Vekatech Engineering
Boost your innovations
Analytical Modelling
Even a simple analytical model can offer deep insights into how a concept will behave and its sensitivity to different factors. I develop these models to help guide design decisions and assess feasibility.
Benefits: Gain early-stage understanding of concept feasibility, reducing design risks and refining ideas before further development.
Example project:
For a wind turbine manufacturer, I developed an analytical Python model to evaluate the interaction between the Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) and the primary structure under diverse operating conditions. This model allowed for a comprehensive analysis of different TMD configurations and dynamic excitations, providing insights into the effects on the structure’s response. The analysis was conducted across multiple turbine types, enabling tailored solutions for each.
An optimization study was then performed across various TMD parameter settings to determine the optimal tuning frequency and damping ratio. This analysis identified the best configuration for each turbine type, significantly reducing vibrational amplitude at critical frequencies and ensuring maximum vibration mitigation.
This case study underscores the value of analytical modelling in precisely tuning TMD parameters to enhance vibration control across structural applications. By accurately adjusting mass, stiffness, and damping values, the final TMD settings delivered a robust solution to reduce structural vibrations, thereby improving stability and extending the lifespan of each turbine.
Finite Element Simulations
Gain valuable insights into your product’s performance under real-world conditions through advanced simulations. I offer FEA services to predict structural behavior, analyze stress, strain, and deformation, and identify potential failure points.
Benefits: Reduce prototyping costs, improve design efficiency, and ensure reliability before production.
Example project:
Wind turbine generators using the permanent magnet direct drive principle operate with a very small air gap between the rotor and stator. To prevent the risk of the air gap closing during operation, a detailed study was conducted to calculate the minimum air gap that could occur under various load conditions.
A comprehensive ANSYS simulation model was developed to assess the generator’s stiffness, accounting for the complex magnetic interactions between the rotor and stator. The model included specialized non-linear components to accurately simulate the generator’s real-world performance and ensure operational reliability.
Custom Measurement Setups & Testing
From developing specialized test setups to executing precise measurements, I can help validate your designs with real-world data. Whether it’s structural dynamics or vibration analysis, I ensure your products meet the required specifications.
Benefits: Ensure product accuracy and performance through comprehensive testing solutions.
Example project:
To evaluate a new heart monitoring device concept, an artificial compressible test arm was developed to simulate a human upper arm capable of generating a heartbeat. This simulated heartbeat was produced by a piezo stack pressing a hydraulic sensor with a programmable pulse, using a play-free drive system based on parallel-moving springs. The arm featured multiple sensors to record pressure, flow, force, displacement, and deformation data.
Preliminary studies assessed the feasibility of key components, such as the pulse generator’s driving mechanism, the drive train, and the arm’s compressibility. An ANSYS model validated drive train movements and material stresses in the springs, while a control system incorporating a PID regulator managed cuff pressure adjustments according to a predefined pressure curve.
Low-Noise & Vibration Design
Even a simple analytical model can offer deep insights into how a concept will behave and its sensitivity to different factors. I develop these models to help guide design decisions and assess feasibility.
Benefits: Gain early-stage understanding of concept feasibility, reducing design risks and refining ideas before further development.
Example project:
A sound study for a domestic appliance manufacturer identified the main noise sources in a coffee machine, focusing on two types of sound: structure-borne (from vibrating parts) and airborne (from direct sound waves).
Noise in this coffee machine mainly comes from the solenoid water pump, which generates both structure-borne and airborne sound. A Python-based acoustic model was developed to simulate the machine’s acoustic behaviour during brewing. The model used acoustic measurements across various back pressures, which change during brewing, to calculate the pump’s sound power level. By incorporating the coffee machine’s housing insulation properties, the model isolated the airborne sound component.
Results showed that structure-borne sound, transmitted through the machine housing, was the dominant noise source. Based on this, an improved pump mounting was designed to reduce structure-borne noise and enhance the machine’s overall sound profile.
Data Processing & Automation (Python)
Enhance your testing and simulation capabilities with tailored Python automation, extending possibilities in data analysis and model validation. I develop customized automated solutions to process large datasets with speed and precision, streamlining complex data analysis and simulation workflows. By removing manual tasks and integrating automated processes, I enable faster, more accurate insights to drive better decision-making.
Benefits: Save time, boost efficiency, expand testing scenarios, and reduce human error, making data processing and simulation both faster and more reliable.
Example project:
For a wind turbine manufacturer, I developed custom fatigue analysis software to calculate material fatigue damage in turbine components. The software integrates data from finite element simulations, wind load simulations, and material properties to evaluate fatigue with high accuracy. To handle complex multiaxial stress conditions, such as those found in doubly curved surfaces or under non-proportional loading, I implemented the “Critical Plane” methodology.
To manage the computational demands of these analyses, I built a dedicated high-performance computer cluster, capable of running fatigue analyses on finite element meshes of approximately 80,000 nodes within 48 hours. This allows clear identification of high-damage “hot spots” across the structure. Using this software, three different wind turbine platforms were successfully certified.
Why choose Vekatech Engineering? I offer a combination of deep technical expertise, a practical approach, and a commitment to delivering results. Whether you need precise testing, detailed simulations, or automated data processing, I work closely with you to ensure your project achieves optimal outcomes.
Ready to take your project to the next level?
Contact me today to learn more about how I can help with your engineering challenges.
Have any questions? I’m always open to talk about your business, new projects, creative opportunities and how I can help you.