switched on. The
Lift fan-It is fitted to the primary scales measured the amount of thrust the
structure of the Hovercraft. The air is air from the one can produced down onto
pumped under the craft between the skirt the scales. The smaller can was now
space to produce a cushion of air. replaced inside the larger can so that the
Propeller-It is used to obtain the forward ring of air was produced. Again the blower
motion of the craft. It is fitted to the top of was switched on and the scales measured
the craft and is powered by a powerful gas amount of thrust the ring of air produced
turbine or diesel engine. down onto the scales. Here is the key
Rudders-They are similar to that used in discovery because Cockrell observed that
an aircraft. Rudders are moved by the two cans nested inside each other
hydraulic systems. By moving the rudders produced more thrust onto the scales than
we can change the direction of the craft. the simple open can or plenum chamber
DEVELOPMENT OF AIR CUSHION did, he had discovered the momentum
BY MOMENTUM CURTAIN EFFECT curtain effect and this was the key
Stability of the Hovercraft on its cushion ingredient that he patented.
of air remained a real problem despite In the full size craft the plenum
some design efforts and new approach was chamber was also filled in so that a slot
needed. To solve these problems, plenum round the bottom edge of plenum chamber
chamber with a momentum curtain was wall was former where the air fed in at the
developed by Sir Christopher Cockrell. top. The slot produced a curtain of flowing
His first experiments were conducted with air that was inclined. The high pressure air
the aid of two cans and a vacuum cleaner from the slot angled inwards towards the
(with blower end). The cans were drilled centre of the craft helped to contains and
and bolted so that one can was inside the sustains the air cushion. Using this method
other with open ends facing down to some a stable air cushion could be created. The
weighing scales, the top of the larger can craft was still riding on a plenum chamber
was open and had a tube connected to it so of sorts but it was created and maintained
that air could be forced in to the top can by the high pressure ring of air
and around the smaller can inside. surrounding the lower pressure air in the
center.The momentum curtain arrangement
achieved higher hover heights with less
power. It also solved some of the stability
problems. The box structure in the center
of the craft around which air escaped was
closed to form a buoyancy tank to enable
The air traveled around between the inside the craft to float on water when it came to
of the bigger can and outside of the smaller rest.
The design was exactly what was one end and the other end is connected to
used in first publicly demonstrated the lift fan. Both the compressor and
Hovercraft the SRN1, built by Saunders turbine look like fans with large number of
Roe in the United Kingdom it served as a blades. When the engine is started the
test bed for many years during Hovercraft compressor compresses air from the
development. engine intakes and pushes into the
combustion chambers mounted around the
HOVERCRAFT SKIRTS engine. Fuel is squirted into the
Despite the momentum curtain being very combustion chamber and is ignited. The
effective the hover height was still too low compressed air then rapidly expands as it
unless great, and uneconomical, power is heated and forces its way out through
was used. Simple obstacles such as small the turbine to the exhaust. As the gas
waves, or tide-formed ridges of shingle on pressure raises the turbine speeds up, there
a beach, could prove to be too much for by driving the compressor faster. The
the hover height of the craft. These engine speed increases until it reaches
problems led to the development of the engines normal operating speed. However
skirt the use of these engines results in very
A skirt is a flexible shaped strip fitted high level of engine noise outside the craft.
below the bottom edges of the plenum In the SRN6 this meant that it was possible
chamber slot. As the Hovercraft lifts, the to hear the craft traveling across the Solent
skirt extends below it to retain much between the Portsmouth and the isle of
deeper cushion of air. The development of Wight in the UK several miles away. The
skirts enables a Hovercraft to maintain its current AP188 crafts that runs on the old
normal operating speed through large SRN6 routes has now moved back towards
waves and also allows it to pass over the piston engines and uses marine diesel
rocks, ridges and gullies. engines that are much quieter and fuel
Skirt is one of the most design sensitive efficient.
parts. The design must be just right or an
uncomfortable ride for passengers or LITERATURE REVIEW
damage to craft and skirts results. The skirt In the beginning Hovercraft as we know them
material has to be light flexible and today started life as an experimental design to
durable all at the same time. For skirt to reduce the drag that was placed on boats and
meet all of the requirements the design and ships as they ploughed through water. The
use of new materials has slowly evolved. first recorded design for an air cushion
There are three types of skirts vehicle was put forwarded by Swedish
Bag skirt designer and philosopher Emmanuel
Finger skirt Swedenborg in 1716. The craft resembled an
upturned dinghy with a cockpit in the centre.
Apertures on either side of this allowed the
operator to raise or lower a pair of oar-like air
scoops, which on downward strokes would
force compressed air beneath the hull, thus
raising it above the surface. The project was
The engine has a main shaft on
short-lived because it was never built, for
which is mounted a compressor and
soon Swedenborg soon realized that to
turbine. A starter motor is connected to
& Dymola are further extended by through considering various design cases,
the availability of a number of industry (different shapes, materials, loads, etc.)
and domain specific Modelica libraries and analyze them to choose the optimum
that enable user to model and simulate a design. The method originated in the
wide range of complex systems – ranging aerospace industry as a tool to study stress
from automotive vehicle dynamics through in a complex airframe structures. It grows
to aircraft flight dynamics. out of what was called the matrix analysis
method used in aircraft design. The
Electrical Systems method has gained increased popularity
CATIA offers a solution to facilitate the among both researchers and practitioners.
design and manufacturing of electrical The basic concept of finite element method
systems spanning the complete process is that a body or structure may be divided
from conceptual design through to into small elements of finite dimensions
manufacturing. Capabilities include called “finite elements”. The original body
requirements capture, electrical schematic or the structure is then considered, as an
definition, interactive 3D routing of both assemblage of these elements connected at
wire harnesses and industrial cable a finite number of joints called nodes or
solutions through to the production of nodal points.
detailed manufacturing documents The method originated in the aerospace
including formboards. industry as a tool to study stress in a
complex airframe structures. It grows out
of what was called the matrix analysis
method used in aircraft design. The
method has gained increased popularity
among both researchers and practitioners.
The basic concept of finite element method
is that a body or structure may be divided
into small elements of finite dimensions
called “finite elements”. The original body
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS or the structure is then considered, as an
The finite element method is a powerful assemblage of these elements connected at
tool to obtain the numerical solution of a finite number of joints called nodes or
wide range of engineering problem. The nodal points.
method is general enough to handle any The ANSYS computer software is a large-
complex shape or geometry, for any scale multi purpose finite element program
material under different boundary and that may be used for solving several
loading conditions. The generality of the classes of engineering problems. The
finite element method fits the analysis analysis capabilities of ANSYS include the
requirement of today‟s complex ability to solve static and dynamic
engineering systems and designs where structural analyses, steady state and
closed form solutions of governing transient problems, mode frequency and
equilibrium equations are usually not buckling eigen value problems, static or
available. In addition, it is an efficient time varying magnetic analyses and
design tool by which designers can various types of field and coupled field
perform parametric design studies by applications. The program contains many
special features which allow non-linearties Procedure for modal analysis in ANSYS
or secondary effects to be included in the Create the model using linear
solution such as, plasticity, large strain, elements because modal analysis
hyper elasticity, creep, swelling, large supports linear problem only.
deflections, contact, stress, stiffening Define the material properties of
temperature dependency, material linear isotropic such as young's
anisotropy and radiation. As ANSYS was modulus and density etc.,
developed. Other special capabilities such Apply the loads like engine, gear
as, sub structuring, sub modeling, random box, propeller shaft for the unladen
vibration, kinetostatics, kinetodynamics, condition, and for the laden
free convection fluid analysis, acoustics, condition, including above loads,
magnetic, piezo-electrics, coupled field passengers and driver's weight are
analysis and design optimization was also applied.
added to the program. These capabilities Arrest the-nodal degrees of
contribute further to make ANSYS a multi freedom at the top and bottom
purpose analysis tool for varied nodes of the tyre in all directions
engineering disciplines. and remove the constraints in
The ANSYS program has been in vertical direction at top node of the
commercial use since 1970 and has been tyres.
used extensively in the aerospace, Enter the ANSYS solution
automotive, construction, electronics, processor in which analysis type is
energy services, manufacturing, nuclear taken as modal analysis, and 'by
plastics, oil and steel industries. In taking mode extraction method, by
addition, many consulting firms and defining number of modes to be
hundreds of universities use ANSYS for extracted. Solution method is
analysis, research and educational use. chosen as Block lanczos method.
Modal analysis Solve the problem using current LS
The modal analysis is to determine command from the tool bar.
the vibration characteristics (natural Model
frequencies and mode shapes) of a
structure or a machine component while it
is being designed. It also can be a starting
point for another, more detailed, dynamic
analysis, such as a transient dynamic
analysis, a harmonic response analysis, or
a spectrum analysis. I he important feature
of modal analysis is modal cyclic
symmetry, which allows reviewing the
mode, shapes of a cyclically symmetric
structure by modeling just a sector of it. Results:Factor Of Safety Along Y-Axis
Modal analysis in the ANSYS family of
products is a linear analysis. Any
nonlinearity, such as plasticity and contact
(gap) elements, are ignored even if they
are defined.
Axial stress (σxx) along the vertical planes subjected to flexural loading (Load = 1.5 kN)
REFERENCES
1. Fitz Patrick P. Hovercraft Club of Great
Britain “Calculation of thrust in a ducted
fan assembly for Hovercraft” 2-35.
2. Fitz Patrick P. Hovercraft Club of Great
Britain “The Principles of Hovercraft
Design” 27-46.
3. Brooks I (2015) “A Method for
Estimating the Thrust and Lift
Performance of an Integrated Hovercraft”
15-57.
4. Siderits J (2011) “Hovercraft: Body and
Frame” .
5. Malik Z, Khan Y (2011) “Design and
Fabrication of a Hovercraft” 56-65.
6. Okafor (2013) “Development of a
Hovercraft Prototype” International
Journal of Engineering and Technology.
7. Yang Q, Jones V (2011) “Investigation
of Skirt Dynamics of Air Cushion Vehicle
under Non-Linear Wave Impact by using
SPH-FEM model”.
8. Rashid MZA, Aras MSM. “Dynamic
Mathematical Modelling and Simulation
Study of Small Scale Autonomous
Hovercraft”.
9. Uma SV, Maheshwara Rao, Surya
Prakash VS (2014) “Development of a
Integrated Air Cushioned Vehicle”
International Journal of Modern
Engineering Research.