Adaptation of FEM-based open-source software for ship structural analysis

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the challenges and opportunities emerging from the application of finite element method-based open-source software in ship structural analysis. Application of general procedure for development and assessment of FEA software used for ship structures is presented and demonstrated on the new upgrade of open-source FEA software OOFEM (Object-Oriented Finite Element Method). Properties of new quadrilateral shell FEs implemented in OOFEM are presented. The new FEs comply with relevant class requirements and are suitable for the usage in the analysis of real-world ship structures. The implemented software upgrade is validated on a series of test problems ranging from simple engineering structures to a real-world model of one part of megayacht’s superstructure. The benefits of validation tests and challenges encountered in the process of selecting the tests and interpreting their results are also discussed.