ALGOR ANNOUNCES UPDATED SOFTWARE FOR PRESSURE VESSEL DESIGN

ALGOR’s PV/Designer for pressure vessel design and analysis provides a modeling wizard (1) to aid in nozzle and head design as well as dynamic visualization options. The new stress linearization utility enables engineers to define a Stress Classification Line (SCL) through the thickness of a model and then to dynamically view the SCL area using clipping planes (2) and zooming (3).

PITTSBURGH, PA – March 25, 2002 – ALGOR, Inc., a leading maker of software for mechanical engineers, announces improved design and evaluation capabilities for pressure vessel models, including a new stress linearization utility for use with linear static stress analysis. Now, pressure vessel designers in industries including chemical, petrochemical and power generation can more easily evaluate their designs’ compliance with industry standards such as the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC).

PV/Designer provides a modeling wizard that enables engineers to parametrically create pressure vessels. Its new features include full 3-D dynamic viewing with dimension display; a toolbar for quickly defining part, mesh and thickness properties as well as common head types; capabilities for hiding areas of the model using dynamic clipping planes; and parametric on-screen model updating as dimensions and other input fields are modified. Plus, it supports the generation of tapered cylinders and multiple uniform or tapered nozzles intersecting any head or the cylinder.

"PV/Designer provides pressure vessel engineers with an easy-to-use interface that supports a wide range of modeling options," said Michael L. Bussler, president of Pittsburgh-based ALGOR, Inc. "The dynamic viewing, parametric display updating and new stress linearization utility enhance ALGOR’s pressure vessel design tools."

The stress linearization utility enables engineers to find the distribution of stress through the thickness of thin-walled parts in order to relate 3-D solid FEA models of pressure vessels to the ASME BPVC. "In order to evaluate the stress in a solid element FE model of a pressure vessel, in accordance with the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, engineers must linearize the stress distribution," said engineering consultant Mike Porter of Dynamic Analysis in Lawrence, Kansas. "With this new utility, you define a Stress Classification Line (SCL) and let the software automatically calculate the linearized stress distribution. Results are formatted for easy comparison with the Code."

Users can graphically define an SCL through the thickness of a model with this utility by either selecting nodes on the model or inputting desired node numbers. They can then view the area where the SCL is defined using options including rotation, panning and zooming; displaying only the elements intersected by the SCL or translucently rendering these elements; and defining clipping planes to view cross-sections of internal or hidden areas. The utility also supports smooth or iso-surface color gradient contour displays of stress tensor results and viewing of nodal stress information through inquire tooltips.

Customers with current software upgrade subscriptions can get the new features by requesting the latest updates for PV/Designer and linear static stress analysis. ALGOR software is available for PC workstations running Windows NT, Me, 98, 2000 or XP.